Introduction
- The roles of a pilot are as interesting as they are adventurous. However, one must never forget the very basics for it informs the safety and consequential success of the flight. It is, therefore, an illuminating and engaging career worth the credit it has generally.
- While many of us would settle for other careers other than pilots, it is not far from the truth that in the next few years, we shall be booking flights to connect us to places either for purposes of work or leisure. On that context, appreciating the role of the pilot is essential and critical for our present as well as future consumption.
- I have had the opportunity of partaking in a number of flights. In addition, my step uncle flies American Airlines. I, therefore, feel sufficiently knowledgeable in the area given my knowledge gained from practical relations with my uncle and the advanced research I occasionally undertake in this particular area of aviation.
- It is imperative to appreciate the crucial role the pilot plays. In fact, he needs to play three cardinal roles for the overall success of the flight to be achieved. These are the preparation for the flight, the briefings in the airport for the plane he shall be flying and finally communication in the form of announcements to the passengers.
Body
- Preparation before the Flight
Preparation before the flight is critical as the pilot remains the overall controller and coordinator of the plane during the flight. Preparation assumes different forms.
- The pilot must be in the right state of mind. This is to say the pilot must be psychologically prepared for the flight and remain in a sober state of mind before and subsequently during the flight.
- The pilot must inform all the members of the crew of their roles and duties and the timelines of the anticipated flight. This is for purposes of making them available for the flight duties.
- The pilot needs to organize his luggage and personal utilities so that he is ready within the time at which the flight is to take off.
- Briefings in the airport for the plane
This necessarily involves being briefed about the state of the plane, the air route to be used and the anticipated challenges if any.
- The pilot must be accustomed with the plane that he will be flying. This briefing he gets from the engineers and technical team that prepare the plane before takeoff. He must know the fuel consumption and the emergency options available.
- The pilot needs to be briefed about the air route to be used. This equally includes information on the weather and the prevailing conditions in the atmosphere. He should be put abreast of the current situation as observed by the airport meteorological department.
- In cases where some challenges are anticipated out of prior experience and the prevailing weather conditions, the pilot needs to be briefed adequately.
- Announcements to passengers by the pilot
This necessarily involves establishing sufficient communication between the passengers and the pilot as the head of the crew. It involves orientation of the passengers as to the timelines, the weather, and the safety measures, among others.
- The pilot informs the passengers of the duration to be spent on air, any anticipated breaks and temporary landings, among others.
- The pilot informs the passengers of the anticipated weather and the consequences of the same to the flight.
- Safety measures are critical in the sense that passengers would be required to perform certain activities in the event of emergencies such as use of the airbags.
Conclusion
An efficient pilot must be ready for the flight having fully prepared. In the same vein, he need to be properly briefed by the experts before takeoff and similarly convey the message to the passengers without unnecessarily scaring the latter.
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