Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have always dreamt of flying in the sky like birds. In ancient times, men and women would go out of their way to build wings, which they would strap to each arm and flap them in attempt to navigate in the air like birds. However, they were all unsuccessful in their attempts since they had no idea of the concepts of drag and lift, which are necessary to fly an aircraft. Fortunately, in 1903, the Wright Brothers were triumphant in conducting the first powered flight and today most boys dreaming of becoming professional pilots when they grow up
Rick Bucklew, a reputed flight instructor and former commercial pilot, says people who aspire to become professional pilots need to possess certain skills to stand out among the crowd. This is in addition to attaining flight classes, training with a qualified instructor and passing the necessary practical flight examinations. Considering the nature of their job, mental and physical fitness is a necessity for all professional pilots. Moreover, they need to be aware of what is going on around since they need to test reality frequently when in the air. The traits that an aspirant needs to become a good commercial pilot are as follows:
- Authority
A good pilot is always aware of how to take command when the situation arises. They know what steps they need to take even in the worst-case scenario and do not waste precious time by being uncertain. They have full confidence in the abilities and skill in addition to never shying away from taking responsibility of the passengers on their aircraft.
- Self Evaluation
A person who dreams of being a knowledgeable pilot needs to be good at solving problems and resolving their own weaknesses. Pilots do not shy away from taking responsibility whenever things do not go as per a particular plan. Moreover, they leave no stone unturned in their endeavor to improve their skills on every flight they take.
- Planning
A pilot with the necessary skills, knowledge and ability always scrutinizes and checks every detail of a particular flight before executing it. While in the air, they verifies the gadgets that measure various performance parameters are working properly to ensure a safe flight.
- Humility
A good pilot always knows and accepts that there other people in his/her profession with better skills and more experience. He/she will never hesitate to seek their advice to ensure a more efficient, better and safer way of handling various tasks.
- Determination and precision
All successful pilots are aware that to fly an aircraft from one destination to another, they need to precise about the altitude and airspeed. They always resolve to enhance their skills, experience and performance by taking frequent flights and training sessions.
- Need for constant training
To become a successful pilot, an aspirant needs to undergo rigorous flight training even after conducting numerous flights and being in the air for 50000 hours. This is the only way such a person can improve his/her flight skills and gain confidence when in the air.
Ric Bucklew explains that above characteristics helps aspirants become successful in the aviation industry as commercial pilots.
