Pilots have a big salary, make exciting flights and see a lot of the world. That is still the image that many people have of pilots. But is the profession of pilot really that exciting? What does a pilot’s working day look like? And how do you become a pilot?
Pilot starts out penniless
The message is generally: anyone can become a commercial pilot. At least, those who are willing to pay deep pockets for this, because the two-year training is very expensive, and with a bit of bad luck, a pilot also has to pay for his type rating (a certificate to fly a certain type of aircraft). . Among novice pilots, a debt of 120,000 euros is completely normal. The consolation is that pilots also earn well: at a major airline, a (co-)pilot with ten years of work experience receives a gross annual salary of approximately €100,000. An amount that he will not easily earn elsewhere given his specific education and work experience. For the majority, the following applies: being a pilot is a choice for life. That is, if you manage to pass the midterm exams unscathed. Depending on their age, pilots undergo a physical examination once or twice a year, and extensive theory and practical exams twice a year. In a simulator, pilots must show how they deal with emergency situations such as engine failures, leaking oil pipes and a failed power supply. A second chance is possible, but still: the job is at stake every time.
Many pilot training students indicate that they want to become a pilot because they want to see something of the world. And because it’s great to control such a big device. But to what extent is that romantic image still correct ?
Pilots have little free time
Aviation has changed enormously in recent years. Until the 1970s, the government strictly monitored matters such as fares and flight routes. But slowly the market was opened up, and the era of the Easyjets began. Companies could only survive if they implemented large and drastic cost savings. Expensive planes grounded? Of course, that costs tons of money, just like pilots bathing in a five-star hotel.
But the time of relaxing in a five-star hotel is over for pilots. Pilots’ free time is becoming less and less. The flight schedules are now completely closed. Especially with charter companies during the holiday season, there is a lot of work to be done. Pilots often have to report at half past four at night to fly 500 people back and forth to Mallorca. And back to Schiphol on Sunday afternoon, and then another flight that same night. But if you approach it smartly, you can still see quite a bit of the world. In a computer system, the flying crew gives preference to certain routes. The idea is that this way the popular destinations are distributed most fairly. If you become adept at this as a pilot, you will have two to three days off abroad per flight. And then you suddenly find yourself skiing in Kazakhstan. Still, those trips for pilots will become rarer in the future. The companies may even take to the air with double crews. On the outward journey, one crew works and the other sleeps, only to switch on the return journey. Well, then of course the charm goes away.
Autopilot helps the pilots
And the flying itself? How has that changed over time? In any case, it has become a lot more comfortable. Previously, a pilot had to navigate through a skylight to look at the stars. That was a hell of a job, especially in bad weather. With modern aircraft you fly above the weather. But the old Dakota aircraft did not have a pressurized cabin, and therefore did not fly higher than 10,000 feet (3 kilometers). For pilots, that sometimes meant rowing against the clouds, while the ice chunks from the propeller hit the side of the cockpit. In the cockpit of a modern aircraft, pilots will not easily get muscle pain in their arms. They hardly touch the steering wheel and the throttle anymore, and many landings are even on autopilot. The question that arises is of course: what does a pilot do on a ten-hour flight?
Pilot remains indispensable
During take-off and landing, the pilots are busy with all kinds of checks and controls. But during cruise flight the workload is indeed quite low. The aircraft flies from A to B without the pilot having to do anything. However, they must check the automation. Is my fuel consumption within margins? Am I really flying at the location indicated by the GPS equipment? It is somewhat similar to the work of an operator in a nuclear power plant: constantly checking systems that actually always work. In the second half of the twentieth century, computers took over more and more tasks from pilots. This led, among other things, to halving the cockpit crew in large transport aircraft. First the navigator left, but then we could do without a flight engineer. Will it also be the same with the captain and his co-pilot? Unmanned Predators are flying in Afghanistan. But for the time being they are still controlled by more than ten operators on the ground.
A small consolation for pilots: you cannot come up with a series of computer constructions for every situation. What do you do if a passenger becomes unwell? What if an engine malfunctions? In such a case, a well-trained person will have to make the decisions. At such a moment, a pilot in the cockpit has much more overview and sense of the seriousness of the situation than an aircraft computer system.
Sex in the airplane cabin
If there is turbulence, the party will not go ahead. But if the weather is nice, lovebirds can take an exciting flight for 215 euros in the Piper Cherokee of American pilot Bob Smith. In the cabin of this small private plane there is a red mattress and some pink pillows. Once ascended, Smith closes his curtain. This way his clients have some privacy while they practice humanity’s oldest movement. After 50 minutes of flying, the egg timer goes off and it is high time to get dressed and take a seat in the seats for landing. Back on the ground, Smith gives his clients a certificate from The Mile High Club. Members of this legendary club share the experience of making love at least 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) above the Earth. On www.milehighclub.com you can read some reports with titles such as ‘How the cockpit got its name’ and ‘Stealth sex’. Although rumors suggest otherwise, the Mile High Club is not popular among pilots, or so say the pilots themselves…
Pilots wear out the necessary flight attendants: Cliché or reality?
Some companies err on the side of caution by booking separate hotels for pilots and flight attendants. But of course that only fuels the curiosity of outsiders: how much fun do the flight crew have with each other on their foreign trips? The temptation is of course greater than with the average office job. You’re far from home, you go out for a drink together in the evening, you sleep in the same hotel: well, of course something happens. Singapore is a well-known party location in that regard: 70 KLM employees sleep there every night. An additional benefit, from the one-night-stand lover’s perspective, is the lack of social control. The composition of the crew changes every flight. After one pleasant night you don’t meet each other at the coffee machine for years.