What professional pilot practices should I start implementing
Posted by Patches097@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 108 comments
My instructor told me to throw on my landing light whenever crossing a runway.
Just looking to collect nuggets of professional flying like that to incorporate them into my training and improve safety. Working on my Commercial now. Shoot me your best tips!
BrtFrkwr@reddit
Yes, you show light everything up when crossing a runway, active or not. Also, it's customary in airlines to turn on the taxi light when the aircraft is moving and turn it off when you stop. It's often hard to tell if an airplane is moving on the airport if you're moving yourself especially after dark.
flyemerica@reddit
Keeping with the landing light trend, most of us turn the landing light on when cleared to land.
Also, keep the strobes off until crossing the hold short line for takeoff.
f1racer328@reddit
laughs in first officer world I turn on the wheel well light when cleared to land. Easy reminder for the 737.
Ramunesoda99@reddit
Wheel well? Here is used only for walk around
Ok_Bar4002@reddit
You touch the lights as an FO? I turn on the beacon before push and turn it off at block in. That’s my only light.
Mongoose151@reddit
Only on the 737 since they are pretty far over on the right side.
the_kerbal_side@reddit
Does this mean light up everything, like your logo lights, ice lights, etc? Or just strobes+landing light?
OccupyMyBallSack@reddit
Everything. That way at night you’re clearly visible to someone lined up or on final.
BrtFrkwr@reddit
Everything. Since Tenerife.
Patches097@reddit (OP)
I saw an airline do that the other day and I was wondering if that’s standard or just that dude (taxi light). Noted, and added to the book! Thanks.
OzrielArelius@reddit
idk what plane you're in but if you have different taxi/landing lights a lot of us will use them to denote lineup and wait/take off, as well as cleared for the approach/cleared to land.
for example: line up and wait - taxi light on. cleared for takeoff - landing light on.
cleared for approach - taxi light on. cleared to land - landing light on
DatSexyDude@reddit
It’s also an easy way to show you got your “give way” instructions from ground.
BrtFrkwr@reddit
That too.
countjeremiah@reddit
Seat all the way down, all the way back, seatbelt all the way extended, and checklist back on the first page. Common courtesy stuff.
Cant_Work_On_Reddit@reddit
Use checklists
Kartoon67@reddit
And don't rush it (Your check list)
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast"
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
Yes, and equally be able to use flows and then double check. Don’t take an hour to do a preflight or use a checklist 500’ agl. They are literally vital but so many students become over reliant.
3Green1974@reddit
Unless you plan on only flying domestically, learn how to talk on the radio. Eventually you’ll end up somewhere where the controller has no idea what “lookin’ fer lower” or “y’all got any ride reports” means. And reporting altitude like it’s a radio frequency is right out. So, “2 point five for 5” will just confuse them.
AutomagicJackelope@reddit
So much this. My own company even includes an ICAO phraseology section in our 10-9 pages because pilots from the U.S. are notoriously bad with standard radio calls.
DillonTheVillon@reddit
10-10? Isn't 10-9 airport diagram and 10-10 is company pages
AutomagicJackelope@reddit
Ah, you're probably right. It's been a few years since I used one in Jepp...here's why:
We actually don't use those for airport info...we have a separate, company-produced document that is, frankly, superior to every 10-10 page I've ever seen, so I was incorrectly using 10-9 when I should have said 10-10.
Either way, we've got an ICAO reference. 😄
3Green1974@reddit
That’s a pretty good idea.
AutomagicJackelope@reddit
Yeah, I thought so, too. Very handy. It's made me better about my radio discipline.
Theytookmyarcher@reddit
It's pretty bad domestically too though. It really reduces clarity and it's why we never hear controllers talk like that, only pilots.
pilotchriss@reddit
Go as fast as you can in your training and journey to 1500 without busting rides. That’s all that matters. Seniority will determine what kind of life you live and how good it is. Literally nothing else matters.
charlie_30@reddit
Best of luck with that mindset champ.
pilotchriss@reddit
Am I wrong?
charlie_30@reddit
Yes, you are.
cjdiddly@reddit
Don't make any big changes on short final
Patches097@reddit (OP)
But then what do I do if I need the lighting turned up?
f1racer328@reddit
Lighting at an uncontrolled field at night?
