What pilot does?

What does a Pilot do?

Piloting is an inherently fascinating profession, responsible for ensuring the safety of lives and cargo onboard aircraft during flight. However, a pilot’s responsibilities go beyond just flying an aircraft, as they need to demonstrate exceptional skills, expertise, and dedication. This article will delve into the realm of piloting and unveil the various responsibilities of pilots, making this vital contribution to the world of transportation.

Crew Command

Prior to Flight: Planning, Briefing, and Resource Management

Before embarking on their journey, pilots have the crucial task of completing thorough pre-flight checks on the aircraft, ensuring every component meets safety standards. Airway planning, involving weather analyses, navigation route calculations, and communication preparation, sets the stage for an undisturbed journey.

During briefings and resource management meetings, captains and co-pilots discuss the planned flight strategy, tactics for unexpected scenarios, crew roles, and critical operational details. A collaborative process ensures that everyone understands his or her responsibility within the crew.

Operational Airmanship and Problem Solving

During the flight

• Operate: Pilots operate the aircraft, monitoring fuel consumption, navigation, altitude, velocity, and heading while interacting with air traffic control authorities.
• Assure: They assess potential risk factors, detect hazards early, and address unforeseen situations with situational awareness and quick thinking.

By anticipating deviations from plan and intervening promptly, pilots safeguard not only the passengers’ welfare but also minimize flight durations, fuel expenditure, and environmental impact.

Specialized Skills: Naviagation, Systems Operation and Emergency Procedures

To complement their operational tasks, pilots draw upon specialized expertise, acquired through rigorous training:

Navigation

Pilots master various navigation techniques, using compass navigation, GPS (Global Positioning System), inertial navigation, and flight maps to maintain flight schedules.

Systems Operation

* **Hydraulic system**: Managing critical pressure checks, ensuring pumps are properly functioning, and recognizing unusual pressure drops

* **Electrical system**: Monitoring voltage and power drain, recognizing voltage dips and surges

**Fuel system**: Supervising fuel flow rates, testing fuel pumps and filter blockages

**Ignition system**: Analyzing spark plug functions and fault detection

* Other systems: Managing water content, oil leakage detection

Emergency Procedures

• Abandon Aircraft at Sea: Locating appropriate landing sites for an overwater emergency; communicating passengers via rescue beacons, transponder signals, or maydays
• On-Road Emergencies:

• Engine Fire: Contain fires manually or using provided firefighting equipment
• Structural Damage: Ensuring temporary repairs for an un airworthy aircraft; divert or land at closest airfields
• Tire Explosion: Securing tire(s) and making decisions around landing

Safety Precaution and Communication
Beyond crisis management, situational awareness, alert passengers, and emergency briefings are essential parts of ensuring a safe, trouble-free flight.

Throughout their flights, pilots receive guidance, updates, and situational reports from the crew while maintaining vigilance for hazardous situations: weather conditions, unexpected navigation changes, equipment failure.

Crew Rest
After a dismounting: Exhaustive duties are mitigated via snooze-ready accommodations or hotels

Continuous Development: Aviation Regulations, Manufacturer-Suggested Procedures, and Personal Flying Experience

Honoris causa, as flight rules govern the skies:

**IATA DGR** – The Manual of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

By assimilating constant learning via:
• Regular briefs and training with new pilot colleagues
• Refinements in modern airshows and exhibitions, the future of flight development is illuminated

Conclusion: An Outline of a Pilot’s Expertise

An outline will be presented highlighting essential responsibility areas, focusing on those that demonstrate significant flight operations within normal and emergency operations

Key areas: