Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

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Pilot and navigate the flight of multi-engine aircraft in regularly scheduled service for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport rating and certification in specific aircraft type used.

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

  • Plan and formulate flight activities and test schedules, and prepare flight evaluation reports.

  • Load smaller aircraft, handling passenger luggage and supervising refueling.

  • Make announcements regarding flights, using public address systems.

  • Evaluate other pilots or pilot-license applicants for proficiency.

  • Record in log books information such as flight times, distances flown, and fuel consumption.

  • Conduct in-flight tests and evaluations at specified altitudes and in all types of weather, in order to determine the receptivity and other characteristics of equipment and systems.

  • Instruct other pilots and student pilots in aircraft operations and the principles of flight.

  • Perform minor maintenance work, or arrange for major maintenance.

  • Brief crews about flight details such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities.

  • File instrument flight plans with air traffic control to ensure that flights are coordinated with other air traffic.

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Job Zone

  • Name: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

  • Experience: A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

  • Education: Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

  • Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

  • Examples: Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, human resource managers, computer programmers, teachers, chemists, and police detectives.

  • Svp range: (7.0 to < 8.0)

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Knowledge

Browse Knowledge
  • Transportation
    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

  • Geography
    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

  • Public Safety and Security
    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

  • Psychology
    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

  • Customer and Personal Service
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

  • Mechanical
    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • Administration and Management
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

  • Physics
    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

  • Law and Government
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

  • Education and Training
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

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Skills

Browse Skills
  • Operation Monitoring
    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • Operation and Control
    Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

  • Judgment and Decision Making
    Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

  • Critical Thinking
    Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

  • Coordination
    Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

  • Active Listening
    Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

  • Monitoring
    Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

  • Reading Comprehension
    Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

  • Active Learning
    Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

  • Complex Problem Solving
    Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

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Abilities

Browse Abilities
  • Response Orientation
    The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.

  • Far Vision
    The ability to see details at a distance.

  • Problem Sensitivity
    The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

  • Spatial Orientation
    The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.

  • Rate Control
    The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.

  • Oral Comprehension
    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

  • Oral Expression
    The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

  • Control Precision
    The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

  • Reaction Time
    The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.

  • Deductive Reasoning
    The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

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Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Work With Work Group or Team
    How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

  • Contact With Others
    How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
    How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

  • Frequency of Decision Making
    How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

  • Spend Time Sitting
    How much does this job require sitting?

  • Face-to-Face Discussions
    How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

  • Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
    How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?

  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
    How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?

  • Time Pressure
    How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

  • Freedom to Make Decisions
    How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

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Interests

Browse Interests
  • Realistic
    Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

  • Enterprising
    Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • Investigative
    Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

  • Conventional
    Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

  • Social
    Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

  • Artistic
    Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

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Work Styles

  • Attention to Detail
    Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

  • Dependability
    Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

  • Self Control
    Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

  • Stress Tolerance
    Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

  • Leadership
    Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

  • Cooperation
    Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

  • Analytical Thinking
    Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

  • Integrity
    Job requires being honest and ethical.

  • Adaptability/Flexibility
    Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

  • Persistence
    Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

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Work Values

Browse Work Values
  • Ability Utilization
    Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.

  • Compensation
    Workers on this job are paid well in comparison with other workers.

  • Company Policies and Practices
    Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.

  • Achievement-Mean Extent
    Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

  • Achievement
    Workers on this job get a feeling of accomplishment.

  • Recognition
    Workers on this job receive recognition for the work they do.

  • Social Status
    Workers on this job are looked up to by others in their company and their community.

  • Responsibility
    Workers on this job make decisions on their own.

  • Recognition-Mean Extent
    Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

  • Security
    Workers on this job have steady employment.

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