Profession commercial pilot

Commercial pilots navigate flight of fixed-wing and multi-engine aircrafts for the transport of passengers and cargo.

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Personality Type

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

Knowledge

• Civil aviation regulations

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

• Airport planning

  Know airport planning for different types of aircrafts; use that information to mobilise resources and people in order to handle the aircrafts while they are in the airport.

• Geographic areas

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

• 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.

• 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 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.

• Pre-flight procedures for IFR flights

  Understand pre-flight duties while preparing an IFR flight; read and comprehend flight manual.

• 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.

• 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.

Skills

• 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.

• Write work-related reports

  Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.

• Perform flight manoeuvres

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

• Follow ethical code of conduct in transport services

  Carry out transport services according to accepted principles of right and wrong. This includes principles of fairness, transparency, and impartiality.

• 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.

• Ensure compliance with civil aviation regulations

  Ensure best practice standards are adopted and all regulatory requirements met

• Work in an aviation team

  Work confidently in a group in general aviation services, in which each individual operates in their own area of responsibility to reach a common goal, such as a good customer interaction, air safety, and aircraft maintenance.

• Apply airport standards and regulations

  Know and apply the accepted standards and regulations for European airports. Apply knowledge to enforce airport rules, regulations, and the Airport Safety Plan.

• Perform risk analysis

  Identify and assess factors that may jeopardise the success of a project or threaten the organisation's functioning. Implement procedures to avoid or minimise their impact.

• 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.

• Make independent operating decisions

  Make immediate operating decisions as necessary without reference to others, taking into account the circumstances and any relevant procedures and legislation. Determine alone which option is the best for a particular situation.

• Operate radio navigation instruments

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

• 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.

• 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.

• Comply with air traffic control operations

  Act in compliance with instruction provided by air traffic controllers.

• Use different communication channels

  Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.

• Respond to changing navigation circumstances

  Respond decisively and in sufficient time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations while navigating.

• Read maps

  Read maps effectively.

• Perform take off and landing

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

• 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.

• Ensure ongoing compliance with regulations

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

• 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.

• Read 3D displays

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

• Apply company policies

  Apply the principles and rules that govern the activities and processes of an organisation.

• Execute flight plans

  Listen to the briefing given by the captain or the crew manager; understand service requirements and apply the commissioned tasks in an appropriate manner.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Identify airport safety hazards

  Spot threats related to security at the airport and apply procedures to counteract them in a quick, safe, and efficient way.

• Implement airside safety procedures

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

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB