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.

In flight, my duties will depend on the role I am carrying out at that time, either pilot flying or pilot monitoring.

In the case of pilot flying, I am at the controls doing the flying and navigating on the route.

I also update the passengers on the progress of the flight. If I am pilot monitoring, I do the relevant paperwork, speak to air traffic control and assist the pilot flying in managing the navigation and fuel.

We also start planning for the landing at the destination, look at the performance of the aircraft, weather, alternative airports or any other factors that may affect the landing. Contrary to popular belief, autopilot does not mean the pilots sit and do nothing. Autopilot is like a computer; it works on our inputs.

Speeds, altitude and performance are all maintained by the inputs of the pilots. It needs constant monitoring and input from the pilot to maintain the desired performance. on a normal day, we will do up to four flights. In between, we get a few minutes to stretch our legs on the ground, then we start preparing for a flight again.

The captain will check the outside of the aircraft and make sure it is still okay to fly again. Inside, the cabin crew and the first officer will do the internal checks and prepare the aircraft for the next flight. on the last flight, we review any technical issues and brief the engineers to have a look at any defects that may be present. Then we do any outstanding paperwork and log the hours of the aircraft.

If there are any noteworthy events that happened during the day we will debrief as a crew. We hand in the fuel slip and any other paperwork that the company needs to file for its records. If I get home early, I spend time with my daughter. I then shower and relax.

If I have an early flight the next day, I make sure my eFB is plugged in and my uniform is ready. Then it is off to bed to get maximum rest.