Phew! In Defence of Poor Pilots

Someone recently tweeted pilots’ salaries in an airline.

That tweet began with a ‘phew,’ so I will list out the realities of a pilot’s life, just a few!

I didn’t say the realities of a pilot’s job, because it’s not just a job; it’s an interesting lifestyle, but not a cakewalk.

It requires commitment, consistency, and care; besides the ability to face constant criticism!

I’ve heard it said, “Pilots are just glorified drivers who are under-educated and overpaid.”

Minimum requirement for a CPL (Commercial Pilot Licence) is Class 12, but not all pilots are only 12th pass! Among my pilot friends, 2 are Ph D, 3 Doctors, 2 Engineers, lots of graduates, many are ex-military, and one is a former policeman.

I retired from the Indian Air Force, having done BA from NDA with Maths & Physics. And I am also MDS. Hearing that, one gent started discussing his dental problems with me, till I told him I was a Master not in Dental Surgery, but in Defence Studies!

But even those with formal education only till the 12th standard, must study further to get a CPL.

It is tougher than college, though they do not get a degree certificate.

If CPL is like graduation, you need post-graduation as ATPL (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) to be promoted to a Captain from a Co-pilot, after a lot of flying, additional training, and tests.

I have seen youngsters turn mature and worldly wise by the time they complete CPL training—which not everyone who tries it can do.

That is because of the following reasons:

Medicals

Pilots need to be fit to begin with, must prove their fitness annually, and, after the age of 60, every 6 months. Thanks to that sword (since we are dealing with doctors here, shall we call it a syringe?) hanging over the head, one has to be careful throughout.

Written Exams

A pilot must pass exams in many myriad subjects. They are: Air Regulations, Aviation Meteorology, Air Navigation, Technical General, Technical specific to the aircraft, Radio Telephony and English language. And passing marks are not 33%, but 70%.

It is not only the written exams. There are viva voce tests too.

In the Radio Telephony oral, the examiner asked me, “Why does the table fan rotate clockwise and a ceiling fan anti-clockwise?”

When I looked up in despair, he thought I was looking at the fan, but I was looking for God in His heaven!

Yes, I passed even that viva!

Flying Skill

Finally, in addition to all the theory, one must also be able to fly a plane. That’s not really for everyone.

Training costs

The cadet program of an airline costs over a crore (10 million) Rupees. That requires an education loan and repayment in EMIs over decades, after—and if—one gets a job.

Many waited years to get an airline job, and there are 3000 jobless pilots in India now.

Super speciality

After getting the basic CPL, one needs Type Rating training on any of the two popular commercial aircraft, Boeing 737, or Airbus 320, at an additional cost.

When you choose one type, you make yourself ineligible for the airlines which do not fly that aircraft.

That’s akin to being an eye specialist, but only of the left eye!

And with such super-specialisation, job opportunities—without experience—are extremely limited.

Decision Time

In many professions, you get weeks, if not months, to make a decision. A pilot usually has only a few seconds. Yet, the punishments for errors are swift and harsh, because the mistakes get highlighted in full media glare.

In Bollywood, they say, ‘You’re as good as your last film.’ In flying, I say, ‘You’re as good as your last landing.’

But they make one film per year. And a pilot lands 3 or 4 times a day!

For years, I have done 5 landings in a workday stretching 12 hours, from noon to midnight. With delays plus weather, imagine how demanding and exhausting that was.

No Second Chance

In this job, there is no undo, no delete, and no pardon. Even a minor mistake can cause loss of lives, loss of reputation, and a loss of livelihood.

An actor may survive a few flops and a cricketer a few ducks, averaging it with earlier successes. But a pilot isn’t allowed a single mistake, for there’s never a second chance.

High stress

Pilots’ working hours are odd and change daily, mostly with minimum mandated rest in between.

And I have often worked 9 to 5.

“No big deal. I do that daily,” you say?

Well, I mean 9 PM to 5 AM! How’s that?

Also, we have no weekends, and get only the eighth day off. And that could be in some faraway hotel, not at home. Add to that the jet-lag after international flights.

No wonder the stress levels are high, causing invisible yet irreparable damage to health.

I know. I suffered, and recovered, and soldiered on.

But for how long? I don’t know.

Here’s a quote: ‘You envy my shoes because they look so nice and shine so well. Do you know where they pinch me?’

Phew!

First published on Indiatimes.com at https://www.indiatimes.com/explainers/news/phew-in-defence-of-poor-pilots-599765.html

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