Airline Interview Books/Study Material

tcco94

tcco94

Future GTA VI Pilot
I didn't want to post a question into the experiences of airline interviews for a few quick questions.

I sometimes read the gouges online for airline interviews. I notice a lot and have heard from pilots that the airlines will require you to draw and explain jet turbine engines....

I'm not interviewing soon but within the next year. I'd like to at least do some type of studying on the stuff that is completely foreign to me, like jet turbine engines.... other than the college classes I had. Studying IFR regs won't be so hard for me since I'll be teaching it to my students, but since I don't fly turbine engines, are there any good resources out there on reading about this material? From the gouges, they seem to get very detailed into jet turbine questions and some systems questions and I just assumed airlines didn't give you any type of study material and instead just expected you to come prepared?

I'm not sure if I'm just overthinking it too. I know to admit saying you "don't know" if you don't like on checkrides, but do they expect you to be 100%?

Any references that I can read now and get it into my brain for next year would be fantastic. I'd rather plan early, then a few weeks out.
 
I used "the turbine manual for pilots" book to get the specific details about turbine engines, and other info about passenger jets. It breaks everything down pretty simple and talks about all the components of a normal turbine engine as well as turbo props, talks about things that work off weight on wheels, and even talks about 121 operations. Working on the ground with Delta helped me a lot as far as operations but the book made a lot of things clear about air transport aircraft. I read it whenever I could about 3 months before I got hired at Endeavor. Helped a lot with a few different questions as well as reading gouges from "airline interviews" (just google it).
 
Like Phill said, the Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual seems to be well regarded. I've never used it.

The book I would recommend the most is Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot. It's expensive, it's ugly, but it's great. Very superficial information on just about everything. It goes just deep enough to refresh info if you've already learned it or to give you a good foundation if reviewing it for the first time. it just about everything...from radio etiquette, to tower light gun signals, to Exemption 3585. Highly recommend it.

Also, worth checking out is Ace the Technical Pilot Interview, and Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators.
 
+1 for Everything Explained

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators should be a free download from the FAA site
 
+1 for the Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual. It's specifically designed for those transitioning from piston GA to turbine/121/etc.
 
That turbine pilots manual is a must. Excellent book!

If you can make it through Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators then you deserve to be hired without an interview ;)
 
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Another good read is Getting to Gripes with Aircraft Certification. It's an Airbus document but it explaines both FAA and JAA aircraft certification requirements.
 
Turbine Pilots Manual for sure. It's like Transport Category aircraft systems for dummies. It's great.
 
BobDDuck said:
Another good read is Getting to Gripes with Aircraft Certification. It's an Airbus document but it explaines both FAA and JAA aircraft certification requirements.
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I forgot about that one. It is another great source I would add to the list.
 
Thanks for the book suggestions! I've read about these in some gouges so I'll make sure to pick them up in the upcoming months and get some early studying.

I have another question as well. I see the ATP written is in the minimum requirements for ATP and rATP candidates... I thought you had to go to the ATP CTP course (that is typically provided by some airlines?) before you can even take the ATP written...

Am I wrong about that and can take the ATP written? I know if you had one completed before the rule change that it was valid for 24 calendar months (I believe) but I did not have it completed when that rule switched over. I qualify for the rATP, so I wasn't sure how that whole process worked out or if I didn't need to worry about that? For instance, Skywest states -- "SkyWest will provide the means to complete a SkyWest-approved CTP course for those who complete an application and successfully pass the pilot interview. " but then I scroll down to the hour minimums and it says ATP written on all the requirements?

Also, has anyone gone through some of the cadet programs? I qualify for Skywest and ExpressJet, but I didn't want to do Envoy because I didn't want to commit to something right off the bat. If I join Skywest/ExpressJet and decide to not fly 121 or fly for another regional then no harm/no foul but they say that they'll help with interview prep, gouges, and mock interviews? Has anyone had any success with this or is it hard to schedule something like that?
 
Good God this guy is interviewing for regionals, not Delta.

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators? Seriously?

Wear a tie, smile, and don't swear. Shave. Have a pulse.

Congrats, you just passed the interview.

I'm batting 1000 for all my aviation interviews (3 CFI, one freight, two regional, and one major). Never did any paid interview prep and never read any sort of military textbook on how to fly airplanes, as the military tends to overcomplicate things just a bit.

Just sayin'.

Oh, and for how a jet engine works. Suck squeeze bang and blow, it's a 4-cycle engine that operates all at the same time. Super easy.
 
wheelsup said:
Good God this guy is interviewing for regionals, not Delta.

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators? Seriously?
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Hey man, we want our boy here to be tier 1 SkyWest material. We don't want him to aim low for some place like Mesa. :sarcasm:
Go big or go home... And make sure you bring plenty of cake!

All of the above texts are good to study for. Add in the gouges and you will be golden.
 
wheelsup said:
Good God this guy is interviewing for regionals, not Delta.

Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators? Seriously?

Wear a tie, smile, and don't swear. Shave. Have a pulse.

Congrats, you just passed the interview.

I'm batting 1000 for all my aviation interviews (3 CFI, one freight, two regional, and one major). Never did any paid interview prep and never read any sort of military textbook on how to fly airplanes, as the military tends to overcomplicate things just a bit.

Just sayin'.

Oh, and for how a jet engine works. Suck squeeze bang and blow, it's a 4-cycle engine that operates all at the same time. Super easy.
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I was speaking more in terms of general knowledge of our craft...not just for an interview. As professionals we should wan to continue to learn things about our field and not just be content being able to fog a mirror.
 
poser765 said:
I was speaking more in terms of general knowledge of our craft...not just for an interview. As professionals we should wan to continue to learn things about our field and not just be content being able to fog a mirror.
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Sweet knock yourself out!

Just don't ask me test questions constantly on a transon like the guy I just flew with. All he talked about was airplanes, even over breakfast.

The hardest question I got in an interview:

What's your favorite thing about your current plane? Least favorite?

Is the answer in a Naval Aviator's book?
 
wheelsup said:
Sweet knock yourself out!

Just don't ask me test questions constantly on a transon like the guy I just flew with. All he talked about was airplanes, even over breakfast.

The hardest question I got in an interview:

What's your favorite thing about your current plane? Least favorite?

Is the answer in a Naval Aviator's book?
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Aw, dude, not a chance. I hate those guys. I always just smile, nod my head, and say "oh wow, I didn't know that...cool"
 
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