I wouldn’t call that a big change. When I fly into an uncontrolled field I turn the lights on a ways out, and then once I’m within roughly 2 minutes of landing I’ll key the mic to set my desired intensity one more time.
69pylote@reddit
He’s making a joke about the influencer who has the G1000 turned up to full brightness at night lol
f1racer328@reddit
Damn. My inner boomer is showing.
Twarrior913@reddit
Sorry man, gonna have to blind that poor ops guy who is inspecting the lights in his truck for a few hours. Best to let ATC and anyone else on frequency know as well.
PlaneShenaniganz@reddit
This is a great tip that metaphorically applies to lots in life in general :)
Valid__Salad@reddit
On the same note, practice brevity.
OzrielArelius@reddit
there's still a buncha airline guys who think they get paid per word spoken on the radio
True-Ad-304@reddit
Ball knowledge
Funny-Muffin313@reddit
Practice saying “great landing sir!” Practice complaining about a contract. Practice not talking about religion or politics and trying to find common points of discussion with people with various interests and backgrounds. We all have aviation in common but usually want more varied topics.
NolanonoSC@reddit
I like to annunciate "clear approach, clear departure" when crossing any runway, active or not. Good habit to get into considering the number of accidents that's occured recently
propell0r@reddit
“Clear left, clear on final” is my version for crossing runways
Ricky_spanish_again@reddit
What’s the point of clearing departure?
Flyboy314@reddit
I'm pretty sure he means clear of the approach or departure runways (or the end of a runway,) after crossing. I just taxi and say clear of (runway name) or "the active", for the FDR.
Longjumping-Escape15@reddit
No they aren’t meaning the radio call they make. They’re saying this is what they check and then announce to themselves and or the person next to them when crossing a runway so they know they checked visually.
OzrielArelius@reddit
clear left, clear right. idk whats what but at least I typically know left and right
durandal@reddit
Traffic can be on final. but also on takeoff roll. Check both.
Infamous-Skill-6100@reddit
At an untowered field you never know if someone is coming in to land opposite runway. Never hurts to clear base/final both runways as you line up
HappyBappyAviation@reddit
Adding on to this, confirm the runway you're entering every time. My airline's SOP is to say the runway numbers, verify the proper signage, and confirm it with the other pilot. I have also gotten in the habit of stating what my current clearance is like "line up and wait" or "cleared for takeoff" or "cleared to cross" and, when approaching a hold bar, that I'm holding short. The other pilot usually verbally confirms but at the very least they have the chance to disagree. In single pilot ops, just confirming the runway is plenty to keep you away from trouble. I do that every time I see hold bars. It really helps the piece of mind.
brandonham@reddit
My instrument instructor would say, “Clear left, clear right, cleared to cross.”
OzrielArelius@reddit
this is the only way
Longwaytofall@reddit
Buy your layover drinks in cash.
theboomvang@reddit
This may have helped 20 years ago. I will tell you now, it does not matter. They WILL get your receipt from the time stamped POS of whatever hole in the wall bar you were at (at 99.99% of bars in the US).
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
that’s why ya just pay cash for twisted tea at a gas station!
BassetCock@reddit
If they’re looking for your bar receipts you’re either dead or have much bigger issues than a receipt.
rckid13@reddit
Why?
Drunkenaviator@reddit
Because credit card purchases can be time stamped and traced back to you. That's amateur stuff.
Wild_Development6093@reddit
Always keep your heading bug centered.
dash_trash@reddit
If I'm flying in LNAV, what difference does it make?
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
It doesn’t. But people care anyway
UnhingedCorgi@reddit
If by “centered” you mean sorta close to your current heading then sure. Makes it convenient in case of sudden vectors. But it’s really not a pivotal thing.
