Airline Pilot Interview Questions

The goal for a successful interview for an Airline Pilot is to demonstrate a deep understanding of aviation regulations, show excellent problem-solving skills, and exhibit exceptional communication and leadership abilities.

Situational interview questions

• You are the captain of a commercial flight, and during the descent, the landing gear indicator light fails to illuminate. What steps do you take to determine whether the landing gear is down and locked, and what actions do you take in the event of a gear malfunction?
• While flying on a long-haul flight, you receive a message from air traffic control that there is severe turbulence ahead, and you need to change your course to avoid it. What steps do you take to ensure the safety of your passengers and crew during the course change, and how do you communicate the change to your passengers?
• During takeoff, you notice that one of your engines has failed. What immediate actions do you take to ensure the safety of the aircraft, and what communication procedures do you follow to alert air traffic control and coordinate an emergency landing?
• You are approaching your destination airport in bad weather, and the visibility is poor. As you make your final approach, you notice that the runway lights are not functioning. What actions do you take to safely land the aircraft, and how do you communicate the situation to the airport control tower?
• While in flight, you receive a message from air traffic control that a passenger onboard is experiencing a medical emergency and needs immediate attention. What actions do you take to assess the situation, communicate with medical personnel on the ground, and coordinate an emergency landing if necessary?

Soft skills interview questions

• How do you ensure effective communication with your co-pilot and air traffic control during a high-stress situation?
• Can you describe a time when you had to remain calm and composed despite facing a challenging situation in the cockpit?
• Tell us about a time when your decision-making skills helped you handle an emergency situation in-flight.
• How do you maintain effective teamwork and collaboration with your crew members during long flights?
• Can you describe a situation where you had to manage conflict with your crew or passengers? How did you handle it?

Role-specific interview questions

• How do you interpret weather reports and other monitoring tools to make decisions regarding the safety of a flight and potential route changes?
• How do you mitigate the risks of hazards such as turbulence, wake turbulence, and icing during flight?
• How do you handle emergency situations such as engine failure, loss of cabin pressure, or severe weather during a flight?
• How do you maintain situational awareness and communicate effectively with air traffic control and other crew members during a flight?
• How do you handle communication failures or other technical issues that may arise during a flight?

STAR interview questions

1. Can you describe a situation where you experienced an emergency while flying and what was your task at that time? What action did you take and what was the result of your actions?

2. Have you ever encountered a difficult weather condition during a flight? Can you walk me through the task given to you in that situation and the actions you took to overcome it? And what was the result of those actions?

3. Can you tell me about a time when you noticed a malfunction in the aircraft system during flight? What was your task, how did you investigate the issue, what action you took and what was the result?

4. Describe a flight where you had to communicate with air traffic control to avoid an accident or air traffic congestion situation. What was your task at that time, what actions did you take to communicate, and what was the result of your actions?

5. Have you ever had to make a quick decision in-flight for the safety of passengers or crew members? Can you describe the situation, your task, the action taken, and the result of that decision?