Aviator

U.S. Army test pilot Lt. F.W. "Mike" Hunter wearing a flight suit. Image from the Office of War Information, 1942.

An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The word is applied to pilots, but it is also applied more broadly to include people such as navigators, bombardiers, flight engineers, radar operators, and electronic warfare officers. This should not be confused with the term naval aviator, which refers only to pilots in the United States Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. There have been many two-man airplanes where one officer is the pilot, and the other one works as a radar operator, navigator, weapons systems operator, and electronic warfare officer. Many other armed forces have adopted the same concept, with varying names, especially with the adoption of airplanes like the Navy F-4 Phantom II fighter by the U.S. Air Force and many other air forces and navies around the globe.

There are also such minor aviation characters as wing-walkers who take part in an aerobatic display sequence. The feminine word aviatrix is sometimes used of all women flyers, reflecting the word's Latin root.

The term was more used in the early days of aviation, and it had connotations of bravery and adventure. Anyone can fly an aircraft, such as a student, with or without a certificate. However, at all times the aircraft must be under the operational control of a properly certified and current pilot, who is responsible for the safe and legal completion of the flight. The first certificate was delivered by the Aero Club de France to Louis Blériot in 1908, followed by Glenn Curtiss, Leon Delagrange, and Robert Esnault-Pelterie. The absolute authority given to the Pilot in Command is derived from that of a ship’s captain.

As of 2006, just over 6% of certified pilots (both private and commercial) in the U.S. were women.^[1]

Civilian

Commercial Delta Air Lines pilots.

Hot air balloon pilot and passenger in basket.

Civilian pilots fly privately for pleasure, charity, or in pursuance of a business, for non-scheduled commercial air transport companies, or for airlines. When flying for an airline, pilots are usually referred to as airline pilots, with the pilot in command often referred to as the captain.

United States

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have slashed their pilot payscales and benefits in the face of fierce competition from low-cost carriers. In fact, Southwest Airlines captains and first officers both start off with significantly higher salaries than the legacy carriers. As of May 2004, median annual earnings of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers were $129,250. ^[2] However, such salaries represent the upper level of airline pay scales. Salaries at regional airlines can be considerably less - though according to the Bureau of Labor statistics, median annual earnings of commercial pilots were $53,870, with the middle 50 percent earning between $37,170 and $79,390. ^[2] Pilots making very large salaries are typically senior airline captains, while pilots making very small salaries are generally low-seniority first officers. In practice, most pilots make reasonable average working salaries. A large variability in salaries can easily skew an average. Thus, the use of median wages to gauge such things as salary. Where large gaps are seen between a median figure, and a lower bound figure, this usually reflects those who don't stay in that particular field. Viewing this middle ground in context to the upper bound numbers can give a burgeoning pilot an idea of what to expect if they are able to stay with flying as a full time career. Based upon voluntary pilot reports, many US airline payscales are listed here: [1]. Most airline pilots are unionized, with the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) ^[3] being the largest pilot labor union in the United States.

In the United States, due to pay cuts, airline bankruptcies, and other industry problems there are fewer young people who want to make a career out of flying. First year pilots at AMR Corporation's outsourced operation called American Connection which is flown by Trans States Airlines, would only see $22,000 a year if they could pick up and fit into their schedule, all the extra flying allowed under federal FAA rules.^[4]

Commercial airline pilots in the United States have a mandatory retirement age of 65, increased from age 60 in 2007.^[5]

International

In some countries (e.g., Pakistan, Thailand and several African countries), there is a strong relationship between the military and the principal national airlines, and many airline pilots come from the military; that is no longer the case in the USA and Western Europe. While the flight decks of US and European airliners do have ex-military pilots, many pilots are civilians. With the increasing popularity of European-style airline training schools in the USA and the fact that military training and flying, while rigorous, is fundamentally different in many ways from civilian piloting, it seems likely that the percentage of ex-military pilots flying for the airlines will continue to decrease.

F-16 pilot in flight.

Military

Military pilots fly under government contract for the defense of countries. Their tasks involve combat and non-combat operations, including direct hostile engagements and support operations. Military pilots undergo specialized training, often with weapons. One example of a military pilot is a fighter pilot.

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. Some military pilots do transfer over to civilian pilot qualification after they leave the military, although they are the exception rather than the rule. Those who convert still have to be certified as a pilot.

Aviator Certifications

To become a commercial pilot, pilots are required to go through many hours of training including theory and flying,that differ depending on the country. Usually the first step is acquiring the Private Pilots Licence (PPL). From here, the most common path is onto Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL). Other endorsements can also be obtained, such as a Multi-Engine Rating (MEP), Instrument Rating (IR), Multi Crew Co-operating Certification (MCC) and Airliner Transport Pilots License (ATPL). Many flight schools offer a direct route to either CPL or ATPL which also cover the required lower licenses and endorsements. This route is quite expensive though, and usually only taken by those wishing to become airline pilots, as opposed to general aviators.

Aviators in space

In human spaceflight, a pilot is someone who directly controls the operation of a spacecraft while located within the same craft. This term derives directly from the usage of the word "pilot" in aviation, where it is synonymous with "aviator". Note that on the US Space Shuttle, the term "pilot" is analogous to the term "co-pilot" in aviation, as the "commander" has ultimate responsibility for the shuttle.

See also

• List of aviators
• List of aerospace engineers
• Pilot licensing and certification
• Workplace safety

References

External links

• Will Fly 4 Food - Aspiring pilot's resource! Photos, videos, forums and weather information
• Occupation Information - Pilot
• Ask a Pilot Questions
• Pilot Salary Resources
• Meeting Point for Pilots
• Pilot Job Resources
• Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook - Aircraft Pilots