Phase I

The only thing I did to prepare for the testing phase was to read two books--Officer Candidate Test Prep and AirIncs book on airline testing. It was hard to prepare for. Northwest will fly you in the night before, and I stayed at one of the motels recommended in the letter-----be sure to mention you are coming in for a NW interview (or ask for the NATCO discount) since it saves you about 40$ over the airline rate. When checking into the motels also be sure to sign up for the shuttle to the interview (never wait for the last bus).

You all meet in the lobby at NATCO (Northwest's training center) and are taken upstairs by Human Resource reps (my group was about 60 applicants). The first person to speak will tell you a little about the company, hiring plans, class schedules, and answer any questions.

The first test is the dreaded psych test. It comes in four parts totalling 226 questions. There will be a statement like: I 'like my job' or 'if I won the lottery I would still work my job' or 'I would rather work through a problem with a group than alone'. The choices are assigned 1 to 5 most like me to least like me (the order changes between sections). There is about 2 hours allowed, but it only takes around an hour. The two suggestions I heard are <1> try to express a strong opinion--1 or 5 as often as possible, and <2> be consistent (by being yourself).

Then there are 13 timed tests (7 minutes each). They range from vocabulary to arithmetic to spatial orientation (rotating objects) to picture assembly.

It takes about 2-3 weeks to get a phone call for phase two or a letter saying you didn't make it. There really isn't too much you can do to prepare. Try to go through books on tests to increase your speed with math etc. NW Phase II:

You will be contacted about 7-10 days after phase I with Phase II dates and times.

First you have a sim eval. Show up at least 30 minutes prior (an hour is good). The sim profile is very VERY simple. There is an hour allotted for briefing (it usually only takes about 15-20 minutes so you may get in early). My eval was in a 727-200 sim. No tricks. Depart, fly a heading, intercept a radial, enter a hold, shoot an ILS. The sim eval was about 20 minutes long. The trick is using the NFP. If there are questions, you need to write them on the board (it shows how well you follow instructions).

The board interview was also very relaxed (almost fun). There really were no 'trick' questions. THere were several human factors type questions, 'how do you handle disagreements in the cockpit' 'tell us about....'. There were some Northwest knowledge questions (financial info, employees, bases, etc.) and a few technical questions (121 regs, oxygen requirements, alternate requirements).

The physical was the next morning--thorough eye exam, hearing test, chest x-ray, blood draw, drug test, treadmill (stress) test. You are done by noon.

All in all they want to hire almost everyone who makes it to phase II. You will get a conditional letter of employment after the board interview (based on background check and physical).

Delta Air Lines Interview: Jan '98 1 HR person and 1 Captain. Approx. 45 minutes. Extremely relaxed - more than I would have ever expected. Your jacket comes off, so a tailored shirt pays good dividends. HR person seems to get buddy-buddy with you - sort of awkward. HR person went over UPAS app line by line (literally!), and asked some questions to check that your answers are the same as the app’s. I was asked questions about availability date, speeding tickets, location preferences (I didn’t have the NE or NW checked off, duh. Just mark NO PREFERENCE on the UPAS app!), flight experience in particular aircraft, and flight time checks. The UPAS flight time information is compared to the Delta Supplemental App that you receive and complete on testing day. HR person was making sure the hours matched on both. Quickly went over Employment History and Educational Background. Asked several questions on the Accomplishments/Achievements/Awards/etc. section. I was asked about the military medals and what they were for. HR person somewhat interested in the References and Recommendations section. During the UPAS app review, some questions were asked several times over, and occasionally I was not able to finish my responses since they keyed in on something I said and fired off another quick question. Seemed that the HR person was trying to intentionally irritate you by asking stupid questions over and over. For example: asked what my availability date was 5 times in a row - played stupid about military separation date and the affects of terminal leave; and asked what a T-1 was, then what a Beech 400 was, and so on - came across as an idiot. I gathered that the HR person was playing a pax and checking to see if you can explain something simple (to you) several times without getting frustrated. After the UPAS app review, the HR and Capt tag-teamed on situational questions. The questions asked were: 1) when did you decide to get out of the military; 2) why commercial aviation; 3) have you had any interviews thus far; 4) are you flying for the Guard or Reserve; 5) FA says that a pax has carried on too many bags, wwyd; 6) you’re in cruise flight, first time flying with this Capt, you have a serious personal problem at home, and the Capt is asking deep personal questions that bother you, how would you handle the situation; 7) company policy is to be stabilized on approach at 1000 feet AGL, but Capt configures late, flies fast on final, and greases the landing. The Capt says he/she does that to save fuel, how would you handle the situation (hint: company policy supersedes efficiency); 8) how do you handle stress in the cockpit; 9) why do you like Delta; and 10) if you were Chief Pilot and see a “new hire” , what would you tell the new hire the 3 things that make Delta what it is today? (I later heard that the key words are: safety, customer service, and efficiency). Interview was basically over, and the HR person asked if I had any questions for them. You are escorted back into the lobby and asked to wait 10 minutes. At that time, you are asked to come back in. Two outcomes in the hallway: we like to set you up for a physical, or you are done for the day and should hear from Delta in 2-4 weeks. The HR person was definitely running the interview. Remember, the HR person is a professional in their job, and knows how to get you off your feet, frustrate you, appear stupid, see through BS, and to check to see if you have programmed yourself for specific interview questions. The Capt, like all pilots , has his/her stuff together. Good luck!!!