OzrielArelius@reddit
yeah when you have an autopilot for sure. if you're hand flying and have a little diamond to denote ground track, the bug sometimes blocks the view of it (G1000)
in those cases I'd tell students to bug the heading to where their wind correction heading roughly lines up to so they can keep their ground track following the course
which is essentially the same thing as keeping the bug centered, but a know a lot of people would just bug it to the course even though their heading is 5-10 degrees off.
Flanked77@reddit
Yea if I’m flying a g1000 or 650 I never use the heading bug unless I am receiving vectors or taking off. It’s gets in the way of the wind diamond.
ApatheticSkyentist@reddit
I know a guy who failed an ATP ride over basically that.
He was in a sim, got a V1 cut, and followed the flight director just like he was supposed to.... except the heading bug was waaaaaay off runway heading.
dash_trash@reddit
Skill issue. And exactly why I resent the people who compulsively obsess over the heading bug - by doing so they assign it a significance it doesn't deserve because it isn't a substitute for situational awareness.
downwindsavage@reddit
Listening to what actually is said on the radio and building situational awareness. Controller says a new ATIS, pick up the new ATIS. Controller says a new baro, change to the new baro. If you’re following the same person to the same airport, high chance the frequency from center to arrival/approach is going to be the same so put that freq on standby. If you have live ads-b on ForeFlight, foreshadowing where you are on the sequence and who you’re following so you can plan your speeds accordingly.
When your flight instructor says to stay ahead the aircraft, they mean it for good reason.
planelander@reddit
Calllouts are so important, checklist, and briefings
Longjumping-Escape15@reddit
Yes. Stable for landing, cleared to land, 1000 for 2000, runway in sight etc.
Mach_v_manchild@reddit
This. I do it flying single pilot too. I litterally brief approaches out loud to myself and verbalize Checklists.
Alfrasco@reddit
We do threat forward briefings for take off and approach. Ask the other pilots what threats they have for the event then talk about how to mitigate them. Then you mention your threats. THEN you brief what you are about to do- taxi, take off, shoot an ILS, route to and from the parking area. That type of thing.
syntheticFLOPS@reddit
TEM/UAS.
exbex@reddit
Monitor 121.5, and for the love of God, no meowing.
Slow down and don't rush. So many ASAP reports can be tied to people rushing.
Review NOTAMS. Get into the habit pattern now. The amount of info you're going to have to review before a flight is only going to increase.
Fun_Supermarket1235@reddit
Yeah all lights & strobes crossing runways. Taxi light illuminated while underway but extinguished when stopping or giving way. You can do taxi+strobe for line up and wait, landing lt for cleared to takeoff, taxi light cleared for the approach, and landing light cleared to land.
Also if you fly a retractable plane, tie your gear down to a flap setting. In my plane we say it all one word like gear-down-flaps-15 that way you’ll never forget the gear.
If you take off marginal or IFR throw the localizer freq for your best runway in before takeoff in case you need to come back in emergency
stouset@reddit
For smaller aircraft, is there any concern about the drag from increasing flaps and dropping gear at the same time?
theboomvang@reddit
No
theboomvang@reddit
The retract thing doesn't work in most of the faster GA fleet. The Beech community largely says always gear before flaps to help with that.
Fun_Supermarket1235@reddit
Are the flap speeds too low that you need gear to get slowed down and extend them?
theboomvang@reddit
Generally yes
AutomagicJackelope@reddit
Also if you fly a retractable plane, tie your gear down to a flap setting. In my plane we say it all one word like gear-down-flaps-15 that way you’ll never forget the gear.
I can see this being helpful in a lot of cases, but it can also lead to some negative training/learning. Sometimes you need different performance and timing for different flap/gear combinations.
Hmmm. Still, potentially useful depending on what you're doing. I'd have to think about this one in the context of the student. Good food for thought there.
