Very low pass rate that day for whatever reason

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Which Airline did you interview with? Delta Air Lines
How many days between invite, interview, and listed availability?
Did you receive a job offer? No 6, months re-invite, HR Failure
If you did not receive the CJO why do you think you weren’t chosen to continue in the process? HR…but felt good with all answers and the interview.
What is your experience? 121 only
Total Flight Time Greater
Total Turbine PIC Time >2,000
General Overview of Experience Interview Date Sept 26-27, 2016. 8,500 TT, 2,300 TPIC, regional 4 year CA with two type ratings (145 and 170…both flown for 2 years each as a CA)
14 interviewed: 6 CJOs, 5 six month re-interview, 3 one year reapplys. Very low pass rate that day for whatever reason! All candidates seemed very prepared with good credentials. Haven’t seen a day that low in my time following RST…not sure. I got the six month re-interview, which I was obviously disappointed with after giving this interview my all…however in the last two weeks I realized that everything happens for a reason and I am happy I get to go back in six months to interview again. Next time, I will be even more prepared.
How long did you have your application in before you received an invite? 12 months +
Did you attend a job fair? Yes
Did you do anything special that triggered the interview invitation? I met a 30 year CA who internally recommended me via DeltaNet to get my app pulled. I also went to two job fairs this year (WAI and OBAP).
How many internal recs did you have? 5+
How long was it from the time of your invite to the actual interview? 4 weeks
Did you have any issues with logbooks, application or paperwork? No, I was told, “Great job on your logbooks, your tabbing made it very easy for us to find everything that we needed, we wished everyone did that!” I had 2 paper logbooks and one electronic Jepp printed logbook (binder from LogBook Solutions…I use MCC Pilot Log software). I tabbed all checkrides, all 121 IOE, line checks, etc.
How did you prepare for the JKT/COG portion of the interview? RST….practiced hard for 6 weeks straight. Read the
Technical Test Questions The job knowledge test is 60 questions in 60 min. You are given and pencil and paper only for this one. I recognized maybe 10 questions directly from RST. A few days before my interview, 700+ questions were added to the question bank. Ultimately, I had studied the CONCEPTS enough to come through feeling confident. I flagged 6 questions that I was unsure about and saved for the end. Ultimately, a question surprises you, note it on your paper to return to the question and move on…don’t waste valuable time until you have attempted every question. Of the ones I came back to, I only changed one answer. I had 3 that I hadn’t initially answered but was able to confidently answer all questions.
What was the hardest technical question or content you experienced during the job knowledge test? You’re flying from airport A to airport B. Lat/long for both airports are given…compute direct distance. I initially had absolutely no clue so I saved this one until the end. The only thing I could think of was the Rule of 60. I subtracted the Lat/Longs and then took the answer and multiplied by 60. I got an answer near 255 miles…so this is what I went with. I asked someone later in the day about this question and they confirmed that 255 was the correct answer. I have sense reviewed this answer and know that multiplying by 60 is the correct way to do it.
Cog Test I was scheduled for computer testing (COG, personality test, then technical job knowledge) from 0830-1115 and then for the HR interview to begin at 1200. We were told from the beginning to stay relaxed, take our time, and be confident with our answers. We were told we had to have a 30 min break for lunch…if the computer testing went longer for whatever reason and you didn’t have a 30 min break for lunch before the HR interview it wasn’t a big deal…the computer proctor would tell the HR reps you’d be there a little later. The COG trainer on RST was spot on! Really prepared me!
Guess the rule: Much easier than the COG 2.0 trainer…which is better than the other way around! Know that the rule changes after every wrong answer. When I guessed the rule correctly, I quickly went through and did as many correctly as I could before it changed. When it changed and I was incorrect (audible incorrect sound), remember that it could be any of the 3 rules (it could be the same one you just tried again). Frustrating but do it and move on…there’s no way to get a perfect score on this one.
Remember the pattern: Practice multiple times…remember that pattern in your head! Once you complete this lesson, before the following lessons during practice, continue going over the pattern in your head. It came back for me to recall it in about 3 lessons…and I still remembered it cold. Repetition helps.
The remaining sections were relatively easy. Take your time, don’t get nervous and you’ll be fine. We were told to take a short break (less than 5 min) between modules. I recommend this to get the blood flowing and relax a bit. The personality test is easy….you rank from 1-5. 1 is strongly disagree, 5 is strongly agree, 3 is neutral. Be consistent. I only had a few neutrals….most were probably 2 or 4.
