How Airline Crews Operate

Modern airplanes are incredible feats of engineering, but their true potential is realized only when there’s a skilled individual at the controls. The expertise of seasoned pilots is essential to airline companies, as they ensure your journey goes smoothly. The flight-attendant team also plays a vital role in maintaining order during flights, managing routine operations and addressing emergencies when they arise.

This article offers an inside look into the fascinating world of airline crews, revealing who is on board a typical flight and the responsibilities they shoulder. The life of a crew member can be exhausting and challenging, yet it is almost never dull. With their office cruising miles above the earth, these professionals could be traveling anywhere, often to distant corners of the world.

Pilots

Flights wouldn't get off the ground without pilots: They are the ones who make all that advanced technology work. On commercial airlines, there are always at least two pilots, and sometimes three. Every airline pilot undergoes rigorous training and has substantial flying experience, often gained through military service. The journey from initial training to commanding an airline cockpit is long and challenging, but for many pilots, it's the only path to take. To explore more about this career, check out How Becoming an Airline Pilot Works.

On an airliner, the lead pilot is known as the captain. Sitting on the left side of the cockpit, the captain holds ultimate responsibility for everything that happens during the flight. This includes making major decisions, leading the crew, managing crises, and dealing with unruly passengers. While the captain flies the plane for much of the journey, they often alternate with the first officer during the flight.

The first officer, second in command, sits on the right side of the cockpit. Equipped with the same controls and training as the captain, the first officer's primary role is to ensure safety. If the captain is unable to continue, the first officer is trained to step in. Additionally, the first officer provides a second perspective on flying decisions, helping to reduce the likelihood of pilot errors.

Older airliners, built before 1980, often had a cockpit position for a flight engineer, also known as the second officer. Flight engineers are usually trained pilots, though they don't fly the plane during regular flights. Instead, they monitor the aircraft's instruments and calculate factors such as optimal takeoff and landing speeds, power settings, and fuel management. In newer aircraft, these tasks are mostly handled by automated systems, making the flight engineer role redundant. In the future, this position will be phased out entirely.

All three pilots in the flight crew are equally trained, but their levels of seniority usually vary. At most airlines, a pilot's career progression is determined mainly by years of service. To become a captain, one must work their way up, waiting for an opening to arise. Seniority also influences the type of aircraft a pilot flies and their schedule. Newer pilots typically fly reserve, meaning they don’t have a fixed schedule. Instead, they’re on-call for 12 hours or more, ready to be paged at any moment. If a pilot is called, they report immediately to the airport for a flight assignment, usually within an hour. Reserve pilots step in when the scheduled pilot can’t fly due to illness or other reasons. The reserve life is unpredictable: Pilots may go several days without being paged, or they could be called every day. When they do report for duty, they may be flying a quick domestic route or embarking on a multi-day international journey. Given their unpredictable schedules, it's no surprise that flights sometimes experience delays while waiting for crew members.

More senior pilots can choose a regular flight schedule, called a line. Pilots holding a line have a more predictable lifestyle, knowing in advance when they’ll be working. However, even these pilots are away from home often and face unexpected delays. In the U.S., a pilot's scheduled flight time is limited to 8 hours for domestic flights and 12 hours for international flights. Despite these limits, pilots may end up working for over 16 hours due to delays or extended flight times.

A pilot typically arrives at the airport at least an hour before departure (two hours for international flights). Most airlines offer a computerized check-in system in the pilot's lounge, where pilots can access flight details, including weather conditions, passenger count, and the identities of other crew members. To keep everything organized, pilots often store their flight papers and other essential documents in a large briefcase.

Before takeoff, the pilot reviews all necessary information, develops the flight plan, files it with air traffic control, and meets with the rest of the crew. Upon landing, the captain checks in with the incoming flight crew to discuss any irregularities experienced during the flight. The first officer conducts a thorough inspection of the plane to ensure everything is in working order. Afterward, the pilots reconvene in the cockpit to confirm that all instruments and controls are functioning correctly.

Before takeoff, the captain must sign the flight release, certifying that the crew is fit for duty and that the pilots have reviewed all flight information. While preparing for takeoff, pilots receive updated weather reports, passenger counts, and a pre-departure clearance form. To streamline the process, many cockpits are equipped with built-in printers that receive information directly from gate agents and the control tower.

Once the paperwork is complete, the attendants ensure all doors are securely closed, and the captain gives the signal to push back, moving the plane away from the gate and onto the runway. After that, the pilots simply wait their turn and follow the air traffic controller’s instructions for takeoff.

During a routine flight, the most demanding moments for pilots are during takeoff and landing. On modern aircraft, the pilots mainly monitor automatic systems to ensure the plane is operating correctly and adjust the course when necessary. However, in an emergency, the situation can become much more intense. Airline pilots receive thorough training to handle unexpected situations and maintain composure in critical moments. Fortunately, such instances are rare, but pilots are always prepared to act swiftly if needed.

The job of flight attendants – the crew responsible for passenger care – is also highly unpredictable. In the following section, we’ll explore the tasks that flight attendants perform during a flight and what is required to become one.

