(Describer) "Career Callouts." A young black woman wears a white shirt with four stripes on each shoulder epaulet.

[upbeat music]

Hello! I am Captain Gabrielle Harding. I'm a pilot for United Airlines. I'd like to thank you for sending in your questions. The first question is from Quinn from Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights. "Why did you choose this career? What points in your life led you to this point?" Well, Quinn, I didn't always want to be an airline pilot. When I was younger, I actually wanted to be a doctor. I became interested in space and aviation by attending Space Camp and Space Academy, located in Huntsville, Alabama, with my local Girl Scout council. It was there that I wanted to be an astronaut. But when I turned 15, I entered a program with the local chapter of the Detroit Tuskegee Airmen. The program was designed to take inner city children, teach them how to fly an airplane, and also teaching them about becoming an airline pilot. It was there that I decided that I wanted to be an airline pilot. The second question is from Alex from Central Intermediate School in Wadsworth. He wants to know, "How do you stay awake while flying?" Well, Alex, that is a great question. As we know, pilots need to be well rested anytime they are flying. So if we know that we have to fly at night, we will more than likely take a nap before we have to show to work. There are some airplanes, like the Boeing 777 and the Boeing 787, that have long international flights. Those flights can be 12 to 17 hours long. So there is a rest time built in for each pilot which allows them to go back to the bunk and take a nap. Also, one of the ways that we stay awake is by talking to the person next to us. Did you know that airline pilots don't often fly with the same people? So it's a great time to get to know the person that is next to you by talking to them while you're flying at night. Ellie from William Bruce Elementary in Eaton asks, "How long did it take you to get through training and college to be a pilot?" It took me four years to finish training and university in order to become a pilot. I attended Hampton University, located in Hampton, Virginia. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Flight Education. That program, when I graduated, allowed me to have my private pilot's license with my instrument rating, my commercial certificate, as well as my certified flight instructor's license. But if you are interested in aviation, you can start now. When I was a flight instructor, my youngest student was eight years old. In order to get your private pilot's license and join the ranks of being a pilot, you have to be 16 to solo and 17 in order to get your license. Ethan from Marion Local in Maria Stein wants to know, "How do you have to know what every button does? "I went to a place about planes and you can go on them. "And there were so many buttons I couldn't even count all of them." Well, Ethan, there are a lot of buttons and switches in the flight deck. We have buttons on the overhead panel, on the front panel, including the center pedestal. Whenever an airline pilot flies an airplane, they are certified or typed on this aircraft. In order to get your certification, you have to attend training. Training lasts anywhere from six to eight weeks. During this training, you learn everything you need to know about your airplane, from the aircraft's systems, from the aircraft's limitations, as well as what all of these buttons and switches do. But I'll let you in on a little secret. All of these buttons and switches are labeled, and some of them are as simple as turning the taxi light on and off. So, Ethan, the next time you go into a flight deck, look around, and you'll be surprised at how many buttons and switches you know. Thank you, everyone, for sending in your questions. If you're interested in a career in aviation, you can always go to your local flight school and take a discovery flight. You can also go online and visit the Experimental Aircraft Association's website, eaa.org, and from there you can learn about the Young Eagles program, which can give you a free introductory lesson. -[air whooshes] -[graphic crinkles]

(Describer) Logo: N D, Earth bounces away.

-[air whooshes] -[globe boings]

(Describer) Funding for Career Callouts comes from: Ohio Broadcast Educational Media Commission in consultation with Ohio Department of Education. Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.