Aviator

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation).

An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. The word is normally applied to pilots but it can be applied more broadly, for example to include people such as wing-walkers who regularly take part in an aerobatic display sequence. The word aviatrix is sometimes used of women flyers, reflecting the word's Latin root.

The term was more used in the early days of aviation and has connotations of bravery and adventure. As Steve Fossett has shown with his 2002 solo flight around the globe in a helium balloon, then his nonstop solo jet circumnavigation that completed on March 3, 2005, there are still challenges to be flown and records to be broken.

Anyone can fly an aircraft, with or without a certificate. However, at all times the aircraft must be under the operational control of a properly certified and current pilot, who is responsible for the safe and legal completion of the flight. The first certificate was delivered by the Aero Club de France to Louis Bleriot in 1908, followed by Glenn Curtiss, Leon Delagrange and Robert Esnault-Pelterie. The absolute authority given to the Pilot in Command is derived from that of a ship’s captain.

In the United Kingdom there were (in 2000) 31,885 private pilots and 16,449 airline and commercial pilots (ATPL and CPL) registered with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Among private pilots only 6% are female (approx 1800). In the commercial sector this percentage drops to only 2%.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration estimates there are 609,737 active pilots with US Airmen certificates as of December 31, 2005. [1]. Of these, about 6%(36,584) are female.

The U.S. state of Alaska has the highest number of pilots per capita: out of an estimated 663,661 residents, 8,550 are pilots, or about one in every 78.

[edit] Civilian

Delta Air Lines Pilots

Civilian pilots fly privately for pleasure, charity, or in pursuance of a business, for non-scheduled commercial air transport companies, or for airlines. When flying for an airline, pilots are usually referred to as airline pilots, with the pilot in command often referred to as the captain.

Legacy airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, long considered the most prestigious and lucrative employers, have slashed their pilot payscales and benefits in the face of fierce competition from low cost carriers. Nonetheless, captains at major airlines in the U.S. have an average salary of $129,250 per year. However, such salaries represent the upper level of airline pay scales. Salaries at regional airlines can be considerably less - in some cases, beginning First Officers earn less than $20,000 their first year. Pilots making very large salaries are typically senior airline captains, while pilots making very small salaries are generally low-seniority first officers. In practice, most pilots make reasonable average working salaries, though it is not particularly useful to talk about 'averages' because of the large variability. Based upon voluntary pilot reports, many U.S. airline payscales are listed here. Most Airline pilots are unionized, with the Air Line Pilot's Association(ALPA)being the largest pilot labor union in the United States.

In some countries, e.g. Pakistan, Thailand and several African countries, there is a strong relationship between the military and the principal national airlines, such that many or most airline pilots come from the military; that is no longer the case in the USA and Western Europe. While the flight decks of U.S. and European airliners do have many ex-military pilots, they have just as many if not more pilots who spend their entire career as civilians. With the increasing popularity of European-style airline training schools in the USA and the fact that military training and flying, while rigorous, is fundamentally different in many ways from civilian piloting, it seems likely that the percentage of ex-military pilots flying for the airlines will continue to decrease.

[edit] Military

Military pilots fly under government contract for the defence of countries. Their tasks involve combat and non-combat operations, including direct hostile engagements and support operations. Military pilots undergo specialised training, often with weapons operation and defensive maneuvering. Some military pilots are also civilian pilots.

[edit] Pilots in space

In human spaceflight, a pilot is someone who directly controls the operation of a spacecraft while located within the same craft. This term derives directly from the usage of the word "pilot" in aviation, where it is synonymous with "aviator". Note that on the U.S. Space Shuttle, the term "pilot" is analogous to the term "co-pilot" in aviation, as the "commander" has ultimate responsibility for the shuttle.

[edit] Well-known aviators

[edit] People largely known for their contributions to the history of aviation

While all of these people were pilots (and some still are) many are also noted for contributions in areas such as aircraft design and manufacturing, navigation or popularization.

[edit] Famous military pilots

[edit] People from other walks of life with aviation in their history

[edit] See also

• List of aerospace engineers
• Pilot licensing and certification
• Workplace safety

[edit] References

• Occupation Information - Pilot