It may be biased to be heard, but there are people in aviation who received little recognition or sometimes nothing at all. We admit that in this age of technological advances, travel made easier right? But air travel and aviation are a complex industry that is why we need these people. They are the ones who help each other, together with the pilots for your hassle-free, comfortable, and efficient flight. We sometimes don’t notice them, but every one of them matters the most.
You may encounter them while you are checking in or while waiting in your respective gate at the airport. You see them loading your luggage, checking the aircraft in tip-top shape, and securing the place for everyone’s safety. There is so much more than meets the eye.
Most of the people believe that pilots are the only key for successful flights. Yes, it’s true, They play a vital role. Without these persons, we cannot have a safe flight operation.
Here are some of them that we often left unnoticed who work behind the scenes in every flight.
1. Air Traffic Controllers
Air Traffic Controls or the ATC’s is the eye of the pilots in the sky. They make sure that everyone in the sky is flying safely. Most of us don’t know that this is one of the high-pressure jobs in aviation. No wonder, these are some of the top 10 high paying jobs in the world.
They are also responsible for issuing information to the pilots, tracking flights which can be enormous in numbers depending on how busy the airport is. Also, they make sure efficient traffic to minimize delays while maximizing the safety. They also facilitate the movements in the airport grounds. If we don’t have them, air collisions and related accidents could happen.
2. Flight Dispatchers
Flight dispatchers on the other hand are responsible for flight plans and paths, weather monitoring, aircraft performance and loading and flight release. They also require communication and planning as well. Legally they are 50% responsible for the safety of the flight. They can cancel a flight if the safety is in question. Other than that, they are also contacted by the pilots even on air if they have related problems.
3. Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Technicians (AME, AMT)
AME/AMTs are highly skilled professions, the ones who take care of the maintenance, inspections, servicing, and repairs of the aircraft. They are like the doctors of the aviation. Without them, the safety of the aircraft is not assured. They are also responsible for keeping the aircraft operational.
4. Technical Service Engineers (TSE)
Similar to the AMT/AMEs they provide efficient and effective technical support to the airlines. From the smallest components up to the most complex operations, TSEs are responsible to make sure that the airlines are in line with regulations, ensuring reliable fleet, and other technical guidelines. They also provide AME/AMTs instructions such as repair, modifications and inspections necessary for the aircraft.
Last but not the least,
5. Trainers
They are the people behind making and shaping qualified personnel. Sometimes they are composed of former personnel from the field to share their gains and experience to those who want to pursue a career in Aviation. Without them, there will be shortage in people working in Aviation.
There are many of them; ground personnel, pushback truck operators, and many more. So next time you fly, keep in mind that there are many people working for everyone’s safety on-board.
