ASK THE PILOT PT.2

 Pilots debunk 5 flying myths.

Some of these are true, others less so. Here are five of the most common myths about being a pilot, explained.

~We get free flights.

Most jobs have perks for employees and one of the biggest benefits of working for an airline is access to discounted travel. I use the word "discounted" as there is very rarely such thing as a "free" ticket. 

Airline employees, not just pilots, are able to buy a ticket known as an "ID90" -- which normally equates to 90% off the normal fare. Staff are able to buy as many ID90s as they like in a year. However, there is a drawback. This is a standby ticket, meaning that you will only get on the flight if there is a seat available.

 For example, staff traveling on their own airline will get a higher priority than staff from another airline. Once check-in has closed, the Flight Management Department looks at how many seats are remaining and allocates them to staff in priority order. This is why staff often refer to this as "standby roulette". As a result, these tickets are best used when traveling on your own to a destination and at a time where the flights are not busy. 

~ The autopilot does all the work.

My favorite one, pilots are fairly self-deprecating. We're happy to accept the jokes and jibes from passengers and cabin crew alike, so long as it gives everyone peace of mind. The reality, though, is quite different.

Let me put it to you like this. Do you use a laptop or computer for work? If so, when you're sat at your desk for hours on end, who is doing the work? You or the laptop? If your boss came out and tried to tell you that you won't be getting a bonus this year because your computer did all your work for you, how would you feel? It's the same with aircraft.

The autopilot is merely a computer that we use to lower workload, enabling us to work on other tasks at the same time. It is only as good as the information which we give it. If we tell the autopilot to fly a heading of north at 3,000 feet, it will do it perfectly... until it flies into a mountain.

Numerous accidents have occurred because the pilots were too reliant on the automatics. Even with highly advanced modern flight decks, the original principles still apply. Feed rubbish into a computer and you'll get rubbish out. 

~We aren't affected as badly by jet lag.

Oh, believe me, we are -- sometimes worse than passengers. Any time you rapidly cross multiple timezones, as you do on a long-haul flight, you're likely to feel the effects of jet lag. This is made even worse when your sleep patterns are disrupted, for example by having to be awake all night when flying an aircraft.

Jet lag is caused by a mismatch between what the actual time is and what time your body thinks it is. Our circadian rhythm is a powerful clock, affecting a whole range of bodily functions such as hormone release, temperature regulation and eating habits. As a result, if you don't take positive action to control it, jet lag can affect you for up to a week after a flight. This is why having enough time off to rest between flights is crucial for flight safety.

~Pilots cannot wear spectacles.

Yes, you can wear glasses if you are a pilot. This is true for both commercial and military pilots.

For commercial airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires all pilots with refractive errors that affect their distance vision to wear prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses that correct their vision to 20/20. Commercial pilots with refractive errors and presbyopia should wear progressive lenses or other multifocal glasses to insure clear vision at all distances.

The FAA recommends that all pilots who require prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses for 20/20 vision always carry an extra set of glasses or contacts with them as a backup when they fly.

~Flyers avoid the Bermuda Triangle.

considering the superstition surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, many people assume that airline pilots actively avoid this area of the ocean. Of course, anyone who has flown from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico, probably knows that's not true. In fact, if it were, pretty much everyone's Caribbean vacation would be ruined. A check on Flightradar24 will show that there are many flights crisscrossing the Bermuda Triangle, so it's clear that the area is not actively avoided.

In terms of navigation, flights are constantly monitored by air traffic control, so pilots have support if there is a navigation failure. Weather conditions are also closely tracked every time a plane is scheduled to take off. Accidents, of course, still happen, but not any more so than in other parts of the world.

HOPE YOU GOT ALL YOUR MYTHS CLEAR;)

Feel free to ask any queries.