Tell me about a time when...

[viper548]

Has it ever happened? Don't feel like you have to make a story up if something never happened to you. Has crew support ever tried to get you to fly when you were fatigued? Has dispatch ever tried to get you to takeoff using dry runway data when it was wet? fudge the fuel so you could take all the passengers and cargo? If you're a captain and your company has limitations on FO's (RVR, crosswinds, special airports, etc.) has the FO ever tried to get you to let them fly in conditions your company doesn't allow? If none of this has happened at your current job, what about flight instructing? Were you ever pressured to sign a student off on a checkride that wasn't ready? Over or undercharge a student for instruction time?

 

[DrewBlows]

what's a good story for when they ask" TMAAT when you were asked to violate a company policy?

Don't ever tell an interviewer that you knowingly violated a company policy. The correct answer to this question is some variation of "someone wanted me to violate some company policy...I said no but they insisted...I then followed the proper course of action, as dictated by my company, for dispute resolution (i.e. talk to scheduling supervisor, CP, DO, etc.). You should have a scenario that fits this mold. This is a good answer because it not only shows that you are "by the book", but it shows that you stick to your guns and know the dispute resolution process at your company. If pressed you should also point out your willingness to accept responsibility for any repercussions made by your decision to stick to the book.

 

[rustypigeon]

"Tell me about a time when your integrity was compromised." That is one I hope I never have to answer. Actually, I am not even sure what it means!

 

[captain007]

Hey experienced interview guys-

Ready to throw my hat into the major airline interview ring and I have a problem. Well in real life it's all good, but not very exciting in terms of interview stories. I've been fortunate enough to not have anything real scary happen during my career... no triple chimes, no emergencies declared, no engine failures... never even had to declare MIN FUEL. Just lucky, I guess.

I was hoping you guys could give me some examples of common 'Tell me about a time...' questions so I don't have to fidget and fumble during the real deal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

go work for mesa for about a week, you will have enough stories!

 

[cq43vt17t]

go work for mesa for about a week, you will have enough stories!

I actually laughed a little when I saw that. I've worked for Freedom, Mesa, and Trans States...... the funny part is all of my TMAT stories didn't involve Trans States.

I have never declared an emergency either. I have had abnormal situations. My advice would be to not try to find stories for each TMAT and have them ready. What I did prior to my interview was think about 5 or 6 abnormal situations that I had and wrote them down. I just wrote down a background, the issue, how it was resolved, and what I learned from the situation. You'd be surprised how one event can cover about 5 different TMAT questions. Having a pool of stories that can be tailored to several questions might be an easier option.

Interviewers are not going to fault you for not having an emergency. The purpose of the questions is to see how you work through problems and what type of person you are.