RSL Ch 68

When I informed the scheduler that I was the PIC for the A350 to Munich, he unexpectedly handed me a tablet. It wasn’t an unfamiliar object, but I had to ask him what it meant. Normally, flight information was always provided on paper, so I wondered what had changed today.

“Huh? I thought you were notified? There’s a film crew from a TV station coming today to shoot the cockpit. We were instructed from above to use the tablet for this.”

Hmm, so that’s what it was.

Now my memory goes back to yesterday afternoon when I absentmindedly answered a company call on my day off. Han Jae-yi hadn’t gone to work and was lounging on the sofa with me, browsing internet news while I watched a British public broadcast documentary channel, resting my head on his leg. When my phone rang with a company call, Han Jae-yi answered it for me since I couldn’t reach the table, and placed it on my chest.

“Captain, about tomorrow’s flight. The broadcasting station wants to do some special filming and asked for cooperation. The PR team requested Captain Schmitz’s flight. Is that okay with you? It’s a bit sudden, I know.”

I sat up startled at the scheduler’s words coming through the speakerphone. How could they notify me of something like this just a day before? I thought it was a call about regular flight evaluation scheduling, but it was far from my expectation. While I hesitated to answer with an “Um…,” Han Jae-yi wrote something on his phone and held it up in front of me.

[Say yes. I really want to see that!]

Seeing my partner’s expression, eyes shining with anticipation to the point of becoming transparent, it became difficult to refuse.

“Well, okay. I understand.”

After answering like that and hanging up, Han Jae-yi shook my shoulders excitedly. He had always liked seeing photos or videos of me piloting. He even wiggled his hips on the sofa, saying he would get to see another one after a long time.

That’s how today’s flight became a promotional flight for broadcasting, and the company handed over tablets to proceed with a digital flight system, considering the public image. Although I had received training before joining the company, I had never properly used it, so I was a bit worried. And there was one more thing making me uncomfortable.

“Ah, you’re here. We’re not very used to these either, it feels awkward. Haha.”

The two co-pilots paired with me for today approached, holding tablets. Looking at their appearances, the company’s reason for having cameras participate in this particular flight today becomes crystal clear. First Officer Cho Min-woo and another tall, handsome co-pilot – the three of us exchanged greetings.

Well, even Han Jae-yi had admitted at first glance that their appearances were striking. First Officer Cho Min-woo introduced a woman who had followed behind, shrugging his shoulders. She was carrying a camera and extended her hand to me cheerfully.

“Hello. I’m PD Hong from TBC. Wow, Captain, you’re so young!”

“Hello. I’m Maximilian Schmitz. Where will you start filming? Usually, we film a lot from the pre-takeoff process.”

“Oh, this isn’t your first time being filmed?”

“I’ve accompanied a few times at my previous company.”

“Haha, I see. We’ll be filming from the briefing onwards, so please act as you normally would without being conscious of the camera. Oh, is it okay if I ask questions in between?”

“Of course. However, after takeoff, outsiders are prohibited from entering the cockpit, so it might be difficult to film with that.”

I pointed at the camera she was holding.

“Ah, yes! I’ll just do some interviews with this. We’re planning to install separate cameras in the cockpit. I believe you’ll share some interesting stories too, like an internet broadcast!”

It was quite a difficult request for someone like me who isn’t very talkative, but I agreed, believing that the other two co-pilots would do their best. In fact, I had been instructed on the phone yesterday to give interviews and show them around. However, there was no mention of chatting loudly like an internet broadcast.

Putting aside my thoughts, I turned to First Officer Cho Min-woo.

“Let’s start the briefing.”

“Yes.”

He touched the first screen of the tablet with a willing smile.

There was no particular reason for designating him as the senior co-pilot. The other co-pilot was also a colleague I didn’t know well, and above all, I remembered his words from last time about trying to become friends. After all, we were bound to meet again at work, so I had already made up my mind to try to make an effort on my part as well.

With a bright expression and dimples showing, he began explaining the weather information and route he had prepared in advance. Based on this information, we discussed the altitude for each waypoint and quickly established a flight plan.

“Let’s move.”

PD Hong, who followed us as we got up, threw a question at First Officer Cho Min-woo.

“Where are we going now?”

“We’re going to have a joint briefing, a general meeting. While we were making the flight plan, the cabin crew would have had their team meeting too. Now we gather together to share what we need to know about today’s flight and inform each other about points to be cautious of. Like, it might be turbulent at certain points, or today’s flight weather isn’t good so we need to be alert, things like that. Usually, the co-pilot does most of the flight briefing and the captain just greets at the end. Well, it’s actually just a chance for everyone to see each other’s faces. Please come in.”

It was really an unnecessary thought, but I was considering a few reasons why she had specifically chosen to ask First Officer Cho Min-woo among the three of us. The other co-pilot hadn’t said much since earlier, so he seemed to be out of consideration, and Cho Min-woo’s impression was generally good, so it might have been easier to talk to him.

Another reason was the evaluation of my impression that I had heard from Flight Attendant Choi So-young last time. Didn’t she say I was scary to approach and my way of speaking was a bit stiff? Since then, I had been trying to use softer Korean, but I didn’t feel like I was improving at all. I had even confided this to Han Jae-yi, but all I got back was unhelpful feedback like “I think it’s sexy.”

After the briefing, we moved to the gate. The co-pilot in charge of the latter part of the flight took his seat in the observer seat prepared in the cockpit. I received the inspection log from the maintenance engineer who had come up to the aircraft and handed the tablet containing the flight plan to First Officer Cho Min-woo.

“Oh, where are you going, Captain?”

PD Hong, who was filming the cockpit with a hand grip, pointed her camera at me.

