What Does it Take to be a Fastjet Pilot?
The more you fly, the more you learn about the aircraft you are flying, and with that practice comes experience and confidence.
Learning to fly different aircraft as you progress through your flying career is one of the most exciting parts of becoming a pilot. At first you probably start off in a small single engine aircraft, then as you gain valuable experience and knowledge you move up to a more challenging machine, perhaps you may fly an aircraft with retractable gear, or constant speed propeller, then move onto a small twin engine. You progress into more challenging flying, such as aerobatic training, tail wheel endorsements and so on.
From there it continues as your experience and knowledge grows, so too does your ability to manage a faster airplane, with more systems and more things going on around you. Your situational awareness becomes finely tuned and your ability to be ahead of the aircraft has increased with the challenges of multiple systems to operate and the possible outcomes to consider.
Becoming a fastjet pilot is no different than learning to fly a more advanced aircraft. It does take skill and it does take commitment, but that is the same requirement needed to fly any new aircraft.
When you are flying a fastjet, you quickly learn that you need to keep ahead of the aircraft at all times, you can't let the aircraft get ahead of you.
You will spend many hours in ground school; (probably more than double the time it will take you to actually gain your jet endorsement) to learn and understand the many various aircraft systems that are relevant to your jet and most importantly, you will soon be aware of the need for precise, quick decision making and the operation of the emergency systems.
A fastjet pilot will always respect the power of the machine they are flying and will be acutely aware that things can and do go wrong, and when it goes pear shaped, it all happens very quickly! However through a high level of training, ongoing currency commitment and the ultimate respect for these awesome airplanes, a fastjet pilot will develop the skills needed to fly some of the fastest machines on the planet and they will also be having a lot of fun doing it!!
