The following is a very interesting read I've found on the company website of Lufthansa.
Airline pilot - a dream job
“This is one of the best jobs I could ever have,” says First Officer Sven Schönleber. The 31-year-old Lufthansa co-pilot comes from the small town of Holzgerlingen in Swabia. Join him on a four-day rotation from Frankfurt to Orlando, Florida, and back and experience a normal day with him.
Rotation to Orlando
The morning sky over Frankfurt is hazy, but the mercury is rising rapidly. Dressed in his dark uniform, Sven Schönleber enters the Flight Operations Center (FOC) at Frankfurt Airport. In a few hours’ time, he will take off for Orlando in the sunshine state of Florida. Sven Schönleber is a Lufthansa pilot and is here to be briefed on the route to his destination. The one broad and two narrow stripes on his sleeve and on the epaulettes of his shirt identify him as a Senior First Officer, or SFO. This means that he is qualified to take over when the pilot in command takes a break once the aircraft has reached its cruising altitude.
Beads of sweat glisten on Schönleber’s forehead. “The air conditioning wasn’t working on the ICE,” he says. Schönleber travels to work by train. The connection to Frankfurt Airport is so good, he explains, and it means that he generally arrives at work relaxed – avoiding the stress of being caught in a traffic jam. Today he had to put up with the unexpected inconvenience. “But it is more important that I arrive on time,” he adds.
Because he always allows extra time to get to work, he has time for a cup of coffee and a chat with his colleagues before the briefing with the other members of the cockpit crew. Here Schönleber meets the first crew members for the forthcoming flight, LH 464. Next to him stands Gerhard Weiland – “my boss”, as Schönleber calls the captain on the flight to Orlando.
Briefing and getting acquainted
On the flight plan, the briefing is scheduled to start at 12.20 hrs, 100 minutes before take-off. Ahead of the briefing with cabin crew, the cockpit crew, consisting of Weiland, Schönleber and the second co-pilot, SFO Patrick Schlag, meet for the cockpit briefing. Amidst all the comings and goings, there is an atmosphere of deep concentration in the open-plan room which is filled with standing desks with monitors, docking stations and printers. Whether it is a flight to Denver, Dubai, Rome or Oslo – this is where every crew that starts its rotation in Frankfurt makes its flight preparations.
The crew for flight LH 464 to Orlando discuss any special features of the route in detail, allocate the various tasks and make the remaining preparations for the flight. Schönleber collects the necessary flight charts for Western Europe, the North Atlantic and the East Coast of the United States from the pigeonholes. Afterwards, he and his colleagues download the flight plan from the docking station. Then he gives them information about the aircraft, the amount of fuel calculated and other parameters in the laptop, or Pilot’s Workpad, which is provided by Lufthansa. The two first officers also enter the relevant data and compare the values ascertained. This is part of the routine daily work for pilots. Everything is checked twice and thrice over before the data is used. Another glance at the latest weather data on the planned route. Where are there storms? What are the wind speeds? And what is the wind direction?
Meanwhile, in Briefing Room 5, Purser Annette Lokajczyk, the cabin manager on the flight to Orlando, has already mentioned the initial points about cabin safety and service when the pilots come in. Two inflight attendants are completing their training on this flight. They are being looked after by an additional purser. Captain Weiland now gives an overview: flight time, route, weather – everything that the crew must know is discussed here and any open questions are clarified.
The crew bus leaves at 12:55 hrs – so there is still time for coffee or a chat with colleagues. “Since every rotation involves a newly composed crew, it’s important for us to establish common ground quickly,” says Schönleber. “After all, we will be spending the next few days together and we have to get along with one another. Teamwork is particularly important for smooth processes on board.”
There are special security and passport controls at Lufthansa’s base. From there, a bus take the three pilots and twelve flight attendants straight to the aircraft at Gate 60.
On-board preparations
As soon as the pilots have boarded the Airbus A330-300 with the registration D-AIKG, they begin the checks and final preparations for the flight, which will take about ten hours. As First Officer, Sven Schönleber sits on the right side of the cockpit, Captain Weiland on the left. Together, the two run through the checklist.
