Profession airline transport pilot

Airline transport pilots fly large aircrafts with a maximum take-off weight of more than 5700 kilograms, to transport passengers, mail, or freight on long or short-haul flights for leisure, business or commercial purposes. They have the overall responsibility for the safe and efficient operation of aircrafts and the safety of crew and passengers.

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Personality Type

• Enterprising / Conventional
• Realistic / Conventional
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Air transport law

  Know air transport laws and regulations. Due to the nature of aviation, knowledge of air transport laws partially overlaps with knowledge of international law.

• Aircraft flight control systems

  Know the setting, features and operation of aircraft flight control systems. Manage flight control surfaces, cockpit controls, connections, and operating mechanisms required to control the flight direction of an aircraft. Operate aircraft engine controls in order to change aircraft speed.

• Air traffic control operations

  Understand the tasks performed by air traffic controllers, including Interaction and effective communication between aircraft and air traffic controllers; execution of follow-up activities, and ensuring smooth operations during flights.

• Geographic areas

  Know the geographic area in detail; know where different organisations carry out operations.

• Visual flight rules

  Types of flight rules which are a compilation of regulations that allow pilots to fly aircrafts in clear as well as unclear weather conditions whereby it is declared that outside visual reference to the ground and other obstructions are not safe.

• Common aviation safety regulations

  The body of legislation and regulations that apply to the field of civil aviation at regional, national, European and International levels. Understand that regulations aimed at protecting citizens at all times in civil aviation; ensure that operators, citizens, and organisations comply with these rules.

• Aviation meteorology

  Understand aviation meteorology to deal with the impact of weather on air traffic management (ATM). Understand how thorough changes in pressure and temperature values at airports can create variations in head and tail-wind components, and may impose low visibility operating conditions. Knowledge of aviation meteorology can help to reduce negative impact on the ATM system by diminishing disruption and the consequent problems of disturbed flow rates, lost capacity and induced additional costs.

• Civil aviation regulations

  Know civil aviation regulations, rules and signals, including marshalling signals.

Skills

• Supervise crew

  Supervise and observe the behaviour of employees.

• Have spatial awareness

  Be aware of your position and the space around you. Understand the relationship of objects around you when there is a change of position.

• Perform flight manoeuvres

  Perform flight manoeuvres in critical situations, and associated ‘upset’ manoeuvres, in order to avoid collision.

• Undertake procedures to meet requirements for flying aircraft heavier than 5,700 kg

  Ensure that operation certificates are valid, validate that take-off mass is a minimum of 5,700 kg, verify that the minimum crew is adequate according to flight needs and regulations, ensure that the configuration settings are correct, and check if the engines are suitable for the flight.

• Perform routine flight operations checks

  Perform checks before and during flight: conduct pre-flight and in-flight inspections of aircraft performance, route and fuel usage, runway availability, airspace restrictions, etc.

• Operate radio navigation instruments

  Operate radio navigation instruments to determine the position of aircraft in the airspace.

• Create a flight plan

  Develop a flight plan which details the flight altitude, route to be followed and the amount of fuel required using different sources of information (weather reports and other data from air traffic control).

• Use meteorological information

  Use and interpret meteorological information for operations dependent on climatic conditions. Use this information to provide advise on safe operations in relation to weather conditions.

• Apply signalling control procedures

  Control train movements; operate railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, on correct routes, and on time.

• Ensure aircraft compliance with regulation

  Ensure that every aircraft complies with applicable regulation and all components and equipment have officially valid components.

• Comply with air traffic control operations

  Act in compliance with instruction provided by air traffic controllers.

• Read maps

  Read maps effectively.

• Maintain counterweight inside modes of transport

  Maintain balance and mass distribution inside the means of transport (vessel, aircraft, train, road vehicles, etc). Ensure that passengers and cargo distribution do not hinder the mobility of the mode of transport.

• Follow verbal instructions

  Have the ability to follow spoken instructions received from colleagues. Strive to understand and clarify what is being requested.

• Operate two-way radio systems

  Use radios that can receive and transmit sound signals in order to communicate with similar radios on the same frequency such as mobile phones and walkie talkies.

• Ensure compliance with civil aviation regulations

  Ensure best practice standards are adopted and all regulatory requirements met

• Comprehensively inspect aircraft

  Conduct inspections of aircraft and aircraft components, namely their parts, appliances, and equipment, to identify malfunctions such as fuel leaks or flaws in electrical and pressurisation systems.

• Perform take off and landing

  Perform normal and cross-wind take-off and landing operations.

• Ensure ongoing compliance with regulations

  Conduct tasks and procedures to ensure that aviation certificates maintain their validity; undertake safeguarding measures as appropriate.

• Follow airport safety procedures

  Comply with airport safety procedures, policies and legislation to ensure a safe working environment for all employees, and to ensure the safety of passengers.

• Analyse work-related written reports

  Read and comprehend job-related reports, analyse the content of reports and apply findings to daily work operations.

• Read 3D displays

  Read 3D-displays and understand the information they provide on positions, distances, and other parameters.

• Operate radar equipment

  Operate radar screens and other radar equipment; ensure that aircraft fly at a safe distance from one another.

• Operate cockpit control panels

  Operates control panels in the cockpit or flight deck according to the needs of the flight. Manage on-board electronic systems to ensure a smooth flight.

• Operate radio equipment

  Set up and operate radio devices and accessories, such as broadcast consoles, amplifiers, and microphones. Understand the basics of radio operator language and, when necessary, provide instruction in handling radio equipment correctly.

• Implement airside safety procedures

  Apply a series of airfield safety rules and procedures to ensure a safe working environment for airport crew.

• Manage financial risk

  Predict and manage financial risks, and identify procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.

• Undertake procedures to meet aircraft flight requirements

  Ensure that operation certificates are valid, guarantee that take-off mass is a maximum of 3,175 kg, verify that the minimum crew is adequate according to regulations and needs, ensure that the configuration settings are correct, and check if engines are suitable for the flight.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB