Define Professionalism

Sisson2011

Sisson2011

Well-Known Member
I am working on a senior project and need some help. We are doing a project for the FAA Flight Standards Division. Part of our project is finding a uniform definition for the word professionalism relating to aviation and pilots. If anyone could would you mind listing what you're company (aviation related or not) uses to define professionalism. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Sisson2011 said:
I am working on a senior project and need some help. We are doing a project for the FAA Flight Standards Division. Part of our project is finding a uniform definition for the word professionalism relating to aviation and pilots. If anyone could would you mind listing what you're company (aviation related or not) uses to define professionalism. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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I got this from another JC member when preparing for an interview, but I agree with it whole hardly and use it as my own. Thanks Keith :)

A professional pilot consists of these three attributes:

1.) Technical Apt - Know your airplane and the environment you operate the airplane in to the best of your ability. Be able to pull from this "bank of knowledge" to troubleshoot any situation that may come your way, whether it be a normal or abnormal.

2.) ADM - We all know it's easy to do our job when all goes well, but we earn our paycheck when the poop hits the fan. The ability to make "safe" & "efficient" decisions on a daily basis, along w/ the ability to stay cool under pressure if an abnormal or emergency arises.

3.) Ability to interact w/ others - whether this be other crew members, customers, or management this is a key. To be able to handle the work environment like an adult and maintain good relations with all.

That should get you started. :)
 
chesley-sullenberger.jpg
 
Personal view... Professionalism- pursuing the task at hand to the best ability possible, utilizing all resources, while upholding yourself to the highest of morals and values.
 
A professional (or someone who practices professionalism) is the opposite of an amateur. Start by thinking about and defining an 'amateur' and you may begin to find some answers. Sometimes it helps to define what something isn't, first.

(I swear that's not a cop-out answer, just a typical teacher-type answer...hooray for critical thinking.)
 
I tell people: " Every action you take that is related to your job, either directly or tangentially, is compared to a known standard, and professionalism is meeting or exceeding that standard. "
 
higney85 said:
Personal view... Professionalism- pursuing the task at hand to the best ability possible, utilizing all resources, while upholding yourself to the highest of morals and values.
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This. No need to make it too complex imo. I would also add: always working to continually improve upon his or her skill-sets. This means that we acknowledge our mistakes, own them, and learn from them. We all F up from time to time, when that happens that doesn't mean a person is unprofessional, unless the person chooses not to learn from it/blames it one someone else.

Also, professionalism is more than just taking pride in one's appearance and being attentive to detail. I've known plenty of pilots that that seem obsessed with appearances and do a lot of dump crap in an airplane. So for me, professionalism is more an attitude and behavior than anything else.

Edit: Itchy makes a great point above this post too.
 
dasleben said:
Has nobody mentioned the hat? I mean seriously, the hat is +50 professionalism points.



Unfortunately that's more true than most people realize!
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If I wear the hat, how the hell can you see my frosted tips and hair gel. :sarcasm:
 
mshunter said:
Not hot boxing the cockpit after eating a Pink's chili cheese burger on your way back from LAS.
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Haha. We wouldn't fly well together. I gotta let one rip, I'm gonna let it rip. You have two options. Sit there and complain while helping sniff it up. Or sit there, sniff it up, and turn it into a competition.
 
Professionalism: To create an Epic pilot, good for instances and pilot vs pilot you must take your time to gear up appropriately

Pilot vs pilot: To be able to hold something over your other pilot, to be king of the hill:
Fly a fast no autopilot plane: 10-50 pts (1900 pilot; 38pts FO 43pts CA)
Racing and beating a supposedly faster airplane to the runway in a parallel situation consistently: 8pts
Ability to wear a beard at work and not get fired: 4-12pts (depending on size of beard)
Having a good pilots union: 18-50pts
Make thousands more than your peer: 10-40pts (bonus points temp. added during battle if opponent complains that a couple extra thousand a year is meaningless if your company isn't growing, that is a newb spam maneuver)
Wholly owned with flow: 14pts
Wearing epaulets correctly even if your in a Super RJ (-900, -170/5): 6pts
Ironing shirt regularily: 2-6pts
Flight case is so old you have to tape it together: 2-15pts (if it was a cheap case when you bought it only 2 pts, skies the limit on the fake and real leather)
Total # of hours/100: ___pts (max 100pts)
Good attitude and ability to learn and change as the day goes by: 30-50pts
You have an emergency fund setup and you are out of debt: 55pts (hard number)
Live by yourself, without help from mom and dad: 18pts

Anything above 100 is epic, and you can have the respect of your peers even if pts are lower.

Instance battle (dungeon) is a completely different battle. Like any computer sim you are working against stupid computers doing stupid repeatable computers things. In this case you are simply trying to impress you passengers, family, people who are around you who have a private license or less.

Ipod: 60pts
Frost tips: 50-150pts
Backpack: 25-50pts
"props are for boats" Sticker: 15pts
"I (heart) flying" sticker: 15pts
anything you can do to draw attention to yourself as a pilot in public: 25-85pts
wearing the full uniform to the grocery store on your way home: 30pts (stackable)
believing your job as the FO is the same as the CA: 15pts
using your cell as a flashlight during postflight: 15pts
not "believing" in unions (whatever that means): 18pts
if you tell everyone you fly a jet: 80pts
total hours at hire in the 250 range and you tell everyone how good you must have been: EPIC 130pts!
paying for job: 80 points
paying for job and suggest it to others: 100pts (Stackable!!)

In these battles you are simply trying to create an awe factor, if you do run into another pilot during these "computer" battles compare total points earned like you would scores on a shooting game. If you have more points, you have pownt your peer. But lets face it, if you are that good, you have no peer! TOTALLY EPIC!!!
 
Hacker15e said:
Nobody mentioned getting paid yet? Hard to be a 'pro' without doing it for the $!
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So a doctor "working" for Doctors Without Borders is not a professional? A pilot doing volunteer work can not be a professional? When I go to elementary schools to teach about aviation I am not a professional because I don't charge for this? I certainly did not get sent to the Sahara Desert for six months for the money... no amount of money would have made that worth while. Nor getting sent to the Middle East for a year and being seperateed from my family for 15 months... no amount of money would have made up for that and I was paid far less than some of the Blackwater pilots. Did that mean I was no longer a "professional" officer?
 
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