Airline pilots fly passengers and cargo on a national and international basis for business, commercial and leisure purposes. The aircraft is usually operated by two, three or four pilots, depending on the type of aircraft and length of the journey. The captain is the pilot-in-command, and has the overall responsibility for the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft, including its crew.
Prior to the flight, pilots study flight plans and ensure that the aircraft’s controls are operating efficiently. They are also responsible for checking the weather conditions and liaising with air traffic control.
Pilots are employed in a number of different areas: passenger scheduled services, passenger charter services, freight services and business aviation.
A pilot needs to be highly committed and tolerant of unusual working hours. The working day can vary in length a great deal, some lasting for 12 hours and others only 3 or 4, all depending on the company and the route on that particular day. Pilots are expected to work shift patterns, where they could be asked to start work at 5 am one day, or 8 pm on another. Cargo pilots tend to work night shifts when airports are less busy, but are rewarded by having more time off at the end of their duty pattern.
Typical work activities of the airline pilot
Being a pilot can be a rewarding profession, both financially and in terms of the personal satisfaction it provides. Many consider it to be a dream job but perhaps have an unrealistic idea about what it is really like; in practice, the job demands a great deal of responsibility, personal commitment and self-sacrifice. A pilot has to pass stringent training courses and will then be tested in recurrent training twice yearly in order to maintain the relevant licence.
A pilot’s primary task is to operate the aircraft safely and economically. To achieve this, pilots carry out a range of tasks, with many shared between the captain and first officer. The tasks may vary, depending on the company, but will generally include:
■ensuring information about the route, weather, passengers and aircraft are correct;
■analysing the flight plan, including the route and flying altitude, to ensure it accurately reflects the expected circumstances of the flight;
■calculating how much fuel to take, and supervising the loading and fuelling of the aircraft;
■ensuring all safety systems are working properly;
■briefing the cabin crew before the flight, and maintaining regular contact throughout the flight;
■carrying out pre-flight checks on the navigation and operating systems;
■communicating with air traffic control prior to take-off and during flight and landing;
■ensuring noise regulations are followed during take off and landing;
■understanding and interpreting data from instruments and controls;
■making regular checks on the aircraft’s technical performance and position, on weather conditions and air traffic during flight;
■communicating with passengers using the public address system;
■reacting quickly and appropriately to environmental changes and emergencies;
■updating the aircraft logbook and/or writing a report at the end of the flight noting any incidents or problems with the aircraft.
Skills – as listed by BALPA the British Airline Pilots Association
Being a pilot requires a combination of several distinctly different skills. You have to be versatile; have a mind for academics and be very practical at the same time. It’s not often that you find these things together. Among the skills required are:
- Understanding technical detail, being able to visualise complex systems and how they work.
- Remembering a wealth of information from textbooks and applying them in real life situations.
- Dexterity and co-ordination. An ability to handle the aircraft skillfully.
- The ability to think quickly and make decisions.
- The ability to give clear, confident instructions to crew members and passengers, remain calm and take charge in an emergency.
Entry requirements
The usual qualifications needed to begin training as a pilot are a minimum of five GCSEs and two A-levels. A degree or postgraduate qualification is not required although some people may choose to take one to make them stand out in the tough competition. Subjects you should have qualifications in include maths and physics.
All British airline pilots must hold an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL). This qualification is known as a ‘frozen ATPL’ and becomes ‘unfrozen’ when a certain number of hours and experience have been achieved.
The two main ways to achieve an ATPL are via the following courses:
Integrated course - an intensive full-time course, which takes around 18 months to complete. This course is carried out with a flight training provider and is a mixture of classroom theory work and practical flying. No previous experience is required for this route, with training providers taking students from zero hours of flying up to the required amount for the ATPL.
Modular training – this is offered by the same training providers and covers the same topics and examinations as the integrated route, but is carried out in chunks which can be completed with breaks in between. The theory side of the course can be completed as a full-time classroom course or as a distance learning course to allow the student to work at the same time. The modular training may be more appealing to those students who cannot afford the more expensive integrated course (which can cost from £80,000-£90,000) as they are able to complete sections as they can afford them and work in between if needed. To carry out the modular route the student must already hold a private pilot licence and have completed 150 hours of flying before starting the practical flying aspect of the course. Although a cheaper option, the modular route is still expensive and involves more self-study.
A full list of approved training providers can be found at CAA Approved Courses of Flight and Ground Training.
Pilot training can be expensive but in some cases there is full or part sponsorship from an airline. Airlines paying for pilot training is a rarity in the current economic climate.
The Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators (GAPAN) provides an aptitude test, which is useful for those with little or no flying experience to see if they may be suited to a career as a pilot.
The Higher Apprenticeship in Professional Aviation Pilot Practice
The Higher Apprenticeship in Professional Aviation Pilot Practice (HAPAPP) has been set up to provide a new route to pilot training. The scheme was launched in 2013 to train pilots and reduce the financial burden upon the individual.
Commercial pilot training has become notorious throughout the world for its high costs and no guarantee of relevant employment at the end of training. In a first for the aviation industry, a new Higher Apprenticeship and work-based skills framework leading to a degree will give professional status to trainee airline pilots and allows would-be pilots to fund their training through UK Government loans and grant support, helping to reduce the significant financial barriers to becoming a pilot for many.
HAPAPP Apprentices will graduate with a BSc (Hons) Professional Aviation Pilot Practice degree from Middlesex University, and with a pilot’s licence which fully meets all CAA requirements whilst undergoing all of their training at the flight training organisation and airline.
If you are looking for pilot jobs browse our vacancies today on www.aviationjobsearch.com
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