“My wife often jokes that, sometimes her friends tell her that they don’t know if she really has a husband because they always hear about me but never see me during the festive season.”
This is the sentiment of a 36-year-old pilot who often spends his festive season in the sky ferrying passengers who are visiting families and going on holiday.
The father of two from Cape Town says the most fulfilling part of his job is knowing that passengers are pleased with their journeys.
“I think when I start my day, I try to look at that. Check the situation — weather, airport, and how I can make it the best possible experience for me, the crew and the paying customers," he said.
Though working during the festive season is a bit more challenging and busier, this doesn’t deter him from doing what he loves.
Despite not being able to spend time with his family, this Capetonian, who cannot be named as he is officially not allowed to speak to the media, says there is a positive side to working over the festive season.
It’s wonderful to see people visiting Cape Town, going to the coast and being reunited with their loved ones.
“At the same time, I am leaving my family at home. They [family] also count working hours. Sometimes, we will wake up at 3am and get to the airport to do a 5am to 5pm flight, and sometimes we will work very late at night,” he said.
His festive season planning revolves around his work schedule, which he usually gets in advance, allowing him to know whether he’s working on Christmas day or is able to spend some time with his family.
“Maybe you’re doing the early flight, then you’re going to have Christmas lunch at 2pm, and the plans happen around that, or you can’t be there at all. It is difficult. Sometimes we have our Christmas celebration the next day or the previous day, depending on availability,” he said.
His family plans the festive celebrations around his work, which doesn’t always work out though.
He started work as a pilot in 2008 when he obtained his licence. The following year, he worked as a flying instructor and in 2014 started flying in West Africa for the UN, later joining an airline.
The festive season is extremely busy, he says, meaning often having to deal with passenger issues.
This may be medical issues or some passengers being in a “festive mood” and tending to drink more alcohol while on board, sometimes leading to behavioural problems.
Because many elderly people travel at this time of the year, the crew is also confronted with more medical issues.
“Also, in the South African context, we have a lot of issues at the airports in terms of the facilities [challenges related to unavailable instrument flight procedures (IFPs)] which often leave passengers frustrated,” he said.
This is extremely frustrating for pilots who might be tired after flying in bad weather and are unable to land at some airports because of runways being closed.
“It is an issue for the business, it is an issue for the passengers because passengers now can’t get to their destinations but for us specifically you flown for two hours to get to Kruger now the weather is marginal. You approach the airport but might not be able to land and now have to fly back, causing frustration for passengers eager to get to their destinations and adding more hours to your flying schedule,” he said.
Flight attendants are also often blamed by passengers when there are problems, making their jobs difficult too.
“We are just the face that you are seeing on the front line of the aircraft, so perhaps just to be a little bit more patient and understanding that makes our job a lot easier and not miserable,” he said.
He added that he is fortunate to be in a field which he is passionate about.
According to him, a lot of planning goes into every flight.
“You have to look at the weather, you have to look at the chart, you need to know what is happening at the airports and how you can make the trip the best possible experience for the passengers from when you start the day,” he says.
TimesLIVE
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