Cog Math Questions The answers to the math questions were easy and I felt like I had more time than I did while practicing in RST. One question: a light bulb lasts 18 months….how many will you use in 6 years? I said 4. Not like the RST practice question where you use 3.5 bulbs…this was a round number. I recognized a few math questions from practice but the others were easy to quickly figure out…all round numbers and no trickery!
HR Questions We all finished the computer testing around the same time, 11:45. I was the only one scheduled to do my HR interview at noon. The computer test proctor told me to go to lunch for 30 min. and be back to interview at 12:15 and he would let the interviewers know. I told him that I could just go at noon and eat later but he said it wasn’t a big deal and that it was mandatory for us to have 30 min to eat….so I should go eat. Following directions, I returned at 12:10. I waited until 12:20, the interviewers came out to get me, and inquired if the computer testing had a glitch or took too long. I told them we took our time as we were told, answered all questions, and I was told by the proctor that my interview had to be pushed back 15 min. She was ok with that and I walked into the interview. They apologized having me wait, asked me how long I was waiting, and I told them again the same story. They seemed like it wasn’t a big deal and I was doing as I was told. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t had to push the HR interview back 15 min but I also wanted to check all my answers on the computer testing and give my best. Ultimately I think I made the right call here. I had a retired CA, current CA, and HR representative…made me feel very at ease and relaxed. They introduced themselves, I went through my intro that I had practiced multiple times (Emerald Coast), and then they began asking me questions.
WWYD: Deicing for 90 min, the deice truck runs out of fluid. The FA calls and tells you there is a passenger who is upset because she’s now going to miss a funeral. The passenger wants to return to the gate. What do you do?
“I tried relating real-life experiences when I could that backed up my decision making process. On this question, I related a similar story, where the deice truck ran out of fuel and a passenger wanted to return to the gate because he was going to miss his business meeting. In that case, I consulted with Ops, FA, FO, etc. and we determined it was the best for the majority of the passengers for us for us not to return to the gate. We had 15 pax who would miss the last INTL connection that night if we returned to the gate. I stated that as the CA, I made announcements to the passengers every 15 min trying to keep them informed of our delay status. We were doing everything in our power to speed up and coordinate the deicing process to get them safely to their destination. In this particular case, I relayed through the FA that unfortunately returning to the gate was not an option because it would take at least 20 min (passenger had a checked bag) and we would go to the back of the deicing line. Instead, we waited in the deicing pad, another truck was quickly found, and we were off the ground 15 min after the passenger had requested to go back to the gate. As it turned out, we made up enough time enroute for him to make the next connecting flight to attend his meeting. We coordinated a Delta Red-Coat Rep to personally meet him on arrival and assist him. The airline scheduled our arrival gate 2 gates from his departure gate and allowed him along with his bags to make the connection. Ultimately I related that decisions like this are often difficult, but after consulting with all members of the airline operation, as a CA I had to do what was best for the majority of the passengers.”
In this scenario, the CA who asked me the question seemed happy with my answer. However, thinking about it afterwards, instead of quickly jumping to my story (where I made sound judgment related my decision making process), I think it would have been better for me to ask the interviewer more follow up questions and specifically answer the scenario at hand BEFORE I related my similar story. Who knows, I could have been told that the passenger was sobbing, uncontrollable, angry…something enough to justify returning to the gate. Maybe we could have coordinated quickly returning to the gate and also keeping our spot in the deicing line? Ultimately I didn’t ask the interviewer as many follow up questions to continue the scenario dialogue as I would have liked to, although I did say that often situations like this are very difficult….and it’s best to get input from everyone before jumping to a quick decision that may not be the best for the majority of the passengers.
Tell us story about when you were an FO and you flew with a CA who did something that you were not comfortable with.
“I had been an FO on the a/c for 4 years…flying with a CA who had recently upgraded from another a/c. While he was the CA, I had more experience in the a/c type than he did. Taxiing out we had a T/R message that appeared on our EICAS that I knew from experience would force us to return to the gate. We pulled over in the pad and before we began to review the POH and MEL, the CA stated we should fly the flight and then write up the problem at our destination, thinking maybe the EICAS message would eventually go away. He said we were already running late so we should continue on so we didn’t further delay our passengers. I followed Emerald Coast guidance in approaching this issue. I suggested we review the QRH and appropriate MEL. Once he reluctantly opened the books, he still believed that we could continue to our destination because we were off the gate and then write up the issue. I again voiced my concerns, nicely telling him that wasn’t the way I interpreted the QRH/MEL. While I felt bad for our passengers, I didn’t want to fly an unairworthy a/c with a T/R that is acting up. I said I was uncomfortable flying the a/c in its current state…if we weren’t sure would he be willing to at least call mx to get their input? He reluctantly agreed. Mx quickly agreed we had no other option than to return to the gate for them to MEL the T/R. This is what we actually did…only taking 45 min to complete the procedure. The CA later thanked me for being assertive and apologized for letting his “get-there-it is” temporarily cloud his judgement. I told him, “No problem, I was just doing my job as an FO making sure the flight was completed safely per our company procedures. Everyone makes mistakes, I am here to help! I agree that the QRH is a little confusing.” We later both filed incident reports stating that the QRH was somewhat misleading….ultimately it was clarified a few months later. The remaining 3 days flying with this CA went uneventfully. I flew again with him a month later and he followed all procedures without hitch.” Remembering from the podcasts, I wanted to show that I made the situation safe, better in the long run, and followed up afterwards.
