New commercial pilot tips and hints

While not all embracing the following practical tips and hints are presented with new commercial pilots in mind to assist them in that first job;

Being on time means you are late. For any flight job be early and have the aircraft, the planning and the flight prepared well before the due time. Any airline will tell you that departure time does not mean engine start time.

Have a good compact flight kit that includes up-to-date charts, a reliable wrist watch, headset, fuel tester, sun glasses, small torch, baseball cap (for use in sunny areas) and in remote areas, a personal survival kit.

A personal survival kit can include a lighter/matches, knife and an ELT (406 variety).

Flying up-country? Consider carrying a small knife but be aware of the new security laws.

In a commercial job, particularly in a regional charter job, do own a spare headset and wrist watch. In the case of the headset, if the original gets lost, stolen, broken or mislaid while wrist watches get damaged and batteries go flat.

A quality double ended screwdriver (not the fuel tester variety) and a leatherman type tool can be good flight kit items.

If operating near or over water having one’s own constant-wear in-date lifejacket can be kit worth having.

Read every book and magazine about aviation that you can lay your hands on. Nobody can ever know enough about the technical and commercial side of aviation.

Do lodge a flight plan and have a sartime. Do cancel the sartime before it expires. How do you figure out a sartime? One method passed from Air Services recently is to use the departure time plus aircraft endurance plus one hour. Add extra time if there is a stop along the route or if there will be problems with cancelling the sartime.

A written checklist will ensure that all required items are actioned – not just an aircraft check list. An example is note departure time, at airport time, getting up time, kit and any special items of gear required. A pocket notebook and pen is a must for any pilot.

Before you board your aircraft do a last minute external check – fuel caps on, oil hatch closed, chocks and tie downs removed, doors secured, no bags on the tarmac, no fuel drums or service equipment in front of the aircraft or in the taxi path.

When you apply the throttle for takeoff do know how many minutes endurance you have before fuel exhaustion and plan to be on the ground before you enter the last 45 minutes.

Flying all day? Take a water bottle and snack food to keep you going. Charter pilots and instructors alike do not always get time for a real lunch break, even if they take lunch with them.

Working commercially for a small operation? Consider taking with you a kit of tools that includes imperial measure spanners.

If leaving an aircraft for any period of time do tie it down and lock it up. Fit gust locks and security locks ($5,500 fine).

New job or new aircraft? Don’t rush it but take it steady and get to know it in order to make it work best for you.

Carry a camera and do record your flying. Life is a short adventure, document it for future years.

Carry your licence and medical (or a good copy) and your ASIC card with your headset to ensure it is always available when flying.

Aeroplanes and engines at large work better and last longer when kept clean and lubricated. A clean windscreen is a must for all flying.

Get to know as much as you possibly can about the aircraft that you are flying and in particular it’s systems.

End of the day. As you walk away from your aircraft look back and check; Tied down? Gust locks on? Security lock on? Master off? Leave the tail beacon switch on all the time to alert you just in case you forget to turn the master switch off. It does happen.

Enjoy that new job and hopefully some of the above tips will make it smoother.

Contact Dave at [email protected]