Meanwhile, SFO Patrick Schlag does the outside check of the aircraft. He inspects the outer skin, the engines and landing gear and makes sure that the aircraft is in order. He then takes a seat in the cockpit behind his two colleagues. On routes longer than 4,100 nautical miles, Lufthansa employs a flight-deck crew of three so the pilots can take their scheduled rest periods and also to guarantee maximum quality in human resource terms.
Shortly before the aircraft is due to leave its parking position, the crew are informed of a runway change. Instead of runway two five they will now depart from runway one eight. That means changing the beginning of the route before take-off. Now the pilots have to work fast, enter the new data and still leave the gate within the time planned so as not to miss their slot. “If we don’t get away on time, it can soon lead to longer delays,” Schönleber says, explaining the flurry of activity in the cockpit. “That, in turn, costs a lot of money because we then have to fly faster, for example, and so use up more fuel.”
Take off from Runway 18
The purser announces “Boarding completed”. All the passengers are on board and have taken their seats. And in the cockpit, too, everything is ready on time. The passenger bridge withdraws and the A330 is pushed out of the shadow of the terminal and onto the runway. As usual, it is the captain who steers the aircraft to the take-off runway via the taxiways. For the take off, he hands over the flight, as agreed, to First Officer Schönleber, the designated flying pilot.
The captain pushes the throttle lever forward, releases the brakes and calls out the calculated decision speed and then the take-off speed. Schönleber pulls back the sidestick with which the Airbus is manoeuvred – and at precisely 14.08 hrs the aircraft lifts off in a southerly direction. Executing a long right-hand turn, Schönleber flies through the first cotton-wool clouds. It feels warm in the cockpit as the sun beating through the window heats up the small area, which is filled with electronics.
After a few minutes, the aircraft flies through the final cloud layer at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Above the pilots there is now only blue sky and the sun, which is shining in from the left-hand side. The atmosphere in the cockpit relaxes noticeably and the pilots settle down for a ten-hour flight. Once they are cruising over Luxembourg, Schlag goes to the crew rest area directly behind the cockpit where the pilots relax during their two-hour break. Who goes when is discussed beforehand. Today, Schlag is the first on the rota.
Long haul over the Atlantic
A patchwork of clouds lies below flight LH 464. SFO Schönleber and Captain Weiland enter the next radio frequencies, establish contact with the air traffic controllers responsible for the airspace, check the route and fuel levels, calculate the flyover times for waypoints marked on the chart and pump fuel from the front fuel tank to the rear tank to optimise the aircraft’s centre of gravity. Over Paris, the cruising altitude is already 35,000 feet. The smell of bread baking and the muffled sounds of doors banging shut emerge from the galley. Service preparations for the passengers are in full swing. Before they get to Brest and fly out over the Atlantic, Schönleber announces the cruising altitude, route, weather and scheduled arrival time to passengers.
Things calm down when the aircraft reaches Nat-Track F, in other words the area over the North Atlantic. Radio contact does not extend this far. The cruising altitude of 36,000 feet and speed of 0.82 Mach remain virtually constant until contact is established with air traffic control in North America. Now the cockpit crew can relax a little, have a meal on their folding tables and chat amongst themselves. The conversation covers a range of topics – from private matters to places to go out to at their destination. In between times the pilots check the weather data, fuel levels and the cockpit controls and displays. Another eight hours to go until they reach their destination.
Orlando from the north
By the time flight LH 464 begins its approach to Orlando, in broad daylight, it is already late at night in Germany. The six hours’ time difference is now evident. The A330 reaches the coast at Cape Canaveral, flies over lakes and pale-green, heavily overgrown areas criss-crossed by predominantly straight roads. As he prepares for the landing, Schönleber enjoys the view of NASA’s launch pad.
The conversation in the cockpit is now restricted to operational matters. Radio traffic increases. In a few minutes, the aircraft descends from its cruising altitude to 2,500 feet. Approach from the North, full-speed brake, reduce speed further, extend landing gear. The aircraft heads straight for runway one seven L. The runway approaches fast. Schönleber drops altitude, sets the aircraft down on the runway and slows it down to taxiing speed. As the aircraft turns on to the taxiway, Captain Weiland takes over the controls again. The tension in the cockpit eases a little.
