The Professional Private Pilot
Check out their line of headsets, camera cables, and LED lighting today!
The Professional Private Pilot
Sounds like an oxymoron, but does it have to be?
I have flown with dozens of pilots who only fly for their own enjoyment that flew with a high degree of professionalism.
I attribute this to good training and more importantly, a good attitude.
Conversely I have flown with others, who flew with reckless abandon. This group ran the gamut from pro to novice.
The folks who seem to have this professional edge aren’t just snappy checklist readers. They have a mindset that seeks to execute with safety and precision. This permeates their decision-making as well. They know it’s not just great stick-and-rudders skills that are needed to complete a mission.
The cerebral side of flying is what gets most pilots in trouble. Many bad decisions are masked by good skills. That will only last so long before the law of averages catches up to them.
Here are 3 key traits that I believe are essential to bringing professionalism into your flying:
- Stick and rudder: foundational. If you don’t have the motor-skills, you might want to find a new hobby
- Proficiency: Striving for excellence in your flying. Practice your craft
- Knowledge: The work ethic to stay knowledgable about your aircraft, the rules and regulations, and all pertinent information applicable to the operation at hand
- Judgement: Something that is almost impossible to teach, but the pro will always endeavor to refine
These are easy to say, but hard to do. You have to work at this stuff.
So for anyone aspiring to this level it takes self-awareness, self-control and the desire to make it happen.
A true professional will always seek perfection, knowing it is essentially unobtainable.
Happy hunting!
by Brent
VISIT OUR SPONSOR for Training DVD's, affordable headsets, cable adapters, headset parts, LED strobes and lights, and more! They cover ALL EXPENSES for iFLYblog.com to keep it coming FREE to you FOREVER!
Subscribe to the iFlyBLOG Mailing List to get the latest blog posts and news to your E-Mail instantly! PLUS TWO FREE eBooks!
Brent,
Once again you have hit the nail on the head. My personal opinion is GA accident rates could mirror the air carriers if private pilots create their own SOP and risk assessment. Sounds daunting, but actually quite easy. Unfortunately the “pro” private has it figured out. It’s reigning in the cavaliers who continue to bust the overall reputation.
Good words Mike! You got it! Another curious phenomena that I have seen is that the ‘cavaliers’ usually don’t stay flying more than 4 or 5 years. Because they didn’t take it seriously in the first place and the new wears off and they move on.
Brent
Still seeking that perfect flight.
“Professional Private pilot”–great concept! Sadly, even in the major airline cockpit, I’ve flown with both types. It’s all about attitude and professionalism!
Eric,
So true! As an airline Captain, I know you’ve seen a lot of variety when it comes to this.
Brent
A pilot trainee student must love the aviation and he also feel that this whole sky is for him.