News - Air Safety Matters

Another ‘first time’ Instrument Rating pass for Harry Manley. Thanks to Euro Flight at Lee on Solent and Air Safety Matters Ltd.

Hi David,

Hope you are well.

I had my assessment with Ryanair in Dublin last week and I'm pleased to say I was successful. I should be starting the Type Rating in February.

Thank you for helping me get my IR and MEP sorted so quickly and for your encouragement too.

I'll just leave some notes below about what the assessment consisted of for your interest, but also feel free to pass it on to anyone you meet who has an assessment coming up.

The assessment consists of an interview (technical and HR) and a simulator assessment at Ryanair's HQ in Dublin. The dress code appeared to be a suit (which they also mentioned in a presentation they gave about recruitment at L3).

My interview was very quick (about 15 minutes). For the technical questions, I was asked some questions about the 737 and my MCC course:

• What failures did you have on MCC?
• What's the difference between an engine flameout vs severe damage? What indications would you get?
• Do you remember the fire drill memory items?
• How many extinguisher bottles are there and where are they located?

Most of the feedback from previous candidates said that the technical questions were more generic (e.g. Meteorology, principles of flight, performance etc) so it was unusual that I was just asked specific type questions. So it may depend on who you get interviewing you on the day.

For the HR part of the interview I was asked:

• Tell me about your last work experience (he had my CV in front of him)
• Did you have any difficulties doing the job?
• Why is the 737 8200 a game-changer for Ryanair? What are some of the differences between it and the 737 NG?
• Did you do any sim prep for today?
• Why do we use SOPs?
• What makes a good captain?
• If you're successful, when can you start?

(As well as your CV, you also have to bring a flight school report and at least two references with you to the assessment. There were only 4 candidates being assessed that morning, so I'd imagine they read your report, references, and CV before they interview each candidate.)

For the simulator assessment, you are given a PDF in advance with the profiles they want you to follow (calls, thrust settings, speeds, flap retraction/extension schedules etc). Then on the day, they pair you up with another candidate and you're given at least 20 mins to brief each other. You take turns as PF and PM (about 1hr each).

I believe we were given the POL 4T SID out of Liverpool. The stop altitude was 4000 but they cleared us to climb to 5 or 6000 feet (to make the level off a bit easier). The departure is flown manually with flight directors on. They expect you to do RT throughout the flight, but not to bother actually changing the frequency on the radio. The assessor will also do the checklists for you, but the PF has to call for them.

After you level off you're then given some GH to do but with the flight directors off, including turns, acceleration and deceleration, steep turns, climbs, descent at 800 fpm. They also asked the PM at certain points to say what QDM or radial we were on from the beacon, and what hold entry you'd do if you entered the hold.

We were then given an emergency situation to deal with. On the first flight, the cabin crew called us and informed us that the floor at the back of the aircraft was getting very hot. On the second flight, we had a passenger who said he had a bomb, and would detonate it unless we flew him to Egypt.

After we had discussed the emergencies, we were both given vectors for the ILS back at Liverpool, again manually with the flight directors off (although it sounded like the other two candidates that day did a procedural approach with their assessor). They also gave us a fictional NOTAM that the missed approach procedure that day was simply straight ahead to 3000 (instead of what was on the plate).

And that was everything! You don't get any feedback on the day, nor did I get any when they emailed me to say I was successful.

Anyway, hopefully that's useful to know. Do let me know if you have any questions about it.

All the best,

Max

Air Safety Natters and FTA visits the AAIB in Farnborough.

Air Safety Matters, in conjunction with FTA Shoreham, welcomes its latest Flight Instructor Course students, Nick and Adi.