HR rep asked me about my minor consumption as a freshman in college. I related that I was getting a ride home after getting a ride home from a sober friend. The car was pulled over for making a wrong turn and when asked I admitted that I drank 2 beers a few hours ago. I was given a minor consumption ticket for being underage, completed the diversion program, and learned a valuable lesson from this occurrence to always follow the rules. She seemed fine with this.
As a CA has anyone ever questioned your judgement?
“Related a story when we were delayed 45 min for weather to improve at our destination during a snow storm / low viz. I communicated with the gate agent the reason for the delay, with dispatch, operations, FO and FA. The FA was relatively new and at first concerned about completing the flight with the weather. She showed me her phone that showed a huge snowstorm on the Northeast. I explained while this was true, the radar showed a much worse picture than actual conditions at the airport and our route of flight. Also, the storm was moving away from our arrival and the airport. I told her that we would never operate the airplane in an unsafe condition. I took the time to interpret and explain the METAR and TAF to her. All the information we had at the time told us that the weather is forecast to be above our minimums at our ETA. If it gets worse, we had plenty of fuel to hold until it improved or divert to our alternate which was in the clear. Ultimately, she understood and accepted our judgement and was more than comfortable to work the flight. Only then did we board and later takeoff. Ultimately, the weather was above mins when we approached the airport and we landed uneventfully.”
What job has given you the best training, either in aviation or another field?
“I told them how my previous airline had AQP training that I felt prepared me very well for training. I was given a CD to home study before showing up for the first day of INDOC. I am the type of learner who prefers reading and reviewing information before being lectured on the subjects. I related this is how I prepared for college classes…knowing that I would retain and be able to ask better questions on the lectures if I had reviewed all material before class. My current airline did not have AQP when I began employment….we instead were not given our books until the first day of INDOC. While I still excelled in training, I preferred being able to study ahead. I also told them that my first few jobs in high school as a waiter, running my own landscaping business, and working in the mall taught me valuable customer service skills that still stick with me to this day.” Seemed fine with my answer.
What’s the responsibility to the FO? What makes a good FO?
“I related that just as a CA, the FO must be safety conscious, a good team player, communicate well, and very knowledgeable on the aircraft systems and operation. A FO works hand in hand with the CA to follow all company procedures, FARs, etc. to safely and reliably fly passengers to their destination. The CA often sets the tone/pace; a good FO can pick up on this quickly and know how to work well with any CA. Ultimately, the FO needs to be assertive and knowledgeable to speak up when they aren’t comfortable with something or an error has occurred.” The line CA seemed perfectly fine with my answer.
How long prior to the interview did you prepare for the HR portion of the interview? 4 weeks.
Which HR Prep service did you use and did it help? Emerald Coast….yes…worth every penny! I watched all videos, attended 2 webinars, and did a top off 3 days before my interview.
Any additional information you would like to add. In conclusion, they asked if I had any questions for them. I said that I believe everything was covered, thanked them again for this wonderful opportunity, and that I looked forward to joining the Delta team. I stood, put my jacket back on, shook all three of their hands, and exited the room. I felt that I gave my best effort…although I wish I could have changed the way I approached the question regarding the passenger who wanted to deplane during deicing. I was called in about 90 min. later with another colleague and told that we missed the mark on the HR score, keep our heads up, come back in 6 months, and keep applying other places. Even though we were not given the CJO, we were still treated with respect and kindness. Later, many of our colleagues were given the same news. The receptionist asked us if we wanted to fly home that night; I said yes and was given a flight later that evening. Later that night, 10 or us met up for dinner…some people got CJOs but the majority of our group did not. We talked about our disappointment for the day, kept everyone positive, and vowed to get the CJO the next time as a group!
Is their anything you wish you could have done different to prepare you for this process? I felt like I practiced the HR portion enough, my topoff went very well. Not sure here…next time I will prepare more.
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