In aviation lexicon, pilot hours are synonymous with experience. In fact, pilots hours are so crucial, not only do we use them as a basis for certification, but companies use it as a ruler to measure the relative experience that a candidate brings to the table. In addition, insurance companies who insure the couple hundred million dollar jets, will also have strict guidelines on the hours required by pilots. But does just having a sheer number of hours in the plane guarantee safety? This blog post will explore the concept of safety in aviation, the relationship between the hours and safe flying practices, as well as how safety continues to evolve in this industry.
Safety in Aviation
Before delving deeper into other aspects, it is important to first distinctively understand why aviation safety is treated differently than cars, trains, or ships. In this field, safety is actually measured and broken down into various components. It is generally accepted that safety is most critical during the takeoff/ approach portions. This is because during this phase of flight, aircrafts are low, slow, and the crew is task saturated. Unlike car travel, where the risk of travel is based more on the amount of traffic, type of road (highway vs local road), and/or how long the distance was, aviation is a bit more nuanced. In aviation, whether the aircraft flies 1000 miles or 500, all of the risk is generally confined to the components of takeoff, descent, approach, and landing. By this logic, the safety parameters on both 1000 or 500 mile flight is the same. Aviation experts therefore consolidate their efforts into the takeoff, descent, and landing phases. This is why in aviation it is far better to measure safety by these parameters, versus the sheer volume of flights or the distance flown.
The entire industry is built around this idea of safety. Ever since commercial aviation took off (pun intended) in the 70's, efforts have not stopped in making segments of takeoff, descent, and landing more safer. For example, manufacturers have spent more funds on R & D for engine and tire design, so that during takeoff if one engine were to fail the other could safely support and manage the extra load in order to safely manage an actual takeoff, or reject the takeoff by stopping on the remaining runway. Furthermore, advancements in GPS technology has helped bring about more well planned descents into busy airports, which lets pilots plan safer trajectories while meeting the performance guidelines. In the approach phase, traditional ILS approaches which uses sensors in the aircraft and on the ground to guide an airplane to land with high degree of precision, have arguably been taken over by GPS approaches which don't rely on ground based systems and can navigate to an even higher degree of precision. With so many bases the industry covered in making flying safer, it is clear that it has been their utmost priority for decades, leaving one crucial part of the equation to greater debate; pilots.
Logging the Hours
From the first day of flying, pilots are taught to log their hours, and to log them well. We pride ourselves in using this time to self-validate our own experience, and sometimes comically express to others how validated we believe ourselves to be. On the typical pilot resume, total time is always at the top (or should be anyway ). And because the government issues licenses on these hours, employers first search for these hours, along with insurance companies who insure extremely expensive jets with a algorithm that takes into account primarily pilot hours, logbook hours have become the baseline for the so called "hours equal experience" philosophy (Forrest, 2021). It is no doubt that any professional pilot keeps a well written copy of their flying hours. Not only does it serve the purpose of building and advancing a career, but in more ways than one it defines everything we are and do.
A newer idea that has been floating around the industry is the requirement to not only have a candidate log their hours, but to dissect and pay careful attention to the kind of hours being logged. That is to say, while 1000 hours of time flying smaller propeller planes dusting the crops with pesticide on VFR days would be great on the candidate's resume, it may not necessarily translate into the kind of core flying environment that most commercial airlines operate in. Similarly, 1500 hours spent in a circuit pattern would not necessarily mean the same candidate could fly a hand flown ILS approach down to minimums in adverse weather. In either regard, it would seem foolish to think that just the number alone carries much value, which is why the move to understanding how those hours are accumulated has become more prevalent. Thankfully, this new approach is helping airlines create a better guideline for judging how a candidate will apply their experience and skill in a new environment, all the while giving potential candidates better clarity of what is to be expected of their hours, even before applying. Put simply, this new standard of examining pilot hours carry far more meaning than simply the sheer number of hours for a candidate, leading to lower training costs, and greater safety performance.
