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Interview Profile

Day 1

• Records checked and paperwork collected
  • Be sure to have all documentation requested in the e-mail invitation
• Aeronautical knowledge technical exam
  • See question bank below for individual questions NOTE: Delta recruiters have stated the test will be changed. Make sure you study CONCEPTS and don't just memorize gouge
  • 42 questions in 42 minutes
  • Aerodynamics is the majority of the test
  • Understand the principles of critical mach
  • IAS stall speed
  • local speed of sound, mach
  • max endurance/max range, and how all are affected by weight, altitude, temperature, and the shifting of cg
  • Know how to break down the descents in feet per nautical miles and translate that into feet per minute.
  • Swept wing theory
  • Wake turbulence
  • Compressor stalls
• Personality test
  • 240 questions from a bank of 570, in 50 minutes
• Cognitive exam
  • Multiple sections with different time limits
  • Stacy Vreen, A medical examiner in Atlanta, gives these tests as practice for a fee ($550!). Telephone: 404-761-2166
  • This test is graded based on accuracy, response time, and accuracy per minute
  • Click here for great examples on cognitive screening: http://www.cogres.com/ShowPage.asp?page=CogScreenTests.asp
• Panel interview
  • 3 on 1; two pilots and one HR representative
• You will be told whether you will be continuing to Day 2 or not by Delta recruitment staff

Day 2

• Physical exam
  • Standard physician inspection
  • Blood and urine will be taken and tested
  • Eye test
  • Hearing test
• Personality Evaluation
  • You will bring the Day 1 test to go over with the psychiatrist
  • The most important thing about tests is to be honest and CONSISTENT in your answers
• Psychiatric evaluation
  • Conducted by Dr. VanderPlate
  • At one time, Vanderplate's recommendation was very heavily weighted. Now if he does not recommend you, it only results in a review of your package by the Delta recruiters
  • See example questions below

