Tell Me About a Time

Being the best pilot candidate means more than being a good pilot. Flight departments and airlines want pilots who can be good managers and team leaders. Such pilots also need to empathize with�� passenger concerns and be capable of making crucial decisions in a timely manner. And, today more than ever, airlines are operating on razor-thin margins based largely on the cost of fuel, so savvy pilots need to always be thinking of ways to save fuel. The trick during an interview, though, is to recall your career experience while proving to the interviewers that you are the candidate who makes good decisions based on safety, efficiency, schedule, comfort, and cost.

A technique that interviewers use to gauge your piloting and decision-making skills is the tell-me-about-a-time (TMAT) question. Although they may sound easy to answer, TMATs can be a real bear if you're not prepared with well-organized stories that let your varied skills shine.

A common TMAT is: Tell me about a recent divert. Sounds simple, right? You could say that the weather at destination A was terrible, so we diverted to destination B. That answers the question, but the interviewers know nothing about the decision process you used to get to that point. After having been through lots of airline interviews, I would answer a little more completely.

Since weather conditions and forecasts could have changed since takeoff, I'll get with our dispatcher to see if there are any closer alternates that will buy us more holding time. Ultimately, I'd like to see our passengers get to their destination. But we don't want to waste precious time and fuel holding for conditions that aren't likely to improve. For example, you could mention that, having flown into ABC airport several times, you know that fog tends to hang in there since the airport is adjacent to a river.

Another TMAT: Tell me about a time you questioned your dispatch release. I had a regional flight to Cleveland from Washington in a 29-seat turboprop. There was a cold front just northwest of Cleveland, and hard IFR conditions were widespread on the warm side of the front. On my dispatch release, I was stunned by the amount of fuel we were to carry for the trip until I saw the alternate was Washington Dulles--our departure airport. The gate agent told me that we were booked full, but that fuel load would surely mean we'd be leaving some folks behind. I called the dispatcher and asked why we couldn't use an airport on the cool side of the front where the weather was better, like Detroit. He plugged in Detroit as the alternate and found that it reduced the trip fuel by 1,500 pounds, which was enough weight to accommodate all of our passengers. Plus, a lighter airplane is a more efficient airplane, so we wouldn't be burning fuel to carry fuel.

If you are faced with a similar question, it's important not to dump on your dispatcher when relating your story. That would be a sure way to blow the interview. Dispatchers get quite busy on bad-weather days working flight plans for dozens of flights. It's easy for them to miss what may seem obvious to others. Stressing the teamwork that exists among pilots and dispatchers will make you look good.

If faced with a TMAT or a simulator scenario that involves a diversion, don't forget the incidentals, such as services at the diversion airport. Will the passengers be able to get off and get a cup of coffee and use the facilities? Is there a GPU available to keep the air conditioning running? Calling the alternate airports for gate availability is also a great idea.

After relating your diversion story to your interviewers, don't forget to mention that you briefed the passengers and cabin crew with a PA announcement. This shows that despite the heavy workload, you remain empathetic to the people in the back who are paying your salary. Don't be surprised if interviewers want to hear your "announcement." Once on the ground, it may not hurt to address the passengers face to face. They'd much rather hear the reason for a delay from the horse's mouth than a gate agent.

Obtaining a list of potential TMAT questions from various airline career resources will help you to recall and perfect your own stories. Practice your answers in front of your spouse, fellow pilots, or a video camera to polish your delivery.

Pete Bedell is a Boeing 737 first officer for a major airline and contributor to AOPA Flight Training and AOPA Pilot magazines.