Why pre-screen pilots before the interview panel
Logbooks and licences answer the easy questions. What they do not show is whether someone has cancelled a flight when the weather was marginal and there was pressure to go, or whether they raise a concern in a cockpit when the other pilot is more senior. Both are the difference between a safe operation and a statistic. A short screen asks about a flight they did not take.
What actually matters when screening Pilot candidates
- 01
Ratings and technical competence
Verify licence class (ATPL, CPL), type ratings, current medical, total and PIC hours, night and instrument time, plus recency in the specific aircraft and simulator check dates.
- 02
Situational awareness under load
Probe how they manage workload in busy terminal airspace: scan flow, monitoring the pilot flying, handling reroutes, weather deviations, and configuration changes during descent.
- 03
Decisions under pressure
Assess handling of real abnormals: engine failure, hydraulic loss, diversion for fuel or medical, windshear go-around. Look for QRH discipline and go or no-go calls.
- 04
Communication discipline
Test standard phraseology, readback discipline, callouts, and CRM with first officers, cabin crew and ATC; ask about a time they challenged a captain or accepted challenge.
Pre-screening questions to ask Pilot candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Hours and ratings
3 questions01What is your total flight time, and how much of it was as pilot in command?
Listen forHours stated precisely and split by role and aircraft category, matching what a logbook would show.
Hours rounded generously, or command time not distinguished from total time.
02What types of aircraft are you certified and current on?
Listen forTypes with currency and recent time on each, distinguishing what they fly now from what they once flew.
Types listed without currency, or recent experience far lower than the claim implies.
03Do you hold all the licences and certifications required for this operation?
Listen forLicences and ratings stated exactly, with the issuing authority and any validity dates given clearly.
Vagueness about current validity, or licences from an authority that does not cover the operation.
Conservative decisions
3 questions04Do you have experience operating under instrument flight rules?
Listen forReal instrument time with approaches flown recently, and personal minimums stated above the legal ones.
Instrument currency lapsed, or personal minimums set at the regulatory limit.
05Are you comfortable operating at night or in challenging weather?
Listen forComfort described alongside clear limits, with a flight they cancelled or diverted because of weather.
Confidence with no stated limits, or no flight they have ever cancelled for weather.
06How comfortable are you operating navigation and weather systems?
Listen forSystems used routinely with an understanding of their limitations and update timing in flight.
Weather displays trusted as real time, or automation used without cross-checking.
Abnormal situations
3 questions07How do you handle emergencies or abnormal situations during a flight?
Listen forProcedure followed in order with the aircraft flown first, and a real abnormal event described.
Improvised responses, or no abnormal situation they have personally handled.
08Have you had any incidents, occurrences or reportable events during a flight?
Listen forFull disclosure with what was learned, and occurrences reported through the proper channel at the time.
Events omitted or minimised, or occurrences that were not reported when they should have been.
09What steps do you take to ensure safety before and during a flight?
Listen forPreparation described as a consistent routine, with a willingness to delay when something is unresolved.
Checks described as habitual and quick, or time pressure treated as a reason to shorten them.
Crew communication
3 questions10How would you describe your communication with air traffic control?
Listen forStandard phrasing used consistently, with a readiness to query an instruction that seems wrong.
Instructions accepted without question, or non-standard phrasing described as normal.
11Do you have experience in a multi-crew cockpit?
Listen forConcerns raised with a more senior pilot clearly, with an example of speaking up and how it was received.
Deference to seniority in a safety matter, or no occasion where they challenged a decision.
12Can you detail your experience with flight planning and coordination?
Listen forPlanning done thoroughly including alternates and fuel, with decisions revisited as conditions change.
Planning treated as paperwork, or alternates chosen without considering their weather.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Ratings and technical competence
30%5Holds current ratings with logbook hours that match the fleet, recent line checks passed, and no lapsed medical or recency gaps.
Situational awareness under load
30%5Describes concrete flights where task shedding, briefings, and cross-checks kept them ahead of the aircraft rather than reacting late.
Decisions under pressure
25%5Recounts specific events with QRH sequence, diversion rationale, fuel figures, and an owned decision including one they would change.
Communication discipline
15%5Uses precise standard calls, gives clear briefings, and gives examples of raising or receiving concerns without eroding cockpit authority gradient.
Logbooks show hours, not whether someone cancels when there is pressure to go. A one-way video screen asks about a flight they declined.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async. Enough to establish hours and ratings, test their weather and abnormal decision making, and hear how they work in a crew.
What must be verified outside the screen?
Licences, ratings, medical certification, logbook hours and the required checks in full. The screen shows judgement; none of it substitutes for verifying that someone is legally current.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
A flight they turned back or declined. Pilots with sound judgement have made that call and can describe the pressure around it. Anyone who has never cancelled has either flown very little or pressed on.
How do I judge their crew behaviour?
Ask how they raise a concern with a more senior pilot. Sound answers describe stating it clearly and escalating if needed. Deference in that moment is the failure mode this industry learned from.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
