Jax wants to be a pilot when he grows up. He asked us what pilots actually do all day — turns out it's a lot more than sitting in the cockpit and pressing buttons.
Before the Flight
Flight Planning
Before every flight, pilots spend about an hour preparing. They check:
- Weather along the entire route — are there storms to avoid?
- How much fuel the plane needs (plus extra just in case)
- The route they'll take through the sky (yes, there are "roads" in the sky!)
- The airplane itself — they walk around it checking for any problems
The Crew Briefing
The captain (the boss pilot) meets with the first officer (the co-pilot) and the flight attendants. They talk about the flight plan, weather, and anything special about today's trip.
During the Flight
Takeoff
This is the most exciting part! The pilot pushes the engines to full power, races down the runway, and lifts the plane into the sky. Takeoff requires total concentration — pilots train for years to do this safely.
Cruising
Once the plane reaches its cruising altitude (usually about 35,000 feet — that's almost 7 miles up!), the autopilot does a lot of the flying. But the pilots don't just sit there! They:
- Monitor all the instruments constantly
- Talk to air traffic controllers on the radio
- Watch for other planes and weather changes
- Make small adjustments to the route
Landing
Landing is the trickiest part. The pilot has to line up with the runway from miles away, slowly descend, and touch down smoothly — all while going about 150 mph. In bad weather, this gets even harder!
Two Pilots — Why?
Every big airplane has two pilots: a Captain and a First Officer. This is for safety — if one pilot gets sick or needs a break, the other can fly the plane. They take turns being the one who actually controls the plane.
How to Become a Pilot
1. Study hard in school — especially math and science
2. Get a private pilot's license — you can start flying lessons at age 16!
3. Get more licenses — instrument rating, commercial license, and airline transport license
4. Build experience — most airline pilots have thousands of hours of flying time
5. Get hired by an airline — and start flying passengers around the world!
Fun Facts
- Pilots and co-pilots eat different meals on the plane, so if one meal makes someone sick, the other pilot can still fly!
- A pilot might fly to a different country every day of the week.
- The captain always sits in the left seat, and the first officer sits in the right seat.
Cool Pilot Gear
Jax has been "training" with his model airplanes and a toy cockpit dashboard we found at a garage sale. It's a start.
If you want to learn more about how the planes pilots fly actually stay up in the air, read how do airplanes fly. And if you're curious about everything that happens at the airport before takeoff, check out airport adventures.