Talking about one of his long flights, Trung Minh (born in 1981, living in Hanoi), a captain of an airline and a flight instructor, arrived early to wait for the start of his mission to bring the new aircraft back to the airline for operation. Minh said that this journey lasted more than 21 hours, starting from Hanoi, going to airports in Germany, Azerbaijan, Thailand, and then returning to Hanoi. On each leg, the flight crew, consisting of 2 captains, 2 co-pilots, and a number of other technical experts, only had 1-2 hours to rest at the transit airports. When departing, 2 pairs of captains and co-pilots would take turns performing duties in the cockpit.
For Minh, such long flights are very tiring. However, after 12 years of working and more than 9,000 flight hours, Minh has become accustomed to those pressures. On the contrary, the opportunity to visit and experience many countries around the world makes him love his job even more. "Having breakfast in Hanoi, having dinner in Tokyo or another city is normal for me. The privilege of visiting and experiencing many countries around the world is one of the reasons why being a pilot is a dream job. In addition, the position and professional working
environment , high income are also attractive to young people who want to pursue this career," said Minh. The male captain shared that a pilot's income usually depends on the position and airline. Minh shared that a first officer can earn 60-100 million VND/month, a captain 120-200 million VND/month, not including allowances. This income level may be higher in some airlines and countries around the world. Ms. Mach Khanh (born in 1996, living in Ho Chi Minh City) is a famous female co-pilot on social networks. The girl used to be an architecture student but turned to the aviation industry since 2018.
After 3 years of studying and applying, Mach Khanh has overcome the prejudice that "piloting is only for men" when he officially became a co-pilot for an airline in Vietnam. "Since I was a child, I have been attracted to giant planes flying in the sky. The moment I first sat in a real cockpit, looking at the scenery and my country from above, I felt extremely excited and proud. I always tell myself to always try my best," Khanh confided.
To enjoy privileges that not everyone has, Captain Trung Minh and co-pilot Mach Khanh said they had to undergo a long period of extremely rigorous training. The male captain shared that those who want to become pilots must meet and prepare well for many different criteria. "The recruitment phase is divided into many rounds. First, the airline will screen the profiles of candidates who meet the unit's entry requirements. Then, they will organize an IQ test, including the ability to give correct answers in a short time for the geometric, arithmetic, and logical thinking sections...
After passing this round, candidates will continue to undergo a health check, related to BMI (body mass index), the function of each part of the body, the ability to react, respond to urgent situations... Candidates will also be taken to a pressurized chamber, where there is high pressure and lack of oxygen, and then handle calculation questions. Finally, they will participate in an interview round to see if they are really suitable for this job," said Mr. Minh. After passing the application rounds, candidates must also be ready for a training period lasting about 1 year. If they fail to pass, they will be eliminated immediately. "Of the hundreds of pilot trainees who attend the flight training course, only a few dozen are officially selected each time. They will be sent abroad to continue to undergo 18 months of theoretical and practical flight training using training aircraft and simulated cockpits. After completing this course, they will be able to fly their first flight in their career, with the supervision and guidance of a trainer. I have witnessed many people passing the rigorous selection rounds, but being eliminated because they lacked some criteria," the captain said regretfully. This is a job that requires extremely strict discipline. Pilots must always be on time, and cannot make any mistakes because that can lead to serious consequences. Every year, for pilots, the airline will organize at least 2 tests in the simulated cockpit and 1 on a real plane. Pilots must also meet the health standards of category 1 through periodic health checks.
According to co-pilot Mach Khanh, pilots are absolutely not allowed to consume alcohol, beer or stimulants before boarding a plane. In addition, they must ensure they get enough sleep and are in good health to be alert and focused while flying.
Mach Khanh shared that the working hours of pilots are not fixed, and can take place during the day or at night. Normally, pilots will have to meet about 5-12 hours of flight time, depending on the schedule arranged by the airline. Holidays and
Tet are when many people have a break, but that is when pilots become the busiest. They rarely reunite with their families on these special occasions because they have the responsibility of taking passengers home to reunite with their loved ones.
"Being away from family on these occasions, saying I'm not sad would probably be a lie. But the moment I see passengers returning home, shedding tears when meeting relatives I haven't seen for a long time, I feel proud and happier to do this job," Mach Khanh shared. Captain Trung Minh confided that throughout his journey pursuing this special job, he has had many memorable memories. Minh shared that he was once a pilot flying a plane carrying Covid-19 anti-epidemic forces from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. He himself also "stuck" in the sky many times for 2 hours, quickly steering the plane away from the danger zone when the plane encountered bad weather and landed safely.
"When the safety of passengers depends on my decisions, I feel even more responsible. Every time I read letters from passengers thanking me for bringing them to safety, I seem to have more motivation. Every job is precious, as long as you are passionate, make an effort and do everything with your heart, everything will lead you to success," the male captain shared.
Photo: Character provided Dantri.com.vn
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/lao-dong-viec-lam/phi-cong-luong-tram-trieu-dong-an-sang-o-duc-trua-o-thai-toi-o-ha-noi-20241008170204813.htm
Comment (0)