Short Story In The Life Of an Airline Pilot
My job as a pilot affords me an unusual lifestyle, and people I meet
often ask what my trips are like. For the past 6 years, I have been
flying the 737-300 and Airbus A320, lately from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur, Thailand, Shanghai, Tokyo
and Aussie. Yuup.. That was my frequently Flyers..
F l i g h t P r e p a r a t i o n s
The way I get ready for a flight will greatly depend on the time of
departure and whether we’ll have one or two extra pilots on board. Time
of day is important, too. If I’m a relief pilot (as in the scenario
below), I will adjust my schedule at home so I show up tired, because
I’ll be going to the bunk first. If I’m the flying pilot, I’ll take the
opposite approach and show up rested and ready to go. Unfortunately, all
of this sleep planning can go out the window if we fly across extended
areas of turbulence.
In all cases, I will think about hydration the day before and try my
best to drink as much water as I can. I have also found that sticking to
habits when packing has often kept me out of trouble. I try to place
things in the same location each time so I know where to find them when I
need them. For example: iPad charger in the front outside pocket, keys
in the upper side pocket, etc. I have several sets of uniforms and will
start with a fresh one from the cleaners at the beginning of the trip.
If it’s a multiday trip, I’ll take an extra shirt and have the other
cleaned on a layover.
Running a mental checklist one last time is critical as I pull out of
the garage. Three items are essential for me to carry when I fly: my
airline identification and security badge, my passport and my pilot’s
license. I’ve heard stories about pilots who have forgotten their
passport, only to realize it when they land. In extreme cases, they
haven’t been allowed to enter the country and have had to sleep on the
plane or leave on the next flight back to the states.
I’m required to report to operations an hour and a half before
departure to meet the other pilots and review the flight plans,
maintenance history and weather forecasts. Once we’ve all agreed on the
plan and signed the official copy, we head up to the jet. The flight
attendants are usually on the plane when we board, so we’ll introduce
ourselves and make our way to the cockpit while the captain briefs the
flight attendants about en route and destination weather. If turbulence
is forecast for our route, he or she will brief them on when to expect
it and to adjust their service accordingly. In the meantime, the other
pilots and I are getting situated in the cockpit by turning on
components, aligning the inertial navigation systems and entering data
into the flight management computers.
I n t h e A i r
Once airborne, the relief pilots will tally the segment times to make
sure the total flight time matches the plan, then depart for the bunk
room as the aircraft climbs through a specific altitude. From then until
wake-up time, I’m sleeping (hopefully).
When it finally comes time to change crews, I’ll grab a cup of coffee
with a meal and head up to the cockpit. Once inside, I’ll get a quick
brief from one of the other pilots about our position, who we’re talking
to, fuel status, en route and destination forecast weather, if we’re on
time and anything out of the ordinary. For the next six or seven hours,
the other pilot and I will likely climb to higher altitudes as we burn
fuel and become lighter. We’ll also compare our progress with the master
flight plan and plot our position on a plotting chart.
As we approach our destination, we’ll make the final crew change as
the flying pilots prepare for the approach and landing. As before, we’ll
brief them on our status and anything out of the ordinary. From then on
the relief pilots are monitoring the radios and advising the flying
pilots.
T h e L a y o v e r a n d B a c k
Once we land, park at the gate and complete the shutdown checklist,
we’re done. We do have to process through Customs and Immigration but
usually breeze through in the Crew Only line. Once outside, we’ll board
the bus or crew van and head to the layover hotel. I am fairly beat by
the time we arrive but will usually have enough energy to enjoy one
drink with my fellow pilots. After that, it’s lights out.
I will usually wake up after a few hours. If I’m really tired, I’ll
try to go back to sleep, but when I just can’t, I’ll head to the gym.
(I
have found that keeping my body on Pacific time works best during my
typical three-day trips. That way, I’m not constantly fighting jet lag
when I get home.)
We have agreements with most of our hotels that allow
crew members 24-hour access to the fitness facilities. I’ll often see
other weary-eyed crew members in there at all hours of the night. Most
layovers are 22–30 hours, so there’s not a lot of time to see the
sights. If I’m on a longer layover, I’ll spend the hours sightseeing or
choosing a place to eat.
Our pickup time from the hotel is arranged so we arrive at the
airport an hour and a half before departure, just as before. All flight
preparation is exactly as I described earlier with the exception that
we’re all a little more eager to get home and get on with our lives.
Once we finally land back at our home base and set the parking brake
one last time, we’re done, and most of us won’t think about flying until
it’s time to head back to the airport and do it again.
...The sky is a vast place.. But there is no time for error's...
…. BEING A PILOT WAS A MISTAKE ….
AS DESTINY DEFINED US TO BE PART OF THE LAND….
BUT THAT MISTAKE MAKE ME PROUD
….CAUSE….
NOT EVERYONE CAN DO THAT
MERRY ME FLIGHT FOR FREE
(*Opooo... iki... )
(*Opooo... iki... )
