For many experienced pilots, the simulator assessment is the stage that worries them most, especially if it's on a type they don't currently fly. Here's how I'd approach it from the candidate's side.
What's usually being assessed
Most airlines don't expect perfect type knowledge in an assessment sim. They're usually looking at how you fly and how you work as a crew: basic handling, instrument flying, workload management, communication and decision-making. These map closely to the pilot competencies published by ICAO and widely used in airline training.
Ask the airline, or its published material, what type and what profile to expect. Many will tell you.
If it's on a different type
- Learn the basic flows, flight deck layout and key speeds from public material.
- Understand how the automation behaves at a basic level, then plan to hand-fly whenever it helps.
- Don't pretend to know the type. Use your crew member and say what you need.
Hand-flying and raw data
Practise raw-data flying if you can: an ILS without flight director, a non-precision approach, a go-around and an engine failure after takeoff. Many experienced pilots are a little rusty here because daily line flying is highly automated.
Crew behaviour
Brief clearly, share your plan, ask for input and verbalise changes. Treat the other pilot as a colleague, not a prop. If something goes wrong, recover calmly; how you handle a mistake often matters more than the mistake.
Practical preparation
- A few hours in a fixed-base or full-flight simulator before the assessment can be worth it.
- Chair-fly profiles at home.
- Sleep well before the day. Fatigue shows in the sim.
Next steps
- See where you stand with the free Airline Move Readiness Self-Check.
- Read How to prepare for an airline technical interview.
- The Airline Move Playbook includes a full sim-preparation section.
