Everything about Aviator totally explained
An
aviator is a person who flies
aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The word is normally applied to
pilots, but it can be applied more broadly, for example to include people such as
wing-walkers who regularly take part in an
aerobatic display sequence. The word
aviatrix is sometimes used of women flyers, reflecting the word's
Latin root.
The term was more used in the early days of
aviation and has connotations of bravery and adventure. Anyone can fly an aircraft, with or without a certificate. However, at all times the aircraft must be under the operational control of a properly certified and current pilot, who is responsible for the safe and legal completion of the flight. The first certificate was delivered by the Aero Club de France to
Louis Blériot in 1908, followed by
Glenn Curtiss,
Leon Delagrange and
Robert Esnault-Pelterie. The absolute authority given to the
Pilot in Command is derived from that of a ship’s captain.
As of 2006, just over 6% of certified pilots (both private and commercial) in the U.S. were women.
Civilian
Civilian pilots fly privately for pleasure, charity, or in pursuance of a business, for non-scheduled commercial air transport companies, or for airlines. When flying for an airline, pilots are usually referred to as airline pilots, with the pilot in command often referred to as the
captain.
United States
United Airlines and
Delta Air Lines, long considered the most prestigious and lucrative employers, have slashed their pilot payscales and benefits in the face of fierce competition from low-cost carriers. In fact,
Southwest Airlines captains and first officers both start off with significantly higher salaries than the legacy carriers. As of May 2004, median annual earnings of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers were $129,250. However, such salaries represent the upper level of airline pay scales. Salaries at
regional airlines can be considerably less - though according to the Bureau of Labor statistics, median annual earnings of commercial pilots were $53,870, with the middle 50 percent earning between $37,170 and $79,390. Pilots making very large salaries are typically senior airline captains, while pilots making very small salaries are generally low-seniority first officers. In practice, most pilots make reasonable average working salaries. A large variability in salaries can easily skew an average. Thus, the use of median wages to gauge such things as salary. Where large gaps are seen between a median figure, and a lower bound figure, this usually reflects those who don't stay in that particular field. Viewing this middle ground in context to the upper bound numbers can give a burgeoning pilot an idea of what to expect if they're able to stay with flying as a full time career. Based upon voluntary pilot reports, many US airline payscales are listed here:
(External Link
). Most airline pilots are unionized, with the Air Line Pilot's Association (ALPA) being the largest pilot labor union in the United States.
In the United States, due to pay cuts, airline bankruptcies, and other industry problems there are fewer young people who want to make a career out of flying. First year pilots at
AMR Corporation's outsourced operation called
American Connection which is flown by
Trans States Airlines, would only see $22,000 a year if they could pick up and fit into their schedule, all the extra flying allowed under federal FAA rules.
Commercial airline pilots in the United States have a mandatory retirement age of 65, increased from age 60 in 2007.
International
In some countries (for example, Pakistan, Thailand and several African countries), there's a strong relationship between the military and the principal national airlines, such that many or most airline pilots come from the military; that's no longer the case in the USA and Western Europe. While the flight decks of US and European airliners do have many ex-military pilots, they've just as many, if not more, pilots who spend their entire career as civilians. With the increasing popularity of European-style airline training schools in the USA and the fact that military training and flying, while rigorous, is fundamentally different in many ways from civilian piloting, it seems likely that the percentage of ex-military pilots flying for the airlines will continue to decrease.
Military
Military pilots fly under
government contract for the defense of countries. Their tasks involve
combat and non-combat operations, including direct hostile engagements and support operations. Military pilots undergo specialized training, often with
weapons operation and
defensive maneuvering. Some military pilots are also civilian pilots.
Becoming a Pilot
It is well known that becoming a pilot is an expensive, time consuming and hard task. To be a commercial pilot, pilots are required to go through many hours of training, starting with the Private Pilots Licence (PPL), then do the Night Qualification, Multi-Engine Rating (MEP), Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL), Instrument Rating (IR) and finally Multi Crew Co-operating Certification (MCC). Another way of becoming a commercial pilot is through the "integrated route". (Note this information applies to
JAA Member States only)
Aviators in space
In
human spaceflight, a
pilot is someone who directly controls the operation of a
spacecraft while located within the same craft. This term derives directly from the usage of the word "pilot" in
aviation, where it's synonymous with "aviator". Note that on the US
Space Shuttle, the term "pilot" is analogous to the term "
co-pilot" in aviation, as the "commander" has ultimate responsibility for the shuttle.
Well-known aviators
People largely known for their contributions to the history of aviation
While all of these people were pilots (and some still are), many are also noted for contributions in areas such as aircraft design and manufacturing, navigation or popularization.
Legendary aviators
Abbas Ibn Firnas, 9th Century AD, first aviator to make an attempt at controlled flight
Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi, legendary Turkish aviator flying with artificial wings in 17th century
Lagari Hasan Çelebi, first aviator to attempt a rocket flight, brother of above
Eilmer of Malmesbury legendary 12th Century monk
Bartolomeu de Gusm%C3%A3o
Famous military pilots
People from other walks of life with aviation in their history
Further Information
Get more info on 'Aviator'.
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