A day in the life of a South African pilot
MaryAnne Isaac Being a pilot is a rewarding job, especially if you love to travel and discover new places. A pilot is responsible for the safety of all passengers and crew, as well as for the aircraft and its cargo. Pilots have to undergo a lot of training before they are granted a license to fly. They also have to be fit and have excellent vision and hearing. Regular medical tests and random alcohol and drug tests are part of a pilot’s life. In addition they need to be psychologically stable. South African pilot NONI RADEBE takes us through her day as a pilot. I will normally pack if I have a night stop. Other than that, I charge my electronic flight bag (EFB), to pack in my bag in the morning. I will also pack some civilian clothes, gym clothes and a change of uniform. I normally start getting ready an hour and half before I have to be at work. I live 20 minutes from work; I like being early to prepare. I make sure all my documents and electronic gadgets required for work are packed, get my uniform in order, get
dressed, have a light meal and I’m off to work. If I will not be around to take my daughter to school and back, I make those arrangements too and leave for work. If it is early, I eat nothing. If it is around 8am, I will eat cereal or have eggs and some coffee. When I arrive, I plug my EFB into the company network so that I can get the latest notices and information to best prepare for the flight. My colleagues at our operations centre will first prepare paperwork and flight plans related to our flight based on the number of passengers, cargo weights, weather reports and aircraft type. They hand over this pack to the flight crew. Our job begins here. The captain and I will look at the weight of the aircraft and fuel needs in relation to the weather and any structural limitations of the aircraft. We make a fuel decision taking into consideration the airport we are flying to, and the other airport closest to our destination in case of a need to divert. Continues on the next page