Interview Question Bank

Technical exam question bank

• How is takeoff distance and ground speed affected when taking off from Denver compared to Atlanta?
  • Longer T/O roll in Denver due to a higher true airspeed for T/O. Ground speed will be faster in Denver. Indicated airspeed will be the same for both T/O's.
• What happens to landing speed with varying headwinds, altitude, temperature, TAS, and Ground speed?
  • Ground speed for landing will be slower with a headwind, Ground speed will be faster with altitude and temperature due to a higher true airspeed.
• What shows up best on radar? Rain, Hail, Sleet, Snow
  • (Hail)
• What does Red and Green light signals from a control tower mean?
  • Exercise Extreme Caution.
• What is the worst Icing Condition?
  • Freezing Rain.
• What is the sequence for starting a turbine engine?
  • Air, Ignition, Fuel.
• What is a characteristic of a low pressure system?
  • Unstable Air.
• For over seas flights how many life jackets must be aboard?
  • One for each person.
• Computations for visual descent points
  • Distance- Divide the HAT on the chart by 300 and subtract that from the end of the runway. Example: MDA for LOC 27 (450)agl. 450/300= 1.5 miles. VDP for runway 27 is 1.5 miles from end of runway.
• Computation for visual descent point
  • Time- Take 10% of the HAT and subtract that from the time from FAF to MAP. Example: MDA for LOC 27 (450)agl. Time on the approach is 3:00. 450x10%= 45 seconds. Subtract 45 seconds from time from FAF to MAP. 3:00 - :45 = 2:15 time on the approach to the VDP. Or :45 seconds from the runway.
• You are in level flight and encounter icing conditions, and you know that the pitot system heat is not working, what do you do?
  • Descend to a lower altitude, or Declare an emergency and request a lower altitude.
• Figure rate of descent necessary for an ILS (3deg slope). Example: 180 kts GS, 180x5= 900 fpm. OR 180/2 + zero = 90+0= 900fpm.
• What is the region of reverse command?
  • A region of flight speeds below max endurance where a decrease in speed requires an increase in power.
• What is the purpose of Vortex Generators?
  • Provides airflow control that delays boundary layer separation.
• What speed should you use when diverting to an alternate?
  • Normal Cruise Speed.
• You are entering a hold and your L/D max speed is above the max holding speed for FAR 91. What speed do you hold at?
  • Max Hold Speed for FAR 91 as long as it is 1.3 times VS.
• What is the advantage of a Swept Wing over a Straight Wing?
  • Swept wings have higher Critical Mach Numbers.
• What does L/D Max give you for Jets?
  • Max endurance, Max engine out range, Max Glide Ratio.
• Bearing pointer moves from 5 deg in front of the wing to 5 deg behind the wing in 8 minutes, you are doing 360kts. How far from the station are you?
  • (Formula in the ATP written book.)
• You are at 25,000ft, there is Level 5 thunderstorm 80 miles in front of you. You tilt your radar up 1.5 deg and the cell disappears. How high is the Thunderstorm cell.
  • At 80 miles 1.5 deg of tilt = 2 miles of altitude. 2 miles = 2(6000) = 12,000ft. Add that to 25,000ft = 37,000ft Approx.
• What three things affect hydroplaning?
  • Tire Pressure, Weight, and Depth of Water.
• Know Basic V-Speeds. V1, V2, Vr, Vmu, etc.
• After an Engine Failure always climb at V2.
• What is a mountain wave?
  • Air flowing up the windward side of a mountain is relatively smooth. Dangerous down drafts may be encountered on the lee side. The wave pattern may extend 100 miles or more down wind of the barrier. Mountain wave winds are typically - Westerly.
• You are descending through 6000ft and elect to turn on the engine anti-ice due to icing conditions ahead. Your EPR was 1.96. What do you expect the EPR to read after you switched the anti-ice on?
  • 1.86. (due to lower pressure in the back of the engine, you took power away when you turn on the ice.)
• What are the effects of landing on a narrow runway?
  • You fly a lower than normal approach.
• Mach number goes up as altitude increases, due to higher true airspeed.
• Know the 60 to 1 Rule. At 60 miles from a VOR, 1 Deg = 1 Mile.
• What has the greatest effect on hydroplaning?
  • Under Inflated Tires.
• What effect does CG have on Range and Stability?
  • Most aft CG - Greater Range, but less stable.
