Flying Instructor Interview Questions
30 questions
Question 1: What cockpit checks do you make before departure to confirm the flight controls and instruments are working properly?
What interviewers listen forListen for use of the aircraft checklist, correct control movement and instrument indications. Accepting an unexplained mismatch just to depart is a red flag.
Candidate tipWalk through the cockpit portion of your preflight check. Name the control movements and instrument indications you verify against the aircraft checklist, including what stops the departure.
Question 2: Share an experience in which you effectively used instrumentation to pilot an aircraft when visibility was poor.
Question 3: Tell me about a time you changed a flight's fuel load, route or schedule because of a safety concern.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to know that you treat safety as your call to make and act on it before a small concern becomes a big one. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: the flight, the concern, the change you made and how it turned out.
Sample answer: "I had a charter planned with full seats and bags, and the forecast at our destination was getting worse through the afternoon. When I ran the weight and fuel numbers, I could not carry the extra fuel I wanted for a possible diversion without going over our weight limit. I called the operator and the client and explained that we needed to send some bags on a later flight or leave earlier. We moved two bags to the next trip, loaded the extra fuel and left on time. The weather did turn, and we used part of that reserve holding before landing. Afterward I moved the weight and fuel check earlier in my planning for flights to that airport."
Pitfalls to avoid: describing a change someone else made; skipping how you told the client and crew; making the story about the schedule instead of safety.
What interviewers listen forA strong answer names the specific risk, such as weather, weight or fuel reserves, and shows the pilot made the call early; letting client or schedule pressure decide is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe what you saw in the data or the weather, the change you made and who you told. End with how the flight went and what you would do the same way next time.
Question 4: How do you track fuel consumption during a flight to catch a shortfall before it becomes urgent?
What interviewers listen forA sound answer compares fuel used and remaining with the flight plan, elapsed time and expected landing fuel. Relying only on the planned burn despite contrary readings is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe when you compare actual fuel use with the plan and how you estimate fuel at landing. Explain how a growing difference changes your assessment of the flight.
Question 5: Describe how you kept an aircraft under control when strong crosswinds or turbulence made it difficult.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to learn how your flying technique and decisions helped you maintain control in difficult conditions.
Structure a real example with Situation, Task, Action, Result. Name the weather conditions and phase of flight, then explain your responsibility for keeping the aircraft under control. Focus on your own control inputs and decisions, including a go-around or diversion if one occurred. Finish with the outcome and a lesson from the flight.
For example: "On final approach, gusting crosswinds made it harder to hold the runway centerline. I needed to maintain control and judge whether the approach remained safe. I used aileron and rudder corrections, but the corrections kept growing and the approach became unstable. I went around and chose to divert to an airport with a runway better aligned with the wind. We landed there safely. I learned to act on a deteriorating approach before I ran out of comfortable options."
Avoid turning the example into a story about bravery, claiming success without describing your actions or suggesting that landing was more important than aircraft control.
What interviewers listen forLook for the pilot's own control inputs, respect for aircraft limits and a clear outcome in a real flight. Continuing after control could not be maintained safely is a red flag; ask what they learned.
Candidate tipChoose a real flight and name the conditions and phase of flight. Focus on your control inputs and any decision to go around or divert, then give the outcome and what you learned.
Question 6: What factors do you consider when calculating the speed needed to become airborne?
Question 7: Walk me through your pilot certificates, ratings and the aircraft types you have the most experience flying.
What interviewers listen forCheck that the ratings match the operation, such as instrument or multi-engine, and that they can speak to recent hours by type; vague or inflated totals are a red flag.
Candidate tipGive your certificate and ratings, total and recent hours, and the types you have flown most. Tie them to the kind of flying this job involves, such as charter, tours or medical flights.
Question 8: Describe the methods you used to determine flight plans and to identify needed changes.
Question 9: Provide an effective method you have used to ensure that baggage and cargo are loaded correctly.
Question 10: Share an example of how you cleared up an unclear radio instruction from a control tower.
