Interview Questions

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A friend of mine just interviewed at a company. He posted the questions he remembered from the interview on the company forum. Thought I'd re-post them here to let ya'll hash 'em out. Enjoy.

Samcro said:
1. Standard alternate mins
2. Holding speeds
3. A question about altimeter setting and pressure altitude conversion.
4. How far around an airport is a TAF valid.
5. RVSM equipment requirement.
6. Obstruction clearance on a VASI and distance.
7. How specifically so you do a dual VOR check.
8. What is QNH
9. Standard IFR climb gradients.
10. How do you compute runway gradient.
11. How do you know if you need an IFR alternate.
12. There was a duty or flight time question I think.
13. RVR to visual conversion for 4000 RVR.
Click to expand...
 
1. Standard alternate mins - 600/2 precision or 800/2 non precision
2. Holding speeds - something economical.. 55% power
3. A question about altimeter setting and pressure altitude conversion. okay.
4. How far around an airport is a TAF valid. 5 mi
5. RVSM equipment requirement. no idea
6. Obstruction clearance on a VASI and distance. don't know this. probably should
7. How specifically so you do a dual VOR check. Fly over charted ground feature of some kind, more than 20mi from the VOR. Bearings to the station from both VOR's should have no more than a 4 degree descrepancy

8. What is QNH don't know
9. Standard IFR climb gradients. 200 feet per NM
10. How do you compute runway gradient. look in A/FD for gradient, make robot noises while reading it
11. How do you know if you need an IFR alternate. 123 - one hour before or after, forecast ceiling less than 2000 feet and/or 3mi visibility. Look at TAF if available, if not check area forecast.
12. There was a duty or flight time question I think.
13. RVR to visual conversion for 4000 RVR. not sure


Assuming pt. 91 of course
 
VASI provides obstacle clearance 4SM from the threshold and within plus or minus 10 degrees from the runway centerline
 
dell30rb said:
1. Standard alternate mins - 600/2 precision or 800/2 non precision
2. Holding speeds - something economical.. 55% power
3. A question about altimeter setting and pressure altitude conversion. okay.
4. How far around an airport is a TAF valid. 5 mi
5. RVSM equipment requirement. no idea
6. Obstruction clearance on a VASI and distance. don't know this. probably should
7. How specifically so you do a dual VOR check. Fly over charted ground feature of some kind, more than 20mi from the VOR. Bearings to the station from both VOR's should have no more than a 4 degree descrepancy

8. What is QNH don't know
9. Standard IFR climb gradients. 200 feet per NM
10. How do you compute runway gradient. look in A/FD for gradient, make robot noises while reading it
11. How do you know if you need an IFR alternate. 123 - one hour before or after, forecast ceiling less than 2000 feet and/or 3mi visibility. Look at TAF if available, if not check area forecast.
12. There was a duty or flight time question I think.
13. RVR to visual conversion for 4000 RVR. not sure


Assuming pt. 91 of course
Click to expand...

#2 is looking for max speeds based on altitude per FARs
#10 now that's funny. Don't care who you are!

Not part 91. Part 91K / 135 I think.
 
The RVR is 3/4sm

The alternate question also depends on your GOM and a few other things.

Was this a 135 or 121 (flag or non flag) interview?
 
PAPI provides at least 1 degree obstacle clearance when the last light turns red. Probably the same for VASI
 
I've never interviewed for a flying job, and probably never will, but I was surprised at the questions - are these typical for an interview? They're all just rote memorization, some of minor importance, many just of trivia. Is that really what they're asking in an interview?

I always figured it would be more "scenario-based", to use the FAA's terminology. Or at least more on the application/understanding/correlation levels of learning. But rote memorization? What does that prove?

They should have just asked "what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?"
 
African or European?

Seriously,

Each company does it to their style. There are scenario based questions at most companies. There are also sometimes straight questions like those posted here. They usually try to sprinkle the basic knowledge questions across the board to see where you stand with knowledge.

I've never had an interview that felt like an oral. It's always been a pretty casual conversation with some questions mixed in. Mostly it's a chat about what you've done. A lot of places have you take a written test as well as a short sim ride. The sim ride usually consists of a climb to 4 or 5 K using speed and FPM as primary. Level there, get used to the sim. Do some climbs and descents and shoot an approach to some local ILS. Stop on the runway and you're done.

Some of the questions are things I NEVER use so it requires a guy to study up before an interview. Take number 1 for example. Every company I've worked for uses derived minimums for alternates. I know there are standard mins but I can never remember what they are as I never use them. In aviation, as anything, use it or lose it. So, if I were to go to an interview I'd have to pull out the books and study up. Private and IFR are the books I'd read over.
 
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