• If you have a total AC power failure, and get a Generator back on line, what will give you an indication of its power output?
  • Kilowatt Meter.
• What effect does a no flap landing have on aircraft speed?
  • Faster Approach Speed.
• Critical Mach Number Decreases as Altitude Increases.
• Know holding pattern entries.
• Where does a fire extinguisher discharge on a Jet Engine?
  • Between the Engine and the Shroud.
• When are compressor stalls most likely?
  • High Power Settings, Low Speed, and High Angle of Attack.
• Be able to compute holding times given fuel burn rate, fuel available, reserves, etc. Example: Fuel burn in the hold is 3000lbs. Per engine (2). You have 5000lbs. Holding fuel, How long can you hold? 50 Minutes. Note: Holding fuel is Gross Weight - Zero Fuel Weight.
• Be able to compute descent rates, given speed in Mach Numbers, Distance, and Altitude to lose. Example: You are at FL350 going Mach .84, 112 miles from XYZ VOR. You are cleared to cross 12 miles outside of XYZ and 10,000ft and 250kts IAS. Indicated in the Descent is 300Kts. When do you start down? Use 3 miles per 1000ft of altitude loss, and 1 mile for every 10kts to slow the airplane. 3x25= 75miles. 50kts of airspeed loss will take 5 miles. 75+5+12= 92 DME from XYZ VOR.
• Know engine out procedures, with landing technique. If you have a crosswind, always land with the operating engine into the wind, This helps counteract weathervane. Example: You have Runway 18,36,12&30, The left engine is out, Winds are 210@30, Which runway would you use for landing? Use 18, wing down into the crosswind.
• You are taking off on runway 15L in ATL, V1-123, VR-135, V2-147. You have an engine failure at 130kts IAS, what do you do? Continue the takeoff and climb at 147kts. IAS.
• Mach number and Ground speed conversions: Take speed of sound (given in chart form)x Mach number, + or - for temp different from standard. Example: FL250 Mach .7, Temp -40C. 600 x .7 = 420 (600 is the speed of sound at FL250)This is TAS on a standard day. Standard Temp for FL250 is = -35C. (Lapse rate 2C/1000ft, 15C at Sea Level {2 x 25 = 50, 50 - 15 = 35C}) Actual temp at FL250 is -40C, 5 deg colder than standard. 5 x 1.2 = 6kts. (1.2 is the speed of sound change per deg C, Increase speed with increase in temp)Correction (colder than standard, subtract 6kts.) Answer: 420 - 6 = 414kts.
• Know about heavy aircraft operations, and Wake Turbulence. Example: A heavy jet departs in front of you, what should you do? 1) Execute a missed app, 2) Land long beyond his point of rotation, 3) Land short before his point of rotation.
  • Answer (3) is correct.
• What turns AC to DC? Transformer
  • Rectifier (Transformer changes the Frequency, and the Rectifier changes the AC to DC).
• What affects landing distance the most, Gross Weight or Speed?
  • SPEED.
• Know how to calculate descent profiles. Example: You are at FL340, GS is 480kts, You are 96 DME from the VOR. At what Descent Rate would you use to cross a VOR at 10,000ft. You are going 8 miles a minute, You are 12 minutes from the VOR. 12 Minutes to lose 24,000ft = 2000fpm.
• On takeoff if you are given an immediate turn by ATC when do you turn?
  • AIM says 400ft agl, but this was not one of the answers. I put when clear of all obstacles, but there was one about listed on the SID. (I am not sure.)
• What is 1013.2 millibars = to in inches of mercury? 29.92" hg.
• You are starting a jet engine and a ground person tells you there is fire shooting out of the tailpipe, what do you do?
  • Cut the fuel and keep motoring the engine.
• Winds aloft are 270@20, they shift to 210@15, Have you experienced frontal passage?
  • Yes, even though shifts are usually to the right after passage. The question I got had to do with ground weather and frontal passage, low ceilings and heavy rain proceeding a cold front.
• What does not effect the IAS at which an airplane stalls? Gross Weight, Turbulence, Altitude, True airspeed
  • Answer: Altitude does not effect the IAS at which an airplane stalls, ATP Written.
• What affects lift in a turn?
  • Angle of bank and Airspeed.
• After going missed approach, what airspeed would you climb out at if diverting?
  • L/D Max or Max Range.
• If landing in full reverse, you start drifting left, what should you do?
  • Take left engine out of reverse.
• What should be considered in reference to hydroplaning?