Flight Attendants

On a U.S. commercial flight, there must be one flight attendant for every 50 passengers. These attendants handle a range of duties, starting before passengers board and continuing throughout the flight. Prior to boarding, the entire crew gathers, the captain goes over the flight schedule and any safety issues, and the lead attendant assigns sections of the plane to each crew member. Before takeoff, the attendants must:

After completing these tasks, flight attendants buckle into their jump seats. Once the plane reaches cruising altitude, they begin preparing food and drinks, load the refreshment and meal carts, and serve the passengers.

Flight attendants are also responsible for ensuring that passengers follow safety protocols and handling emergency situations. If any issues arise with the plane, they must keep the passengers calm and assist with evacuations if necessary. Attendants are also trained to handle terrorists, unruly passengers, and medical emergencies. In times of crisis when many would panic, flight attendants must remain composed and manage the situation effectively.

To handle all these responsibilities, a flight attendant needs specific skills and qualities. Airlines seek friendly individuals who can remember vast amounts of information and stay calm under pressure. To land a job with an airline, aspiring flight attendants must go through an interview process, pass a medical exam, and complete an intense training program with evaluations. This training, lasting anywhere from three to nine weeks, takes place in a hotel or dormitory with other candidates, where they learn everything from food service to managing armed hijackers. While in training, candidates may receive a weekly allowance, but they aren't officially considered airline employees until they've completed the entire program and passed all required tests. For more details on how to become a flight attendant, check out this site.

There are far more applicants for flight-attendant positions than there are available spots, making it highly competitive. The appeal largely lies in the unique benefits the job offers. Flight attendants can travel both domestically and internationally for a minimal cost (as low as $5 for a domestic flight), as long as there are available seats. The job is also enticing because it doesn’t follow the typical five-day, "9-to-5" workweek.

Like pilots, flight attendants' work schedules depend on their seniority. Newer attendants are placed on reserve, meaning they have little idea of where they’ll be assigned next. They rely on crew schedulers—the airline staff who assign crews on a daily basis. After a year, or in some cases several years, attendants can secure a regular schedule, known as holding a "line".

The roles of flight attendants and pilots have evolved significantly since the dawn of commercial aviation. In the next section, we will explore how the crews of early airlines differed from those flying today.

Crew History

Since the invention of airplanes, pilots have always been considered the focal point of aviation, though their responsibilities have evolved significantly over time. Key advancements in aviation have stemmed from technological progress and changing training protocols. Early airplanes had relatively simple controls and were frequently flown by their inventors. Aviation was a challenging skill, but since everyone was essentially an amateur, it was mostly learned through trial and error.

As aircraft technology improved, the need for more comprehensive training grew. While automated systems and advanced instruments took over much of the flying, pilots still needed to understand how everything functioned. If you've read How Becoming an Airplane Pilot Works, you already know that pilots undergo extensive preparation before they can take to the skies for a major airline.

The first formalized and widespread pilot training emerged during World War I when military forces began training soldiers to fly. This training expanded significantly during World War II and continued to develop over the following decades.

In the 1920s, the United States began regulating both aircraft design and pilot training, making military flying experience essential to meet airline standards. From the 1930s to the 1960s, the vast majority of U.S. airline pilots were white men with some military background. Today, the field has become more diverse, with an increasing number of women and minority pilots, and nearly half of all current U.S. airline pilots have never served in the military.

The role of flight attendants has evolved significantly since the early days of commercial aviation. The first airliners were essentially mail planes with a few extra seats for passengers. On these flights, passengers had to fend for themselves: the crew consisted solely of pilots, who were too occupied with flying the plane to attend to the needs of the passengers.

In time, some airlines added cabin boys to their flights. These crew members, typically teenagers or small men, were mainly responsible for loading luggage, calming nervous passengers, and helping people move around the plane. In 1930, a young nurse named Ellen Church, along with Steve Stimpson of Boeing Air Transport, introduced the concept of a new type of flight attendant. Church suggested that registered nurses would be an ideal addition to the crew, as they could care for sick passengers. Boeing, which was both an airline and a plane manufacturer, hired eight nurses for a three-month trial. The new attendants, soon known as "stewardesses," quickly became a vital part of the airline industry. Eventually, having a nursing degree was no longer required, but the caring, nurturing qualities remained central to the role.

Until relatively recently, airline stewardesses faced stringent rules. They were often not allowed to marry, supposedly because their husbands would complain about their long hours away from home. Additionally, many airlines imposed strict height, weight, and body shape requirements. Their uniforms were also restrictive: stewardesses typically wore form-fitting outfits, white gloves, and high heels for most of the flight. Though the role was considered respectable for young women, early stewardesses were often underpaid, received minimal benefits, and held a subordinate position to pilots.

In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, flight attendant unions and advocates from the equal rights movement initiated major changes in the airline industry to address longstanding issues. Since the 1970s, airlines have adopted policies of hiring both men and women as flight attendants, with no restrictions on size or weight. Today, flight attendants enjoy many of the same benefits as pilots, and airlines recognize them as essential to the air travel experience. To most passengers, flight attendants represent the face of the airline.

As the airline industry continues to grow in response to increasing consumer demand, more young people are joining airline crews. For those who can handle the long hours and unpredictable lifestyle, there is no job quite like flying through the sky for a living.