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Buy Full NotesJean-Benoît is a pilot for a major Middle Eastern airline. In the first episode of our long and absolutely fascinating conversation, he will tell us how one becomes a pilot and he will also take us behind the scenes of the preparation for a flight: what are the roles of the captain, the co-pilot, the rest of the crew? What major changes have happened in the world of aeronautics over the past few decades? Listen to find out and learn so much more!
Episode Timeline
Part 1
When Jean-Benoît was little…
How Jean-Benoît became an airline pilot
The weather during a flight
Part 2
The roles of the captain and the co-pilot
What do the pilots do during the whole flight?
The pleasure of flying
Who decides on the safety rules
Part 3
How pilots get ready for a flight
Defects on the plane ?!!
The roles of the crew for the flight
Part 4
What happens once the passengers have boarded the plane
The direction of wind: a history of aviation
Is being a pilot really a dream job?
Noticeable changes in aeronautics over the past 3 decades
Vocab List
à l’issue de = at the end of
à vol d’oiseau = as the crow flies
atterrir = to land
atterrissage (nm) = the landing
bitume (nm) = asphalt, tarmac, bitumen
cabine (nf) = cockpit, cabin
commandant de bord (nm) = captain
compagnie aérienne (nf) = airline (company)
décalage horaire (nm) = jetlag, time difference
décollage (nm) = the take off
décoller = to take off
faire demi-tour = to U-turn
goudron (nm) = tarmac; tar
hélice (nf) = propeller
le Moyen Orient = Middle East
manche à balai (nm) = joystick, control stick
nœud (nm) = knot
passer l’immigration = to go through customs
passerelle (nf) = footbridge; walkway
pilote automatique = auto-pilot
pilote de ligne (nm) = airline pilot
piloter = to fly (a plane)
porte (nf) = gate
prendre la relève = to take the helm, to take over
roulage (nm) = taxi
se cantonner à… = to limit oneself to…
vol (nm) = flight
Questions:
- (part 1) What did Jean-Benoit want to be when he was a child? What eventually made him change his mind?
- (part 2) What is “the pilote en fonction”?
- (part 4) Before they were a mere strip/line, what shape did the landing strips used to be? Why?
Answers:
- He wanted to be Santa! (le Père Noël) but gave up when he found out he had to learn all the languages in the world!
- He/she’s the one who make the plane take off and land.
- A round/ a circle / a disc. The pilot would use its diameter as the landing strip, in the way that would make them face the wind to take off.
Links & Resources
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