Traits That Would Make You A Great Pilot

Excellent communication skills

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First and foremost, communication skills are key to becoming a pilot. As you may already know, a big part of the pilot's role is communication with air traffic controllers on take-off and touchdown. Not to mention that the scariest part of being a pilot is declaring that mayday call!

Insane grit

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Grit is one of the best thing that makes a pilot great. In this sense, it means the ability to preserve when things are getting a little haywire on the flight. It's important to bear in mind the bigger picture, even on those long days where you don't feel so good.

The ability to make important decisions

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It would be hard for someone indecisive to become a pilot. These people tend to faff too much before making an actual decision which could potentially put the crew and passengers in imminent danger. Instead, great pilots tend to be fantastic at making extreme decisions under pressure.

Fantastic situational awareness

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Situational awareness is obviously a given for a good pilot. It allows the pilot to keep conscious of everything going on around them during the flight. That can include the positioning of the aircraft, weather conditions and environmental factors too.

A great knowledge of physics

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An in-depth understanding of physics will never hurt a pilot. Maybe it is something you studied at college or just something you read up on online, physics is insanely important to fly a plane (obviously). Whether that be gravity, upthrust, fuel consumption, turbulence, it all comes down to physics.

Commitment to their field

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Commitment to the field of flying is crucial to becoming a great pilot. Being committed means that you will do whatever it takes to do your job and to do it well, which means that fewer mistakes are often made. So ask yourself that question, are you committed to becoming (or remaining) a great pilot?

Remaining calm under pressure

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One of the most important things about being a pilot is the ability to remain calm when the pressure is on. It's no use getting stressed out when something has malfunctioned in the plane... it's going to help nobody! Instead, screw your thinking head on.

Fantastic mathematical mind

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A pilot should have a good brain for mathematics. This is because piloting can often demand the pilot to do some quick arithmetic math, especially when a disaster has struck and they are trying to figure out an escape route or resolve the ongoing problem.

But a creative person too!

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Not only does a great pilot need to be a mathematical person, they need to be creative too. It's the most creative pilots that have thought up some incredible solutions to seemingly impossible situations. Exercise that creative brain to improve your skills.

Determination is hugely important

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A great pilot will have a whole lot of determination within them. As mentioned before, piloting takes a long time to learn and the student often has to be determined to become a first-class pilot in order to make it through all the training and behind the cockpit of a big flight.

A lot of self-confidence

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All pilots need to be confident in their skills as a professional pilot. If you're not? Fake it till you make it. It helps when dealing with stressful situations, whether that be in a one-seat propeller plane or flying a massive multi-engine aircraft with multiple passengers.

Insane coordination skills

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Coordination is obviously a massive part of being a pilot. Someone who is coordinated, even if that means your reflexes are great, will instantly have an advantage as a better pilot as they are able to keep their eyes on more than one thing at once, making sure nothing goes amiss.

Great at working within a team

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Although piloting can seem somewhat a solitary job, they actually need great team-working skills to excel. It's been found that most flight accidents were caused by the breakdown of teamwork aboard a flight, so pilots and crew need to work together to avoid disaster.

Fantastic ability to plan

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There's actually a whole lot of planning to do when it comes to flying a plane. It can be a number of things; planning out the flight-path, the impacts of the weather, the airports nearby, the amount of fuel, the duration of the journey. None of this should go amiss.

Impeccable attention to detail

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There's a lot going on when flying a plane, as you can tell about that insanely confusing cockpit most planes have. Pilots need to be aware of every button, switch, radar or dial going on in order to make sure that the plane is flying how it should be.

Ability to think quickly

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Thinking quickly can be a hard skill to develop but it's a crucial one. Pilots will have a better time flying if they are able to make decisions impulsively without spending too much time thinking about it. Although, that doesn't mean making bad decisions!

Self-reflection skills

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Pilots should be able to reflect upon their own craft and think of ways that they can improve their skills. They should have some fantastic experiences that are able to influence them in identifying their weaknesses and also improving themselves to become the best pilot they can be.

Humility is key

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While pilots should obviously be confidence, humility shouldn't go amiss. Pilots will always know that although they may be a fairly competent flyer, there's always room for improvement to be made. They want to work from their mistakes and turn them into positives.

A natural leader

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While pilots should be great at working in teams, they should be great at leading them too. On commercial flights, the Captain is responsible for directing their co-pilot and crew, which means that they should lead by example and gain respect from their teammates.

Can take constructive criticism

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Pilots should always be looking to improve their craft as an airline flyer and this means that they should take any constructive criticism that comes their way head on, so they are able to use it to improve themselves. I mean, it's a good trait to have all round!

Aware of their responsibility

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A pilot should have an awareness of their responsibility and also who they are responsible for. After all, if any dangerous situations arise they not only have to consider themselves but every single person aboard that flight too. Nobody said it was easy!

Adaptability in stressful situations

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Being adaptable is a fantastic trait for a successful pilot. It can mean a number of things like weather forecasts changing, flight routes changing, destinations changing, a disaster on board with a passenger. There are a number of things that can go wrong!

Compose themselves well

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Have you ever seen a pilot get all stressed out from a little turbulence? No. Well, that's because pilots usually have a tendency to know how to compose themselves no matter the given situation. It's a good skill to develop when you're going through pilot training.

Able to interpret technical information

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This goes without saying. Flying a plane is complicated and there's a lot of technical information that needs to be learned. This can mean interpreting technical data that can be hard to decipher, reading complex gauges, scanning minuscule radars and lots more.

A keenly motivated individual

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A great pilot will be a motivated person within their job and outside of their job as well. After all, a laid-back, go-with-the-flow sort probably won't make one of the best pilots as they won't be alert enough for the job. Those that succeed are those that are motivated.

Quick thinking on the spot

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Now this has to be one of the most important traits of a pilot on this list. When flying an aircraft, no matter the size, the conditions and safety can be unpredictable and call for spontaneous rash decisions. Now, the thing is, you need to know how to quickly make these decisions to avoid a disaster.

An innate desire to learn

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Becoming a pilot isn't an easy trade to learn. There's years of piloting school and that's before you even get into the cockpit of a plane. Nope, pilots need to have an innate desire to learn everything piloting, even if that means staying up late at night to read the dummy's guide on how to fly a plane.

A selective rule-breaker

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Pilots don't often break the rules and have to abide by the regulations set out by their company and their aircraft manufacturer. However, on some occasions, pilots need to break the rules in order to keep everyone on board safe, it's a no-brainer really.

Great with customers

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While you might have never even considered this, customer service is a big part of becoming a great pilot. Although the passengers don't always get to see who is flying their plane, sometimes they do, and it's better for them to know that you are a good person than not feeling confident in your abilities.

Respect and passion for the duty of piloting

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Last, but certainly not least, all pilots should have respect and passion for the duty of being a world class pilot. It's not often you hear anyone dreading work or having a bad work day as a pilot; that's because they tend to love their job and wouldn't trade it for the world.