What airlines seem to look for in pilot candidates
Hey everyone, Thereâs a lot of uncertainty around what airlines really value in pilot candidates during interview/screening. Based on my own experience, Iâve put together a few points that might clarify some of that. Please feel free to add or challenge anything, different perspectives are valuable. 1. Most larger airlines donât care that much about how many hours you have on piston aircraft during training. What really matters is jet exposure. MCC, Jet Orientation, etc. 2. Always help your crewmate. Especially during sim screenings. It doesnât matter how good you are if you let the other candidate struggle just to make yourself look better. Airlines want team players, not lone heroes. 3. If the airline sends you procedures before the sim, thereâs a reason. Study them properly and fly them exactly as written. Donât change callouts, donât improvise. Theyâre checking how seriously you take the assessment. 4. Airlines arenât looking for someone whoâs amazing most of the time but falls apart after one mistake. Theyâd rather have a predictable, reliable pilot, even if performance is âaverageâ. 5. Donât try to become the person you think theyâre looking for. Just be honest and authentic. They usually find out if you are faking something. And aviation is dependent on honesty among flightcrew members. 6. When weâre unsure, we tend to speak quieter. Thatâs exactly when you should speak loud and clear so the crew can understand you, and correct you if needed. So, speak loud and clear, without being weird đ Hope this helps someone. Feel free to add your own experiences. Iâll probably update this list if more things come to mind.