Once the last passenger has left the aircraft at Gate 84, all checks are concluded and reports completed, the crew also make their way to the terminal, complete the immigration procedures and put their luggage on the crew bus. Their eleven-hour day is finally coming to a close.
Layover – free time at the destination
Transfer from the airport to the hotel takes a good 30 minutes. Then the crew members have to wait as most of their rooms are not ready. They unpack quickly, freshen up and then have a drink and a few chicken wings at the pool bar. The crew talk about the flight and what they can do in Orlando. Those who have been here often talk about their experiences. Sven Schönleber knows his way around well. Orlando is one of his favourite destinations. For their day off, he recommends visiting on of the many leisure parks – from Disney to Seaworld – or suggests that his colleagues join him on a visit to the Kennedy Space Center. “Whether it is Apollo, Gemini or Discovery, there’s really masses to see and experience,” says Schönleber, a self-confessed space enthusiast. “And on the way back we can visit America’s surfing Mecca – the surf shop on Cocoa Beach.”
The Lufthanseats have about 50 hours in Orlando and they each spend the time as they please – sightseeing, shopping, walking resting or taking a cooling dip in the hotel pool at 37 degrees in the shade. Time is pressing and they want to make the most of the comprehensive leisure offer on the east coast of Florida. “And that’s the other thing that makes my job a dream job,” says Schönleber. “You not only see a lot of the world but you can also get a chance to experience the best of the various places – and do some great shopping.”
On the day of the return flight, the crew is picked up in the late afternoon by the bus, which takes them direct to the airport, arriving punctually. Since the return flight is due to take off at 19.55 hrs, Schönleber and the rest of the crew have time to do a spot of last-minute shopping. “There are still a few items I need to get for my for family and friends,” he reports. “And part of my free time is devoted to that.” But Schönleber sees that as a luxury problem – after all, he has opportunities to find some real bargains.
Waiting for the return flight to take off
At 16.50 hrs on the dot, the pick-up bus is waiting in front of the hotel. The crew members have already checked out and are waiting in the hotel lobby, dressed in their uniforms, looking fresh and rested. A first briefing for cockpit and cabin crew has already taken part in the hotel.
At the airport the crew have to check in their baggage – here the procedure is the same as for passengers – and then pass through passport control and security before proceeding to the gate for flight LH 465 from Orlando to Frankfurt. The colleagues at the gate provide the initial information about the flight. All the signs are that it will be a problem-free, punctual departure.
But the weather soon throws a spanner in the works. Lightning in the vicinity of the airport prevents the aircraft from being refuelled. After a few anxious minutes, the aircraft is refuelled and the passengers embark. “Now we are relying on the support of our ground service colleagues,” explains Schönleber. “Everyone wants the aircraft to take off on time. In spite of that, we are often kept on tenterhooks.” Looking out of the cockpit windows, the pilots can see the queue to the take-off runway getting longer. At last it is the turn of flight LH 465 to join the queue, although it has to let several other aircraft through first.
After take-off, the aircraft has to make several wide, climbing turns in order to gain altitude and get on course for its flight home. “Unfortunately we won’t be able to make up the lost time,” says SFO Patrick Schlag, who will perform the take-off and landing as the designated flying pilot. He makes the announcement to the cabin and tells passengers the expected arrival time at Frankfurt, while the lights of Florida disappear under the cloud cover.
The return flight goes off smoothly, but the hours in the air go slowly. “After almost four days away, I’m looking forward to seeing my family, to sleeping in my own bed and to enjoying a bit of a normality,” Schönleber says. “And so the time often drags a bit.”
At 11.45 hrs, the A330-300 finally lands at Frankfurt. The crew say goodbye to one another on the crew bus. Some of them – including Schönleber – get off at the terminal, while others carry on to the Lufthansa base. “Now I have a few days off and I can stay at home with my family,” Schönleber says. Only another two hours’ train journey to go – this time as a passenger.