  • Tire Pressure, Weight, Hard or Soft Touchdown, Depth of Standing Water.
• On climb, Diff Pressure is rising, Cabin Alt is rising, what is happening. Normal operation, or Defective Diff Pressure Gage.
  • It didn't say what rate the cabin was raising, so I put normal operation.
• On climb there is no pressure differential, what is the problem?
  • Pressure Vessel Leak.
• Why does a tailwind increase Takeoff roll?
  • Increased Ground Speed.
• What speed is affected if you have a contaminated runway?
  • V1. V1 is reduced with a contaminated runway.
• If on a 3 Deg Glide Slope at 700 feet per minute, as headwind increases what correction must be made?
  • Reduce the rate of descent (due to slower ground speed).
• Differential = Zero, Rate of climb = Zero, Cabin Alt = Zero, what is this telling you?
  • Aircraft is on the ground at Sea Level.
• What effect does altitude have on Critical Mach Number?
  • As altitude increases Critical Mach Number Decreases.
• You are on an ILS and the preceding aircraft reports a speed loss of 20kts. What do you do?
  • Discontinue the Approach. Wind Shear definition in the AIM.
• What has a faster mach airspeed? 250kts IAS @ FL400 & -49C, 300kts IAS @ 10,000 & +6C, 250kts IAS @ 15,000 & Stand Temp. Answer 250kts IAS at FL400 & -49C.
• Two aircraft are traveling in the same direction 50 miles apart. Aircraft in the lead is going .76 Mach, aircraft in the trail is going .86 Mach. When will the second aircraft catch the first aircraft?
  • Difference in speed is .10 Mach = 1 mile per minute. 50 miles apart = 50 minutes.
• The LOC Inbound Course is 360deg, the final app fix is the XYZ VOR 090deg Radial at 20 DME. You are on the 288 deg Bearing to the station, established on the LOC. How far is the Final App Fix?
  • Answer 6 miles. 60 to 1 Rule. 60 miles out, 1 Deg = 1 mile, 20 miles out, 1 Deg = 1/3 mile. Bearing difference is 18 Deg/3 = 6 miles.
• What would be affected by a no flap landing?
  • Faster Approach Speed, Longer landing distance.
• Temp = 58 and Dew Point = 55, what could happen if temp drops?
  • FOG
• What is the difference between stalls at high altitude and low altitude?
  • Not as much thrust at higher altitude for recovery.
• Emergency descent to 9000', Zero differential, does the problem still exist?
  • Yes
• How is Oil cooled?
  • Fuel
• You are on the 270deg Radial. Hold east on the 090deg Radial 20 DME fix, 20 mile legs. Wind is 360@20kts. What radial will the bearing pointer be pointing to before you turn inbound?
• You are on the 090deg Bearing From the station and are cleared to hold on
  the 060deg Bearing To the station. What is your initial heading outbound?
  • 240 Degrees.
• You are FL370 in cruise flight. The OAT increases 5 degrees C, and the
  headwind increases 5kts. What happens to your TAS and GS?
  • 5x1.2 = 6kts.gain in TAS, and GS Increases by 1kt.
• L/D Max = 240KIAS, Vflaps = 205KIAS, Vs = 149KIAS, You get a holding clearance for 7000ft, at what speed do you hold?
  • 230KIAS (Max holding speed between 6000ft and 14000ft.)
• What influences the turn-radius the most? Altitude, Weight, Load Factor, Airspeed.
  • Answer: Airspeed.
• You are executing a missed approach on Runway 09 and get cleared to hold south on the 180deg Radial of the VOR on the field, at the 15 DME fix. What type entry?
  • Parallel Entry.
• What conditions are conducive to the formation of frost on an airplane?
  • Clear night, 30deg F., Light winds, No precipitation.
• What has an effect on specific range?
  • Gross Weight, Altitude, A/C Configuration.
• Why does specific range increase with an increase in altitude?
  • Greater True Airspeed, Lower Inlet Air Temps, Increased Engine RPM'S, Lower Fuel Consumption.
• You are flying a circling approach when you lose sight of the Runway, how do you execute the missed approach?
  • Make a climbing turn towards the landing runway and fly the published missed approach, when established on a segment of the missed approach procedure.
• You are in a landing roll-out with full reverse thrust, when you lose the left engine and the airplane is veering right. What do you do?
  • Retard both reverse thrusters to IDLE and counteract the yaw with rudder and differential breaking.
• You are flying at 0.86 Mach, and you elect to slow down for operational
