Jumpseat: The Easy Part — Flying the Airplane

Les Abend

Friday, June 03, 2011 at 07:34 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article highlights the numerous and varied challenges faced by a flight crew during pre-flight preparations, ranging from administrative tasks and a captain's initial timing misjudgment to unexpected passenger issues like a service dog.
The crew encountered several technical discrepancies (MEL items) and an unusual maintenance problem (ice in engine nacelles) requiring diligent review, problem-solving, and coordination with ground staff.
Despite the constant influx of complex issues, the captain emphasizes the critical role of strong teamwork and delegation among the crew, especially his copilots, in managing the chaos and ensuring a safe and nearly punctual departure.
The overall experience underscores the paradox that the administrative and problem-solving aspects on the ground are often far more demanding than the act of flying the aircraft itself.

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(May 2011) I HAD COMMUTED INTO JFK from my home in Florida with plenty of time to spare before my late evening trip to São Paulo. As I opened the door to Operations and walked past the revision room, Rocco Zavaglia was engaged in the mundane chore of wrestling Jeppesen paper in and out of a three-ring binder. He looked up, grinned and offered a greeting. Rocco would be my relief pilot — the third crew member for the trip.

I stopped by the crew mailbox room anticipating that after eight days away from work I would also have to participate in the revision ritual. I was right. My mail slot was stacked. Gray, blue, orange and tan packets filled the space. Not one geographic division was absent. Europe, South America, Domestic and the Far East all needed my attention. I sighed. The sampling of the airport’s fine dining would be delayed. I opened my flight kit bag and removed most of the contents, depositing the Jepp binders on a tabletop.