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Aircraft pilot

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(Redirected fromPilot (aviator))
Fortechnical reasons,"Pilot #5" redirects here. For the 1943 film, seePilot No. 5.
"Aviator", "Jet pilot", and "Pilot" redirect here. For other uses, seeAviator (disambiguation),Jet pilot (disambiguation),andPilot (disambiguation).
"Aviatrix" redirects here. For a discussion of the role of women in aviation and aeronautics, seeWomen in aviation.

U.S. Army Air Forcestest pilotLt.F.W. "Mike" Hunter wearing aflight suitin October 1942

Anaircraft pilotoraviatoris a person who controls the flight of anaircraftby operating itsdirectional flight controls.Some otheraircrew members,such asnavigatorsorflight engineers,are also considered aviators because they are involved in operating the aircraft's navigation and engine systems. Other aircrew members, such as drone operators,flight attendants,mechanicsandground crew,are not classified as aviators.

In recognition of the pilots' qualifications and responsibilities, most militaries and many airlines worldwide awardaviator badgesto their pilots.

Definition[edit]

The first recorded use of the termaviator(aviateurin French) was in 1887, as a variation ofaviation,from the Latinavis(meaningbird), coined in 1863 byG. J. G. de La Landelle[fr]inAviation Ou Navigation Aérienne( "Aviation or Air Navigation" ). The termaviatrix(aviatricein French), now archaic, was formerly used for a female pilot. The termaviator(aviateurin French), now archaic, was formerly used for a male pilot. People who operate aircraft obtain apilotlicence. Aviation regulations referred topilots.These terms were used more in theearly days of aviation,when airplanes were extremely rare, and connoted bravery and adventure. For example, a 1905 reference work described theWright brothers' first airplane: "The weight, including the body of the aviator, is a little more than 700 pounds".[1]

History[edit]

To ensure the safety of people in the air and on the ground, earlyaviationsoon required that aircraft be under the operational control of a properly trained, certified pilot at all times, who is responsible for the safe and legal completion of the flight. TheAéro-Club de Francedelivered the first certificate toLouis Blériotin 1908—followed byGlenn Curtiss,Léon Delagrange,andRobert Esnault-Pelterie.The BritishRoyal Aero Clubfollowed in 1910 and theAero Club of Americain 1911 (Glenn Curtiss receiving the first).

Civilian[edit]

Pilots landing aBoeing 777

Civilian pilots fly aircraft of all types privately for pleasure, charity, or in pursuance of a business, or commercially for non-scheduled (charter) and scheduled passenger and cargo air carriers (airlines), corporate aviation, agriculture (crop dusting, etc.), forest fire control, law enforcement, etc. When flying for an airline, pilots are usually referred to as airline pilots, with thepilot in commandoften referred to as thecaptain.

Airline[edit]

There were 290,000airlinepilots in the world in 2017 and aircraft simulator manufacturerCAE Inc.forecasts a need for 255,000 new ones for a population of 440,000 by 2027, 150,000 for growth and 105,000 to offset retirement and attrition: 90,000 in Asia-Pacific (average pilot age in 2016: 45.8 years), 85,000 in Americas (48 years), 50,000 in Europe (43.7 years) and 30,000 in Middle East & Africa (45.7 years).[2]

Boeingexpects 790,000 new pilots in 20 years from 2018, 635,000 forcommercial aviation,96,000 forbusiness aviationand 59,000 forhelicopters:33% in Asia Pacific (261,000), 26% in North America (206,000), 18% in Europe (146,000), 8% in the Middle East (64,000), 7% in Latin America (57,000), 4% in Africa (29,000) and 3% in Russia/ Central Asia (27,000).[3] By November 2017, due a shortage of qualified pilots, some pilots were leavingcorporate aviationto return to airlines. In one example aGlobal 6000pilot, making $250,000 a year for 10 to 15 flight hours a month, returned toAmerican Airlineswith fullseniority. AGulfstream G650or Global 6000 pilot might earn between $245,000 and $265,000, and recruiting one may require up to $300,000. At the other end of the spectrum, constrained by the available pilots, some small carriers hire new pilots who need 300 hours to jump to airlines in a year. They may also recruit non-career pilots who have other jobs or airline retirees who want to continue to fly.[4]

Automation[edit]

