Professional pilots?

Cameron Rouse

Filing Flight Plan
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Jan 12, 2019
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F35fan
Any professional pilots in here? If so are you willing to answer a few questions I have regarding technical reports/communication in your field of work?
 
There are a few, first off who are you? Second shoot
 
Any professional pilots in here? If so are you willing to answer a few questions I have regarding technical reports/communication in your field of work?
I guess that depends on how you define professional. Plenty of us here get paid to fly.
 
I am a college student in an aeronautics program and im currently taking a technical reporting course, in which I was asked to interview someone who works in the field I major in. I have about 7 questions about how technical reports work for pilots
 
1) whats your title and experience in the field you work in?
2) what percentage of time does your field of work require you to write emails, letters, memos,etc. And do you think its too high, too low or just the right amount?
3) what kind of technical writing will I be required to do as a pilot?
4) how important is the writing I will be doing as a professional pilot?
5) what are the consequences of bad writing, or bad writing habits when writing these reports?
6) what role does teamwork play in creating written products as a professional pilot? If any*
7) how important is the look of a finished document?
8) if confidentiality is not an issue can you please provide an example of good and bad technical writing in your field?
 
Yeah, no kidding! I can honestly answer these questions in one terribly written post, or email.

22 years. For the rest of the questions, Not Applicable is the reply for line pilots. Just show up with the mind set of a professional and do the job with some of that pilot schit thrown in.

But there's a big HOWEVER, if you're asking these questions to a pilot that is on a specialization (safety, tech pilot, instructor, LOSA, RNP, ETOPS, etc), it can be the difference between FAA approvals, and or violations. And on the labor side, well, that kind of conversation is out of the scope of this forum. Most likely I can't give you much specific information on examples since that's all property of the company or Union. PM me if you would like.

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1) whats your title and experience in the field you work in?
2) what percentage of time does your field of work require you to write emails, letters, memos,etc. And do you think its too high, too low or just the right amount?
3) what kind of technical writing will I be required to do as a pilot?
4) how important is the writing I will be doing as a professional pilot?
5) what are the consequences of bad writing, or bad writing habits when writing these reports?
6) what role does teamwork play in creating written products as a professional pilot? If any*
7) how important is the look of a finished document?
8) if confidentiality is not an issue can you please provide an example of good and bad technical writing in your field?

Professional pilot includes a large variable of subsets. For someone working as a corporate pilot, managing the aircraft comes with the position. You will be communicating with your employer about budgets, expense reports, maintenance, itineraries, insurance, periodic training, ect.

You will be communicating with maintence providers and trouble shooting problems and coordinating service around the demands of the employer.

You will be communicating with FBOs for services including hangar, fuel, lodging, catering, rental cars, ect.
 
1) whats your title and experience in the field you work in?

Chief Pilot for a regional airline, 29 years as an airline pilot

2) what percentage of time does your field of work require you to write emails, letters, memos,etc. And do you think its too high, too low or just the right amount?

60-70% right amount

3) what kind of technical writing will I be required to do as a pilot?

A line pilot would not do much writing. Management pilots require these skills.

4) how important is the writing I will be doing as a professional pilot?

Not much unless in a management or union roll

5) what are the consequences of bad writing, or bad writing habits when writing these reports?

Non-pilots will judge your intelligence and competence based on your writing skills. Lack of clarity in technical writing could lead to poor communication and faulty performance.

6) what role does teamwork play in creating written products as a professional pilot? If any*

Often we will bounce drafts between chief pilots and I’ll have my administrative assistant review drafts as well.

7) how important is the look of a finished document?

Very important

8) if confidentiality is not an issue can you please provide an example of good and bad technical writing in your field?

It would be an issue. Sorry.
..........
 
I am a pro. See below

1) whats your title and experience in the field you work in? Sales, used machinery
2) what percentage of time does your field of work require you to write emails, letters, memos,etc. And do you think its too high, too low or just the right amount? 75% too high
3) what kind of technical writing will I be required to do as a pilot? Write reports after landing like Sully
4) how important is the writing I will be doing as a professional pilot? No one will read it
5) what are the consequences of bad writing, or bad writing habits when writing these reports? Very little
6) what role does teamwork play in creating written products as a professional pilot? If any* make other team mates write it.
7) how important is the look of a finished document? More important than the content
8) if confidentiality is not an issue can you please provide an example of good and bad technical writing in your field? Bad grammer ...writtin on iphone
...written on i phone
 
1. I’ve been an airline pilot for 20 years, currently a 737 captain at Alaska Airlines.

2. Less than 1%

3. There is not much technical writing for the average airline pilot. The only writing is the occasional irregularity/safety report. Those reports are just facts, and possibly retrospective “what could I have done differently” or recommendations for procedural or operational changes.

Other “writing” is reporting discrepancies in a maintenance log. “PSEU light illuminated after landing.” Very specific and unique to each operation.

4. When required, it’s very important to have a concise and well-thought narrative.

5. Bad writing results in incomplete thoughts and possibly the wrong causal effects in an irregularity narrative.

6. Not much collaboration in these reports.

7. All our reports are via web forms, so formatting is not an issue.




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1) What is your title and experience in the field you work in?
2) What percentage of time does your field of work require you to write emails, letters, memos, etc... Do you think it is too high, too low, or just the right amount?
3) What kind of technical writing will I be required to do as a pilot?
4) How important is the writing I will be doing as a professional pilot?
5) What are the consequences of bad writing, or bad writing habits when writing these reports?
6) What role does teamwork play in creating written products as a professional pilot? (If any)
7) How important is the look of a finished document?
8) If confidentiality is not an issue, can you provide an example of good and bad technical writing in your field?

Considering the topic... FTFY (not being a smart ass just trying to help)

Glad you got some serious responses, good luck.
 
1) whats your title and experience in the field you work in?
2) what percentage of time does your field of work require you to write emails, letters, memos,etc. And do you think its too high, too low or just the right amount?
3) what kind of technical writing will I be required to do as a pilot?
4) how important is the writing I will be doing as a professional pilot?
5) what are the consequences of bad writing, or bad writing habits when writing these reports?
6) what role does teamwork play in creating written products as a professional pilot? If any*
7) how important is the look of a finished document?
8) if confidentiality is not an issue can you please provide an example of good and bad technical writing in your field?
1) Airline captain on an A321.

2) -8) Writing is nothing as compared to cockpit communication amongst crew.
Technical writing is for management.... and yes, it’s lacking.
 
1) whats your title and experience in the field you work in?
2) what percentage of time does your field of work require you to write emails, letters, memos,etc. And do you think its too high, too low or just the right amount?
3) what kind of technical writing will I be required to do as a pilot?
4) how important is the writing I will be doing as a professional pilot?
5) what are the consequences of bad writing, or bad writing habits when writing these reports?
6) what role does teamwork play in creating written products as a professional pilot? If any*
7) how important is the look of a finished document?
8) if confidentiality is not an issue can you please provide an example of good and bad technical writing in your field?

I ain't no profeshunal pilot but i'm gonna answer 2) anyway. probably to damn much
 
Not Applicable is the reply for line pilots. Just show up with the mind set of a professional and do the job with some of that pilot schit thrown in.
This. My professional piloting consisted of banner work and skydivers. The only technical writing I did was texting my boss to find out where we were going drinking that night.
 
I suspect “test pilots” or corporate pilots likely write a lot more than airline pilots.
 
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