Become A Commercial Airline Pilot: Phase III

The first two phases of selection are different for FTA, CAE & L3 but phase 3 onwards all FTOs have the same selection process. Phase III makes up for Group Activity (GA). The name itself is self-explanatory but there are numerous things which are going on over here.

You must have come across this task or phase earlier on in life if you are a college grad. They give you a task related to any topic like political, military, women empowerment, girl child education etc and you have to discuss either for or against it. It's easy too because the professor who is probably in his mid 60's will be half asleep while you do your thing and at the end you make it through. Well, welcome to CPP interviews which don't work that way. It's a totally corporate environment and if one thing gets off the mark you'll find yourself in a 3 months cool-off.

You can't really prepare for Group Activity. The things which you did since childhood, your reflexes, the general knowledge which you've gained over the years will come in really handy.

Starting with the basics of Group Activity, you get a minimum of 2 attempts to clear this task. If you clear your Written & PILAPT in the 1st attempt then your GA will most probably be scheduled within 20 days to one month time. My FTA GA was conducted at Le Meridien Hotel, but now the venue has been shifted to Fortune Select Global. You can book your stay at OYO Hotel Tulip Suites. It is a decent hotel with good food and fresh interiors. Best part is you get a conference table at your disposal which is good for midnight study lessons with your batchmates.

Coming to GA, it is complicated. Honestly if you ask me how I cleared it. Well, I have got no clue. There's nothing much I can disclose as that will be against IndiGo's policy but I can bet this article is worth your time. Once you reach the venue, you'll be made to sit in a waiting hall where you wait till eternity. When eternity is over (lol), you are split into groups accordingly. We were 16 of us, so 3 groups were made. First group had 6 candidates and 5 each for the other two. When you enter the room, you'll see a round table with placards which will have your name written on it.

You can expect topics related directly or indirectly to aviation. I know this doesn't help much because aviation is a HUGE industry and a lot happens everyday but that's that. Survival topics are the hot choice as they help the panelists to judge how you will react in a given situation. By judging, let's throw some light on this. You can expect to be scrutinized based on the following points :

• You cannot keep shut. Say anything relevant to the topic and be a part of the discussion. This point helps the HR and panelists to judge if in the cockpit you'll be able to talk over your Captain in case he does something wrong unknowingly.
• Don't over talk. Stick to the topic and don't speak things which aren't relevant. If you start talking about your wife just before landing, you might miss something from the checklist.
• If you can't agree with somone then don't deny or invalidate their point. Whatever you or your group member say has to be judged by the entire group. You solely cannot say if someone or something is right or wrong.
• Do not try to lead. This is the continuation of the above point. All of your group members are appearing on the same platform and you all will become JFO together. So everyone is a leader. Trying to show your superiority will do no good but you might get kicked out.
• Don't speak while someone else is making their point. When someone is speaking, hear them out, take your notes and once they are done then discuss.
• Don't be aggressive. Everyone has got a bit of superiority complex and ego clashes are bound to happen. Suppose you made a point and your group member cut that off. Try to prove your point and try to convince your members with facts.
• If you come across a task where you have to choose items, then I'll give you an advise which is worth 1 crore (it'll fund my CPP lol). If you choose an item then choose it by vote. And if at some point you feel it was a wrong choice and you need to slash it off then do that too by vote. This will show the unity of your group. Remember, in the eyes of the HR you all are meeting for the first time. So, if you display this unity it'll take you a long way. You won't come across your best friend in the cockpit everyday.
• It can be so that in your group someone is a comapny CEO, someone is an MLA, some are 12th grads and so on. Don't let this make you feel inferior. Remember what I said, you all are same and will be treated equally. Same thing with age. If you are 18 and one of the member is 28, that doesn't mean you feel supressed or something.
• Keep track of your time. Generally you'll be allotted somewhere between 12-15mins. If you don't keep an eye on the watch, the panelist can take advantage of that and end your time in 9mins and you'll have no base for argue. That'll be embarassing and a big turn off.
• Lastly, don't let anyone manipulate you and your group. Whatever you have decided stick to that. Have faith in yourself, and trust your group. If you get manipulated that means the facts which you'd presented to conclude your point were wrong. If that's wrong well you can question your existence then.

Whatever topic you get, always keep in mind that it has been carefully drafted. The decisions which you make and the vocabulary that you choose will be thoroughly monitored. Everything will be taken note off and forwarded to IndiGo. It will help them understand you better and give them an insight to how you will react in the cockpit even before you start flying.

That's all for the Group Activity folks. Hope you all do well and nail this one. In my next article I'll be writing about Personal Interview (PI). Good Luck. Looking forward to meet you in our office at FL 350. If you haven't read my previous article, you'll find the link here. Follow me on LinkedIn. Happy Flying ??.