【明報專訊】What do pilots do?

Pilots fly aircraft. We usually see pilots in airports and on commercial airplanes, but not all pilots work for airlines. Some pilots actually work for private individuals, companies and even the military.

Pilots have a lot of responsibilities. They need to give instructions to crew members and coordinate take-off and landing procedures with them. Pilots need to communicate with air traffic control towers as well. Before take-off, pilots need to ensure all the systems on the airplane are running smoothly and accurately.

Kids can be pilots too!

Several years ago, a video featuring a kid mocking a pilot's action went viral. An airline noticed his passion for flying and invited him to experience one day of being a pilot.

．Watch it now! bit.ly/390gtNh◆

How to become a pilot

Since pilots have a lot of responsibilities, you need to be able to cope with high stress levels and workload. Undoubtedly, this job requires excellent vision and hearing. You also need to receive training in flight simulators and obtain a license before you can actually fly an aircraft.

■Gear up

The Smarties have found different types of air transportation in a large airport. Can you draw lines to match the pictures with the words?

(See picture 2)

．A．Fighter aircraft

．B．Blimp

．C．Airplane

．D．Helicopter

(Answers on next text)

■Glossary

coordinate (v) 協調

procedure (n) 程序

communicate (v) 溝通

ensure (v) 確保

[Smarties' Power English 第268期]