What interviewers listen forThe example should show the pilot asking the tower to clarify the instruction before acting on uncertain parts. Guessing at a clearance is a red flag; ask how the exchange ended.
Candidate tipRecall one unclear tower transmission. Explain the part you could not confirm, the words you used to clarify it and how you established a shared understanding before proceeding.
Question 11: Share an experience in which you effectively coordinated flight activities with ground crews and air traffic control.
Question 12: Tell me how you responded to an abnormal engine, fuel or system reading you noticed during a flight.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to learn whether you notice abnormal aircraft indications and respond with careful checks and sound decisions.
Use Situation, Task, Action, Result to organize one real flight. Briefly identify the phase of flight and the reading that caught your attention. Explain your responsibility, the other indications you checked and the actions you took using the aircraft's procedures. End with the outcome and what you learned about monitoring the aircraft.
For example: "During cruise, I noticed the oil pressure indication moving below its usual range. My priority was to keep flying the aircraft while assessing the indication. I checked the other engine indications and followed the checklist for that aircraft. The pressure remained abnormal, so I diverted to a nearby suitable airport and told ATC about the problem. After landing, I recorded what I had seen for maintenance. I learned to notice trends rather than wait for an indication to reach a limit."
Avoid inventing checklist steps, dismissing a reading without checking it or spending the whole answer on the gauge without explaining your response.
What interviewers listen forThe example should show how the pilot noticed the reading, checked other indications and used the aircraft's checklist. Dismissing it without checking is a red flag; listen for the result and lesson.
Candidate tipPick a real in-flight reading that concerned you. Explain what you noticed, your checks and actions, how the flight ended and what you learned about monitoring the aircraft.
Question 13: Describe how you selected relevant information from several weather and airport sources when preparing for a flight.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to see how you gather information from several sources and decide what matters to a particular flight.
Use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Set up one flight, identify the information you needed, and explain how route, timing, airports and aircraft made some reports especially relevant. Finish with how the information shaped your preparation.
Sample answer: "While preparing for a flight, I gathered an official weather briefing, current airport reports, forecasts and airport notices. I also checked radar and recent pilot reports along the route. I focused on information covering our planned departure and arrival times rather than treating every item in the briefing as equally relevant. An airport notice affected the runway I had planned to use, so I checked the available runway against the aircraft's performance information and revised the plan before departure."
Avoid listing sources without explaining their relevance, overlooking the time or location a report covers, or ignoring a hazard because it makes the flight less convenient. Use an example from your own experience.
What interviewers listen forListen for a real flight example linking weather reports, forecasts and airport notices to the planned flight. Ignoring an applicable hazard because it complicates the plan is a red flag.
Candidate tipUse one flight. Name the sources you consulted and explain how you chose information that mattered to the route, timing, airports and aircraft. Finish with how it shaped your preparation.
Question 14: Walk me through a time you used an aeronautical chart to plan a flight to an unfamiliar airport.
What interviewers listen forLook for the pilot's own use of current charts to identify terrain, airspace and arrival constraints, with a clear planning result. Using an expired chart without checking current information is a red flag.
Candidate tipUse a real flight to an unfamiliar airport. Describe the chart features that shaped your plan, the decisions you made and what the flight taught you about that preparation.
Question 15: Describe a time you made sure a required fuel or load change was carried out before departure.
What interviewers listen forListen for the pilot's own check that the fuel or load change was completed, plus the result. Assuming a verbal request proves the aircraft was changed is a red flag; ask what they learned.
Candidate tipChoose a real fuel or load change. Focus on how you confirmed the aircraft matched the revised plan before departure, then give the outcome and a lesson from the check.
Question 16: Tell me how you handled a flight when ATC could not approve your requested altitude or route change.
What interviewers listen forListen for a real request, the pilot's response to the denial and a safe alternative. Silently leaving the clearance is a red flag; ask what the pilot learned from the exchange.
Candidate tipExplain why you needed the altitude or route change and how you responded when ATC could not approve it. Focus on your actions, the alternative you arranged and the flight's outcome.
