my pilot aptitude assessment/selection process experience

even though im currently studying literature, i’ve always been a science freak especially as a child. i wanted to share my experience with the various simulations and tests i went through and passed successfully for flight qualification. 

i’d be incredibly happy if this gives a pilot candidate an idea of what to expect, or simply entertain an aviation lover and satisfy their curiosity about what a “pilot-to-be” goes through.

first of all, most of these require a certain amount of maths and physics knowledge and being an efficient team member. i’d say the main focus is to see how well you perform under pressure whether its physical or psychological.

the computer based section

the surveys and maaany many tests that you take on a computer which may take 2 to 2.5 hours are the easiest but the most time consuming part. as i remember, there is a survey that tries to break down how your mind works, “hints” on your personal beliefs and political stance to tell if you would be willing to obey or is there anything that would prevent you from taking control of an aircraft mentally, which is up to 400 different questions. of course before all of these they measure your height and weight to check your bmi (to give myself as an example, im a 168 cm tall 56 kg woman, which i believe would roughly be 5’7 and 125 lbs in burger and freedom measurements) they take blood and urine samples to check for various substances or medications, which includes pills that are stimulants like ritalin. you can find the textbook requirements anywhere else since thats not a professional guide and simply an entry of my own experience.

kamikaze ride

one of the most remarkable simulations for me was the one with the gyroscopic chair. they strap you on it in a soundproof room and put on headphones to avoid any outside distractions. still, you will hear questions that will test your memory of the previously flashed numbers or questions and you will need the buttons to answer them while keeping control of the simulation. there is a screen in front of you that showcases a basic animated test with a target, such as a ball. the objective is to keep the target in the middle of the screen while keeping your distance within the acceptable range. tricky part is that the joystick controls are inverted. for example; if you aim it forward, you will get farther away from your target. happily you have enough time to get used to it before actually starting the process, and the chair will start to turn on your second saved attempt. challenging but fun.

vertigo

there is also a part where they test your multitasking abilities by making you use every single limb possible at ONCE. they give you a pair of headphones that plays recordings of various questions like basic arithmetic and general knowledge. while you’re answering the questions you hear, theres also random questions or equations appearing on the screen that you have to click or type in the answer. in the meantime you have to use buttons to control the altitude of the plane on your screen to avoid it crashing into obstacles, and move right and left for a bucket that you try to collect as many rocks as you can. the challenging part is that you can’t take a break until it’s done, and there is not a pattern that you can follow through or plan what are you gonna do next, since everything is randomized and designed to keep you on your toes.

the stanley parable

for the next one, which is for me an easier version of the last, you get in a black room with only the screen lit. again, it flashes random general knowledge or logic questions that are timed to 5 seconds. while you try to answer as many questions as you can correctly you also have to press the randomly lit yellow buttons all over the wall. it was a pretty fun experience if you take out the inevitable stress of failing since they dont give you a second chance for any of these tests.

top gun

next one i’d like to talk about is the altitude chamber. the main point is to simulate the high altitude conditions and to see if you can keep your mind clear and basically, not pass out. they clip on a pulse oximeter to track your heart rate while you’re sitting in the red cabin with a loud noise while doing nothing. after that one you have to answer the questions that will appear on the screen. if you feel sick or claustrophobic during the test you can press the red button to get out, but keep in mind that doing so will result in failure.

nausea

the last solo one i remember was pretty similar to the rotating chair one. this time instead of the screen and joystick you put on vr goggles and get strapped to a chair that turns relatively fast and moves up and down non stop. the objective is to look everywhere around you to find and continuously read the misspelled sentences the way they are written by not changing the wrong spelling or extra syllables. there will be basic math questions as well and the mentor will ask you random questions about yourself or your surroundings to distract you. my tip is to make sure you eat well 2 or 3 hours before this one or dizziness will make you puke since its inevitable to prevent nausea. good luck with no puking, since it would result in failure.

partner

as i remember, the only one that required active teamwork with the other applicants was a somewhat strange test with a ping pong ball. there is a long string that has a metal ring in the middle which you should figure out how strained you should keep the string, how far away you should be from each other and coordinate your moves in order not to drop the ball while turning 360 degrees, keeping the ball steady. after doing the turn successfully you and your partners have to figure out how to balance the ball on a metal pole without dropping it. personally, i didn't really enjoy that one compared to the others since you're basically screwed if you can’t make sure that everyone is participating. you're watched, and in a way berated to break your focus by the mentors. as annoying as this one sounds, it’s still crucial to succeed since if you throw in the towel, all is done. i’d advise you to step up even if you're anxious to do so, and not be too passive or dominant.

honestly this took longer than i thought, so i’m sorry if there is any parts that may sound boring or uninteresting. i wanted to share an experience that i loved being a part of while meeting professors that i had the chance to talk to for a while, and felt a mutual admiration. thank you so much if you spared your time to read my ramblings and observations. im no expert but i’ll try my best to answer any questions you may have and i’d love to hear your thoughts or experience in that field.

arrivederci