Pilot Selection

We advise on pilot selection and recruitment systems that are used worldwide. We ensure your operation selects and trains the best pilot candidates minimizing failure rates and maximizing cost efficiency and quality.

Our advice is tailored to customer requirement and ranges from the supply of stand-alone selection tools (such as COMPASS) up to hosting and conducting comprehensive staff training seminars.

We have nearly 20 years of experience in airline pilot selection and training and many customers have benefitted from our expertise.

Effective pilot training begins with effective pilot selection so it is important that our customers use this as the foundation for quality training.

Compass At A Glance

COMPASS (COMputerised Pilot Aptitude Selection System)

Testing and screening pilot candidates should be carefully constructed in order to identify those attributes and skills that are necessary in order to become a professional pilot. This process can consume considerable Company resources, both financial and personnel especially when screening large numbers of candidates.

In addition, testing should be standardized so that results are reproducible and easy to interpret. Designing a system that achieves all these goals is a complex task and although there are commercial products available, not all of them meet these needs.

COMPASS is indeed such a system and has been used by airlines and ATO’s throughout the world for many years. COMPASS has a proven track record of excellence and many successful pilots will have encountered COMPASS on applying to operators as pilot candidates.

Compass Installation

Upon signing the COMPASS agreement (there is no charge for this), a welcome pack is sent and includes:

  1. The set up media for installation on a PC
  2. Detailed instructions for installation
  3. Comprehensive User instruction manuals

After installation, you activate the account online and you can then start testing. There are free tests included with COMPASS so users can practise and gain confidence before starting pay-per-use testing.

(Note that you only pay for each test and there are no setup, fixed or recurring charges. The COMPASS account remains active regardless of how often it is used).

Testing

A typical COMPASS pilot test takes between 90-120 minutes.

Skills Tested By Compass

The skills are tested in modules. Each module takes around 15 minutes.

  • Eye-hand-foot co-ordination (Control)
  • Eye-hand co-ordination (Slalom)
  • Short term memory
  • Mental arithmetic
  • Spatial Orientation
  • Multi Tasking

Advanced Compass For Previously Qualified Pilots

Advanced COMPASS is used to test previously qualified pilots and tests (in addition to the above):

  • Complex Control Task CCT
  • ATPL theoretical questions

Checklist Professional Profile (CPP)

The Checklist Professional Profile is a Psychometric Test created by the Institute of Aviation Psychology. It tests candidates for a variety of personal qualities which are thought to be desirable for professional pilots. It's available upon installation of the COMPASS program and is billed separately from COMPASS.

(Note that you only pay for each CPP test and there are no setup, fixed or recurring charges. The CPP test remains available for as long as the COMPASS account remains active, regardless of how often it's used. However, due to the terms of our licensing agreement with IAP, there are no free CPP tests. Each CPP test is billed in accordance with the COMPASS agreement. CPP can only be taken when the COMPASS test is also taken.)

Compass Results

Results of COMPASS and COMPASS ADVANCED are available instantly from the COMPASS servers.

Results of CPP include an assessment, conclusion and advice presented in a format that is easy to understand.

Interpretation Of Results

Because COMPASS is computer based, objective comparisons may be drawn between groups of pilot candidates and results are presented immediately in a standard format that is easy to interpret.

Advantages Of Compass

COMPASS is a server-based test so it's not possible for prospective candidates to obtain COMPASS and practice prior to attending your selection process.

In addition to providing an excellent baseline selection tool, COMPASS saves time and resources. A typical COMPASS test takes between 90 and 120 minutes. Customers do not need to divert key personnel away from their primary task (Chief Pilots, Fleet Managers, Training Managers etc.) during initial selection of large numbers of pilot candidates.

Aviation Focus Pilot Selection Seminars

Our Pilot Selection Seminars are conducted either at our HQ or at your Company premises. The detailed Content of these seminars is available upon enquiry but will include presentations and discussions covering:

Integrating COMPASS into your pilot selection process

Of course, we're always happy to talk about COMPASS and our PILOT SELECTION SEMINARS are an opportunity for us to show our customers not only how to use COMPASS but also how to interpret the results and also how to integrate COMPASS into a selection process that is robust, reliable and cost efficient.

Group Testing

Typical selection procedures will be conducted over perhaps two or three days. Group exercises are a good technique for learning about the ability of candidates to interact and work together with others, a quality that will enable pilots to function as a crew.

Interview structure and technique

Interview technique becomes important during the later stages of pilot selection and our seminars teach your staff to conduct interviews that are effective in selecting the type of person you want in your Company. Once again, we have many years of experience in these techniques.

Grading and selection

We teach your staff how to interpret the results of COMPASS and also of interviews and group tests. Allowances and weighting technique is also discussed, as these can be important in the elimination of cultural and other anomalies from your results.

(Prices for our range of training seminars are available upon request)