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Flight plans, pre-flight checks, and talking to aircraft control are just a few of the things a pilot has to do before ever taking their plane off the ground.
Pilots use the training and skills they’ve learned to ensure safe and secure flights for themselves, passengers, cargo, and other aircraft.
Local pilots Trevor Bridges and Robert Thorne answered a few questions about what it’s like to be an airplane pilot.
• Pilots receive hours of training and instruction before flying on their own.
Pilots looking to obtain their private pilots license attend a ground school where they learn the rules and regulations that apply to flying.
After ground school and a written test, pilots fly at least 20 hours with an instructor and 20-25 hours solo before taking a practical flight test to earn their private pilot certification.
“Generally landings are the hardest part to learn. Judging height above the runway and getting used to where you need to be can be challenging the first few times,” said Thorne, who has logged 500 hours of flight time.
link Staff photos: Joshua Lucero
Trevor Bridges flies over Clovis July 2 for aerial views of flooding in the city. Bridges has been a pilot for two years and has accumulated 400 hours of flight time.
• For each new type of plane a pilot flies, a new certification is required.
Planes are divided into categories and subcategories, which require pilots to receive more training to be able to fly them.
Planes controls and instrument panels can vary as well as a plane’s speeds and weights.
Bridges, 20, said, “Even if you’ve flown one plane, you cant just hop into another one and fly. Different planes look, feel and fly differently.”
• The communication between pilots and aircraft control is frequent and vital.
Aircraft control does exactly what its name entails and makes sure pilots are flying safely and on course.
“Talking to aircraft control is one of my favorite parts of flying. I like the constant communication.” said Bridges.
• Navigation isn’t always visual. Pilots use an array of instruments
to monitor a plane and the direction it is headed.
In the event of adverse weather or low visibility, pilots must rely on their instruments to navigate to their destination, instruments such as VHF Omni Directional Radio Range (VOR) and GPS, to stay on course.
Becoming a pilot is a time consuming endeavor, but once certified, pilots are able to travel further and faster with friends and family.
Pilots can take people on flights with them and show them views they couldn’t get anywhere else.
“I like being able to take someone up on their first flight and watching their reaction,” Bridges said.