Question 1

In simple terms, how does a wing generate lift?

Accepted Answer

Give a correct, layered explanation rather than a single slogan. Start with the big picture: a wing generates lift by deflecting a large mass of air downward; by Newton's third law the air pushes the wing up. Then add the pressure picture: the wing's shape and angle of attack accelerate the airflow over the curved upper surface, and by Bernoulli's principle faster-moving air has lower pressure, so a pressure difference develops between the upper and lower surfaces — the net upward force is lift. Crucially, tie the two together: they are two descriptions of the same physical event, not competing theories. Then show you understand the controlling variables: lift depends on air density, velocity squared, wing area, and the coefficient of lift (which rises with angle of attack up to the critical angle, where the airflow separates and the wing stalls). If invited to go further, connect it to operations: this is why aircraft need more runway on hot days (lower density), why we rotate to a specific attitude, and why flaps exist — they increase camber and area so the wing can generate enough lift at low approach speeds. Avoid the classic 'equal transit time' myth (the idea that air 'must'

Question 2

What are the four forces acting on an aircraft in flight, and what types of drag do you know?

Accepted Answer

State the four forces cleanly: lift (opposing weight, generated mainly by the wings), weight (acting through the centre of gravity toward the centre of the earth), thrust (from the engines, opposing drag), and drag (air resistance opposing motion). Then give the key relationships: in steady, level, unaccelerated flight, lift equals weight and thrust equals drag; any imbalance produces acceleration — climb, descent, speed change. For drag, split it into the two families. Parasite drag is everything not associated with producing lift: form drag (shape), skin friction, and interference drag where surfaces join; it increases with the square of speed. Induced drag is the by-product of generating lift — wingtip vortices tilt the local lift vector rearward; it is highest at low speed and high angle of attack. Explain that total drag is the sum of both, and the speed where they are equal gives minimum drag — this is why there is a best endurance/range speed and why flying slower is not always cheaper. If you want one operational hook for easyJet: winglets (Airbus 'sharklets' on the A320 family) reduce induced drag by weakening the tip vortex, which cuts fuel burn — exactly the kind of effi

Question 3

Why does the A320 have swept wings, and what is one disadvantage of sweep?

Accepted Answer

Start with the purpose: sweep delays the onset of compressibility effects. As a jet cruises at high subsonic Mach numbers (the A320 family cruises around M0.78), airflow accelerating over the wing can locally reach the speed of sound, creating shockwaves, drag rise, and buffet. Sweeping the wing means the airflow component perpendicular to the leading edge — the component that matters aerodynamically — is slower than the free stream, so the critical Mach number rises and the aircraft can cruise faster before wave drag becomes a problem. Then give the honest trade-offs: a swept wing produces less lift at a given angle of attack, so take-off and landing speeds would be higher without high-lift devices — which is why the A320 carries slats and fowler-type flaps. Swept wings also have a tendency to stall at the tips first, and because the tips are behind the centre of gravity, tip stall shifts the centre of lift forward and can pitch the nose up, aggravating the stall; designers counter this with wing twist (washout), slats, and stall-warning systems. If asked for more, mention lateral stability: sweep contributes dihedral effect, which is stabilising but can lead to Dutch-roll tendenc

Question 4

What is the International Standard Atmosphere, and why does air density matter so much to aircraft performance?

Accepted Answer

Define ISA first: a standard reference atmosphere used so that performance, instruments, and charts have a common baseline — sea-level pressure 1013.25 hPa, temperature +15°C, with temperature falling at approximately 2°C per 1,000 ft up to the tropopause (around 36,000 ft), above which it is roughly constant at −56.5°C. Real days are described as deviations from it, e.g. 'ISA+10'. Then answer the why: nearly everything an aircraft does depends on air density. Lift is proportional to density — thinner air means the wing must move faster through it to generate the same lift, so true airspeed and ground roll increase. Engine thrust depends on the mass of air flowing through the engine — hot, high, or humid conditions reduce thrust exactly when the wing also needs more speed. Drag falls with density too, but for take-off and climb the net effect of low density is firmly negative. Give a concrete operational example: an easyJet A320 departing a hot southern-European base in summer needs more runway and climbs less steeply than the same aircraft at the same weight on a cold morning at a UK base — performance calculations for every departure account for this, and on limiting days it can

Question 5

What is the difference between indicated airspeed and true airspeed, and why do pilots fly IAS but plan with TAS?

Accepted Answer

Explain the measurement first: the airspeed indicator works from the difference between pitot (dynamic + static) pressure and static pressure — it measures dynamic pressure, which depends on both speed and air density. Indicated airspeed (IAS) is what the instrument shows. True airspeed (TAS) is the aircraft's actual speed through the air mass. At sea level on a standard day they are nearly equal, but as you climb, density falls, so for the same TAS there is less dynamic pressure and the IAS reads lower — equivalently, at a constant IAS your TAS keeps rising as you climb, roughly 2% per 1,000 ft as a rule of thumb. Then answer the 'why fly IAS': the aerodynamics care about dynamic pressure. The wing stalls, the flaps have limit speeds, and the structure feels loads according to dynamic pressure, so all handling and limit speeds are indicated (or calibrated) speeds — flying IAS keeps you a consistent margin from the stall regardless of altitude. But navigation and planning care about how fast you actually cross the ground, so flight planning uses TAS, which combined with wind gives groundspeed and timing. Mention the chain for completeness: IAS → CAS (position/instrument error) → TA

easyJet pilot interview questions, with the answers that pass

In simple terms, how does a wing generate lift?

What are the four forces acting on an aircraft in flight, and what types of drag do you know?

Why does the A320 have swept wings, and what is one disadvantage of sweep?

What is the International Standard Atmosphere, and why does air density matter so much to aircraft performance?

What is the difference between indicated airspeed and true airspeed, and why do pilots fly IAS but plan with TAS?

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