  purposes. Below what airspeed do you have to advise ATC?
  • 0.85, 0.84, 0.83, 0.82. Answer: 0.84 ( Equivalent to 10kts.)
• You have been advised that cargo has been shifted from a forward cargo
  hold to an aft one. How does that affect the aircraft's stability and cruise speed?
  • Less Stable, Higher Cruise Speed.
• You are on a 20 DME arc at 240kts GS. What will your lead radial be to
  intercept the final approach course?
  • 1-4 Radials, 5-8 Radials, 9-12 Radials. Answer: 5-8 Radials. (4 miles a min, Standard rate turn = 90deg = 30seconds, 2 miles to complete the turn, 2 miles at 20 DME = 6 Radials.)
• You are descending through moderate icing conditions, and your pitot-static system ices up. What does your airspeed indicator show?
  • A decrease in airspeed.
• What determines the optimum cruise altitude for a jet airplane?
  • Aircraft's gross weight at the beginning of the cruise.
• What is a disadvantage of a swept-wing design?
  • Dutch-roll tendencies, wing tips stall first, reduced max coefficient of lift.
• What are your actions if you experience a compressor stall at a high altitude?
  • Lower angle of attack, Reduce fuel flow, and Increase airspeed.
• What is Vmu?
  • The minimum unstick speed = the minimum speed at which an airplane can be rotated off the ground without experiencing a tail-strike.
• What is CAS?
  • Calibrated Airspeed = Indicated airspeed corrected for position and installation error.
• A 747 is traveling at 120kts and is crossing the outer marker which is 5 miles away from the runway. A DC9 is traveling at 150kts, and is 7 miles behind the 747. Where will the DC9 be when the 747 lands?
  • Answer: 5 3/4 miles behind the 747. The 747 is traveling at 2 miles/min. 2 1/2 min from the runway. The DC9 is traveling at 2 1/2 miles/min. 6 1/4 miles of travel in 2 1/2 minutes. 12miles - 6 1/4 = 5 3/4.
• The best performance for a turbine engine is?
  • High RPM - High Airspeed
• What sequence of events would stop a turbine aircraft the quickest?
  • Reverse, Spoilers, Brakes.
• What airspeed do you hold at when you are at 8000ft?
  • 210kts.
• Warm front will produce what type of thunderstorms?
  • Occluded.
• At a higher altitude why does it take longer to recover from a stall?
  • Less power due to altitude.
• Why would a swept wing aircraft roll if you were to push on the rudder?
  • Because the advancing wing has a greater angle of attack (Dutch Roll).
• What affects turn radius the most?
  • Speed.
• Your flying into a very strong jetstream. Your trying to conserve fuel. What should you do?
  • Climb as high (for fuel efficiency) and fly as fast as you can.
• You get smoke in the cabin and you fix the problem. How do you get rid of the smoke?
  • Decrease cabin pressure differential (Raise the Cabin).
• You start losing cabin pressure, and you fix the problem. How do you determine that the cabin is re-pressurizing?
  • Cabin pressure differential is increasing.
• You have to perform a high speed abort. What determines the amount of brake energy that is absorbed by the brakes? 1)The time it takes to stop. 2) The distance it takes to stop. 3) The speed at which the brakes are applied. 4) The rate at which the brakes were applied.
• You are on the 090 radial at 20 DME. What heading would you fly to go direct to the 60 DME fix on the 190 redial of the same VOR?
• You are on the 090 bearing to the station. The wind is 360 at 50. What heading will you need to fly to track inbound to the same VOR on the 270 degree redial from the station?
• An aircraft is in a 1G state. If the aircraft is then put into a 0G state the:
  - Induced drag decreases and parasite drag decreases.
  - Induced drag increases and parasite drag increases.
  - Induced drag decreases and parasite drag increases.
  - Induced drag increases and parasite drag decreases.
• You are on 180 @ 20NM. You want to go to the 270@ 10NM. The winds are 240@30 kts. What is your heading to the fix and what is your timing outbound?
• They decide to move the cargo more aft. What does this do?
  a. yoke pressure during rotation increases/takeoff dist increases
  b. yoke pressure during rotation decrease/takeoff dist decreases
  c. Vr increases
  d. Vr decreases
• Your bearing pointer moves from 5 degrees above the wing to 5 degrees below the wing in 8 min your ground speed is 480kts. How far are you from the station?

