Defining professionalism in aviation is hard. The exact definition of professionalism depends on who you ask; a chief pilot, flight standards and training manager, or line pilot may each define the attributes of a professional pilot in a different way. It is much easier to define an unprofessional act or unprofessional behavior than to pinpoint exactly what makes an aviator a “pro.” As a safety practitioner, though, I am certain that being a professional has little to do with collecting a paycheck or wearing a necktie.
Professionalism in aviation, according to the NBAA Safety Committee, “is the pursuit of excellence through discipline, ethical behavior, and continuous improvement.” The committee further identifies professionalism as “the cornerstone focus of active safety management where professional behaviors rule and safe actions become a byproduct.” As one of its foundations for safety, the NBAA said, “Professionalism is about who we are and how we approach everything that we do.”
NBAA’s Professionalism in Aviation webpage has several great resources and articles that focus on both organizational and individual professionalism. The association has developed a mnemonic aid—PREFLIGHT—to identify the attributes that define professional behavior. Each of the following letters represents an element that contributes to being a professional pilot:
Prepared: Preparation begins before you arrive at the airport.
Respectful: Show respect for anyone with whom you interact.
Ethical: Be fair and honest. Abide by the regulations.
Follows policies and procedures: Having and following SOPs drastically reduces the odds of an incident or accident.
Leads by example: Be the person you want others to emulate.
Integrity: Do the right thing, even when nobody is watching.
Genuine: Be authentic in your quest for continuous improvement.
Humble: Have the humility to realize you’re capable of making mistakes.
Transparent: And then own those mistakes as a learning opportunity for yourself and others.
In one of my earlier blogs about professionalism in aviation, Dr. Tony Kern’s book, “Going Pro: The Deliberate Practice of Professionalism,” is highlighted to further identify different levels of professionalism by using his integrated model of professionalism. In the book, Kern charts a path for pilots to achieve “extreme professionalism” stating that professionals exhibit leadership qualities, outstanding achievements, and significant contributions in the categories of vocational excellence, professional ethics, continuous improvement, professional engagement, professional image, and selflessness.
Back to neckties. I mention this only because a professional image goes far beyond a uniform or an individual’s physical appearance. I’d agree 100 percent with Kern’s assessment on professional image as “looking and acting the part as you do the right thing right.” While looking the part is not too difficult, acting the part is much harder. On occasion, these two things get blurred. Actions carry far more weight than appearance.
Flight departments large and small have uniform standards or dress codes. Each is established to promote a positive perception of the organization and a professional appearance. That’s it. Pretty simple—wear your uniform and wear it with pride. It’d be difficult to correlate uniform adherence to flight deck performance.
However, outwardly acting the part by being respectful, communicating clearly and positively, and displaying maturity (which sometimes requires discretion) will be much more impactful to a professional image than wearing a necktie. (Communicating effectively and professionally, and showing maturity, does not include meowing on “guard” frequency.) These attributes relate more directly to good CRM skills, managing a flight deck, or working with other employees.
Finally, let’s completely disconnect the paycheck from the definition of professionalism. There are hundreds—if not thousands—of professional pilots in the owner-flown segment who do not get paid to fly. They are serious about flying, they train in simulators, and they even pay for advanced training such as upset prevention and recovery training.
On the contrary, many pilots get paid who are not professionals. These pilots don’t take their craft seriously. While it is incumbent for all pilots to act professionally, for those that do get paid, they should at least “act their wage.”
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily endorsed by AIN Media Group.