Aircraft Pilot

aviation · flying · skilled workers · transportation

Controls the plane. A pilot operates the directional controls that steer, lift, and land an aircraft through the sky. They use their hands and feet to adjust the plane's direction, speed, and height.

Navigators help too. Other crew members like navigators and flight engineers are also called aviators because they help run the plane's navigation systems and engines while the pilot focuses on flying.

Requires serious training. To become a pilot, you need to study aerodynamics, weather, safety rules, and spend many hours learning in both a classroom and a real cockpit before you can fly passengers.

Not all crew are pilots. Flight attendants, mechanics, drone operators, and ground crew work in aviation but aren't called aviators, only people who actually operate the aircraft's flight systems get that title.

Big responsibility. Pilots make hundreds of decisions every flight to keep everyone safe, from checking weather before takeoff to landing smoothly even in difficult conditions.