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Aeroplane Pilot - Personal requirements

Kaiwhakarere

Skills & knowledge

Aeroplane pilots need to have:

excellent flying skills
knowledge of flight theory and flight planning
skill in interpreting flight plans, weather information, and navigation data
understanding of civil aviation laws
knowledge of safety rules and emergency procedures
planning and decision-making skills
good communication skills
record-keeping skills.

Sheryl Jones using a map to prepare a flight plan

Aeroplane pilots need to operate flight management systems and navigational equipment

Photo courtesy of Pacific Blue Airlines

Personal Qualities

Aeroplane pilots need to be able to:

think logically
work well under pressure
make sound, quick judgements and decisions
follow procedures
get along with a wide variety of people.

Aeroplane pilots must also be responsible, calm, confident and alert.

"It's a repetitive job, so it's easy to become complacent. You have to be very disciplined to ensure that even though you're doing the task for the -enth time that day, you're still doing it correctly."

Blair O'Brien - Aeroplane Pilot

Physical Requirements

Aeroplane pilots need to have good hearing and eyesight (with or without corrective lenses), normal colour vision, and good reflexes and co-ordination. They should also be fit and healthy. Pilots are required to undergo a medical test every year.

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Updated September 2009

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