Airline Pilot
British Airways

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Time Code	Audio
00:00:08	Hi, I’m Suzy, I’m an airline pilot with British Airways and I fly around the world in a Boeing 777.
00:00:15	I started flying when I was 4 years old, sitting on my father’s knee in a glider. But it wasn’t until I went to university that I learned how to fly with the Royal Air Force in a university air squadron. I then got partially sponsored by an airline called British Midland, where I flew a DC9 and when I had a bit more experience, I joined British Airways, first of all on the 747-400, the jumbo jet and then the 777. This is where I got my command and now I’m in charge of the aircraft.
00:00:44	I love my job. Every day is different and you get to meet people from all different cultures. I’m a mum, I’ve got two boys and I work part time.
00:00:53	To be a pilot you need GCSEs, English, maths and one science and then A Levels you need 112 UCAS points. You don’t need to go to university, but then at a flight school you will learn things like air law, meteorology, aircraft systems and they teach you how to fly.
00:01:10	You’ll then join an airline and for instance, if you come to British Airways, you’ll go to their training centre and use their 50 million pound simulator, where you learn how to fly and all the systems of the aircraft.
00:01:21	You don’t just have to be able to fly. You need to have good leadership skills, be able to make good decisions and communicate well, because we talk with other pilots, air traffic control, engineers, ground staff.
00:01:34	When I go to work, I get to Heathrow Airport an hour and a half before the flight and that’s when I meet the other pilots. If it’s a long flight we might have 3 or even 4 of us and we take turns to rest in a bunk, which is above where the passengers sit.
00:01:48	We look at all the weather and we check the route and then we decide how much fuel we need to take. We’ll meet with the cabin crew and see if we have any special requirements for any passengers. Then we walk out to the aircraft and then once there, I walk around the aircraft and make sure everything’s safe and then in the flight deck we make sure all the switches are in their correct positions and er we talk about how we’re going to fly the aircraft for the take off.
00:02:11	END

While studying for a physiology degree, Suzy joined the university’s air squadron and learnt how to fly with the RAF. She now flies around the world for British Airways in a Boeing 777.

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More information about Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers

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£67,080

average salary

The UK average salary is £29,813

average weekly hours

There are 37.5 hours in the average working week

92% male

8% female

The UK workforce is 47% female and 53% male

Future employment

Future employment?

Description

? Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers navigate and pilot aircraft, prepare flight plans, authorise flight departures and arrivals, maintain radio, radar and/or visual contact with aircraft to ensure the safe movement of air traffic, check, regulate, adjust and test engines and other equipment prior to take-off and give flying lessons.

Qualifications

Entrants with GCSEs/S grades and A levels/H grades, a BTEC/ SQA award or equivalent qualification can apply for an airline sponsorship. Private residential training as a pilot is available to candidates with GCSEs/S grades or appropriate BTEC/SQA or other certificates/diplomas or to holders of Private Pilots Licences who have 700 hours flying experience. Training lasts up to 15 months and consists of courses of study and flying instruction. Airlines may have additional age and height requirements. Air traffic controllers training lasts 74 weeks including study and practical experience. Entrants must be 18 to hold a Student Licence and 21 for a full air traffic controller licence awarded by the Civil Aviation Authority. Normal colour vision is required for pilots and air traffic controllers and candidates also undergo a medical examination.

Tasks

Studies flight plan and makes any necessary adjustments
Directs or undertakes checks on engines, instruments, control panels, cargo distribution, fuel supplies, aircraft's stability, response to controls and overall performance
Directs or undertakes the operation of controls to fly airplanes and helicopters, complying with air traffic control and aircraft operating procedures
Monitors fuel consumption, air pressure, engine performance and other indicators during flight and advises pilot of any factors that affect the navigation or performance of the aircraft
Maintains radio contact and discusses weather conditions with air traffic controllers
Directs the movement of aircraft and maintains radio and/or radar or visual contact en-route to its destination, in and out of controlled airspace or into holding areas ready for landing
Gives landing Instructions to pilot and monitors descent
Plans flight route, calculate fuel consumption and optimum flying height and obtains information on weather and other conditions, such as cargo distribution
Handles emergencies, unscheduled traffic and other unanticipated incidents
Accompanies pupil on training flights and demonstrates flying techniques