I listed myself as pilot. App took many months. I thought they'd forgotten me. I had written it off as a loss.
I used to occasionally refer to our profession as risk managers. When you consider the many risks we manage, it has the potential to be quite staggering. I was glad when ground training took up that perspective a year ago. They really added value when they pushed that perspective.
I'll list just a few ways we need to be clever at managing risk at the risk of being pedantic.
Atmospheric on the ground and in the air. All sorts of risk. Particularly in countries with more topography, snow, ice, convective activity. Remember to do the decision height and intermediate attitude additives for super cold temperatures. Dust can impact our decisions on NADP 1 vs 2 takeoffs.
We need to be downright excellent at systems knowledge. Electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, aerodynamics.
To be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there.
Customs, immigration, governments. I could say more but won't.
Regs. All sorts of risk. Little reward except that the regs are written in blood and sweat and poop and occasionally spit. I'm not being dismissive in scribbling that.
The logbook. At the beginning and the end of the flight. Both. I think we are better at the beginning of the flight than the end of the flight in general. Certainly Lion Air was poor at both ends.
Hearing loss ... especially when listening cross cockpit.
Medical issues ad nauseum. Some by virtue of the risk factors inherent in the weird overlapping envelopes in which we operate. Some are merely the dilapidation of unaccelerated age. But we accelerate aging.
CRM. A profession that encourages and rewards extreme confidence but is better served by extreme humility especially from the left seat.
Every society and culture and company has its unmentionables when it comes to CRM. I won't expand. But you better be agile of mind and winsome if you are going to circumvent the risks from the overlapping unmentionables.
Alcohol and its short and long term effects.
Sleep deprivation and its short and long term effects.
Language, linguistics, lingo not just overseas but in Memphis too.
I'm only half way through the list but I'm boring you. And I potentially hijacked the thread.
Oh, and we don't deal effectively with the origin of that word either. I won't elaborate in print. And don't you do so either. Governments have gone overboard on certain aspects while derailing some common sense precautions.
It's a fulfilling job though if you're able to manage the multitudinous risks.
I think yellow vests and seatbelts are prudent. And the lower polyester in our trousers than we used to have. And the sleep rooms and the wake up calls.
I think Global Entry took me three months to get notification of the earliest interview an additional three months hence.
Does this still constitute a hijacking since I eventually brought it back to topic?