Fun_Supermarket1235@reddit
Yeah I’ll admit I never tried it flying GA since I learned it at the airlines. I think as GA pilots we tend to put the gear out way earlier too. Another part of the equation is that the airline uses a very short landing checklist (3 items on both jets I’ve flown) so that gets done on final just before 1000ft. By then we are fully configured
AutothrustBlue@reddit
Point and call. Always trust your gut. Never take home someone from an Irish pub.
AutomagicJackelope@reddit
Cannot tell you how many times the little nagging voice in my head going, "Something's not right here" turned out to be correct. Usually about the FMA.
And always about the Irish pub.
Zestyclose_Big9544@reddit
All of them.
Captain_Billy@reddit
Taxi with taxi/landing light (whatever is installed). Light on when moving. Light off when intending to stop/hold short. Signals intent to others
saml01@reddit
Turn off the landing light in the runup.
TSwiftIcedTea@reddit
Embrace doing things the way your company wants them done. (assuming it’s safe and legal)
Don’t cut corners. Don’t make modifications. Do it exactly as they want it.
You are going to be tested and retested regularly at the professional level. There are 2 types of pilots when it comes time to be evaluated:
Pilot A doesn’t fly according to the company procedures. He cuts corners all the time to make his job easier. In fact he doesn’t even know for sure what the company procedures are because he forgot them. One day he is informed a check airman will be riding in his jumpseat to do a routine evaluation. He starts sweating bullets fearing a failure. He considers calling in sick to give himself time to study. He develops a fear of evaluators.
Pilot B does everything by the book every time. He has no fear whatsoever of any evaluator because he knows he is doing things the way they want it done. He doesn’t need to study how to do it correctly before the test. He aces the evaluation and gets kudos from the instructor.
Be like Pilot B.
Fly3rBoi@reddit
Not ATP but worked with many pilots.
Be on time. If you say 9:00 shoot for 8;45, if you’re running late, communicate.
Do not be stinky, ever. Look and smell the part.
Always use checklist, anyone watching you WILL critique you if you just jump in and go. You will be known as an unsafe pilot and frankly, you’ll probably die because of it at some point.
Be courteous, always, with ATC, even when you think they are wrong or off base. Everyone is listening and recording.
Don’t be an ass at uncontrolled fields.
Hydrate often.
I’ve worked and flown with many pilots some ATP, some hobbyists, and some just super casual. The community is small and word gets out about professionalism and safety.
It’s pretty easy to tell which guys are going to make it all the way and which ones will have a difficult time. The field is so saturated now and everything you can do to be professional will set you apart.
ithrewakidinthewell@reddit
Get paid several hundred thousand dollars
Lookuponthewall@reddit
Clean your aircraft. Vacuum. Polish the windows. Fold the seatbelts on the seat.
PlaneShenaniganz@reddit
Plan and brief every flight, no matter how short or seemingly insignificant it is. Debrief every flight as well. Focus on the 3 Ds: Did you do anything dumb, dangerous, or different? Why?
Brief your copilot out loud. Keep an active communication loop in the cockpit. Flying solo? Brief yourself. Keep yourself talking and try to talk 15 minutes ahead of the airplane.
Do a thorough preflight. Check NOTAMs, PIREPs, all weather sources, and get a flight briefing. File a flight plan.
Treat every flight as though your own family were on board in the back. Take no safety shortcuts. Analyze your own IMSAFE levels before each flight. Never give in to “get there itis.” A flight can always wait.
Never rush. Even in an emergency. Be slow and deliberate.
Always stay learning about your airplane. Read 15 minutes in your POH every day. Set up and abide by your own recurrent training schedule. Always be reading up on and improving on your skill set. Airline pilots get this built into their life; you must do it yourself.
Chair fly emergency procedures. Watch YouTube videos on accidents. It’s vitally important to learn from the mistakes of deceased aviators, both to augment your own skillset and to honor their memory and contribution in memoriam to aviation safety.
Treat every takeoff as an approach to a rejected takeoff, or a low altitude engine failure. Treat every landing as an approach to a go-around. And for petes sake, turn off your landing lights and strobes when you exit the active runway.
happierinverted@reddit
Yes this is the one.
