Do Airline Pilots Get To Choose What Aircraft They Fly? — Omar Kaddouha
By: Omar Kaddouha
Tags: Airline, Aircraft, Omar Kaddouha, Aviation, Pilot

Do Airline Pilots Get To Choose What Aircraft They Fly? — Omar Kaddouha Omar Kaddouha Jan 27·3 min read

Do Airline Pilots Get To Choose What Aircraft They Fly?

The answer to this question varies among airlines and other factors. First, some airlines permit pilots to choose the aircraft they want to fly or to co-pilot. However, it is always not so simple because the ranks also matter when it comes to these types of decisions.

Senior pilots often choose which aircraft they want to fly, which leaves junior pilots with limited options. The seniority level is brought about by the hours of flight the pilot has or how long he/she has been employed in the airline.

The seniority levels matter a lot when it is time to make these decisions. Further, some airlines are very fussy when designating aircraft to pilots. They do this to ensure there is quality in the service they provide. Additionally, if the airline has been involved in an aircraft accident, they tend to appoint pilots to fly certain aircraft to avoid a similar incident.

The Type Of Aircraft

Certain airlines assign an aircraft to a pilot because of its design and make. When a pilot joins an airline, they are placed at the bottom of the seniority list. That means they get to fly planes over short routes.

The Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 are the best regional jets that any standard airline has. They assign these two aircraft to new pilots because they do not travel for long distances. As the pilot rises in ranks, they get a Boeing 777, an aircraft designed for the long haul.

Further, as a new pilot, you must not necessarily get to fly the short routes. You can get an aircraft that travels for long distances, but you are only a second officer or even the fourth in rank at the flight deck.

Lastly, some airlines have introduced the bidding option. They ask the pilots who wish to fly to certain destinations to bid. The outcome is purely based on luck. However, this is very uncommon in western nations and is mainly applicable to Asia.

How To Become a Pilot In Lebanon

The qualifications for becoming a pilot in Lebanon are not as high, and many young people can do a pilot course. The nation has three accredited pilot schools that take in students each year. However, to enroll, you must be a holder of a high school certificate, communicate proper English, and pass a doctor’s examination. Among other requirements specified by the institutions.

Additionally, you must be above seventeen years of age to enroll in pilot school. However, that is not all; you must be above eighteen years to get a commercial pilot license, which you must use to get employment as a pilot.

Planes For Junior Pilots In Lebanon

Junior pilots are the ones at the beginning of their careers. They do not have much experience flying, so they are given the easiest planes to fly and the shortest routes to cover. A junior pilot in Lebanon is given the Cessna 172 aircraft and which, according to a survey, is the easiest to fly.

Other additional aircraft for junior pilots include the Diamond DV20 Katana and the Piper PA-20.

In Conclusion

Dr.Omar Kaddouha is the chief executive of Flight Safety in the Civil Aviation Directorate of Lebanon. He has a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialty in Aviation. Additionally, he works closely with various international aviation bodies to ensure all passengers are kept away from harm.

He ensures all airlines do both an internal and external audit before and after all flights. The audits are carried out to ensure there is integrity in flight operations.

Omar kaddouha’s office is also responsible for several activities. He carries out accident and incident prevention analysis. He believes that it is important if you want to prevent an accident or recover from one.

Lastly, he disseminates flight safety-related information to all airlines and carries out corrective actions on audits.