Question 17: Share an example of a time you chose a cruise speed to balance fuel use with arrival timing.
What interviewers listen forA real example should connect the cruise-speed choice to fuel use and arrival timing within aircraft limits. Choosing a speed outside safe operating limits to meet the schedule is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe the flight's fuel and timing needs. Explain the speed you chose within aircraft limits, the trade-off and the result, including what you learned.
Question 18: What would you do if an engine did not start within the limits in the aircraft's starting procedure?
What interviewers listen forThe pilot should stop the attempt at the aircraft's stated limit and follow its procedure before another attempt. Repeated cranking beyond that limit is a red flag.
Candidate tipUse the aircraft's starting procedure to explain your first action. Cover starter limits, any required waiting period and the checks needed before another attempt.
Question 19: What would you do if the other pilot became unresponsive while you were flying a two-pilot aircraft?
What interviewers listen forAircraft control comes first, followed by the aircraft's incapacitation procedure and help from ATC. Leaving the controls unattended to assist the other pilot is a red flag.
Candidate tipStart with keeping the aircraft under control. Explain how you would use the aircraft's procedures, seek help and arrange a safe landing while accounting for the other pilot.
Question 20: Give an example of how you corrected an error in an instrument flight plan before departure.
What interviewers listen forA strong example identifies the filing error, the pilot's correction and confirmation of the updated plan. Assuming an edit was received without checking is a red flag; ask what prevented a repeat.
Candidate tipChoose an actual filing error, such as a route or equipment entry. Explain how you corrected it, confirmed the change before departure and improved your next flight-plan check.
Question 21: How do you check flight times and fuel consumption figures before entering them in flight records?
What interviewers listen forExpect flight times checked against block or Hobbs readings as applicable, and fuel use checked against totalizer readings or fuel records. Inventing a missing figure to finish the flight record is a red flag.
Candidate tipDescribe the time and fuel sources available on your aircraft, such as block times, Hobbs readings or a fuel totalizer. Walk through your cross-checks and how you resolve a mismatch before completing the flight record.
Question 22: Walk me through a go or no-go decision you made on a flight where the right answer wasn't obvious.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to understand how you weigh risk when the answer is not clear, and whether you can explain your reasoning. Walk through the facts you had, how you weighed them and what you decided.
Sample answer: "I was scheduled for an afternoon cargo flight, and a line of storms was forecast to reach our route not long after my planned arrival. The aircraft was in good shape and I had legal fuel reserves, but the timing left little room for any delay. I checked the latest radar and reports, got an updated briefing and talked with dispatch about how urgent the cargo was. I decided to leave an hour early with the cargo that was ready, and the rest went on the next day's flight. We landed well before the storms arrived. I told dispatch before we agreed on the plan that if we could not leave early, I would cancel."
Pitfalls to avoid: picking a decision with an easy answer; leaving out your own limits and experience; letting the schedule sound like the deciding factor.
What interviewers listen forStrong answers weigh weather, aircraft status, fuel, their own fitness and experience, and the client's needs, then explain the trade-off; a decision driven by the schedule is a red flag.
Candidate tipPick a close call, list the facts you checked and explain how you weighed them. Say what you decided and how it turned out, including whether you would decide differently now.
Question 23: How do you make sure your flights stay within FAA rules, such as duty and rest limits, weather minimums and recordkeeping?
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to know that following the rules is part of your daily routine, not something you check at the end. Name the rules that matter most in your flying and the habits that keep you within them.
Sample answer: "I start each trip by checking my duty and rest time against the operator's limits, and I keep my own log as well as the company's. During planning I check the weather against the minimums for the type of operation and for my own experience, and I confirm the aircraft's inspections and paperwork are current. After each flight I record times and fuel right away, so nothing is filled in from memory later. Once, a delay would have pushed me past my duty limit on the last leg. I caught it before departure and told dispatch, and they found another pilot for that leg. The rules differ by type of operation, so I make sure I know which ones the company flies under and what its manual adds."
