Being a commercial airline pilot is indeed a rich and rewarding experience. If one has a passion for flying and wishes to make a career out of it, enrolling in a good pilot training school is prudent. It is wise to enroll earlier after high school. You get the chance to pick up the skills of flying faster. You can start your career early and fly to popular destinations across the globe. However, your job as a pilot is much more than flying. You are in charge of the safety of the crew and passengers that fly with you. This is where you need to cultivate people’s skills and be a good team leader.
Alexis Fecteau – Why do you want to become a pilot?
Captain Alexis Fecteau is an esteemed name in the US aviation industry and the Director of Marketing for Boeing Business Jets, a division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Bases located in Renton, WA. He has valuable experience as a pilot with multiple airlines across the globe under Boeing Commercial Airplane marketing. He is well-versed in the field of flight deck technologies and has extensive expertise in specifications of technical products.
Team management and leadership skills are essential to be a pilot
He says that if you want to make a lucrative career from commercial airlines, you must know the traits of a good pilot. It is up to you to inculcate those traits as fast as possible to kick-start a successful career. He says in an aircraft, there are generally two pilots. The senior pilot is the Captain of the flight and is in command. The second pilot is called the supporting first officer. During a flight, both pilots take turns to fly the aircraft to the destination. This is primarily carried out to prevent fatigue. The other manages the controls of the flight and communicates with the air traffic controls. He also needs to complete the documentation and paperwork of the flight as well.
Long haul flights and leadership skills
It is in commercial long-haul flights where your leadership skills are needed. The reason being there are often more than two pilots. The number of pilots in a single flight can also be four. They take turns to fly the aircraft so that fatigue can be averted. The Captain of the flight has the sole responsibility of everyone, so here you need a high personal commitment.
Stringent tests to pass
If you harbor dreams to become a pilot, make sure you are prepared for a lifetime of tests. These tests are quite stringent, and you will spend most of your time studying for them. Once you pass one test, you will be subject to another recurrent training once every six months. This is required to ensure you are fit for flying. The training helps you to maintain your license for the job. It must be relevant and up to date.
In the pinion of Alexis Fecteau once you are ready for all of the above, you are fit to become a pilot. Over the years, you will rise in seniority and become a captain of a flight. Here, remember, the whole team depends on you, so nurture your leadership skills from the time you start your training as a pilot to get the success you deserve!
