Scholarship Winners Visit Aviation Insider at Gatwick

Last Tuesday our five BWPA Aviation Insider Airline Interview Scholarship winners travelled to Gatwick for their Airline Interview Preparation Course with Aviation Insider.

We caught up with Steph Smith to find out how the day went.

We started the morning with introductions, sharing the different journeys that had brought each of us to this stage of our training. We all came from varied backgrounds and had slightly different end goals within commercial aviation, which made the discussions really interesting. A few of us had met before, so it was lovely to catch up, while also getting to know those we hadn’t yet had the chance to meet. 

Before the course had even begun, Aviation Insider had arranged an additional opportunity for us through Infinity Sim Wings, who kindly provided a complimentary competency assessment. This allowed us to identify areas we might need to develop ahead of future airline interviews. Hani from Infinity Sim Wings talked us through an example report in detail, explaining each section in relation to the ACT Framework he developed. Having read through my report beforehand, I found it incredibly useful to ask specific questions about areas I wanted to strengthen, and it was reassuring to know there was also the option of a one-to-one discussion at the end of the day.

We then moved on to CV and covering letter guidance. I found this part particularly eye-opening. Writing an aviation CV is very different from a standard one — much shorter and far more concise, yet still containing all the vital information recruiters are looking for. I came away with clear ideas on how to refine my own CV and better tailor applications to individual airlines.

After a short break, we focused on interview techniques, including how to structure answers using the STAR method and what to consider in terms of presentation and dress code. During this session, we joined a Teams call with James, a current airline pilot involved in recruitment, who shared his perspective on what makes a candidate stand out. Hearing directly from someone on the recruitment side was invaluable and reinforced how important first impressions are, from a confident greeting to thanking interviewers properly for their time.

One of the most engaging parts of the day was the group exercise. We were given a hypothetical scenario in which we had crash-landed on a mountainside in poor weather. Everyone had survived, but we had limited resources. We had 15 minutes to rank a list of salvaged items in order of usefulness, before presenting our top five and bottom three with clear reasoning. It wasn’t about getting the “right” answer; it was about how we communicated, how we made decisions and how we worked as a team. I felt we collaborated well; everyone had the opportunity to contribute, and we reached balanced decisions through constructive discussion. It was a great reminder of the importance of effective crew resource management and teamwork.

The day concluded with a surprise… a session in the Infinity Sim Wings Airbus A320 simulator! We each had the chance to complete a take-off and landing at Gatwick, choosing our preferred time of day. The visuals were incredibly realistic, with wind and cloud conditions mirroring the actual weather outside. I have to admit, I’ve never been particularly strong at landing an Airbus in a simulator, and that trend continued – I definitely feel more comfortable with a control yoke than a side stick! Even so, it was brilliant fun. We rotated between pilot flying and pilot monitoring roles and made sure to capture plenty of photos and videos.

Keep reading below the photo gallery to hear from our scholarship winners…

Many thanks to Gary, Hani and James for sharing their valuable time and experience with us, and to Aviation Insider for supporting BWPA scholarships.

Here’s what our other winners had to say about the day:

“Attending aviation insider interview preparation course was a fantastic opportunity given by the BWPA. Including CV and cover letter writing, how to approach an interview and how to work in group exercise, everything we learnt was very insightful and will help me greatly in the future.

It was a lovely, relaxed afternoon and a wonderful opportunity to meet other women at a similar point in their aviation training as me. 

Thank you to Infinity Sim Wings for the competency assessment and for a taster of the A320 simulator!”

– Jess Brialey

“The opportunity to attend the course was extremely valuable and gave us lots of insight and ideas of how best to prepare ourselves for future airline interviews. It was great to be able to meet other female pilots on a similar journey to myself! I’m extremely grateful to Aviation Insider, Infinity Sim Wings, and the BWPA for offering such wonderful opportunities!”

– Sofia Cass

“Aviation Insider provided a well-organised, supportive, and insightful interview preparation day which I truly appreciate the opportunity to have attended. Hosted in collaboration with Infinity SimWings and made possible by the support of the BWPA, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and value the time and effort invested in helping us feel prepared and confident for the next stage.”

– Alison Field

And a final word from our scholarship sponsor:

“It was a pleasure to host the BWPA scholarship winners for an airline interview preparation day. They brought great energy, professionalism and enthusiasm, and it was fantastic to support the next generation of pilots as they prepare for airline selection.

Supporting initiatives like this is an important step in helping talented pilots progress towards airline careers. Aviation Insider was delighted to work alongside the British Women Pilots’ Association and looks forward to continuing to support future pilots through training resources, guidance, and industry insight.”

– Gary Saul – Aviation Insider