Is A Career In Civil Aviation For You? is a short career educational film produced by Ralph Lopatin Productions in the 1970s. The film opens with scenes of a small jet flying, people working with planes, and people flying gliders, an Air Tractor AT-501 crop duster at :39, a Sky Crane helicopter and other aircraft before the film’s narrator gives a quick overview of the evolution of aviation (00:57). At 1:19 a Boeing 747 takes off. With civil aviation a major industry, employing about 500,000, the need for young men and women to join the industry is increasing. Only a fraction of the men and women in civil aviation are pilots (02:40), but pilots play a critical role in aviation. Pilots fly cargo and people, inspect power lines, and fight wild fires. Some pilots train future pilots. At 2:57, a Lear Jet is shown. Modern pilots must use complex equipment and work closely with ground crews to ensure the safety of their aircraft and crew. In commercial flying, there is a captain, first officer, and possibly a flight engineer. The film goes over the advancement of the first and/or second officers and what their roles are. The other members of the flight crew are the flight attendants (5:00), who deal with the cabin and passengers and are shown cleaning the aircraft and helping passengers. However, most people in the industry do not work in aircraft. Roughly eighty percent of all civil aviation employees work on the ground. At 5:52 a Delta Lockheed L-1011 Tristar jet is pushed back by a tractor. Mechanics (06:08) work for a variety of employers—major airlines, private corporations—and though most remain in the field, they can advance to other positions including lead mechanic, chief inspector, shop foreman, or maintenance supervisor. Air traffic controllers (07:08) regulate airport traffic or regulate flights between airports, and they are extremely critical to the safety of aviation. Every air traffic controller works for the Federal Aviation Agency. Dispatchers (08:36), who work for the airlines, check weather conditions, confirm schedules, and ensure all regulations are in place. The other 250,000 aviation employees work on the business side of the industry; these include operations agents, traffic representatives, and ticket salespeople. Though many of the jobs in aviation involve high levels of stress and require FAA certifications or licenses, civil aviation jobs are typically compensated at a higher rate than similar jobs in other industries. Experience and college, or apprenticeship programs, are important requirements for many jobs in civil aviation. At 13:50 a Delta passenger jet is pushed back from a gate. The film discusses the unique vacation benefits of the industry, as well as other benefits and unique aspects of careers in civil aviation. The film concludes by encouraging people interested in a career in civil aviation to visit airports or aviation unions (14:16) in order to learn more about the various jobs in the industry.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com