Flight Dispatcher
Next to his office is that of the flight dispatcher, in this case a young woman, who determines how each plane will reach its destination on time at the least operating cost, but with the maximum load of passengers and cargo. She must take into consideration such things as the temperature, the amount of fuel loaded, number of passengers booked, weight of the freight to be stowed in the cargo compartment, head winds, and weather at the plane's destination. Computers give much of this information, but it takes an alert mind to put the information together as she confers with the meteorologist and the crew of each flight regarding the best flight plan for its operation. The flight dispatcher must have a Federal Aviation Administration dispatcher's license and should have moved up from jobs such as dispatch clerk, junior flight dispatcher, radio operators meteorologist, or manager of a small station.
Schedule Coordinator
Next down the corridor is the schedule coordinator, an employee who must keep track of all aircraft and crews coming into or leaving the airport. If an airplane is delayed, he informs everyone concerned about the change. When an airplane has to be taken out of service, he must order a substitute, which may mean checking out other flights or canceling another flight if no back-up plane is available. Whenever an extra airplane is needed, the schedule coordinator must first take into consideration what servicing or maintenance may be required and whether there is enough legal flight time left for the aircraft to fly before its next regular maintenance overhaul.
But there is more to the job. A coordinator handles crew scheduling and must know who is sick, on vacation, or having a day off, as well as who has the most seniority. It is also impossible to schedule a pilot for a New York-Chicago run if that pilot has been authorized to fly only on a New York-Houston run. The schedule coordinator must have had considerable experience in the operations office before he or she is assigned to this demanding post.
Meteorologist-Radio Operator
Glancing at our watch we realize our flight will be leaving soon so we must hurry. We pass by the meteorologist who assists in plotting flight plans. He has a college degree with a major in meteorology and may even have had experience with the United States Weather Bureau or a military weather service.
In another room, loudspeakers are blaring conversations between distant airplane crews and the radio operators sitting here before micro-phones. These operators are always on duty ready to maintain contact with all planes in order to give and receive messages as the aircraft proceed to their destinations. These operators have had special training in technical schools and have obtained their radio operators' licenses from the Federal Communications Commission.
Food Service Jobs
At the end of the corridor, we peer through a glass door to see a huge kitchen where food is prepared for all departing flights with meal ser-vices. Here are positions with titles such as pantry worker, dishwasher, salad maker, baker, steward chef, commissary chef, chief chef, supervisor, and assistant buyer. High school graduates who can obtain a health certificate will find this a good place to start their careers in food service because if they have interest and aptitude, they will be trained and advanced on the job.
Flight Attendants
We run back upstairs to the departure lounge just in time to board our airplane. Two flight attendants greet us, show us to our seats, take our coats, and bring evening newspapers. They have been trained in the company's training school for five weeks of intensive courses on specific subjects such as routes, schedules, flight regulations, first aid, emergency procedures, good grooming, etiquette, and the proper serving of beverages and food. After graduation, the first assignments are usually to fill in on extra flights or substitute for those on vacation or sick leave. Later, assignments are made on the basis of seniority, so that experienced attendants have their choices of flights and times. Advancement is probably limited to becoming a flight service instructor in the training school, a passenger service representative, receptionist, or recruiting representative in the personnel department.
Flight Crew
Once our aircraft is airborne we are invited to visit the cockpit and meet the crew. The captain sits on the left-hand seat in front of the instrument panel, which displays a confusing array of gauges, dials, levers, and buttons. To the captain's right is the first officer. Behind, in a little recess, the walls of which resemble the instrument panel, is the ever-watchful flight engineer who constantly is alert for any signs of malfunctioning equipment and who also has certain duties that involve adjusting and operating various equipment.
New airline pilots usually start as flight engineers. Although airlines prefer an applicant who has a flight engineer's license, they may train a new employee who has only a commercial pilot's license.
"What are the requirements for becoming a pilot?" we asked the captain as he relaxed for a moment, the first officer having taken over the controls.
"You must be at least eighteen and a high school graduate, but most airlines require two years of college and prefer college graduates," he replied. "You must be able to pass a strict physical exam, have 20/20 vision with or without glasses, and have good hearing. You must pass a written test, which includes questions on the principles of safe flight, navigation techniques, and FAA regulations. Of course, you must be able to demonstrate your flying ability to the FAA examiner."
The captain smiled and turned in his seat. "That's not all. Pilots who are going to fly in bad weather must be licensed by the FAA to fly by instruments. This calls for forty hours of experience in instrument flying, passing a written examination, and demonstrating your ability in instrument flying." He paused to point at himself. "Those of us who are captains also have to obtain an airline transport pilot's license. To get this piece of paper, you have to be at least twenty-three and have a minimum of fifteen hundred hours of flying experience in both night and instrument flying."
"Very interesting," we observed, "but where does one learn to fly?"
"I believe that the FAA has now certified some fourteen hundred civilian flying schools, including a few colleges and universities that offer degree credit for pilot training.