The number of airline pilots could decrease as automation replaces copilots and eventually pilots as well. In January 2017 Rhett Ross, CEO ofContinental Motorssaid "my concern is that in the next two decades—if not sooner—automated and autonomous flight will have developed sufficiently to put downward pressure on both wages and the number and kind of flying jobs available. So if a kid asks the question now and he or she is 18, 20 years from now will be 2037 and our would-be careerist will be 38—not even mid-career. Who among us thinks aviation and especially for-hire flying will look like it does now?" Christian Dries, owner ofDiamond AircraftAustria said "Behind the curtain, aircraft manufacturers are working on a single-pilot cockpit where the airplane can be controlled from the ground and only in case of malfunction does the pilot of the plane interfere. Basically the flight will be autonomous and I expect this to happen in the next five to six years for freighters."[5]

In August 2017 financial companyUBSpredicted pilotlessairlinersare technically feasible and could appear around 2025, offering around $35bn of savings, mainly in pilot costs: $26bn forairlines,$3bn forbusiness jetsand $2.1bn for civilhelicopters;$3bn/year from lower pilot training andaviation insurancecosts due to safer flights; $1bn from flight optimisation (1% of global airlines' $133bnjet fuelbill in 2016); not counting revenue opportunity from increasedcapacity utilization.

Regulations have to adapt withair cargolikely at the forefront, but pilotless flights could be limited byconsumer behaviour:54% of 8,000 peoplesurveyedare defiant while 17% are supportive, with acceptation progressively forecast.[6]

AVweb reporter Geoff Rapoport stated, "pilotless aircraft are an appealing prospect for airlines bracing for the need to hire several hundred thousand new pilots in the next decade. Wages and training costs have been rapidly rising at regional U.S. airlines over the last several years as the major airlines have hired pilots from the regionals at unprecedented rates to cover increased air travel demand from economic expansion and a wave of retirements".[7]

Going to pilotless airliners could be done in one bold step or in gradual improvements like by reducing the cockpit crew for long haul missions or allowing single pilot cargo aircraft. The industry has not decided how to proceed yet. Presentautomatedsystems are notautonomousand must be monitored; their replacement could requireartificial intelligencewithmachine learningwhile present certifiedsoftwareisdeterministic.[8] As theAirbus A350would only need minor modifications,Air CaraibesandFrench Beeparent Groupe Dubreuil see two-pilot crews in long-haul operations, without a third pilot for rotation, happening around 2024–2025.[9]

Single-pilot freighters could start with regional flights.[10] TheAir Line Pilots Associationbelieve removing pilots would threatenaviation safetyand opposes the April 2018FAAReauthorization Act's Section 744 establishing aresearch and developmentprogram to assistsingle-pilotcargo aircraft by remote and computer piloting.[11]

For French aerospace research centerOneraand avionics manufacturerThales,artificial intelligence (AI) like consumerneural networkslearning from large datasets cannot explain their operation and cannot be certified for safe air transport. Progress towards ‘explainable’ AIs can be expected in the next decade, as the Onera expects "leads" for a certifiable AI system, alongEASAstandards evolution.[12]

Africa and Asia[edit]

In some countries, such asPakistan,Thailandand severalAfricannations, there is a strong relationship between the military and the principal national airlines, and many airline pilots come from the military; however, that is no longer the case in theUnited StatesandWestern Europe.[citation needed]While the flight decks of U.S. and European airliners do have ex-military pilots, many pilots are civilians. Military training and flying, while rigorous, is fundamentally different in many ways from civilian piloting.

Canada[edit]

Operating an aircraft in Canada is regulated by theAeronautics Actof 1985 and theCanadian Aviation Regulationsprovide rules forPilot licensing in Canada.

Retirement age is provided by each airline with some set to age 60, but changes to theCanadian Human Rights Acthave restricted retirement age set by the airlines.[13]

United States[edit]

In the United States in 2020, there were 691,691 active pilot certificates.[14]This was down from a high of over 800,000 active pilots in 1980.[15]Of the active pilot certificate holders, there were 160,860 Private, 103,879 Commercial, 164,193 Airline Transport, and 222,629 Student.[16]

In 1930, theAir Commerce Actestablished pilot licensing requirements for American civil aviation.

Commercial airline pilots in the United States have a mandatory retirement age of 65, having increased from age 60 in 2007.[17]

Military[edit]

AU.S. Air ForceF-16pilot in flight

Military pilots fly with the armed forces, primarily the air forces, of a government ornation-state.Their tasks involvecombatand non-combat operations, including direct hostile engagements and support operations. Military pilots undergo specialized training, often withweapons.Examples of military pilots includefighter pilots,bomber pilots, transport pilots,test pilotsandastronauts.

