20 Questions With Answers on Aircraft, Asked in AFSB Interview.

03-February 2025...........

The Indian Air Force Selection Board administers the AFCAT AFSB Interview Process on behalf of the Service Selection Board (SSB). It is regarded as one of the most difficult interviews in the country. Those who pass the AFCAT written exam can go to the AFSB interview for the flying and ground duty (technical and non-technical) branches. Through a variety of psychological test batteries and group activities, it evaluates candidates' mental and physical abilities as well as their "officer-like qualities."

The second step in the AFCAT selection process is the AFSB interview, after which qualified candidates will be invited for a detailed medical examination.
After adding up their scores from the written exam and AFSB interview, candidates who made the All-India merit list would be inducted as Indian Air Force officers.
Those who pass the online written test will be invited to the AFSB Interview, also known as the SSB, which will take place over five days at different Air Force Selection Board locations throughout India.
Did you know that the AFCAT AFSB Interview uses a computerized pilot selection system (for flying branches only), board conferences, personal interviews, psychological testing, and group assessments to evaluate 15-character qualities, or "Officer-like Qualities (OLQs)"?

SSB AFSB interview process step-by-step
STAGE	DAY	ACTIVITIES
STAGE-01	01	Reporting and screening tests (OIR, PP & DT)
STAGE-02	02	Psychological test and document verification (TAT, WAT, SRT, SDT)
	03	Group test -01 (GD, GPE, PGT, GOR, HGT)
	04	Group test -02 ( Lecturette, IO, Command Task, FGT, Personal interview)
	05	Board Conference
	06	Computerised Pilot Selection System (CPSS) - for flying branches only.

As previously stated, the GTO asks candidates a number of personal and professional questions throughout the AFSB personal interview process. As a result, it's critical to get ready for the AFSB interview questions. Some of the most common AFSB interview questions and answers have been provided below for your reference by our experts.

01	What is the principle used to make airplanes fly? In order to create lift on its wings, an airplane uses Bernoulli's principle.
02	Which fuel is used in aircraft? Jet fuel (Jet A-1 type aviation fuel, also called JP-1A) is used globally in the turbine engines (jet engines, turboprops) in civil aviation. This is carefully refined, light petroleum. The fuel type is kerosene.
03	What is the meaning of ceiling in aeronautics? With respect to aircraft performance, a ceiling is the maximum density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions, as determined by its flight envelope.
04	In which layer of the atmosphere does an airplane fly? The lower layer of the stratosphere is ideal for aeroplanes to fly. In this layer, the temperature gets warmer as you rise up resulting in fewer clouds and water vapour which provides a smoother ride due to the absence of turbulence.
05	Mention some fighter airplanes owned by India. Indian Air Force has many different types of Fighter Jets in its inventory. Some of the Fighter Aircraft is Mirage-2000, Jaguar, MiG-29, MiG-21, Sukhoi-30 MKI, and Tejas.
06	What is autopilot? How is it helpful in flying? An autopilot is a device used to guide an aircraft without direct assistance from the pilot. Early autopilots were only able to maintain a constant heading and altitude, but modern autopilots are capable of controlling every part of the flight envelope from just after take-off to landing.
07	Explain the term Mach, in terms of aircraft. The Mach number describes the aircraft's speed compared with the speed of sound in air, with Mach 1 equating to the speed of sound. It is named after Ernst Mach, an Austrian physicist, who first devised the measurement.
08	What are the different kinds of aircraft? Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, rotorcraft, helicopters, airships (including blimps), gliders, Para motors, and hot air balloons.
09	Who was the inventor of airplanes? The invention of the airplane by Wilbur and Orville Wright is one of the great stories in American history. The Wright brothers' invention not only solved a long-studied technical problem but helped create an entirely new world.
10	What is buoyancy and how is it related to aircraft? Archimedes 2,300 year-old principle of buoyancy explains the physics of how planes fly. To remain airborne planes must displace a mass of air downwards that is equal to their own mass each second. The equal & opposite force pushes the plane up. Otherwise, the plane will fall downwards immediately due to gravity.
11	Which is the largest aircraft with IAF? The C-5M Super Galaxy is a strategic transport aircraft and is the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory. Its primary mission is to transport cargo and personnel for the Department of Defence.
12	Name the parts of an aircraft starting from nose to tail. The cockpit, fuselage, Wings, Undercarriage, stabilizers, aileron, elevators, rudders, etc.
13	What is the streamlined shape? Why is it important? A streamlined body is a shape that reduces friction drag between a fluid, such as air or water, and an object moving through it. Its particular body shape provides minimal resistance to air and water.
14	What are the three basic motions of aircraft? There are three types of movement of an aircraft: pitch, yaw, and roll. Roll is controlled by the ailerons and rotates the airplane. Yaw turns the airplane and is controlled by the rudder. Finally, the pitch is controlled by the elevator and changes the altitude of the airplane.
15	On which day is Indian Air Force Day celebrated? Indian Air Force Day is celebrated on October 8th each year to commemorate the establishment of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on this day in 1932. Initially formed as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire, it was known as the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF).
16	Who is the first woman Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force? Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay, the first woman to be promoted to Air Marshal, and Avani Chaturvedi, India's first woman fighter pilot. Together, they embody the IAF's motto, 'Nabhah Sparsham Diptam' (Touch the Sky with Glory).
17	Where is the Training command of the Indian Army located? HQ Training Command moved from High Grounds, Bangalore to Hebbal on 31 May 1958. The permanent establishment of HQ Training Command at Hebbal was finally completed in 1968.
18	Which company manufactures the Rafael jet? Rafael is a twin-jet combat aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation, a France-based manufacturing company. It is capable of carrying out a wide range of short and long-range missions.14 Dec 2024
19	Which company manufactures the Chinook helicopter? CH-47F (I) Chinook: Unmatched strategic capability. In 2020, Boeing completed the delivery of 15 CH-47F (I) Chinook helicopters to the Indian Air Force.
20	Who is the current Chief of Air Staff of India? Ace test pilot Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh will take over as the new Indian Air Force chief on Monday (September 30, 2024). He is succeeding Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari who is superannuating after completing his tenure of three years.

Candidates who have successfully cleared the AFCAT AFSB Interview will be called for the AFCAT Physical Standard Test, followed by a medical examination. This medical round assesses height, weight, and vision specifications to ensure candidates meet the required physical and mental fitness standards for final recruitment.

Key Points to Note:

✔ Candidates must complete a 1.6 km run within 10 minutes, along with 10 push-ups and 3 chin-ups.
✔ Physical fitness criteria include height, weight, and chest measurements as per Air Force standards.
✔ At AFSB training centres, aspirants will undergo physical training activities such as swimming, rope climbing, and running.
✔ Candidates shortlisted by the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) will be required to report to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), New Delhi, or the Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bengaluru, for their medical examination.
✔ Only candidates who successfully clear all three stages—Online Examination, AFSB Interview, and Medical Examination—will be listed in the AFCAT Final Merit List.

We hope this article provides official insights into the AFCAT AFSB Interview Process. Candidates are encouraged to read carefully and prepare thoroughly using expert strategies to excel in their interview and selection process.