© May 2010 Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Airline pilot - a dream job
“This is one of the best jobs I could ever have,” says First Officer Sven Schönleber. The 31-year-old Lufthansa co-pilot comes from the small town of Holzgerlingen in Swabia. Join him on a four-day rotation from Frankfurt to Orlando, Florida, and back and experience a normal day with him.
Rotation to Orlando
The morning sky over Frankfurt is hazy, but the mercury is rising rapidly. Dressed in his dark uniform, Sven Schönleber enters the Flight Operations Center (FOC) at Frankfurt Airport. In a few hours’ time, he will take off for Orlando in the sunshine state of Florida. Sven Schönleber is a Lufthansa pilot and is here to be briefed on the route to his destination. The one broad and two narrow stripes on his sleeve and on the epaulettes of his shirt identify him as a Senior First Officer, or SFO. This means that he is qualified to take over when the pilot in command takes a break once the aircraft has reached its cruising altitude.
Beads of sweat glisten on Schönleber’s forehead. “The air conditioning wasn’t working on the ICE,” he says. Schönleber travels to work by train. The connection to Frankfurt Airport is so good, he explains, and it means that he generally arrives at work relaxed – avoiding the stress of being caught in a traffic jam. Today he had to put up with the unexpected inconvenience. “But it is more important that I arrive on time,” he adds.
Because he always allows extra time to get to work, he has time for a cup of coffee and a chat with his colleagues before the briefing with the other members of the cockpit crew. Here Schönleber meets the first crew members for the forthcoming flight, LH 464. Next to him stands Gerhard Weiland – “my boss”, as Schönleber calls the captain on the flight to Orlando.
Briefing and getting acquainted
On the flight plan, the briefing is scheduled to start at 12.20 hrs, 100 minutes before take-off. Ahead of the briefing with cabin crew, the cockpit crew, consisting of Weiland, Schönleber and the second co-pilot, SFO Patrick Schlag, meet for the cockpit briefing. Amidst all the comings and goings, there is an atmosphere of deep concentration in the open-plan room which is filled with standing desks with monitors, docking stations and printers. Whether it is a flight to Denver, Dubai, Rome or Oslo – this is where every crew that starts its rotation in Frankfurt makes its flight preparations.
The crew for flight LH 464 to Orlando discuss any special features of the route in detail, allocate the various tasks and make the remaining preparations for the flight. Schönleber collects the necessary flight charts for Western Europe, the North Atlantic and the East Coast of the United States from the pigeonholes. Afterwards, he and his colleagues download the flight plan from the docking station. Then he gives them information about the aircraft, the amount of fuel calculated and other parameters in the laptop, or Pilot’s Workpad, which is provided by Lufthansa. The two first officers also enter the relevant data and compare the values ascertained. This is part of the routine daily work for pilots. Everything is checked twice and thrice over before the data is used. Another glance at the latest weather data on the planned route. Where are there storms? What are the wind speeds? And what is the wind direction?
Meanwhile, in Briefing Room 5, Purser Annette Lokajczyk, the cabin manager on the flight to Orlando, has already mentioned the initial points about cabin safety and service when the pilots come in. Two inflight attendants are completing their training on this flight. They are being looked after by an additional purser. Captain Weiland now gives an overview: flight time, route, weather – everything that the crew must know is discussed here and any open questions are clarified.
The crew bus leaves at 12:55 hrs – so there is still time for coffee or a chat with colleagues. “Since every rotation involves a newly composed crew, it’s important for us to establish common ground quickly,” says Schönleber. “After all, we will be spending the next few days together and we have to get along with one another. Teamwork is particularly important for smooth processes on board.”
There are special security and passport controls at Lufthansa’s base. From there, a bus take the three pilots and twelve flight attendants straight to the aircraft at Gate 60.
On-board preparations
As soon as the pilots have boarded the Airbus A330-300 with the registration D-AIKG, they begin the checks and final preparations for the flight, which will take about ten hours. As First Officer, Sven Schönleber sits on the right side of the cockpit, Captain Weiland on the left. Together, the two run through the checklist.