CaptainMarcel Courmes,French officer and pilot of the 2nd Bombardment Group GB 2, August 1915.

Military pilots are trained with a different syllabus than civilian pilots, which is delivered by military instructors. This is due to the different aircraft, flight goals, flight situations and chains of responsibility. Many military pilots do transfer to civilian-pilot qualification after they leave the military, and typically their military experience provides the basis for a civilian pilot's license.

It was inFrancethat the world's first bombing group was created, on November 23, 1914. TheVoisin IIIwere the only aircraft available for this mission14. These could only carry very light loads (between 55-160 kg of bombs), the bombs were rudimentary and the aiming systems remained to be developed. Initially, the bombs were simply thrown overboard by the crew, with necessarily very limited accuracy.

Nevertheless, the beginnings of tactical and strategic bombing took place in the first days of the war. Thus, theRoyal Naval Air Service(RNAS) carried out bombing missions of the hangars of the airports of Düsseldorf, Cologne and Friedrichhafen during the autumn of 1914. The formation of the Brieftauben Abteilung Ostende ( "Ostend Carrier Pigeon Detachment", name of code of the first German bombing units) carried out bombing missions over the English Channel in December 1914.

Unmanned aerial vehicles[edit]

Further information:Unmanned aerial vehicle § Degree of autonomy
A United States Air Force RPA pilot.

Unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs, also known as "drones" ) operate without a pilot on-board and are classed into two categories: autonomous aircraft that operate without active human control during flight and remotely piloted UAVs which are operated remotely by one or more persons. The person controlling a remotely piloted UAV may be referred to as its pilot or operator. Depending on the sophistication and use of the UAV, pilots/operators of UAVs may require certification or training, but are generally not subject to the licensing/certification requirements of pilots of manned aircraft.

Most jurisdictions have restrictions on the use of UAVs which have greatly limited their use in controlled airspace; UAVs have mostly been limited to military and hobbyist use. In the United States, use of UAVs is very limited in controlled airspace (generally, above 400 ft/122m and away from airports) and the FAA prohibits nearly all commercial use. Once regulations are made to allow expanded use of UAVs in controlled airspace, there is expected to be a large surge of UAVs in use and, consequently, high demand for pilots/operators of these aircraft.[18]

Space[edit]

Picture of astronaut going through pilot training exercise.

The general concept of an airplane pilot can be applied tohuman spaceflight,as well. The pilot is theastronautwho directly controls the operation of aspacecraft.This term derives directly from the usage of the word "pilot" in aviation, where it is synonymous with "aviator".

Pilot certifications[edit]

Military aviation training in aRoyal Air ForceNimrod aircraft
Further information:Pilot licensing and certification

Pilots are required to go through many hours offlight trainingand theoretical study, that differ depending on the country. The first step is acquiring thePrivate Pilot License(PPL), or Private Pilot Certificate. In the United States of America, this includes a minimum of 35 to 40 hours of flight training, the majority of which with aCertified Flight Instructor.

In the United States, an LSA (Light Sport Aircraft) license can be obtained in at least 20 hours of flight time.

Generally, the next step in a pilot's progression isInstrument Rating(IR), or Multi-Engine Rating (MEP) addons. Pilots may also choose to pursue aCommercial Pilot License(CPL) after completing their PPL. This is required if the pilot desires to pursue a professional career as a pilot. To captain an airliner, one must obtain anAirline Transport Pilot License(ATPL). In the United States after 1 August 2013, an ATPL is required even when acting as a first officer.[19]Some countries/carriers require/use amulti-crew cooperation(MCC) certificate.

