Boeing 787 is the dream plane that most aviators out there would like to fly. Some might cite the Airbus A380 – Airbus claims that it is the largest commercial jet plane ever produced. Some may even like the Wright brothers’ Kitty Hawk! I don’t know about you, but as for me, my favourite airplane is the Boeing 777 and I would prefer to be in the cockpit rather than in the passenger seat. Mum used to tell me when I was 7, “Son, don’t be a pilot because you wouldn’t know when the plane will ‘fall down’.” Fall down in the sense crash. So, when September 11 happened, her face expression (at home, when we don’t talk, we read faces) was quite glad, ironic to the fact that the tragedy was mankind’s black spot in history, as if saying “See, I told you so.” For a second, it made quite a bit of sense. However, on second thought, that is part of the job (I salute the pilots of American Airlines Flight 11). Every flight a pilot goes into may be his last.
There are many misconceptions about the nature and expectation of the job. For instance, pilots get fat paychecks every month, travel around the world in the coolest jets, push buttons in the cockpit, and get to date air stewardesses. While some of them might have a certain degree of truth, the rest are completely nonsense. In fact, there are so many types of pilots around, not just the “hey-I-am-flying-an-Airbus” type. Therefore, in this article dedicated to pilots and their professions with due respect, we shall sieve the realities from the myths:
Myth Number One – Get rich and paid very well
One of the greatest myths that the general public and pilot wannabes have today is this – pilots are rich and get paid very well. It is true, but only to a certain extent. I know that Emirates pay their pilots very well because their pay is tax-free. It comes with perks like night-stop allowance, meal allowance, and a many more. As good as it seems, most pilots DO NOT get rich from their paychecks alone. Furthermore, during these times when budget airlines are up and coming, conventional airlines are trying to cut cost (I shall give you guys some space to figure out the connection to pilots’ pay, okay).
Guys, if you are doing it for the money, don’t do it. Pilots are still employees who are receiving their salaries monthly. The reason they are paid so well is because of the risks that they need to face. In fact, commercial pilots are one of the most volatile job positions today due to various external threats on the aviation industry. SARS, surging oil prices, Sept 11, Iraq war, and H5N1 influenza to name a few. If one wants to be rich, there are so many other avenues out there. As a commercial pilot, his paycheck is none but from his paying customers. In layman terms, that means pilots at the mercy of their passengers, and their employers, who may be quite nasty at times.
Myth Number Two – Travelling around the world
I have a weird feeling saying that I am like one of those Myth Busters on Discovery Channel. Anyway, let’s continue. The next myth to debunk is the “travelling” myth. A bit about the myth, pilots can “travel” around the world while commencing their duties. London, Milan, Florence, New York. Perhaps enjoy some Hong Kong dishes when I am landing at Chek Lap Kok Airport (or Hong Kong International Airport).
I like this myth the most because it is the most deceptive myth ever invented. Just to burst the bubble politely, pilots are paid to fly, not to travel at their will. I bet, from the interview I had with an ex-captain, pilots are too tired to travel when they land. For you information, pilots are given time to rest after a long-haul flight. Pilots are expected to be fit again after this period so as they can resume flying. If they do not rest well, they are actually endangering the lives of not only themselves, but also the crews and passengers. What I am trying to say is that, optional travelling or sight-seeing is alright but getting paid to travel around the world, not exactly true.
Myth Number Three – The “Push Button Only” Job
A new co-pilot is asking his captain, “Captain, I guess today, as a new co-pilot, we shall have a great time in the air.” “Why?” the captain asks. “Well, that’s because, we just need to bring the plane up and land it later, pressing some buttons along the way.”
Sorry guys, if it’s a bit dry or to an extent, lame but I am trying to illustrate that pilots are not there just to press some buttons in the cockpit, bring it up, and land it down. There are so many other tasks in between during a climb to a safe landing on the runway. To tell the truth, the job of a pilot begins even before the climb. There are the planning, getting approval, buying of fuel, and signing of papers, just to get the plane off the gate. It is quite saddening to have this myth around as I believe this not only undermines the profession but also shows that all those hard work and pain during flying school mean nothing to a pilot, which is untrue of course. If pilots are there in the cockpit just to press some buttons and sit in there, I would not dare to be on the plane!
A pilot needs to communicate well on the radio, responds to instructions given by the control tower, manages ‘problematic’ passengers if any, maintains the altitude, and makes sure the plane flies straight! If there is turbulence, the workload increases. If the weather changes unpredictably, the plane may need to be rerouted. If the engine fails (touchwood, it won’t happen), pilots make sure the plane still fly even on single engine!
The reason why the “push-button-only” myth exists is because we have all taken the job of a pilot for granted as we all have enjoyed safe flights. Imagine if your pilot knows only how to “push buttons” and do not know how to prepare for the unexpected (God bless you, my child). A pilot cannot afford to know only how to “push buttons” as they are required to take tests and medical check- ups to ensure that they are fit to fly and their skills are still sharp.
Finishing the story earlier, Captain replies to tower, “Control tower, please send backup, there’s a suspected case of hijacking in here, roger.”
Myth Number Four – Dating an air stewardess
It’s true that pilots and air stewardesses are in the same plane, therefore the chances of getting to date a stewardess is considerably high. The “I-can-date-air-stewardess” myth survives, in my opinion, because pilots, decades ago, are mostly males. And up to now, most pilots are still males. Hence, no wonder.
I strongly believe relationships should be based on common understanding and mutual appreciation for each other, not because one is so happen to be among the presence of flight attendants. I cannot deny though that pilot-stewardess relationships are quite common. Thus, it’s quite true that being a pilot, you can date a stewardess. However, I have a piece of advice to you guys out there, don’t look desperate!!
Now, sieving the realities from the myths, being a pilot is by no means easy. It requires multi-tasking, great communication skills, the ability to cope under stress, and most of all, passion to fly. For true aviators, this does not bother them as all they are interested is the flying, nothing else! They are willing to go at all cost just to satisfy every requirement of and expectation from a full-fledged pilot. To aspiring pilots out there, go and start reading about the job to know if you are a pilot material. There is so many “need-to-know” stuff. Know the difference between a 747 and a 777. Know what the term fly-by-wire means. Know how an aileron functions.
Therefore, unless you are super passionate, can cope a great deal of stress and very sure that you can tolerate a low pay, or even a dismissal, when the bad times hit, by all means, realize your dream. Did I mention that pilots are prone to radiation and thus potential health risks like cancer, high blood pressure, and heart attack. Oops, I guess not.
The Bible teaches us to put our trust in Him. As a Christian who wants to be a pilot, I shall surrender my dream and desire to Him. I do not know whether I will get there, but deep down I am secure in the thought that I am God’s favourite pilot because He has made me to soar in life. Even when I have made it there in the skies, I will still put my trust in Him, not my plane, for we wouldn’t know when the plane will, putting it in my mum’s words, “fall down”. Only He knows. God, I promise I will pray before and after every flight.
*This was first published in Think Tank Mag at http://thinktankmag.net/issue9/article.php?id=4 .
P/S: The author has decided he needs more time to think about whether piloting is really for him.
