by Harold Green
Recently, several people have bemoaned to me the lack of professional conduct by pilots. They have encountered someone who was using the radio to correct what they felt was someone else’s incorrect behavior, or someone cut in on the pattern, etc. While it is fairly obvious why these folks are disgruntled, defining professional conduct in objective terms turns out to be a little more difficult.
As we will see, professionalism is a matter of attitude as much as skill level. After searching through several definitions offered by dictionaries and the web, it appears there are some elements common to each definition. (After getting past the circular definitions like “A professional is someone who practices a profession,” it seems obvious we should focus on professional conduct.)
For the following I freely admit I have not provided direct quotations and have borrowed from the cannons of ethics of the National Society of Professional Engineers and others. Some common requirements of a professional are:
• Possesses specific and expert knowledge relating to an activity that impacts the wellbeing of the general public.
• Does not allow personal considerations to affect his or her decisions or performance, to affect actions or recommendations concerning the public or their client’s interest.
• Conducts relations with others in a nonjudgmental and respectful manner.
So, how does all this fit into our flying? Well, the answer is relatively independent of our role in aviation.
With respect to item 1, it is obvious that by the nature of their job, professional pilots affect the wellbeing of the general public. For the rest of us, we have an effect on fellow pilots with whom we share the sky, and on our passengers’ safety/well being. We too have the potential to impact the general public at least indirectly. Thus, we have a professional obligation to maintain our proficiency and knowledge level to ensure the safest possible operations. We also have an obligation to limit our flying to those operations for which we know we are qualified.
It is worth noting that whether our operations impact one or 100 or more people, the level of obligation is the same. This requires us to have as up to date and complete knowledge as possible with respect to FAA regulations, aircraft performance, aircraft equipment and any item, which affects the safety of flight. In short, this means continuing study and improvement throughout our active flying years.
Item 2 states that professionals do not permit personal considerations to get in the way of making an objective decision relating to flight activities. For example, professionalism requires us to evaluate the personal stresses on us with each flight. Perhaps we have financial or relationship worries. We should be confident we can keep these elements in the background and not affect our flight decisions. If we can’t, then we should not fly.
Federal Aviation Regulation 91.103 requires us to “.…become familiar with all available information concerning any flight.” That covers a wide range of information and professionalism. There is also an obvious need to know emergency procedures so that we can react intelligently to any emergency.
We have all heard of the pilot who, when losing a wing, would just call center and calmly ask for a lower altitude. This is the epitome of objective professionalism, even though it wouldn’t really happen. None the less, it points out that a critical part of professionalism is maintaining calm, objective analysis in an emergency. By maintaining an objective detached mind set, coupled with a thorough knowledge of the aircraft and emergency procedures, evaluation of possible actions in an emergency are far more likely to produce a positive outcome.
Relations with others as listed in item 3 is an area where there are many comments and complaints. Two concerns arise here: First is radio communications. All too often around non-towered airports we hear on the radio some self anointed expert chastising another pilot for their perceived actions or lack thereof. Unless there is an emergency or immediate safety hazard, the professional approach is to leave well enough alone. If one feels strongly enough, then take the opportunity to approach the individual privately on the ground and seek clarification. Even then comments should be advisory, not judgmental. This happens most often of course in non-towered environments.
Another area that non-professional pilots show themselves is in clearing the runway after landing. Landing in the first third of the runway is certainly a good thing. However, then continuing to taxi the full length of the runway when there is an available intermediate taxiway is certainly not professional. At non-towered airports, it is simple courtesy to announce when clear of Runway XX to assure that the pilot behind knows the runway is clear. Of course it is also non-professional as well as a violation of regulations to land or take off while another plane is on the runway.
When operating in controlled environments, the professional pilot knows and understands radio procedures and adheres to them. That doesn’t mean necessarily that everything must be as stilted as the good book says. It does mean the pilot should provide, without being reminded, the information required by controllers to do their job.
A typical goof on the part of pilots is failing to provide their altitude when contacting departure control. This causes the controller to have to ask for altitude. For a student, this may be excusable, but it is not for the certificated pilot. On the other hand, occasionally controllers can be less than professional in their communication to pilots. Professional pilots won’t let that ruffle their feathers, however.
As a final note on professional communications, there are a couple things to keep in mind: First, state what is necessary to communicate the message and only that. Second, socializing is best done over coffee and a hamburger, but NOT on the frequencies that we all need to use.
In summary and simply put, professionalism is based on knowledge, objective use of that knowledge and courtesy to our fellow pilots. We can sum up this whole thing with know what you are doing and why, keep your objectivity, and talk politely.
Maybe we could come up with a pilots’ code of professional conduct that perhaps begins something like:
• I will analyze the potential hazards of each flight, considering, but not limited to the aircraft, weather, my fitness to conduct the flight both psychologically and physically, as well as my flight proficiency and the well being of my passengers.
• I will maintain an objective and analytical approach in all flight operations.
• I will conduct all radio and interpersonal communications in a clear, concise and non-emotional manner confining my radio communications to flight-related activities, only, reserving other communications for the prescribed aircraft-to-aircraft frequency.
From the foregoing it should be obvious that commercial and professional are two different things. A commercial pilot may or may not be professional and a private pilot may be a professional. Being a professional pilot is independent of whether or not the pilot is paid for services rendered. In fact, a student pilot can be a professional pilot as well. Professionalism in the final analysis is an attitude and a set of behaviors that sets the person above the personal and mundane. We should encourage professional behavior in our students, and as instructors, we would hopefully set the standard for them.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Harold Green is a Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument (CFII) at Morey Airplane Company in Middleton, Wisconsin (C29). Email questions or comments to: harlgren@aol.com, or call 608-836-1711 (www.MoreyAirport.com).
