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Technical pilot interview: which ATPL subjects get asked

A technical interview asks about the knowledge behind your licence and the aircraft you fly. In practice that means the ATPL subjects, applied to a real aeroplane. This page lists the kinds of question to prepare for, subject by subject, and how to answer when you are not sure.

By Matthew Dowell, airline training captain and examiner. Written in a personal capacity; it is not connected to any airline. Airlines differ, so always follow the instructions your own airline sends you.

Last reviewed 27 October 2026. These are example questions to practise with, not any airline's actual question list, and there are no model answers here.

What a technical interview is testing

The aim is to see that your knowledge is sound and that you can reason from it. Revise the subjects behind your licence, and know your own aircraft's systems and limitations well enough to explain them simply. Assessors are not looking for a recited paragraph. A clear answer that shows how you think is stronger than a memorised one.

If you do not know something, say so, then explain how you would work it out or where you would check. Bluffing is the quickest way to lose an assessor's confidence. For the full walk-through of all the stages, see the airline pilot interview guide and the airline pilot interview questions page.

Example technical questions by ATPL subject

Each subject links to its study guide. Practise answering aloud, in plain words, and then check yourself against your notes or the book.

Principles of Flight

• Why does the stalling speed increase in a turn?
• How does the weight of the aeroplane affect its stalling speed?
• What does the aeroplane do when you move the controls, and why?

Aircraft General Knowledge

• Talk me through the hydraulic system on your aircraft. What happens if you lose a system?
• How does the fuel system feed the engines, and what are the failure cases?
• How do the electrical sources and the bus system work on your type?

Instrumentation

• How does the airspeed indicator work, and what errors can it show?
• What does a blocked static source do to the altimeter, the airspeed indicator and the vertical speed indicator?
• How does the attitude indicator know which way is up?

Performance

• What lengthens the take-off run?
• What limits the maximum take-off mass on a particular runway?
• How do you work out whether you can land at the destination?

Mass and Balance

• Where does the centre of gravity move as fuel is burnt on your aircraft?
• What are the consequences of a centre of gravity outside limits?
• How is the load sheet prepared and checked?

Flight Planning

• Explain the components of the fuel you plan to carry and why each is there.
• What do you check before you accept a flight plan?
• When would you divert, and what would you consider?

Meteorology

• What weather hazards can you meet on your route and how would you avoid them?
• How do you read this TAF and METAR and decide what it means for your flight?
• Why does icing matter and what conditions produce it?

Air Law

• Who has right of way when two aeroplanes approach head-on?
• What do you do if you are intercepted?
• What documents must be on board?

Operational Procedures

• What does your operator's fuel policy say?
• What changes in winter operations and on a contaminated runway?
• What are the rules for carrying dangerous goods?

General Navigation

• What is the difference between true, magnetic and compass heading?
• How does the wind change your track and ground speed?
• How do time zones and the great circle affect a long-haul plan?

Radio Navigation

• How does an ILS give you guidance, and what are its limits?
• What are the limitations of a VOR or NDB?
• What does performance-based navigation mean for the approaches you fly?

Human Performance and Limitations

• How does fatigue affect your performance and how do you manage it?
• Tell me about a time your perception was wrong. What does that teach you about illusions?
• What is threat and error management and how have you used it?

Communications

• What do you do if you lose radio contact on an IFR flight?
• How do you make a distress call?
• How do you read back and check a clearance?

How to answer a technical question

1. Start from the principle. Give the one-sentence idea first, then the detail.
2. Tie it to your aircraft. Where you can, say what it means on the type you fly.
3. Show your reasoning. Say what changes and what follows from it.
4. Say what you do not know. Then say how you would find out.

Study the subjects behind your licence

If your theory is a while behind you, the Mastering ATPL series is a revision guide and question bank for each subject, built on the published learning objectives. The book The Airline Pilot Interview has a part on the technical interview, including how to answer when you do not know, a worked example and a bank of worked technical questions. If you are rebuilding your plan, see what order to study the subjects in and how the ATPL exams work.

Frequently asked questions

What technical questions do airline pilot interviews ask?

Questions on the subjects behind your licence and on your own aircraft: principles of flight, systems, instruments, performance, weather, navigation, procedures and regulations. They are designed to see that your knowledge is sound and that you can reason from it.

What should I do if I do not know the answer to a technical question?

Say so, then explain how you would work it out or where you would check. Bluffing is the quickest way to lose an assessor's confidence.

Do I need to memorise ATPL theory for an airline interview?

You need to understand the subjects well enough to explain them simply and reason from them, not to recite the syllabus. Revise the subjects behind your licence, and know your own aircraft's systems and limitations.