So, you want to be a pilot?
By Charlie Marais
Everyone wants to be a pilot. Maybe not all, but very nearly everyone I know somewhere along the line has dreamed of becoming a pilot. It is so that the career of piloting and then specifically that of being an airline pilot ranks amongst the top five esteemed jobs in the world. Being a Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Politician and a Pilot seems to define your standing in society. However, not necessarily in that order and not all those who desire, will have the privilege of becoming what they desire. I know that you can become whatever you desire, or do whatever your fancy is, but that is only part of the story towards success.
Basic requirements to be a pilot
The first ingredient will always be passion: Passion means you will go the extra mile, even if you are not paid, praised or pampered. In short, if you are passionate you will not be lazy, have excuses why not to do what it takes and never give up.
Second you need discipline: Your attitude must be well developed in a positive way, with sufficient willingness to be taught. If you are not teachable, there is no point to this exercise. No-one is going to strap a million Dollar machine to your backside if you cannot be trusted. Trust is built through observable actions and actions are judged according to a pre-conceived set of behaviour steps or procedures. In other words, if you act according to the law or rule, you are judged to be disciplined. When you step outside the norm, your discipline and thus your attitude regarding that specific issue is deemed to be substandard. Continue reading about Training in Aviation in the July edition of African Pilot magazine.