Cognitive Test

• Math
  • A train leaves a station at 15 minutes to 8 and makes three stops in route to its destination. Each stop takes 15 minutes and the travel time to the destination in 3 hours. What time will the train reach its final destination after stopping at each stop?
  • Peaches cost 40 cents a can, applesauce cost 60 cents a can, and pears cost 50 cents a can. What is the total cost of three cans of peaches and two cans of pears?

Panel Interview questions

• What are traits that separate an average pilot from a great pilot?
• Have you ever been called on your day off for a trip and did you accept it?
• You are a new f/o and the captain tells you not to read checklist, WWYD?
• Do you have any speeding tickets? Are there any more than you didn't put on the app?
• Tell us about your background starting at high school
• How did you get involved in flying
• TMAAT you had a conflict with a passenger
• TMAAT a member of your crew had a conflict with ground personnel
• WWYD if you had passengers and you were going to be late? Would you tell them why?
• Interview begins with a review of your logbook and application
• If you had moderate turbulence ahead to the left and and tall cell sitting to the right of you but you believe you can top it. The capt elects to go through the moderate turbulence, WWYD
• There is a cell sitting of the approach end of the runway and the captain tells you he will land and does it all the time WWYD?
• You are on a visual approach in a non-radar towered airport. The captain is lined up with the wrong runway WWYD?
• There is windshear reported on final and the captain elects to continue WWYD?
• The captain is continually dipping below minimums to land it you are passing the marker WWYD?
• Why do you want to work for Delta?
• What is your aviation background?
• What would you do if the Captain did not have the aircraft stabilized by the FAF?
• What do you think of cutting corners to save money?
• What would you do if a passenger claimed the flight attendant was drinking?
• What would you do if a passenger claimed to have seen you drinking?
• The mechanic says that to fix the airplane will cause a 45 minute delay, what will you do and how will you handle the passengers?
• In aviation what have you done in the past that you said you would never do again?
• Tell about a leadership skill that did not work or a time that you failed as a leader.
• What type of leader are you in the cockpit?
• What are your priorities when you come to work?
• Have you ever had any disciplinary action taken against you at work? o How would your supervisor describe your work habits?
• What if the Captain was asking about your personal life?
• Should a pilot have a sense of humor?
• What would you do if the flight attendant comes to the cockpit and says a passenger has too many bags? What if it was a million mile member?
• What would you do if you were told that your Captain was seen in a bar less that 8 hours before a flight?
• How often have you missed work or been late for work in the past year?
• What pilot do you admire the most and why?
• Tell how team work was demonstrated in your last job.
• What would you do if the Captain pulled the cockpit voice recorder CB before engine start?
• What would you do if you saw the Flight Attendant take a bottle of champagne from the aircraft?
• What would you do if the Captain did not follow noise abatement procedures?
• What would you do if a thunderstorm was approaching the end of the runway and the Captain was continuing on approach to that same runway?
• What is the best characteristic you would bring to Delta?
• And what is the characteristic you need to work on the most?
• What is the most important characteristic of a Captain?
• Why do you want to be a pilot?
• What would be the biggest problem in transition from your current job to Delta?
• What is a policy at work you disagreed with and what did you do?
• What was your GPA in College?
• Tell about a job where you had little or no supervision and what did you do to stay motivated?
• Upon reaching the Aircraft, It is not clean (Trash in the Cabin) what will you do?
• What best/least represents what you want to be as a Captain?
• What is your favorite aircraft and why?
• What are your own personal signs of stress and how do you cope with stress?
• Are 45 deg bank turns a safety issue or dangerous?
• What are the three most important qualities a Captain should have?
• When you think of Delta what three things come to mind?

Psychological Evaluation example questions

• How would you describe yourself?
• What is your leadership style?
• How would others describe your leadership style in the cockpit?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses? Is that all?
• Where did you grow up?
• What did your parents do for a living while you were growing up?
• Tell me a time when you were scared and/or stressed in the cockpit?
• What do you and your spouse argue about?
• What do you do in your free time for recreation?
• How would others describe your worst characteristic in the cockpit?
• Have you ever had any history of Psychosis?
• Has anyone in your family ever had mental problems?
• Describe a traumatic event in your life.
• Do you have any questions for me?

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