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What They Do
About This Career
Pilots and navigates the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots.
This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Operations pathway.
A person in this career:
- Uses instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
- Starts engines, operates controls, and pilots airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight according to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- Checks aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
- Monitors engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- Considers airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
- Contacts control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Obtains and reviews data such as load weights, fuel supplies, weather conditions, and flight schedules to determine flight plans and identify needed changes.
- Files instrument flight plans with air traffic control so that flights can be coordinated with other air traffic.
- Checks baggage or cargo to ensure that it has been loaded correctly.
- Orders changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
- Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
- Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
- Requires getting into awkward positions
- Lighting is either extremely bright or inadequate
- Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
- Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
- Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
- Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
- Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
- Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
- Seeing clearly at a distance
- Seeing objects clearly in glaring conditions or bright lighting
- Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
Work Hours and Travel
- Irregular hours
- Overnight travel
- Overtime work
- Weekend work
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Captain
- Charter Pilot
- Check Airman
- EMS Helicopter Pilot (Emergency Medical Service Helicopter Pilot)
- First Officer
- Helicopter Pilot
- Line Pilot
- Pilot — Commands ships to steer them into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits, and sounds, and on rivers, lakes, and bays.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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