Things I learned being a pilot and why it’s not the most dangerous job.

I can guess why you are here. You likely want to become a pilot, but your parents stop you from doing so.

They think it’s too dangerous.

I have been there too, and our parents are probably somewhat correct.

It’s typical of them to worry about their precious child choosing a profession where there is no coming back if the office room fails. 

My office room, I mean the aircraft.

Hence, I shared information for parents and matters you can discuss with them to allow you to join pilot training.

• Is being a pilot dangerous?
• Why does an average person believe being a pilot is dangerous?
• How to convince your parents that being a pilot is safer than many professions?
• What are the chances of dying as a pilot?

Is being a pilot dangerous?

Being a pilot is the profession of operating airplanes and conducting safe flights from one point to another.

Before each flight, diagnosing and examining the aircraft multiple times for any issues that might hinder flight safety is standard procedure.

It’s not dangerous being a pilot. A competent pilot’s responsibility is to transport passengers and cargo safely. As a pilot, you must ensure the safety of the passengers. If being a pilot was dangerous, millions of passengers wouldn’t depend on pilots to travel. Millions of people travel daily by air, depending on pilots.

Perhaps an average person doesn’t need to comprehend all the effort behind the scene for safe flight operations.

But a lot happens when an aircraft is on the ground and preparing for the next flight. Aircraft technicians and mechanics work for hours to ensure safety.

If a pilot finds an issue with the aircraft, they request the aircraft technician and mechanic to look into it. If the aircraft technicians state the plane is unsafe for flight operation, the pilot will cancel the flight without any second thought.

Similarly, for a competent pilot, the most crucial aspect of flying is the safe operation of flights for passengers and their own life.

So in flight schools, the flight instructors emphasize flight safety. It’s the top priority for flight operations.

Yet, most people think flying an airplane is dangerous, and the same person will fly an aircraft for traveling without thinking of any danger.

Thousands of flights operate safely globally daily, but how often do you hear someone say that an airplane crashed?

Why does an average person believe being a pilot is dangerous?

It’s natural to believe a cylinder that floats in the air and travels thousands of miles can crash anytime and kill everyone aboard. It happened many times that an airplane crash had no survivor.

That’s a good enough reason for someone who doesn’t know much about the aviation industry to say that being a pilot is dangerous.

There are hundreds of airlines globally that operate with millions of passengers every day. How much air crash news do you see daily compared to this stat?

People conclude that being a pilot is dangerous because they occasionally see a few airplane fatalities. The truth is that airplanes are safer than traveling by road.

Many people die from road accidents every year. How many airplane crashes do you see on the news every month?

How to convince your parents that being a pilot is safer than many professions?

Airplanes are safer than traveling by car. People are more inclined to die in a road accident than an airplane crash.

Tell this to your parents and explain why.

People often neglect the safety of driving a car. They think about what can happen as long as they are on the road. A car can get hit from the back by a trailer truck causing injuries.

People are so confident about the safety of driving a car that they don’t consider checking whether the brakes are working.

People often fail to stop their cars on the road as the brakes fail. As a result, they end up crashing and injuring themselves.

Your parents may say people can survive a car accident, but passengers die in an airplane crash.

According to statistics, more people die on the road yearly than in an airplane crash. And the number of people that die is massive compared to airplane crashes.

A pilot rarely crashes an airplane. It’s because planes are well-maintained. If a pilot knows the aircraft may crash later, he won’t fly that airplane. Likewise, if a driver knows his car’s brake will fail in a few hours, he won’t drive that car without checking the brake.

But there is a difference between an airplane flying and driving a car. Airplanes are checked thoroughly before every flight by an aircraft technician for any issues with the aircraft. After the aircraft mechanic tells the plane is safe, the pilot does one last check before finally preparing for takeoff.

You can tell your parents that flying aircraft is not a joke. It’s crucial to check again and again to ensure a flawless flight.

What are the chances of dying as a pilot?

The chances of dying as a pilot in an airplane crash are very slim. If a pilot figures the airplane may crash during a preflight check, he will cancel the flight.

A pilot can risk his life and the lives of the passengers by neglecting even the tiniest issue.

Dying from natural causes is a different story. Anyone can die at any age due to several reasons. One of them can be sickness.

But I can assure you this:

A pilot must maintain a healthy lifestyle. Airlines ensure that the pilots are in good health to operate safe flights. Therefore, many airlines have an annual medical checkup every six months.

If a pilot fails the medical health checkup, he wouldn’t be eligible to work as a pilot unless he works on his health. Before the airline accepts you for work again, they expect you to do whatever is necessary to bring you back into good shape.

Airlines can’t hire a sick pilot and might jeopardize the safety of the flight at any time during operation.

So airlines must verify that the pilots are physically and mentally healthy.

Even if you endanger yourself with poor eating habits, the airlines and the local civil aviation body will bring you back in shape to perform in the airplane cockpit.

Image Source: qatarairways via Instagram.