Career Story: Pilot

My name is Angelo Bautista.

I'm 29 years old.

I'm a commercial airline pilot.
ANGELO, 29
COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT, COMPASS AIRLINES

I work for Compass Airlines,

and they contract with Delta
and American Airlines,

and we fly their smaller planes,

and their shorter routes

to the hub of Los Angeles
International Airport.

My number one responsibility

as a captain of the airplane
is safety.

When I walk in the aircraft
ANGELO’S RESPONSIBILITIES:

I check the maintenance log book
-SAFETY

and make sure
the aircraft is air worthy.
-INSPECT AIRCRAFT

I check the weather,
REVIEW FLIGHT PLAN AND
WEATHER FORECAST

I check the flight plan

and the fuel planning
to our destination.

I am also responsible
for an on-time departure.
-COMMUNICATION

With that being said,
I have to communicate

with a gate agent,

the dispatcher,
COORDINATE WITH FLIGHT TEAM
AND GROUND TEAM

air traffic controller,

ground crew members,
flight attendants,

and my first officer

to keep everybody in the loop

to make sure we push out on time.

If there's any weather delays

I make sure I promptly
advise the gate agents

and the air traffic controller,

and also the passengers
-SHARE FLIGHT INFORMATION
WITH PASSENGERS

so they can be in the loop
and be advised.

My final responsibility
is flying the airplane.
-PILOT THE AIRCRAFT

Once the doors are closed

I actually make an announcement
to the passengers

to introduce myself and my crew,

giving them an expectation
of the flight,

if it's gonna be smooth
or pretty bumpy.

I also give them
an estimated time of arrival

so they know if we're gonna
be late or on time or early.

A commercial airline pilot makes

roughly around 15,000
to up to $250,000 a year.
THE MEDIAN SALARY OF A
COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT

The reason why there's
wide spread for that
IN 2015 WAS $102,520 A YEAR.
SOURCE: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
is when you're starting off
in the airline business

you start off on a small airplane

getting paid less,

right, and then
you work your way up

to be a captain of a large aircraft
for international flights,

and that's where you get paid

the big bucks of 250,000 a year.

I roughly make
about 90,000 a year,
BENEFITS OF BEING
A COMMERCIAL PILOT:

and in my position
as a regional airline captain

that's pretty average.

Benefits and perks
of a commercial airline pilot
IF APPLYING TO BE A COMMERCIAL
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

is flight benefits.
PERSONALITY
PROBLEM SOLVING

I can have my parents
JUDGEMENT IN CHALLENGING SITUATIONS.

and my girlfriend fly for free
-FREE FLIGHTS

anywhere in the US

and anywhere international

where a US carrier flies to,

anywhere, any time as long as
there's a seat available.

Other benefits I get
as a commercial airline pilot,

I get 401K,
-401K

-medical benefit,
-MEDICAL & DENTAL BENEFITS

dental benefits

and life insurance.
-LIFE INSURANCE

A typical day for me

is arriving at the gate
45 minutes early.

Sometimes it's the morning,

sometimes it's the afternoon.

It just depends on what schedule
I was awarded with.

I meet with the flight crew,

with the first officer
and two flight attendants

and usually I have never
flown with them before.

And the reason behind that

is I have a new crew
every single time I fly

in a series of flights.

It could be a day trip

meaning we go to Los Angeles

and go to Dallas and back.

Or I go to Los Angeles

and we have
five days worth of flying

and we don't come back
to Los Angeles until the fifth day.

Some of the traits
that you have to have

in order to be a successful pilot

I think you have
to have good judgment.
KEY TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL PILOTS INCLUDE:
-GOOD JUDGEMENT

Also, you are stuck
in the cockpit with somebody

for an extended amount of time.
-COOPERATIVE NATURE

You are flying
with the flight attendants

for extended amount of days,

and I think you should be
able to work as a team
-STRONG PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS

to solve problems,

think on your feet,

and fly the aircraft safely
from point A to point B.