Life expectancy[edit]

There is a popular belief that airline pilots die earlier than the general population. This belief was not supported by studies of American Airlines and British Airways pilots.[20][21][22]A hoax claiming to show an inverse relationship between retirement age and life expectancy was refuted by Boeing.[23][24]However, a study of several airline pilot associations' data found evidence of higher mortality.[25]

A 1978 study of military pilots found increased longevity, which was attributed to "generally good socioeconomic background, the positive genetic influence of long-lived parents, the above average intelligence, and the health and fitness orientation of the military aviator".[26]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Aeronautics in 1904".Collier's Self-Inde xing Annual.New York: P. F. Collier & Son. 1905. p. 6.
  2. ^"Airline Pilot Demand Outlook"(PDF).CAE Inc. June 2017. 10-year view. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 12, 2017.RetrievedJune 21,2017.
  3. ^"Pilot Outlook: 2018 - 2037".Boeing. July 23, 2018.
  4. ^Kerry Lynch (November 21, 2017)."Bizav Leaders Seeing Shortages in Qualified Pilot Pool".AIN.RetrievedMarch 8,2018.
  5. ^"Will A Robot Steal Your Pilot Job?".AVweb.January 1, 2017.RetrievedJuly 31,2017.
  6. ^Jarrod Castle; et al. (August 7, 2017),"Flying solo – how far are we down the path towards pilotless planes?"(PDF),UBS Global Research,UBS, archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 17, 2017,retrievedAugust 17,2017
  7. ^Rapoport, Geoff (August 7, 2017)."Pilotless Transport Aircraft By 2025 Says UBS".AVweb.RetrievedAugust 9,2017.
  8. ^Stephen Trimble (August 21, 2017)."How Boeing is approaching the future of pilotless airliners".Flightglobal.RetrievedMarch 8,2018.
  9. ^Thierry Dubois (December 11, 2019)."Airline CEO Sees Reduced Long-Haul Crew In Near Future".Aviation Week Network.
  10. ^Jamie Freed, Tim Hepher (February 8, 2018)."Freight first as jetmakers study single-pilot airplanes".Reuters.RetrievedMarch 8,2018.
  11. ^Tim Canoll (July 31, 2018)."Opinion: Why Two Pilots In The Cockpit Remains Essential".Aviation Week & Space Technology.
  12. ^Thierry Dubois (November 26, 2018)."No AI In Cockpit Anytime Soon, Onera, Thales Say".Aviation Week Network.
  13. ^Vanessa Lu (January 24, 2013)."Air Canada pilots can continue flying past age 60 under new rules".Toronto Star.RetrievedNovember 5,2013.
  14. ^"U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics".faa.gov.RetrievedOctober 17,2019.
  15. ^Evans, Jon (April 22, 2018)."Where have all the pilots gone?".TechCrunch.RetrievedApril 24,2018.
  16. ^"U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics".faa.gov.RetrievedNovember 1,2020.
  17. ^Maxon, Terry (December 15, 2007)."Retirement age raised to 65 in nick of time for pilots turning 60".The Dallas Morning News.RetrievedOctober 15,2009.
  18. ^Rooney, Ben (November 25, 2014)."Drone pilot wanted: Starting salary $100,000".CNN.RetrievedMarch 24,2015.
  19. ^Pope, Stephen (July 11, 2013)."FAA Finalizes ATP Rule for First Officers".Flying Magazine.RetrievedOctober 15,2014.
  20. ^Besco, Robert O.; Sangal, Satya P.; Nesthus, Thomas E.; Veronneau, Stephen J. H. (February 1, 1995)."Longevity and Survival Analysis for a Cohort of Retired Airline Pilots".RetrievedMarch 23,2024.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  21. ^Besco, Robert O. (1996)."Study suggests longer life expectancy for retired pilots than for their general population counterparts"(PDF).Human Factors & Aviation Medicine.43(1).RetrievedMarch 23,2024.
  22. ^Irvine, D.; Davies, D. M. (June 1999)."British Airways flightdeck mortality study, 1950-1992".Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine.70(6): 548–555.ISSN0095-6562.PMID10373044.RetrievedMarch 23,2024.
  23. ^"Boeing Let's Retire the Rumor About Life Expectancy 7.30.2004".June 30, 2004.
  24. ^https:// sandia.gov/LabNews/LN11-16-01/labnews11-16-01.pdf
  25. ^Muhanna, Ibrahim E.; Shakallis, Andreas (June 1992)."Preliminary study confirms that pilots die at younger age than general population"(PDF).Flight Safety Digest.RetrievedMarch 23,2024.
  26. ^MacIntyre, N. R.; Mitchell, R. E.; Oberman, A.; Harlan, W. R.; Graybiel, A.; Johnson, E. (September 1978)."Longevity in military pilots: 37-year followup of the Navy's" 1000 aviators "".Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine.49(9): 1120–1122.ISSN0095-6562.PMID697677.RetrievedMarch 23,2024.

External links[edit]

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