the airplane symbol of our mastery of the skies spanning oceans and continents in ever dwindling hours bringing new hope to the people of the world new horizons to industry and new careers  for air transportation has proved itself a vital factor in the social and economic life of modern civilization it is a rapidly expanding industry embracing many trades and professions and industry employing thousands of person for example to keep each airliner in the air today over one hundred workers are needed on the ground many of these are engaged in office work this numbers the reservations department comprises a specialized group it is here that flight schedules rates reservations and related subjects are communicated directly to the public by telephone the work is interesting but requires tax sales ability and the pleasant well  another reservations job is that the ticket counter here however the duties include the actual issuing of tickets through direct personal contact with the public as in many departments the work is handled in ships or around the clock service characterizes the industry the welfare of the passenger is of paramount importance to care for his needs men known as transportation agents are employed well trained in government and airline regulations they have often gained their experience in previous jobs s agent reservations representative or similar work through on the job training they learn how to prepare flight movement reports and coordinate the dispatching of passengers male baggage and freight transportation agents also contribute to the safety of the airline operations by determining the proper weight distribution of cargo the operation of an airline requires countless messages in order to coordinate all departments this is generally done by teletype and radio many of the  large number of whom obtain their training in commercial school accuracy and speed as well as a knowledge of airline code is necessary although important their work does not require the extensive training demanded of the radio operator in addition to operating you must be able to maintain and repair radio and telephonic equipment you must hold a radio telephone second class license or better if you buy the federal communications commission the radio operator keeps in close touch with planes in flight and by using them on such things as operational details and weather conditions using weather balloons and various recording devices the united states weather bureau gathers nationwide climatic information and sends it via teletype to airline rapa country the information is then charted analyzed and interpreted into weather forecast by the airline to be a logical department this work require specialized college training and unusual accuracy in judgment but the key figure in all flight operations is the flight superintendent he is the man who decides whether the planes will fly or not he releases all planes on his division follows their progress in the air and keeps the captains or pilots advised of conditions affecting their flight the flight to print tendon to gether with a captain plan each flight in the tail this exacting work calls for a pilot who is also a qualified dispatcher certificate and by the civil aeronautics authority in addition he must have an accurate knowledge of communication facility is responsibility is he coordinates all flight operations to achieve these objectives saves swift and dependable air transportation but the safety of operations also depends upon the proper maintenance of blame for this reason many skilled mechanics must be employed their work is highly specialized and those who direct or supervise such work must hold a federal government certificate and rating depending upon the type of work they do for example mechanics qualified to supervise work on general maintenance including dismantling welding or fabricating must hold what is called an a or aircraft certificate others who supervise and approve engine work only are required by the civil aeronautics authority to hold an engine certificate but no matter what their chosen field may be regular apprenticeship courses or equivalent technical schooling is required however planes need more than mechanical attention for they must also be washed clean and polished this general utility work for no special training and is done by fleet service helpers thus only through regular and thoro maintenance on the airlines provide the service and schedules upon which the passengers the pin the arrival and departure of planes is regulated by dispatchers in the control tower these man service traffic coordinators keeping congestion at the field to a minimum they are employed by the federal government and must told us a terrific it would signifies their knowledge of air traffic regulations for those young men who enjoy working out of doors in all kinds of weather there opportunities as ground crew members fast work in refueling and servicing of planes is required ground crew men as well as cargo handlers need little training but should be able to maintain simple records cargo handlers must know how to load cargo properly according to its destination in other words what comes out first should be loaded last there are many workers essential to air transportation but throughout this number the flying crew is perhaps the most colorful group of all and important and familiar part of this crew is the smiling hostess or stewardess who enters a paid for the needs of every passenger the hostess must be a person of charm as well as capability to qualify and most airlines she must be healthy single and between the ages of twenty one and twenty eight if you must be between five feet two and five feet six inches in height and of normal weight girls who are accepted receive special training in the rudiments of flight regulations air routes meteorology and aeronautics to be eligible at least one year of college or three years of equivalent business experience is necessary knowledge of foreign languages is becoming a definite asset with increasing worldwide air routes when the passengers are a the ground crew men clear away all service equipment in preparation for the takeoff one by one the huge engines roar into action as another giant of the air prepares to thunder down the runway many workers in all kinds of jobs have coordinated their efforts to make this flight possible but without the skill and knowledge of the pilots the plane would never leave the ground these men with wings represent but a small number of all airline and their qualifications are high perfect health is essential they must have hundreds of hours in the air and an intimate knowledge of are not exempt related subjects the competition for this work is extremely keen and only those with unusual ability and experience can expect to find employment the majority of job opportunities to be found in airline passenger service however freight and air express services are expanding rapidly to meet an increasing demand for swift transport of medicines perishable food furniture and hundreds of other products and in the future this branch of air transportation will offer employment possibilities for pilots as well as many others but opportunities in air transportation are not restricted to large airline organizations many small companies and individuals maintain private planes providing transportation or feeder service between local points in work such as this there are jobs for pilots field managers in airport engineers mechanics and helpers the control tower operators linklater instructors flight instructors and many others but the of training and education for the better positions and higher paying jobs cannot be overemphasized colleges and specialized schools throughout the country maintain facilities for teaching different phases of air transportation the armed forces operate sceptical opportunities for young men to acquire steel and experience in many aviation jobs technical books trade magazines and government publications provide current information and trends in air transportation and airlines from coast to coast maintain training programs for all types of work by bill to this expanding industry but obtaining employment will not be easy competition for jobs is great and the total number employed is comparatively small however the industry makes up for this by the variety of jobs it offers individual qualifications are a deciding factor and if you want to learn and earn your living in a useful and romantic industry air transportation presents a challenge and an opportunity for your life