Before entering the runway have a plan for a rejected take off and the a decision point. Consider wind and airport every time. Brief yourself on engine failure up to circuit height [eg no turn back below ***’, and pitch best glide and turn to Runway** if staying in the circuit above it.
Have a stable approach check at an appropriate altitude on final [eg speed in the approach gate, configured, on the extended centreline, and wings level]. If you can’t answer yes to every parameter it’s an automatic smooth go-around.
SideclimbingSpit@reddit
Going from 3,000ft to 5,000ft and checking on frequency?
N12345 3 thousand climbing 5 thousand
and conversely,
N12345 5 thousand descending 3 thousand
avoid the words "to" and "for" like the plague. they sound like "two" and "four" and then it just gets messy with bad radios and dubious English skills.
ImpossibleLadder3059@reddit
Learning to talk on the radio. It's not "cleared to go," it's "cleared for takeoff runway XX." Sounds like a professional pilot and not a rookie. "Checking in" or "with you" are also useless and pointless. Just say "Skyhawk N123WA 5,500." Less is more.
MeatResident2697@reddit
1) be nice to the crew.
2) stay around till the last passenger if off the plane.
3) ALWAYS listen out when the FO says something. It could save your life.
PlaneShenaniganz@reddit
Call “V1, rotate” when you’re taking off in your 172RG.
Actual_Environment_7@reddit
Turn off the damn strobes after you leave the runway
21MPH21@reddit
What if it's daytime and there's no cue like when I (people) can see them bouncing off my plane (other planes lights) at night?
Not that I've ever left them on all the way to the gate.
ma33a@reddit
Include it with your after landing flows, eventually they become part of your muscle memory.
RogLatimer118@reddit
I would brief myself/copilot my engine out procedures and decision point/altitude before I enter the runway for takeoff.
db38@reddit
Talk about work work work work (scheduling) work work work work (contract) work work work work (and I voted no)…
Valid__Salad@reddit
In the airline world, we brief everything, regardless of how many times we’ve done it. Taxi to runway 22R via K-B-N? Let’s talk about it before we do it.
Otherwise-Pen70@reddit
Resolve to use a Checklist - They are there for a reason and when you make it to the airlines you will already have it ingrained
FightingIlliteracy@reddit
Hold yourself accountable for mistakes and take responsibility at every opportunity. Airline training in most settings is a “cooperate to graduate” sport, so if you don’t currently have that mindset, it’s best to get it ingrained now.
AK_Dude69@reddit
Briefing, planning, and setting up for an emergency on departure, and the same for every approach. Making decisions/choices ahead of time rather than in the moment. Checking notams.
No-Cell-8208@reddit
Complaining about flying.
you-suck-haters@reddit
I assume you’re working on Commerical, and want that PIC mindset. Flying a few solo hours might help, but it’s 50/50 if you end up getting more sloppy or better
Important thing is to always get used to declaring your landing and takeoff distances, and ALWAYS brief takeoffs and landings. In the 172/28 you’re flying, you can land on most any runway no problem. If you get into something bigger, that’s not always the case. Have a plan of action from the hour before the flight to an hour after the flight. I’ve likened it to shadow boxing, where you need to “punch through the target” and not just stop the moment the engine shuts off.
Personally, the difference between a PPL and a hired CPL is talking. They can theoretically do the same stick and rudder skills (I’ve seen PPL do better S&R then CPLs, but not always). A COM pilot should be far more aware of external factors on a flight, staying ahead of the aircraft far longer, and talking often
Gabriel_Owners@reddit
Get ahead of the curve and start complaining about everything. Bang a flight attendant or two.
Patches097@reddit (OP)
Oooo this is good 👍
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
My instructor told me to throw on my landing light whenever crossing a runway.
Just looking to collect nuggets of professional flying like that to incorporate them into my training and improve safety. Working on my Commercial now. Shoot me your best tips!
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