The Rigours of Training
In this industry, training is maintained to the highest level of rigor and aptitude. I can personally vouch for this. At my current employer, and I imagine in most other professional settings, training for pilots is never taken for granted, and the type of training we receive, whether it be through ground school, simulator, or on the line is second to none. It is not a far fetched statement to say that Canadian pilots are some of the world's most talented, well trained, and in demand.
Typically pilots go through 3 levels of training. At my current employer, the structure is a lot like the major airlines with some differences. First there comes the ground school, which is a lecture style setting where instructors will go through procedures at the company, aircraft systems, etc. Throughout the ground school process, candidates go through exams to ensure the information sticks. It is no joke. Most of us comically refer to it as "drinking from the fire hose," and it really seems that way, even more so in the major airlines world. The vast amount of information poured into our brains, along with such limited time for this stage of the process means we have to constantly review our material, study extra hard for exams, and ask questions from time to time to make sure we know exactly what we talk about.
After ground school, comes sim. Sim is just short for simulator, which is where pilots get first hand experience in a 1:1 clone of the cockpit of the aircraft they will fly. During the sim, pilots are partnered up with each other to help learn the aircraft and fly it in the same 2 crew environment that occurs in real life. For all intents and purposes, flying in the sim should be and is enforced as the "real deal." Sim is arguably even tougher than the ground school portions, since most of the time crews are not cruising point A-B, but are sweating buckets dealing with emergencies of every nature. Affectionately we call the sim time as "the sweat box". No matter your experience, you always have to prove yourself and your "logbook experience" in the sim, and there is always more to learn in it, and it requires pilots bring their A-game all the time. Once pilots pass their sim, they get signed off in their books validating they are ready to join the "line flying." This is the first time pilots will see the aircraft they are flying in real life, and be allowed in the cockpit.
Once pilots make it to the real aircraft, they once again endure a higher training process known as "line in doc." Unlike sim time where emergencies are prioritized, during line in doc pilots spend time with training captains learning to fly "the line." That is to say they learn the day-to-day flying process, paperwork, and other procedures. Once they complete enough time, they will go through another test known as a line check, by which time they are fully certified to operate as a crew member on that aircraft. And if you think it was over then, pilots get called back every 6 months into the sim to continue more training, ensure their skills are kept up to date and sent back on the line. From time to time, companies also run line checks, where a check pilot will oversee the line operation on a real commercial revenue generating flight and make note of any shortcomings.
No other mode of transportation is kept to the same standards of safety. While safety is regarded everywhere, you won't see car drivers doing ground school and car sims before entering the real road. We also dont have recurrent exams to maintain driver proficiency. All this to say, that aviation has always been regarded to the highest level of safety possible, and the training regiment follows the same philosophy. While hours matter in getting the job, once inside the work regiment, training is an ever-lasting part of our lives and it never gets easier.
Final Words
Hopefully after reading this it has become clear that log hours are important, and that they are a baseline for measuring a pilot's experience. However it is the industry as a whole which must push to continually maintain the high standard of safety that passengers and cargo worldwide have become accustomed to. This starts with manufacturers who must invest and bring forth new technologies to make airplanes themselves safer. Along with this are big companies who must continue to strive to create new policies in the interest of safety, and enforce them because a lot of these policies often make their way down to smaller airlines. So in a way, we look up to these big players to help guide the general view on safety in aviation. At last, pilots must continue to log their hours properly, and understand that while the sheer number of hours are a good baseline for being considered for a job, it will be the kind of hours that are being logged which ultimately dictate how well they will do during training, and flying worldwide. Thankfully, the industry has been at this initiative for the past few decades, so the passengers of the 21st century have very little to worry about.
So do pilot hours really guarantee safety? As a member of this industry I can definitely say that they have a big part to do in the safety of aircraft. However, it is the industry and all the players as a whole which move the bar of safety ever so high. While I cannot speak for all my readers, I hope that you can also see, just how important pilot hours are, and how much work goes behind making sure every flight is comfortable and safe. Aviation still remains the safest mode of transportation, and it ought to be that way going forward.
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