If you've been flying the line for years, a technical interview can feel strangely harder than your last proficiency check. You know the aircraft. But you haven't had to explain it, out loud, to a stranger, in a long time. This is how I'd prepare, from the candidate's side.
Start with an honest baseline
Before you open a single book, find out where you actually stand. That's why I wrote the free Airline Move Readiness Self-Check: 25 questions, scored out of 75, so you can see which areas need work rather than revising everything equally.
Week 1: the systems you fly every day
Pick the systems that most often come up in conversation about your type: electrics, hydraulics, pneumatics and bleed, fuel, flight controls, and automation. For each one, be able to explain:
- what it does and where its power comes from,
- what normally happens when part of it fails,
- what you'd see on the flight deck, and what you'd do.
Use only your own approved manuals and public manufacturer material. I explain my method in more detail in How to answer technical systems questions.
Week 2: performance and basics
Experienced pilots often get caught out on fundamentals rather than systems: takeoff performance terms, contaminated runways, weight and balance, high-altitude aerodynamics, weather and regulations on rest and fuel. These are the questions where "I just use the company tool" isn't an answer. Know the principle behind the number.
Week 3: procedures and decision-making
Be ready to talk through how you'd manage a non-normal from first indication to landing. A structured model such as one you already use at your airline is fine; what matters is that you show a calm sequence: fly the aircraft, identify the problem, use the checklist, decide, and communicate.
Week 4: practise out loud
Ask a colleague to question you, or record yourself answering. You'll quickly hear where you ramble. Aim for short, structured answers, and practise saying "I'm not certain, but this is how I'd find out." That sentence is a strength, not a weakness.
On the day
Listen to the whole question. Pause before you answer. If you don't know, say so and reason from principles. Don't bluff; experienced interviewers can usually tell.
Next steps
- Take the free Self-Check to find your weak areas.
- If you want the full plan, The Airline Move Playbook covers technical, sim and interview preparation step by step.
