Jumpseat: The Easy Part — Flying the Airplane

Les Abend

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

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article recounts a pilot's challenging pre-flight experience, detailing a series of unexpected issues including a personal schedule mix-up, a service dog dispute, multiple equipment discrepancies (MELs), and an unusual discovery of ice in the engine nacelles.
It highlights the critical importance of crew collaboration and effective delegation, crediting the copilots for their professionalism and active support in resolving issues and ensuring the flight's safe, albeit slightly delayed, departure.
The central theme emphasizes that the diverse administrative, logistical, and interpersonal complexities on the ground often make "flying the airplane" the least challenging aspect of a pilot's duties.

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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.