Here are our ‘Top Tips’ for a successful sim assessment!
Here’s something that surprises many pilots: it’s relatively rare for a candidate to be unsuccessful in a sim assessment on manual flying alone. Far more often, it comes down to the wider pilot competencies. With that in mind, it’s perhaps surprising that so many candidates prioritise their manual flying above everything else when readying themselves for a sim assessment. At Flight Deck Wingman, we take a different approach, and here’s why…
The way that candidates are being assessed is changing…
The criteria airlines use to select pilots has evolved. Most airlines now use Evidence-Based Training (EBT) to train and, during recurrent checking, check their pilots. As that approach has become established, the way candidates are assessed during a recruitment campaign has moved to align with the same competency-based principles.
What is the point of a simulator assessment?
There are several reasons that candidates are assessed during a simulator assessment, but one of the most important ones is “trainability”. This doesn’t just mean how good a stick and rudder pilot you are! Most assessment processes will include an assessment of your performance against the IATA core pilot competencies. These include the following, with most airlines also incorporating “Professional Standards” into the range of competencies:
- Professional Standards
- Leadership and Teamwork
- Workload Management
- Communication
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Knowledge and Application of Procedures
- Workload Management
- Situational Awareness
- Aircraft Flight Path Management – Manual Control
- Aircraft Flight Path Management – Automation
“There are several reasons that candidates are assessed during a simulator assessment, but one of the most important ones is ‘trainability’. This doesn’t just mean how good a stick and rudder pilot you are!”
Understanding the importance of the Pilot Competencies and crucially, how to apply them!
It’s surprising just how many pilots either don’t understand the importance of the pilot competencies, or don’t effectively evidence them during training and assessment. The first exposure a pilot is likely to have to these competencies is during an MCC course, but as with most training, pilots can often view it as a “tick box” exercise on their way to the flight deck. Not so!
This doesn’t just apply to low-hours pilots, of course. Many experienced pilots pay lip service to the pilot competencies when it comes to a sim assessment for a job opportunity. In fact, we’ve commonly heard pilots refer to the competencies as the “touchy feely stuff that ‘they’ (the recruiters) want to see”! Don’t fall into that trap. The pilot competencies are a crucial part of any sim assessment process.
“It is crucial that you understand the importance of these competencies and this is especially true during a simulator assessment.”
I’m confident in my ability and don’t need any preparation
Awesome! And that will genuinely be the case for some pilots. But if it’s been some time since you last went through a recruitment process, or if it’s your first, we’d strongly recommend taking the time to prepare properly. Is it really worth losing out on a job opportunity as a by-product of being underprepared?
We’ve known pilots with everything from 15,000 hours of Boeing 777 time to F35 fast-jet experience come unstuck in airline simulator assessments. It’s rarely about ability. It’s about understanding what’s actually being assessed.
“We’ve known pilots with everything from 15,000 hours of Boeing 777 time to F35 fast-jet experience come unstuck in airline simulator assessments.”
Simulator Assessment Coaching by Flight Deck Wingman
Our simulator assessment preparation is in-depth, built around the same competency-based principles airlines now use to assess and train their pilots. It’s delivered as a three-hour, one-to-one online coaching session, so there’s no simulator or special equipment needed.
Every session is human-led, delivered personally by Wingman Andrew, a current airline pilot, former military fast-jet pilot and experienced recruiter who’s sat on both sides of the table. Our simulator assessment coaching was developed in association with a highly experienced TRI/TRE and simulator recruitment pilot, the coaching covers the competencies, the common pitfalls, and exactly how to evidence what assessors are looking for. You’ll also receive a copy of our Simulator Assessment Preparation eBook to support your training.
Learn more and book your place today at this link.
