Technical Interview
Final panel often combines behavioural and technical (~1 hour total). Zero flight hours is acceptable if you show structured study — typically PHAK-level knowledge plus Cathay fleet facts.
PHAK Secondary for concepts · Cathay Primary for fleet, hubs, and company operations
Study order (recommended)
- Study map — PHAK chapters + site cross-links
- FAA PHAK Ch 4, 5, 6, 7, 12
- This page — fleet table + gouge questions
- Site chapters: Ch 2 instruments, Ch 5 weather (concepts; ignore Australian-only products for CX)
Books: From the Ground Up · Ace the Technical Pilot Interview (Ch 1–3) · Skybrary
A. Principles of flight
| Topic |
Exam-ready summary |
| Four forces |
Lift, weight, thrust, drag — in climb: thrust > drag, lift < weight (still turning flight) |
| Lift |
Wing AoA; Bernoulli + Newton both contribute — explain simply |
| Stall |
Critical angle of attack exceeded; recovery: decrease AoA (pitch down), add power as trained |
| Stability |
Static = initial tendency; dynamic = over time (phugoid, Dutch roll) |
| Dutch roll |
Yaw–roll coupling; jets use yaw damper |
| Dihedral |
Wing angle up; roll stability — aircraft tends to self-level |
| Controls |
Aileron roll, elevator pitch, rudder yaw; secondary effects at low speed |
Sketch: Four forces in level flight; stall curve (lift vs AoA).
B. Propulsion (jet focus)
| Topic |
Summary |
| Turbojet cycle |
Intake → compress → combust → exhaust |
| Turbofan |
Fan air bypasses core — high bypass = efficient cruise, quieter |
| Why Cathay uses turbofans |
Fuel efficiency, noise, thrust for heavy airframes (A350 Trent XWB, 777 GE90) |
| Reverse thrust |
Redirects fan/core flow forward; used on landing roll; not for stopping alone on wet/short runways |
PPL notes are piston-heavy — do not use Ch 2 engine alone for jet technical.
C. Meteorology
| Topic |
Summary |
| Troposphere |
Weather; we fly in lower atmosphere |
| Stratosphere |
Stable; jet cruise often lower stratosphere |
| Cold vs warm front |
Cold: showery, gusty; warm: layered cloud, widespread precip |
| Windshear / microburst |
Hazard on approach; go-around mindset |
| Predictive windshear |
Typically below 1,500 ft AGL (system-dependent) |
| Altimeter |
Aneroid capsule; subscale QNH; high to low, look out below |
Cross-link: Ch 5 meteorology — fronts, METAR/TAF logic.
D. Instruments (common technical questions)
| Instrument |
Principle |
| Altimeter |
Static pressure → altitude (subscale setting) |
| ASI |
Pitot vs static → dynamic pressure |
| VSI |
Rate of static pressure change |
| Attitude / gyros |
Rigidity in space / AHRS on modern jets |
Cross-link: Ch 2 §2.7 pitot-static
E. Cathay Pacific fleet (verify current fleet)
| Aircraft |
Role (typical) |
Engine (typical) |
Note |
| A350-900/1000 |
Long / ultra-long haul |
Rolls-Royce Trent XWB |
-1000 often longest range |
| A330 |
Regional / medium haul |
Trent 700 / PW4000 (variant) |
|
| 777-300ER |
Long haul |
GE90-115B |
|
| A321neo |
Regional / short haul |
CFM LEAP-1A / PW (variant) |
|
| 747-400F |
Freighter |
(legacy freighter ops) |
Know if still in fleet when you apply |
| Operations |
Talking point |
| Hub |
Hong Kong (VHHH) |
| 3RS |
Third runway at HKIA — capacity and growth |
| Second Officer |
Cruise/relief and supporting PF/PM per SOP — research current Cathay definition |
High-frequency questions (2025–2026 reports)
| Question |
Direction |
| Climb at constant IAS — Mach? |
Increases (higher in atmosphere, TAS rises for given IAS) |
| Balanced field length |
Runway where accelerate-stop distance = takeoff distance available for given weight |
| Dihedral effect |
Roll stability from wing geometry |
| Altimeter operation |
Static pressure, aneroid wafers, subscale |
| What makes a plane fly? |
Four forces; lift from wing |
“I don’t know” strategy (integrity)
| Poor |
Better |
| Inventing 747 fuel valve detail |
Admit gap; explain related logic; commit to learn |
Example: “I’m not certain of that specific system on the 777, but in general twin-engine fuel systems… I would confirm in the FCOM after this interview.”
Technical mock checklist
IMPORTANT: Always verify with current official publications.
prepared by Raptor K, a guy learning to fly (feel free to contact me via IG: @raptorkwok or
Email)