Tell Me About a Time (TMAT): Helicopter Interview Questions — Introduction

For much of my military career, my attention was almost entirely on the mission at hand. 

I focused on my small helicopter rescue community—refining tactics, training with crews, and improving our ability to respond. While I remained aware of broader helicopter industry challenges and innovations, I concentrated my efforts on ensuring that relevant military and civilian best practices could be thoughtfully adapted into my operational world. Preparation for future employment in the civilian sector was simply not on my radar, until I needed to begin exploring a transition to civilian flying. 

In one of my first conversations regarding the interview process, I was introduced to an unfamiliar term: TMAT. If you already know what TMAT means, you are well ahead of where I was at the time. 

TMAT stands for “Tell Me About a Time” and is used to form scenario-based questions, which are a staple of civilian aviation interviews—whether you’re applying to a major airline or an air ambulance operator. Unlike technical or knowledge-based questions, TMATs are designed to assess how you think, how you communicate, and how you adapt when things don’t go as planned. 

A quick search will reveal common TMAT themes, such as: 

• Tell me about a time you scared yourself 
• Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult crew member 
• Tell me about a time you had to make an operational decision under pressure 
• Tell me about a time you had to adapt your communication style 
• Tell me about a time you managed unexpected in-flight changes 
• Tell me about a time you had to think outside the box 
• Tell me about a time you did not adhere to policy 
• Tell me about a time you made a split-second decision 
• Tell me about a time you identified and acted on a safety hazard 
• Tell me about a time you made a tough decision 
• Tell me about a time you delivered difficult feedback 

Because these questions prompted me to reflect on good and bad decisions, effective and ineffective CRM, and well-managed and poorly managed RM throughout my flying career, I realized that reviewing TMAT scenarios was a valuable exercise in professional self-assessment. In addition, by helping to translate hard-earned lessons into something relevant, relatable, and actionable, sharing TMAT responses may be useful to not only military helicopter pilots transitioning to civilian aviation, but also to pilots who are early in their careers and actively building experience. 

Over the next several posts, I’ll address specific TMAT questions from a helicopter pilot’s perspective. If this proves helpful to readers, I’ll also share additional TMAT-style stories that may not fit neatly into an interview—but nonetheless provided meaningful insight, reflection, and growth along the way.