This week, Rose Cafe did a q&a based session. Mike Comella, a pilot for Delta Connection, was here and we got to ask him questions that you normally wouldn’t be able to ask a pilot. The most interesting thing I got from this experience, was how regulated pilots flying hours are. It gets so in depth that if a pilot is about to go over their allotted hours, even if on the runway, he/she needs to turn around to get a new pilot- the only way they can go over hours is if they take off before their time is up. This led straight into questions of fatigue such as sleep, health, and even if legs go numb. Mike explained how typically you will either always fly nights for a trip or fly during the day so you can create a natural sleep cycle for the duration of your trip. Also, how a pilot will have a few days on and then a few off. In addition, how a pilot has limits in the number of hours they can fly on any given day, week, month, or year.

One other aspect I enjoyed was how we got into the mechanics of the plane, and flight school. Mike was able to explain different key components of an aircraft what makes certain ones unique, and the mechanisms that are a necessity and those that are not. Also, learning about what is needed to become a commercial passenger pilot was quite neat. How you must start off with the basics, and seriously put in your hours and work your way up by gaining a multitude of certifications. He also shared with us how some schools such as Purdue have aviation as a major. Overall I enjoyed Mike and all he had to share with us, and how easy it was to engage with him.

This past Wednesday the Rose Cafe had a new and exciting, question-based dynamic as we discussed flight with Mike Comella, a pilot for Delta Connection. I was very interested to lean of how Mr. Comella stumbled upon his flying career as he was on a bike ride one day of his sophomore year. The journey that ensued for Mike was one of many flying hours to get a shocking number of certifications. The training that goes into becoming a pilot is extensive and certifications are extremely specified. I was surprised to learn this but it did offer me comfort getting into a plane in the U.S.

The most surprising thing I learned from his rose cafe was about the work hour regulations in place for pilots. I was mostly shocked to learn that these regulations have only been implemented in the past five years. Due to accidents that act as the catalyst for change, laws have restricted the hours of flight a pilot can clock in a day a week and even a month. Prior to this an ambitious pilot could just fly as many hours as they could push themselves to do regardless of fatigue or health. I am glad to know that these things are monitored now and many large commercial airlines even have entire positions and departments dedicated to the management of these healthy work schedules.

Last week, I had the pleasure of listening to a Delta airlines pilot speak on his experiences with piloting: from how he stumbled across the activity to what it’s like being a pilot now. One of the most interesting parts to me was the fact that, in order to become a pilot, you have to accrue A LOT of flying hours. The level of obvious dedication that pilots must have for their craft is amazing. Another interesting tidbit of information came when he was describing rules and regulations on flying: pilots can only fly for a certain amount of hours every day, every week, every month, and every year. This is to ensure that pilots are receiving the proper rest needed to operate a plane and to prevent them from getting overworked. He explained that sometimes, this is the reason for some of the delays that passengers experience when they are traveling. Although I have been on the short end of the stick before (delayed/canceled flights), this conversation helped me understand the behind-the-scenes safety rules that must be adhered to above all else.

During Wednesday’s Rose Café, Mike Comell, a pilot for Delta, came in to talk to us about what it is like to be a pilot. Before the café, I did not think about what it took to be a pilot, specifically what it took to be a commercial pilot. I did not know that there are five different licenses that a pilot needs to receive before they are able to fly a commercial plane. Becoming a pilot takes a lot of hard work and dedication. He also discussed his schedule and what a pilots schedule is like. He talked about what it meant for a pilot to time out. When a pilot times out or exceeds a certain amount of time in a given period they are no longer allowed to fly. Although it may cause inconvenience for passengers who may be on the flight, it is important for the pilots and flight attendants to get their rest. On every flight, I will make sure that I say thank you to flight attendants and pilots when exiting the plane. Furthermore, something interesting is that at certain times during the flight if you look out the window you could potentially see another plane pass. During flights, I rarely look out the window unless the plane is about to land and I could see the landscape of the place I am going. However now, I want to look out my window more and try to see if I could spot another plane in the distance. Lastly, he talked about how LaGuardia airport is his favorite airport to fly into. He talked about how he likes seeing the Hudson River and New York City. My favorite city to fly to is my hometown of Seattle. I love seeing all the evergreen trees, Lake Washington, the mountains surrounding the city, and of course the Space Needle. The view from the little tiny airplane window is the best view of the city. I never get tired of it.

This week, I attended a Rose Cafe in which a Delta pilot spoke about his experiences as a pilot for various airlines, corporations, and more. The thing that was most surprising to me was the amount of time it takes to become just a basic pilot, let alone the pilot of a 747. I don’t remember the amount of practice hours he mentioned, but he said it usually takes 2 years for a truly committed pilot to reach that amount. I know driving a car is less complicated than flying a plane, but in my home state I only needed 6 hours of driving experience in order to be eligible to get a driver’s licence. I’m happy to know that every airline pilot is extremely experienced, but the level of commitment came as a bit of a shock.

It was also interesting to hear him speak about changes in airline policy. He was especially glad with the policy that limits pilots’ flight schedules to ensure they sleep for normal lengths of time. In the past, a lot of pilots would take on extra flights when they should be resting to make extra money or gain extra hours for training. However, this regulation does aid the safety of both pilots and passengers, so it creates a net positive effect.

I think a lot of people have had a bad experience on a plane at one point or another. Whether you hit unexpected turbulence, the person next to you annoying or you are physically dragged off the plane *cough* united *cough* it’s alway an experience. I thought it was interesting to hear about what goes on in the front of the plane.  Finding out what it’s like in the daily life of a pilot was cool. I had no idea that they had very strict time schedules and what really happens most of the time when flights are grounded or canceled. Pilots also seem to spend a lot of time away from home. Their flights might have them sleeping in a hotel for 3 nights in different locations. They also seem to have odd work schedules where at some point the pilot we were speaking with had 7 days off. It’s definitely not like a typical 9-5 office job where your hours are very predictable and you are well acquainted with the people you are flying with.

Something else I never put much thought into was how long it takes to get certified as a pilot and what you need to do to get there.