"Crown" in the AUA cockpit

Working above the clouds: “Seeing the sun every day”

Nachrichten
07.06.2024 11:00

AUA took the "Krone" on board one of its aircraft. The crew explained the procedures and training and talked about the fascination of working at lofty heights. Last year, the fleet carried out more than 113,000 flights.

At 6.50 a.m. sharp, the Embraer 195 aircraft from the Austrian Airlines (AUA) fleet will fly from Vienna to Innsbruck under flight number "OS915". It will touch down there after 42 minutes and, after a short break with new passengers on board, fly back to the capital at 8.25 a.m. as "OS916". Captain Roman Henninger, co-pilot Alexander Schönegger, purser Robert Steinmetz and flight attendants Charlotte Kres and Gloria Fila will ensure that the two flights are carried out safely.

The "Krone" is also on board and was present at the crew briefing beforehand to get an insight.

Co-pilot Alexander Schönegger, flight attendant Charlotte Kres, purser Robert Steinmetz and Gloria Fila as well as captain Roman Henninger (from left) before departure to Innsbruck. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Co-pilot Alexander Schönegger, flight attendant Charlotte Kres, purser Robert Steinmetz and Gloria Fila as well as captain Roman Henninger (from left) before departure to Innsbruck.

All data at hand
The two pilots meet in Office Park 2 at 5.15 a.m. to discuss the flights. All the necessary data is available to them on large monitors and tablets. One of the first decisions concerns the fuel tank. How full it has to be and how much reserve it needs is prescribed anyway. Henninger and Schönegger decide whether to fill up with more fuel anyway. Due to very good weather conditions, the experienced pilots decide not to do so.

Zitat Icon

Moving a complex machine from A to B in collaboration with an excellent team and being exposed to various environmental influences in the process is the exciting thing about being a pilot.

Kapitän Roman Henninger

"You see the world differently at an altitude of 10,000 meters"
"Moving a complex machine from A to B in collaboration with an outstanding team and being exposed to various environmental influences in the process is the exciting thing about being a pilot. When you're flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters, you have a different view of the world. Certain things that are more important on the ground become less important," says Henninger. "You have to constantly adapt to new situations and are challenged by them. A lot of things happen quite quickly here, but thanks to the routine and the rehearsed procedure in the team, everything can be handled very well," adds Schönegger.

The "Tiroler Krone" was allowed to take a seat in the jumpseat in the AUA cockpit during the landing approach in Innsbruck and Vienna. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger/Krone KREATIV)
The "Tiroler Krone" was allowed to take a seat in the jumpseat in the AUA cockpit during the landing approach in Innsbruck and Vienna.
Approaching Vienna. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Approaching Vienna.
Captain Roman Henninger. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Captain Roman Henninger.

"You never get into a rut"
 Shortly after the briefing, the two AUA pilots meet with the flight attendants for a briefing. "You're always dealing with new colleagues and new passengers, different cultures and destinations. It's very varied," says Kres, revealing what she likes about her dream job. "You see the sun rise or set every day, no matter what the weather is like," Steinmetz adds, beaming, while Fila emphasizes that "no two days are the same. There's always something new. You never get into a rut".

Gloria Fila makes the final preparations before departure. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Gloria Fila makes the final preparations before departure.

Everything is checked before departure 
After the briefing, the crew bus takes them to the plane. There, Henninger checks the outside of the aircraft for defects and checks the technical documentation. "Then we set up our flight management computers, set the flight route and then we soon take off." In the meantime, the co-pilot has checked the various sensors, doors, fire alarms, etc. for proper functioning. "We also have our lists and check, for example, whether devices have already been used and check that everything is in order with the catering," explains Fila.

Captain Roman Henninger at the briefing. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Captain Roman Henninger at the briefing.
Co-pilot Alexander Schönegger (left) and captain Roman Henninger prepare. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Co-pilot Alexander Schönegger (left) and captain Roman Henninger prepare.
The entire crew at the briefing. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
The entire crew at the briefing.

The basic pilot training program lasts 22 months
The crew also outlines how to become a pilot or flight attendant. "The pilot training program lasts 22 months. This is the basic training, after which you are qualified to fly a propeller plane or a jet. Then you are trained on the respective types.

Zitat Icon

In bad weather, we may have to think about an alternative airport, the weather there and the approach procedures.

Copilot Alexander Schönegger

This so-called type rating takes around two months. In order to become a captain from co-pilot, additional training is required after several years of service. In principle, the only difference between captain and co-pilot is that the captain has final responsibility," explains Henninger.

Flight attendant training with role plays
Flight attendant training lasts eight weeks. "The first six weeks are primarily about flight safety and then about service. There is a lot of role-playing in both areas so that we are prepared for all the different scenarios. How do I deal with a guest with a fear of flying, how can I settle an argument, what should I do in a medical emergency," Fila explains.

Purser (purser or provision master on board, note) Robert Steinmetz (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Purser (purser or provision master on board, note) Robert Steinmetz
The flight data that the pilots need. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
The flight data that the pilots need.
Captain Roman Henninger during the external check. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Captain Roman Henninger during the external check.
(Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)
Co-pilot Alexander Schönegger. (Bild: Manuel Schwaiger/Krone KREATIV)
Co-pilot Alexander Schönegger.

Regularly in the simulator
Both the pilots and the flight attendants have to go to the simulator regularly, and exceptional situations are practiced four or once a year. For the pilots, the simulator for Innsbruck Airport is added every two years, for which additional training is required due to the category C classification. "Innsbruck is the most exciting airport for me. This is where you learn the most flying skills and see the most," enthuses the co-pilot.

Plan B and C always at the ready
And what are the special challenges? "We are embedded in a tight flight schedule. On the short-haul route, we sometimes have five flights a day. Managing this safely, punctually and as economically as possible is a challenge," says Henninger. However, Schönegger says: "The weather has a strong influence on our work. If the weather is bad, we may have to think about an alternative airport, the weather there and the approach procedures. The worse the weather, the more challenging the day is."

However, the crew always has "Plan B and C" for such scenarios. Just like the entire AUA fleet, which operated over 113,000 flights last year.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

Loading...
00:00 / 00:00
Abspielen
Schließen
Aufklappen
Loading...
Vorige 10 Sekunden
Zum Vorigen Wechseln
Abspielen
Zum Nächsten Wechseln
Nächste 10 Sekunden
00:00
00:00
1.0x Geschwindigkeit
Loading
Kommentare
Eingeloggt als 
Nicht der richtige User? Logout

Willkommen in unserer Community! Eingehende Beiträge werden geprüft und anschließend veröffentlicht. Bitte achten Sie auf Einhaltung unserer Netiquette und AGB. Für ausführliche Diskussionen steht Ihnen ebenso das krone.at-Forum zur Verfügung. Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.

User-Beiträge geben nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des Betreibers/der Redaktion bzw. von Krone Multimedia (KMM) wieder. In diesem Sinne distanziert sich die Redaktion/der Betreiber von den Inhalten in diesem Diskussionsforum. KMM behält sich insbesondere vor, gegen geltendes Recht verstoßende, den guten Sitten oder der Netiquette widersprechende bzw. dem Ansehen von KMM zuwiderlaufende Beiträge zu löschen, diesbezüglichen Schadenersatz gegenüber dem betreffenden User geltend zu machen, die Nutzer-Daten zu Zwecken der Rechtsverfolgung zu verwenden und strafrechtlich relevante Beiträge zur Anzeige zu bringen (siehe auch AGB). Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.

Kostenlose Spiele
Vorteilswelt