All pilots are trained to be diligent and precise. We are trained to use checklists and to follow rules to the letter. If we advance to commercial service, we wear professional uniforms that indicate to our passengers that we are the people responsible for keeping them safe.
Regrettably, we’ve seen a number of instances over the last year or so in which professionalism was wanting. People who should have known better — who were trained to know better — allowed themselves to become complacent, or even worse, cavalier. Too often, we hear of pilots who allow themselves to lose focus and flight discipline, especially below 10,000 ft when idle conversation should cease.
The passenger sits in the cabin comfortably, knowing that the men and women up front are solely focused not just on getting there but on getting there safely. Passengers trust that the well-trained and experienced pilots flying the plane take their jobs seriously and are acutely aware and prepared whenever they enter…
