An open letter to all our future jetliner pilots: Dear Friends, The number of jetliners will double in the next two decades. A lot of pilots will retire by 2035, creating plenty of openings. But, there will be hot competition for those cockpit seats. What can you do to become a finalist for such wonderful career? Focus on becoming a better aviator every day. Be a serious, lifelong student of the art and science of aviation and master all topics, particularly subjects related to operating in high altitude thin air at transonic speeds. QF32 skipper Richard de Crespigny studies his A380 manuals 2 hours every day! Hone your airmanship to perfection and learn how to use all the automation functions -- but know when to disconnect the autopilot and auto-throttles,take command and put the airplane where it needs to be in the sky. You personally must assure that everyone on board will arrive alive. Automation is your slave. You are its master. You still need to takeoff and land using basic hand skills, including in cross winds and on contaminated runways. Embrace cockpit resource management. Youre part of the team. If youre the captain, you need to know your stuff, to listen to everybodys inputs and to take responsibility for the final decisions. If youre the FO or another junior pilot, learn to express your concerns with respect and with knowledge. Youre just as dead as everyone else on the airplane if you let the captain crash the airplane when, long before, you saw it coming and you failed to speak up. Ive met my closest friends through my contacts in the aviation industry. The people in aviation are much more valuable to your career than the hardware. Pick out the best of the bunch, learn from them, get close to them. And, time is of the essence. Dont waste it with the plug-in-and-get-a-paycheck slackers, people who hate their jobs, their bosses and probably their lives. Learn to love and respect everybody on your aviation team, every passenger, every technician, every one who sees you in uniform. Hubris has no place in the cockpit. Youre the face of aviation. You need to do it proud. Fair winds, smooth skies and happy times.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 23:24:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015