interview questions

[saviboy]

Hi
Some poeple might say, by looking at my TT that I should not worry about those things yet, but I have time to now and I want to teach good decision making skills to my students. So here are 4 questions and there are more to come if everyone is okay
thanks.

1)transition altitude and transition level, “What’s the difference?”

2)scenario: “Wx bad at Houston, you are 120 miles out and have 30 min holding fuel. Wx at Austin is VMC. 30 mins later, Captain still doesn’t have a plan of action, what do you do?”

3)scenario: “Airplane is on takeoff roll and you notice the Captain does not have his shoulder harness fastened. What would you do?”

4)Scenario: ATC calls out traffic to you. They say there is a 767 you are to follow but you don’t see a 767, you see an Airbus. What do you do?”

Number 4 seems easy but is there a trick?

thanks

 

[Alchemy]

1) The only thing I could come up with is that transition altitude is the altitude at which you set your alitimeter to 29.92 on the way up (18,000) while transition level is the flight level at which you set your alimtieter to local on the way down (FL 180).

2) You have to go to Austin. In that 30 minutes you should've been in touch with company dispatch, flight service, ATC, and whoever else, getting a good idea of whether or not you'd be able to make it. Since fuel is now critical, you need a safe bet on a place where you can land.

3) Sterile cockpit below 10,000. Tell him after you get above 10,000. That's definitely not an abort item.

4) Tell ATC that you have an A320 but not a 767, and ask to confirm that the aircraft you are to follow is a 767.

 

[minitour]

...
3) Sterile cockpit below 10,000. Tell him after you get above 10,000. That's definitely not an abort item.
...

Isn't that a reg. thing? Not the abort, the shoulder harness...

 

[80/20]

Alchemy is right about Transition Altitude (TA) and Transition Level (TL)

It is more of a factor on international flights where it often is not fixed at 18000’.

It is normally between 4000’ and 10000’ and separated by at transition layer of 1500’-2000’.



Example:

TL ---------------- FL 085 -------------- (change from 29.92 during descent)

↑

Transition layer

↓

TA -------------- 7000 ft --------------- (change to 29.92 during climb)

 

[100LL... Again!]

If memory serves:

(Someone fact0check me here, I'm tired today)

Trans level: lowest ussable flight level usually 180 or 190

Trans alt: highest usable alt, usually 17,000


Suppose local altimeter is 28.92.

You are cleared to FL190.

You wait until you get to 18,000 to reset to 29.92.

By the time you get it set you will be nearly through 190.


Transition layer is whatever is between.

Most of us st the altimeters when passing 18k indicated, but you can see here where it could bite you.

 

[Sctt@NJA]

Isn't that a reg. thing? Not the abort, the shoulder harness...

Yes it is a reg. However if the takeoff roll has already started the best course of action is to ignore it until you are out of a critical phase of flight.

Think of the options... I can only think of 2 and both are totally unacceptable.

1. Tell him to fasten his harness while continuing the takeoff.
2. Call for an abort so he can put his harness on.

Both of these options introduce a level of risk that far exceeds that of an unfastened harness.

 

[Alchemy]

All 4 of these are Expressjet phone interview questions. Sterile cockpit is definitely the answer they want for number 3.

 

[saviboy]

thanks for the info

 

[srjorion]

Straight from the Jepps Airways manual:

"The transition level (QNE) is the lowest level of flight using standard altimeter setting (29.92 inches of mercury or 760 millimeters of mercury or 1013.2 millibars or 1013.2 hectopascals.)"

"The transition altitude (QNH) is the altitude at and below which local pressure setting must be used."

Pretty much what has already been said, but using all of the technical terms and a reference for those who need to see it in writing somewhere.