Meanwhile, SFO Patrick Schlag does the outside check of the aircraft. He inspects the outer skin, the engines and landing gear and makes sure that the aircraft is in order. He then takes a seat in the cockpit behind his two colleagues. On routes longer than 4,100 nautical miles, Lufthansa employs a flight-deck crew of three so the pilots can take their scheduled rest periods and also to guarantee maximum quality in human resource terms.
Shortly before the aircraft is due to leave its parking position, the crew are informed of a runway change. Instead of runway two five they will now depart from runway one eight. That means changing the beginning of the route before take-off. Now the pilots have to work fast, enter the new data and still leave the gate within the time planned so as not to miss their slot. “If we don’t get away on time, it can soon lead to longer delays,” Schönleber says, explaining the flurry of activity in the cockpit. “That, in turn, costs a lot of money because we then have to fly faster, for example, and so use up more fuel.”
Take off from Runway 18
The purser announces “Boarding completed”. All the passengers are on board and have taken their seats. And in the cockpit, too, everything is ready on time. The passenger bridge withdraws and the A330 is pushed out of the shadow of the terminal and onto the runway. As usual, it is the captain who steers the aircraft to the take-off runway via the taxiways. For the take off, he hands over the flight, as agreed, to First Officer Schönleber, the designated flying pilot.
The captain pushes the throttle lever forward, releases the brakes and calls out the calculated decision speed and then the take-off speed. Schönleber pulls back the sidestick with which the Airbus is manoeuvred – and at precisely 14.08 hrs the aircraft lifts off in a southerly direction. Executing a long right-hand turn, Schönleber flies through the first cotton-wool clouds. It feels warm in the cockpit as the sun beating through the window heats up the small area, which is filled with electronics.
After a few minutes, the aircraft flies through the final cloud layer at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Above the pilots there is now only blue sky and the sun, which is shining in from the left-hand side. The atmosphere in the cockpit relaxes noticeably and the pilots settle down for a ten-hour flight. Once they are cruising over Luxembourg, Schlag goes to the crew rest area directly behind the cockpit where the pilots relax during their two-hour break. Who goes when is discussed beforehand. Today, Schlag is the first on the rota.
Long haul over the Atlantic
A patchwork of clouds lies below flight LH 464. SFO Schönleber and Captain Weiland enter the next radio frequencies, establish contact with the air traffic controllers responsible for the airspace, check the route and fuel levels, calculate the flyover times for waypoints marked on the chart and pump fuel from the front fuel tank to the rear tank to optimise the aircraft’s centre of gravity. Over Paris, the cruising altitude is already 35,000 feet. The smell of bread baking and the muffled sounds of doors banging shut emerge from the galley. Service preparations for the passengers are in full swing. Before they get to Brest and fly out over the Atlantic, Schönleber announces the cruising altitude, route, weather and scheduled arrival time to passengers.
Things calm down when the aircraft reaches Nat-Track F, in other words the area over the North Atlantic. Radio contact does not extend this far. The cruising altitude of 36,000 feet and speed of 0.82 Mach remain virtually constant until contact is established with air traffic control in North America. Now the cockpit crew can relax a little, have a meal on their folding tables and chat amongst themselves. The conversation covers a range of topics – from private matters to places to go out to at their destination. In between times the pilots check the weather data, fuel levels and the cockpit controls and displays. Another eight hours to go until they reach their destination.
Orlando from the north
By the time flight LH 464 begins its approach to Orlando, in broad daylight, it is already late at night in Germany. The six hours’ time difference is now evident. The A330 reaches the coast at Cape Canaveral, flies over lakes and pale-green, heavily overgrown areas criss-crossed by predominantly straight roads. As he prepares for the landing, Schönleber enjoys the view of NASA’s launch pad.
The conversation in the cockpit is now restricted to operational matters. Radio traffic increases. In a few minutes, the aircraft descends from its cruising altitude to 2,500 feet. Approach from the North, full-speed brake, reduce speed further, extend landing gear. The aircraft heads straight for runway one seven L. The runway approaches fast. Schönleber drops altitude, sets the aircraft down on the runway and slows it down to taxiing speed. As the aircraft turns on to the taxiway, Captain Weiland takes over the controls again. The tension in the cockpit eases a little.