Pitfalls to avoid: saying you rely on dispatch to keep you legal; reciting rules without any habits; treating one operation's limits as rules for every kind of commercial flight.
What interviewers listen forListen for habits: checklists, logs, and knowing the operator's manual and the rules the operation flies under; relying on memory or on others to catch problems is a red flag.
Candidate tipName the rules that shape your daily flying and the habits that keep you within them, such as tracking duty time and checking minimums. A short example of catching a near miss helps.
Question 24: Share an example of how you handled a problem you found during a careful preflight inspection.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to learn whether your preflight inspection catches aircraft problems and leads to sound decisions.
Build your answer with Situation, Task, Action, Result. Set up one real inspection briefly and explain your responsibility for checking the aircraft. Spend most of the answer on the finding, the checks you made and your decision about the flight. Finish with the outcome and a lesson you applied later.
For example: "During a preflight walk-around, I noticed a cut in a main tire that needed a closer look. I was responsible for deciding whether to accept the aircraft for the flight. I stopped the inspection at that point, checked the tire condition more closely and brought the finding to maintenance. I held the departure while they assessed it. The tire was replaced before we flew. That reinforced the value of looking closely at each tire instead of just checking that it appeared inflated."
Avoid claiming you diagnosed something beyond your knowledge, skipping your own actions or treating the departure schedule as a reason to overlook a defect.
What interviewers listen forA strong example connects a specific inspection finding to the pilot's decision and the outcome. Skipping a required check to stay on schedule is a red flag; ask what they learned.
Candidate tipChoose a real preflight finding, such as a leak or tire damage. Explain the check that caught it, your decision about the aircraft, the result and what you learned.
Question 25: Give an example of how you handled a passenger or client who pushed you to fly despite your concerns about the weather or aircraft.
Suggested answerThe interviewer wants to learn whether you can handle pressure from a passenger or client while keeping a safety decision firm and respectful.
Use Situation, Task, Action, Result for one real disagreement. Briefly explain what the person wanted and the weather or aircraft concern. Focus on your own words and actions, then describe the outcome and what you learned about communicating a decision the client disliked.
For example: "A client wanted to leave immediately, but thunderstorms were moving across our planned route. I needed to explain why I was delaying departure. I showed the client the weather picture and explained the concern in plain language. When they repeated that they had an appointment, I acknowledged the disruption and kept the delay in place. I offered to reassess the weather later without promising a departure time. They were frustrated but accepted the delay. I learned that a clear explanation and a definite next update helped keep the conversation calm."
Avoid blaming or mocking the client, letting their deadline settle the safety decision or giving only a hypothetical response.
What interviewers listen forA strong example shows a calm explanation of the weather or aircraft concern and a firm safety decision. Letting client pressure override that decision is a red flag; listen for the outcome and lesson.
Candidate tipRecall a real disagreement with a passenger or client. Explain the concern, how you responded to the pressure, the outcome and what you learned about keeping the conversation respectful.
Question 26: Walk me through how you reported a mistake or safety problem to your chief pilot or operator.
What interviewers listen forListen for a real report, clear facts and the pilot's own part in telling the chief pilot or operator. Hiding details to avoid blame is a red flag; ask what they learned from the response.
Candidate tipUse one real report. Briefly explain the mistake or safety concern, then focus on how you told the chief pilot or operator, their response and what you learned about sharing difficult news.
Question 27: Tell me about a time you had to get proficient on a new aircraft type or avionics system.
What interviewers listen forListen for manuals, practice and training or checks suited to the aircraft or avionics system and applicable requirements. Using unfamiliar equipment in flight without needed preparation is a red flag.
Candidate tipName the aircraft or system, how you studied it and how you practiced before a real flight. Mention a difference that caught you off guard and how you handled it.
Question 28: Share an experience in which you effectively co-piloted an aircraft. How about a time when performed captain's duties?
Question 29: What factors do you consider when choosing routes, altitudes, and speeds?
Question 30: Provide an experience in which you effectively supervised other crew members. What methods made you successful?