Never give up and pursue your dream, Kyrgyz pilot says

Asman Airlines captain Kanatbek Absatarov gave an exclusive interview to Kabar on celebration of Kyrgyz Civil Aviation Day. In his interview, he talked about his journey in aviation, one day of pilot life, the challenges of the profession, and offered advice to young people dreaming of a life in the air.

— Kanatbek, what inspired you to become a pilot?

— Since childhood, like all pilots, I've dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood. I always thought pilots were different, possessing special knowledge and qualities that set them apart from others. Over time, I realized that dreams can come true if you set goal and work towards it. I love aviation for its complexity and beauty.

— How does your typical workday begin before a flight?

We don't have fixed 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. schedule. Planes fly around the clock, so pilot's workday can start in the morning, afternoon, or even night. It all depends on the departure time of their flight. Usually, a shuttle bus picks us up from home two hours before departure and we arrive at the airport 1.30 hour earlier. All starts with a medical check. Then we go to the briefing room with the entire crew, including the co-pilot and flight attendants. For detailed briefing, we review the route, the weather forecast for the departure, destination, and alternate airports, and possible turbulence zones. Then comes the aircraft inspection. The captain performs an external inspection of the aircraft: he checks the wings, landing gear, engines, and all external sensors. This isn't just a formality, but vital procedure. There will be cockpit preparation. Inside, we check the operation of all systems, load the flight plan into the onboard computers, compare instrument readings, and calculate vital data: balance, takeoff and landing speeds, and the required amount of fuel for the flight. All these checks are carried out strictly according to the checklist.

—What qualities, in your opinion, pilot must have?

—To become a pilot, you must undergo rigorous selection and training, passing numerous exams, both theoretical and in simulators, and in real flights. If you possess psychological stability and the ability to make decisions under stress, then you should go into aviation.

—How do you cope with stress and fatigue on long-haul flights?

—For commercial aviation pilots, any emergency on the ground or in flight is, in most cases, a stressful situation. At the Kyrgyz Aviation Institute, students undergo special psychological and other training upon entering flight school. This training helps them cope with situations in practice. Another important point: you need to try to anticipate and prevent stressful situations in advance. To do this, the captain conducts another briefing before the flight, explaining possible failures at any stage of the flight and what actions we will take. In other words, we visualize the situation.

—What was the most memorable flight in your career?

—The most memorable flight was to Maldives. Before the New Year, the office called and offered a flight to Maldives. Departure was on the morning of January 1st, and arrival was on January 10th. For 10 days in Maldives, they even paid for it! I made arrangements with a tour operator and bought packages for my family and close relatives on this flight, and we flew safely, with very smooth landings. That's the most memorable flight of my career.

—Have you ever encountered any unusual or difficult situations in the air?

—Yes, absolutely. In aviation, you always need to be prepared for emergencies. Fortunately, most of them are resolved following up the procedures. There was an incident when, during takeoff, an alarm went off indicating the flaps had not retracted. We followed the instructions strictly, reached a safe altitude, reported the malfunction to the controller, began the troubleshooting process, followed all the procedures and checklists, retracted the flaps, and the alarm went off. This failure allowed us to continue the flight.

—What advice would you give to young people dreaming of becoming pilots?

—Study hard. Focus on math, physics, and English. English is the language of international aviation; you can't do without it. Develop your all-round skills. Take up sports; it disciplines you. Be prepared for the long haul. A pilot's career means constant training, medicals, simulators, exams, and, of course, romance. Never give up. If this is your true dream, pursue it, no matter what.