Once the last passenger has left the aircraft at Gate 84, all checks are concluded and reports completed, the crew also make their way to the terminal, complete the immigration procedures and put their luggage on the crew bus. Their eleven-hour day is finally coming to a close.
Layover – free time at the destination
Transfer from the airport to the hotel takes a good 30 minutes. Then the crew members have to wait as most of their rooms are not ready. They unpack quickly, freshen up and then have a drink and a few chicken wings at the pool bar. The crew talk about the flight and what they can do in Orlando. Those who have been here often talk about their experiences. Sven Schönleber knows his way around well. Orlando is one of his favourite destinations. For their day off, he recommends visiting on of the many leisure parks – from Disney to Seaworld – or suggests that his colleagues join him on a visit to the Kennedy Space Center. “Whether it is Apollo, Gemini or Discovery, there’s really masses to see and experience,” says Schönleber, a self-confessed space enthusiast. “And on the way back we can visit America’s surfing Mecca – the surf shop on Cocoa Beach.”
The Lufthanseats have about 50 hours in Orlando and they each spend the time as they please – sightseeing, shopping, walking resting or taking a cooling dip in the hotel pool at 37 degrees in the shade. Time is pressing and they want to make the most of the comprehensive leisure offer on the east coast of Florida. “And that’s the other thing that makes my job a dream job,” says Schönleber. “You not only see a lot of the world but you can also get a chance to experience the best of the various places – and do some great shopping.”
On the day of the return flight, the crew is picked up in the late afternoon by the bus, which takes them direct to the airport, arriving punctually. Since the return flight is due to take off at 19.55 hrs, Schönleber and the rest of the crew have time to do a spot of last-minute shopping. “There are still a few items I need to get for my for family and friends,” he reports. “And part of my free time is devoted to that.” But Schönleber sees that as a luxury problem – after all, he has opportunities to find some real bargains.
Waiting for the return flight to take off
At 16.50 hrs on the dot, the pick-up bus is waiting in front of the hotel. The crew members have already checked out and are waiting in the hotel lobby, dressed in their uniforms, looking fresh and rested. A first briefing for cockpit and cabin crew has already taken part in the hotel.
At the airport the crew have to check in their baggage – here the procedure is the same as for passengers – and then pass through passport control and security before proceeding to the gate for flight LH 465 from Orlando to Frankfurt. The colleagues at the gate provide the initial information about the flight. All the signs are that it will be a problem-free, punctual departure.
But the weather soon throws a spanner in the works. Lightning in the vicinity of the airport prevents the aircraft from being refuelled. After a few anxious minutes, the aircraft is refuelled and the passengers embark. “Now we are relying on the support of our ground service colleagues,” explains Schönleber. “Everyone wants the aircraft to take off on time. In spite of that, we are often kept on tenterhooks.” Looking out of the cockpit windows, the pilots can see the queue to the take-off runway getting longer. At last it is the turn of flight LH 465 to join the queue, although it has to let several other aircraft through first.
After take-off, the aircraft has to make several wide, climbing turns in order to gain altitude and get on course for its flight home. “Unfortunately we won’t be able to make up the lost time,” says SFO Patrick Schlag, who will perform the take-off and landing as the designated flying pilot. He makes the announcement to the cabin and tells passengers the expected arrival time at Frankfurt, while the lights of Florida disappear under the cloud cover.
The return flight goes off smoothly, but the hours in the air go slowly. “After almost four days away, I’m looking forward to seeing my family, to sleeping in my own bed and to enjoying a bit of a normality,” Schönleber says. “And so the time often drags a bit.”
At 11.45 hrs, the A330-300 finally lands at Frankfurt. The crew say goodbye to one another on the crew bus. Some of them – including Schönleber – get off at the terminal, while others carry on to the Lufthansa base. “Now I have a few days off and I can stay at home with my family,” Schönleber says. Only another two hours’ train journey to go – this time as a passenger.
© May 2010 Deutsche Lufthansa AG
