A Day In the Life of an Airline Pilot

Doug Taylor. Doug es Copiloto de MD de Delta Airlines y Webmaster de  http://www.jetcareers.com.

Before I start a trip, the most important part, since I live alone, is to make sure the trash is taken out. There's nothing like the oderiferous surprise of the smell of four-day's old garbage greeting you on arrival back at home after a trip. Also, I may take along my mail, including bills so I can electronically pay them while I'm on a trip so they don't go over due.

Generally, you have to look at your layover cities to make sure you pack accordingly. If you're laying over in Arizona or Florida, you need not worry about packing warm clothes and a coat, but if you're traveling up north to New York or Denver, you need to pack clothes so you're not stuck in the hotel room when you can be out on the town with the rest of the crew.

For domestic flights, you "check in" an hour before departure (two hours international) on a computer terminal in the pilot lounge. At this terminal, you can check a variety of things like the weather, flight plan, schedules, flight load information (how many passengers on a particular flight) and others. At this point, you can enter any revisions that are in your company mailbox into your Jeppessen Airway Manual, check flight bulletins and take a look at the navigation charts, NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen), and Electronic Flight Bulletins (EFABs) relevant to your flight. Generally, you'll introduce yourself to the captain if you see him or her.

At this point, I'll check the flight arrival information to see when the aircraft arrives and if the flight attendants are originating or connecting from another city. Sometimes if the aircraft is arriving late but the flight attendants are already at the airport, you can introduce yourself to them and give a "crew card" stating both the name of the captain and first officer, along with your base city. This is done to facilitate CRM (Cockpit Resource Management) in case there is safety of flight information that they would like to forward to the cockpit. People generally are much more willing to communicate with others that they are familiar and comfortable with. Most people think of Cockpit Resource Management as communication between the captain and the first officer, but on a jet aircraft, it involves the flight crew, the cabin crew and when appropriate flight control/dispatch.

The aircraft arrives and traditionally, the first officer will do a "walk around" of the aircraft. Looking at the engines, control surfaces, airframe, brake wear indicators (important), and other items to make sure the aircraft is airworthy. The captain is upstairs getting any information from the arriving flight crew about the "ride" (turbulence), aircraft maintenance discrepancies (inoperative items). While this is all going on, the ground crew is offloading baggage, refilling the aircraft with beverages, ice and meals, cleaning the and fueling according to the requirements of the flight plan. Also, a "line mechanic" checks the aircraft also and issues an "airworthiness release" for the next flight.

The boarding process begins and at this point, the captain and I are back in the aircraft doing cockpit safety checks and scanning the logbook for the maintenance history. At this point, we'll have three pieces of paperwork:

1. Flight Release - the captain signs this stating that the crew is fit for the flight and he has reviewed the paperwork.

2. Flight Plan - includes information about the route of flight, fuel burn, power settings and NOTAMs

3. Weather report - weather for the departure airport, enroute diversion airports and the destination including any takeoff or landing alternate airports

After the last passenger is boarded, the gate agent working the flight will bring the "final paperwork" the final paper includes a final weather update, an updated passenger count and an "AWABS" which stands for "Aircraft Weight and Balance" which includes performance data for all useable runways and a copy of a PDC (Pre Departure Clearance). Basically, instead of calling clearance delivery, ATC will send us a clearance right to the printer in the aircraft.

The captain will give his signed "flight release" to the agent and the cabin door is closed. The lead flight attendant will state "cabin is ready for pushback" meaning that all doors are closed and passengers are seated. The captain will establish communications with the "pushback tug operator" and I'll call ramp control for "clearance to pushback".

The aircraft will be "pushed back" to an area that is safe and clear for an engine start. The aircraft will set the parking brake and the crew will receive a salute stating that the tug and any ground crew are safely clear of the aircraft.

At this point, the flight continues like another other flight you've already made, contacting ground control, talking to tower and then taking off. The same things that you may do during a cross country flight in a Cessna like checking fuel according to the flight plan are the same things we do in flight, but only at mach .75 to mach .83 (depending on the aircraft type). If there are any updates on the weather, flight control will send them through our ACARS which basically is used to transfer text messages back and forth between the aircraft and flight control. We can also access weather for any airport, obtain clearances, get sports scores and update flight control on our progress through the ACARS computer.

As we near the destination, we'll send a report, using the ACARS computer, to the airport with information like how many passengers need wheelchairs, unaccompanied minors, any language or special assistance passengers and any other pertinent information. The computer will then issue us a gate to taxi into at the airport and any other important information.

After arrival, traditionally the pilot that made the landing will be at the door thanking passengers. Speaking of that, when you first meet your captain before the trip starts, he'll usually ask if you want to fly the first leg of the trip or not and then you alternate thereafter (captain's discretion, of course). After the passengers are deplaned, we'll either prepare the aircraft for departing to another destination, but if we're laying over in the city, we'll offload our crew bags from the cabin and brief the next crew on the "ride" and condition of the aircraft, then go down to the crew pickup area to meet the van for the ride to the hotel.

The type of hotels vary. Sometimes it's the Holiday Inn, sometimes it's the Crowne Plaza, it really depends on the city and the length of the layover. For example, when we fly into Newark, NJ (EWR). Any layover that is a "short layover", say 11 hours or less, we'll stay at a hotel that is closer to the airport in order to maximize the amount of rest and minimize the length of time it takes to get to the airport. In Newark, on a short layover, we stay about a 15 minute ride away. However, on a longer layover in Newark, we will stay in downtown Manhattan, a few blocks form Times Square a block away from the theater district. Of course, there is a corresponding 20 to 40 minute drive from the Newark airport to the hotel so it is practical only when you have a longer layover than 10 hours.

Typically, on a layover, the time after you reach the hotel is yours. You can meet the other crew for dinner, to go explore downtown or any other attractions that the area has to offer (inner tubing on the salt river is a very popular activity for flight crews laying over in Phoenix), or do whatever as long as you are well rested and fit for going back on duty when it's time for "pick up" at the hotel the next day. The "pick up" time varies, sometimes it's an hour before departure time, or an hour and a half in larger, more congested cities like New York where the hotel may be further from the airport.

After the trip is over, generally, I'd take my flight case back down to my locker in the pilot lounge and walk across the terminal to catch the shuttle to employee parking.