A Dream to Fly: My Journey to Becoming a Pilot - Essay Sample

Introduction

I started developing an interest in piloting at a very young age. When planes would be passing above our homestead, I would stare at them until they disappeared in the horizon. Sometimes I tried to compete with them by running in the direction in which they went only to become exhausted and could not go farther. My greatest wonder was how the pilots managed to keep the planes in the air at such high speed without crashing. I thought to myself that one day I must be a pilot and understand what exactly happens.

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Since then, I have developed an interest in piloting and management of airplanes. It is the interest that motivates me to pursue a path leading to that career. Piloting is, however, a huge career field with several issues, some of which I may not be aware of. I, therefore, conducted an interview on April 30 with Alexey Surkov, AAV-1671 pilot for the Dallas -Fort Worth International located in Dallas, Texas (American Airlines web site). Surkov gave me important information and meaningful advice regarding what being a pilot entails. The paper, therefore, provides insight on the interview I conducted with Surkov and what I learned concerning the entire career.

First, I wanted to know the kind of advice which Surkov would give to someone like me who had an interest in pursuing a career path similar to his. He replied that I had to be very competent and carry out my roles with due diligence and the highest possible standards expected of me. Pilots have a busy workload because they are required to take a number of responsibilities during flights simultaneously. The key duties of a pilot include navigating the flight, checking, and maintaining the required technical instruments, monitoring and guiding the team of crew members, keeping track of the weather conditions, and controlling the flight and air traffic (Kamenikova 23). All these responsibilities require an individual to be competent and possess good multitasking ability. If one does not have the necessary piloting skills and knowledge, he can make people suffer in several ways due to your incompetency. It is, therefore, important for one to learn and take adequate time to go through all the relevant training needed for the individual to carry out piloting duties effectively and efficiently.

The advice given by Mr. Surkov meant a lot to me. It showed me that to become successful in piloting a career, I had to be patient and willing to acquire the necessary knowledge, training, and skills needed for one to be competent in piloting. As Mr. Surkov stated, piloting involves multitasking; hence one should be competent to avoid risking both his life and the lives of others. The advice is important even for those pursuing other professions because, in the long run, competency gets required to enable them to perform their responsibilities better.

Secondly, I wanted to know the requirements of the piloting career and the kind of training which pilots go through before being professionals in their career. Surkov explained that one has to undergo rigorous training and acquire relevant knowledge and skills to become a professional pilot. One must obtain a Bachelor's degree in any major to get started in the career.

Aspiring pilots can, however, roll in an aviation or aeronautics bachelor's program to gain more relevant knowledge. Also, Students must complete coursework in Physics, Aeronautical engineering, Mathematics, and English regardless of their major. It is important for an individual to enroll in aviation or aeronautics program which has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

He further stated that to qualify for licensure, aspiring airline pilots are required to complete a given number of hours of flight training. He said," 250 hours of flight time and an additional 1500 hours of flight time for an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate is required for one to obtain a commercial pilot's license. Moreover, Airline pilots are required to have a minimum of 40 hours of instrument flying experience in-air and through simulation.

A pilot's ability to fly in low visibility conditions gets demonstrated by the instrument flying ratings. To obtain licensure, individuals are expected to pass a written exam, demonstrate flying ability, take an instrument flying rating exam, and pass a physical exam (Martinez and B. I. E. S 156). The exam entails having vision correctable to 20/20, good hearing ability, and no physical handicaps, which could interfere with one's performance of the job.

Upon gaining professional experience, one can finally advance as an Airline Pilot with a license showing cross-country, night, and instrument flying experience. I was amazed by the rigorous training and requirements one must complete before becoming a professional pilot. It, however, prepared me for what to expect as I pursued the profession.

Next, I wanted to know the ideal attributes which a pilot must possess. Mr. Surkov explained that a professional pilot must have and display several key attributes, which include willfulness to train and develop strong leadership abilities, punctuality, excellent communication skills, and commitment to company procedures. I was surprised to hear this because I thought pilots only needed to have the ability and skills needed to control and guide the plane while on the flight. Mr. Surkov, however, went further and explained that different situations are bound to arise in a plane while on transit hence the need for the pilots to have the skills he mentioned so that they can handle such situations amicably. Finally, I wanted to know why Mr. Surkov would recommend this career to someone like me. He stated that piloting is not a career for everyone and would only recommend it to someone who is passionate and has a strong desire to improve in the field.

He insisted that he would recommend the career to someone who is willing to learn and is patient to undergo all the necessary training required for the profession. Someone with good professional skills and a good risk evaluator who can handle different situations in a flight and come up with better options yielding minimal risks and consequences. The advice he insisted may have sounded strange to some people. Still, it encouraged me because I am very passionate about the career and willing to learn and go through all the necessary training required to become a professional pilot. I also feel much prepared to offer all I can to ensure constant improvement in the piloting career and the entire aviation industry.

Conclusion

In summary, I was still unsure before the interview with Mr. Surkov if this was the right career path for me, but I am positive after the interview that I am making the right decision. I now understand that the career path required passion and involved a lot of commitment, which I am willing to give. Mr. Surkov told me that no matter what people tell me, I should focus on achieving my goal because that is what the career requires. I feel happy at the end of the interview, and I am encouraged that I will be working with passionate people like Mr. Surkov soon.

Works Cited

Kamenikova, Iveta. "Easier Access for General Aviation Pilots to Instrument Flight Rules Flying." MAD-Magazine of Aviation Development 5.1 (2017): 22-25. https://ojs.cvut.cz/ojs/index.php/mad/article/download/3982/3904

Martinez, Dorian, and B. I. E. S. Emilie. "Decision-making aid for revising a flight plan." U.S. Patent Application No. 15/700,156. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/27/e0/f0/b34d32a45f7f98/US20180075758A1.pdf