E XC L U S IVE F EAT U RE
Unfortunately, there are not enough pilots. Boeing has
estimated that 192,300 new pilots will be needed in AsiaPacific in the next 20 years; 99,700 needed in Europe; 85,700
in North America; 48,600 in Latin America and 40,000 in
the Middle East. Many countries such as the US and even
Vietnam have already reported a shortage of pilots for now,
that there are plans to recall pilots who have been granted
leave of absence.
This shortage is not driven by the expansion of airlines alone.
Other factors include a large number of pilots approaching
the retirement age of 65 in the US, the increased training of
pilots and extended rest period of 10 hours. The minimum
number of flying hours required for co-pilots in the US has
also been increased to 1,500 hours, just as many as captains.
All these only serve to indicate that demand for pilots is high
around the world.
Cargo pilot
Flight instructor
This option is for pilots who have
already graduated and would like to be
instructors. Flight instructors will be based
at flying schools, either military or civilian,
to hone the skills of new pilots. Lessons
will cover safety, aviation history and
flying procedures.
Also known as freight pilots, cargo pilots’ scope
of work is similar to commercial pilots, except that
cargo pilots carry cargo instead of passengers.
Pilots who have worked carrying both passengers
and cargo have reported that it is easier to carry
cargo than having to deal with the varied antics
of passengers. Another plus point is that cargo
pilots earn more than commercial ones but
delivery flights often take off at night.
Commercial pilot
The types of pilots
Did you know that there
are more than 25 types of
pilots? And the shortage
applies across all types.
Here are some of the more
common types of pilots:
These are the ones that fly you to your holidays. As a
commercial pilot, you can fly domestic or international,
depending on your experience and the airline you are attached
to. You will get to fly various types of passenger airplanes but
you will first undergo training and certification on each type
used by the company.
Military pilots
If you have a higher level of adrenaline
than an average pilot, plus some daredevil
instincts, you might be suited for military
service. Military pilots transport troops,
equipment and supplies to service zones.
They also conduct both combat and
humanitarian missions. Some military pilots
are employed as test pilots to evaluate
new and advanced fighter jets, planes and
helicopter prototypes.
Test pilots
There are three types of test pilots: flight research, developmental flight
test, and production flight test. Flight research pilots, also known as
experimental flight pilots, fly airplanes that have never been tested or
planes that were developed for scientific research. But before the flight
research pilots can start work, the developmental flight pilots will make
sure that the prototypes are safe to be tested by first testing the parts of
each craft. Production flight pilots will inspect the planes as soon as they
come off the assembly line to make sure that the planes confirm to the
design specifications.
easyuni Guide 2014
Issue 2
41