Keeping the Skies Safe

Clues gathered since Tuesday, August 24, 2004, after two Russian airplanes crashed at about the same time, have persuaded investigators that the "coincidental" tragedy -- killing all 89 people on board -- was the result of coordinated terrorist attacks.

The flights both took off out of Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport -- one headed for a Black Sea resort town and the other on its way to Volgograd.

About 45 minutes after the second plane left the runway, air traffic controllers lost contact with both planes within three minutes of each other. One pilot sent out a hijack alert just before his plane crashed.

Agents at the crash sites have discovered traces of an explosive, and suspected Chechen rebels are under investigation.

Fortunately, hundreds of airplanes safely carry millions of passengers all over the world every month, and crashes -- for whatever reasons -- are rare occurrences. In fact, statistically speaking, a person is more at risk of an accident in a car on the road than in an airplane in the sky.

But this generally good safety record is no accident -- pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers, and other professionals must coordinate their skills and efforts to ensure this.

To get an idea of what these professionals must do to get certified and work for a commercial airline, this week you'll tour the world of aviation careers.

A Pilot's Life

Let's start in the "brain" of the airplane, and find out How Becoming an Airline Pilot Works, at the HowStuffWorks site.

Read the introduction, then uncover some of the Myths, Stereotypes and Realities of a pilot's world. How does the profile of pilots compare with that in the 1950s?

Next, find out what it takes for Starting a Career as an Airline Pilot, including Education. Once hired, an airline will provide additional Training.

What all does getting a commercial pilot's certificate involve? What additional factors are helpful in getting hired as a pilot? Why does the airline need to guarantee a training program of their own for new hires?

As you'll learn, there are often two or more Pilot Positions in a commercial cockpit. In what ways do the jobs of the captain, first officer, and second officers vary?

Now discover the role of Seniority at an airline and what Life at Work is like. So, do you think a pilot's career is something you could live with, either as the pilot or the pilot's family?

Fly the Virtual Skies

Remember all of that stuff that a person needs to know to get a commercial pilot certificate? Well, there are other jobs in the world of aviation that require similar types of education, training, and certification. To discover more about these careers, fly the Virtual Skies with NASA.

After you Enter the site, begin with the Weather and review the Tutorial.

Discover how the Atmosphere, Wind, Moisture, Clouds, and information from Weather Services must all be considered when piloting an aircraft.

In what ways does each factor influence a pilot's decisions? How can these factors vary depending on when and where the pilot is flying? When are the Visual Flight Rules vs. the Instrument Flight Rules followed?

After the tutorial, Take Control and run through the You Decide section. Have you learned enough to get your Certification? If you have time in class or on your own, check out this section's Career Radar.

Review the other Virtual Skies sections as you did the Aviation Weather section.

These sections include Aviation Research, Airport Design, Air Traffic Management, Navigation, Communication, and Aeronautics.

What roles does each of these fields play in ensuring the success and safety of commercial airline flights? How critical is communication and cooperation between the people holding these different positions? What could be the consequences if someone doesn't do his or her job properly?

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Newspaper Activities

Watch for any news in Targetnewspaper about an airplane or commercial airline. If the news is about a specific airplane, did it have some type of accident or run into some other type of trouble? If so, was it the fault of the pilot, the airplane, the air traffic controllers, hijackers, or just a surprise in the weather? If the news is about an airline (or airport), how does the news relate to or affect the airline's various employees? Are professionals in certain fields affected while those in different fields are not? What exactly are the influencing factors?