Delta pilot interview: what Delta publishes and how to prepare

Short answer: Delta says competitive pilot candidates "must pass an online assessment, a panel interview and final evaluations to receive a Conditional Job Offer." Its hiring page also names the MMPI-2 personality inventory and, after a successful face-to-face interview, a virtual interview with a psychologist. Delta does not publish its interview questions, so prepare true stories that show the traits it lists: honesty, respect, tact, being willing to admit mistakes and being interested in feedback.

Last checked November 1, 2026.

What Delta publishes about pilot hiring

All of this is from Delta's own careers pages.

Delta's page also gives application tips: list all flight training, licenses and ratings, include every job and school since high school, check for gaps, and update the application every month or two to show you are still interested.

Delta's published minimums

From the same page:

• At least 23 years of age.
• Legally authorized to work in the US without sponsorship, now and in the future.
• High school diploma or GED (a four-year degree is preferred).
• A current passport or other travel documents that let you freely exit and re-enter the US.
• FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument - Airplane, a current FAA First Class Medical, all ATP aeronautical experience requirements under 14 CFR 61.159, and an FCC Radiotelephone Operator's Permit.
• A minimum of 1,500 hours of total documented flight time, 250 hours as PIC or SIC and 50 hours of multi-engine airplane time. 1,000 hours of fixed-wing turbine time is preferred.

Delta also says it recruits military pilots and "encourages eligible aviators to apply up to 24 months before retirement or 12 months before separation." See military to airline.

Propel, Delta's pathway

Delta's Propel program offers "a Qualified Job Offer with Delta Air Lines, and Delta's wholly owned subsidiary, Endeavor Air." Delta describes it as a "single-interview approach": participants interview once with Propel, fly at Endeavor, then move to Delta through Endeavor's Career Advancement Program, which "includes a minimum of 24 months of active service as a captain." Propel has collegiate and CFI, scholarship and company employee tracks. More in cadet and pathway interviews.

Delta's values, in its own words

• Company values: "Integrity, Resilience, Care and Servant Leadership."
• What it says about its pilots: "Delta pilots are leaders and uphold these traits: Honesty, respect, tact, are proactive vs. reactive, willing to admit mistakes, open-minded, adaptive/flexible, self-motivated, interested in feedback and interested in self-improvement."

That list is the most useful thing Delta publishes for interview prep. Every trait on it can be a "tell me about a time" question.

What Delta does not publish

• The interview questions. Delta does not list them. Neither does any other airline we checked.
• How the panel is made up or how long it lasts. Not published.
• A simulator evaluation. Delta's hiring steps don't include one. Simulators are mentioned only for training after hire.
• Sample questions for the online assessment. Delta's page describes the assessment only briefly, so don't trust anyone selling "the real questions."

General guidance, not Delta's words: most airline panels mix behavioral stories with about-you and technical questions, so prepare all three. Treat anything you read on forums about Delta's interview as a hint to check, not a fact (see gouge).

Questions to practice for Delta

These come from the Fourstripe question bank, written by us and matched to the traits Delta lists. Delta does not publish its questions.

• Tell me about a mistake you made in the airplane. (willing to admit mistakes)
• Tell me about a time you received criticism you didn't agree with at first. (interested in feedback)
• Tell me about a time you disagreed with a captain. (respect, tact)
• Tell me about a time you noticed a safety issue and reported it. (proactive vs. reactive)
• Tell me about a time a plan changed at the last minute. (adaptive/flexible)
• Tell me about a time you did the right thing when no one would have known otherwise. (integrity)
• Tell me about a time you helped a colleague or student who was struggling. (servant leadership)
• Why do you want to fly for Delta? (how to answer)
• What do you know about Delta?
• Walk me through your flying career so far.
• When can you descend below DA or MDA on an instrument approach? (technical questions)

Example answer

Example answer, written by us. It is not a real applicant's story. Question: "Tell me about a mistake you made in the airplane."

"I was a first officer on an E175, about four months on the line. On a busy departure out of LaGuardia I set the wrong altitude in the altitude selector, 5,000 instead of the 3,000 we'd been cleared to. The captain caught it as we passed 2,500 and we leveled at 3,000 with no deviation.

After landing I told the captain straight away that it was my error: I'd set the number from memory of the previous day's departure instead of from the clearance. We debriefed it, and I filed a safety report so the pattern would be on record.

What I changed: I now point at the clearance and read the number aloud as I set it, and I ask the captain to confirm before we push. It takes three seconds. I haven't had an altitude setting error since."

Why it works for Delta: it is a real mistake, owned in the first person, reported through the right system, and it ends with a habit. It shows two of Delta's listed traits, "willing to admit mistakes" and "interested in self-improvement", without naming them.

Delta prep checklist

• Read Delta's Process & FAQs page the week of your interview. Airlines change steps.
• Map one true story to each trait on Delta's list.
• Practice the MMPI-2 mindset: answer honestly and consistently. There's no "right" profile to fake.
• Prepare "Why Delta?" with Delta's values in its own words and something you've seen first-hand.
• Review the technical basics for the airplane you fly now.
• Get your application history clean: every job and school since high school, with no unexplained gaps.
• Practice out loud with follow-up questions, not just in your head.

How competitive is it?

According to FAPA's pilot hiring history, Delta hired 1,022 pilots in 2024 and 500 in 2025. Delta does not publish how many applicants it interviews.

Practice this on Fourstripe. Pick Delta and a panel captain asks TMAAT, about-you, technical and scenario questions out loud, follows up on what you said, and scores every answer. 7-day trial, then from $149 a week. Start a practice interview

Fourstripe is not affiliated with or endorsed by Delta Air Lines.