Jumpseat: The Easy Part — Flying the Airplane

Les Abend

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

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Pre-flight responsibilities for airline pilots are extensive, encompassing administrative tasks, weather assessment, and personal readiness, sometimes leading to unexpected time pressures.
A diverse range of challenges can emerge before departure, from passenger disputes and technical discrepancies (MEL items) to unusual maintenance issues like engine ice.
Successful navigation of these complex pre-flight hurdles relies heavily on effective crew teamwork, delegation, and adaptability, highlighting that "flying the airplane was still the easy part" compared to the ground operations.

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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.