“I need to go down briefly to check the aircraft’s exterior.”

“Can I come with you?”

It was unexpected. I thought she would film the co-pilot preparing for takeoff, but PD Hong came down with me outside the plane with her camera. These scenes probably wouldn’t be very interesting to viewers.

“I guess the maintenance staff didn’t do all the checks?”

“Of course, the maintenance is done. What I’m doing is an exterior check, mostly just checking if there’s any foreign material on the gear, wheels, or parking lever. Surprisingly, accidents often happen because of these things, so the captain needs to check with their own eyes. Would you like to see the engine?”

“Yes!”

I guided her to the round engine attached under the wing. The large and beautiful Rolls-Royce jet engine was showing off its spiral pattern with its fan spread out. This is the heart of the airplane that makes my heart race the most. A projectile that forms a jet by spinning the turbine and spewing fire when the huge fan rotates and gathers air. It’s the epitome of aviation technology that lifts an aircraft weighing over 200 tons while running at 300 km/h.

“I don’t really understand what you’re saying, but just filming your expression would make for good footage. You must really love airplanes. Your expression has completely lit up.”

“It’s a job that would be hard to endure otherwise.”

I smiled and took her a little further forward.

“The A350 is easy to distinguish from the outside too. See the windshield, how the edges of the cockpit windows are painted black? Like it’s wearing a mask.”

“Oh, it really is. I didn’t know that.”

“Among us, it’s called a raccoon. Many of Airbus’s latest models have this paint job, so it’s good for showing off knowledge elsewhere.”

“I see. That’s interesting!”

“Please go up first. I’ll finish the remaining checks and come up right away.”

“Ah, okay.”

After sending her back up to the plane, I finished the exterior check with concentration. Since it was an evening flight, the sun was already setting. The sunset time we had checked in the briefing room today was 6:10 PM. By the time we take off, it will be a complete night flight.

* * *

“Autopilot set.”

As I let go of the manual control stick, I turned off the seatbelt sign and leaned back slightly. The co-pilot sitting in the observer seat had been watching me for a while. In his hand was a list of questions that PD Hong had earnestly handed over.

“Captain, the PD asked us to make sure we do this.”

“Yes…”

I trailed off, lost in thought. Actually, I don’t like doing other things while piloting. However, it’s not like pilots don’t chat at all during the flight, so it wasn’t a violation of rules. It was just a request to discuss a few questions that viewers might be curious about, and it seemed impolite to be too strict about it.

I awkwardly rubbed my chin and asked the co-pilot sitting behind to pick out and read two or three questions.

“Okay. First question: Will the captain scold us if we don’t switch our phones to airplane mode when boarding?”

“Haha. That’s a cute question.”

The co-pilot Cho Min-woo sitting next to me burst into laughter. Small cameras mounted on both sides were blinking red lights, recording everything.

“Please answer, Captain. The viewers are curious.”

Cho Min-woo good-naturedly took charge of the proceedings. So I found myself unexpectedly answering that question.

“Ah, actually, you don’t need to switch to airplane mode. In the past, there was a hypothesis that electromagnetic waves might interfere with flight operations, so it was included in the manual, but it hasn’t been proven. It’s become a custom, and some airlines still require it. But in reality, it doesn’t matter if you keep your phone on.”

“There you have it, viewers. When you board Koriana Airways, you don’t need to worry about airplane mode.”

Cho Min-woo didn’t forget to promote the company. The next question came in.

“If you become a pilot, can you date flight attendants?”

All three of us laughed simultaneously. This question had always followed me like a regular since becoming a pilot. It was also the second most frequently asked question after “How do I become a pilot?” Cho Min-woo answered this one instead.

“You can meet a lot. After all, this is a workplace, so you see each other often and develop feelings. Right, Co-pilot?”

“That’s right. Haha.”

The two co-pilots laughed and gave a vague answer. Well, I couldn’t deny the truth since I had met someone once too.

“Last question, how much is a pilot’s salary?”

“Haha, Co-pilot! Isn’t that question a bit awkward for you too?”

Cho Min-woo turned around and urged the questioner.

“The PD specifically asked us to ask this question and even starred it. Should we skip it?”

“It’s probably all being recorded anyway. Viewers, let me tell you. First, when you get your wings and become a co-pilot, you earn about 60 million won in the first year. This amount might seem high, but it includes hazard pay, so the base salary isn’t that high. It increases significantly when you become a captain later, but that also varies depending on the aircraft type you mainly fly and your experience. In Korea, a captain’s average annual salary is about 150 million won, but foreign captains like the one here are treated even better. How much do you earn, Captain Schmitz?”

Cho Min-woo made a microphone with his hand and passed it to me. Hmm, I felt like I had fallen into a trap set by the two of them.

“I’d rather not disclose that.”

I tried to brush it off with a smile and an awkward expression. However, Cho Min-woo didn’t give up and pressed on.

“Up or down from 150 million?”

“Up.”

“Then up or down from 180 million?”

“Um… Up?”

As I raised my voice playfully while glancing at both of them, Cho Min-woo exclaimed excitedly.

“Wow! Did you see that, everyone? This is the difference one more stripe on the epaulette makes. The A350 is a new model so the salary is set a bit higher, but still, isn’t that amazing? He says he earns more than 180 million. Wait a minute. I’m getting a bit angry here?”

“Me too. I feel wronged. We should get treated to something delicious when we arrive, right Captain?”

The two co-pilots grumbled and resented me. I accepted their complaints with a smile. If they’re reacting this much now, they’d be genuinely angry if they heard the actual salary. There was some benefit from the Euro exchange rate, but my contracted salary was slightly over 200 million won.

I promised to treat them to an expensive dinner after returning to Korea and quickly wrapped up the Q&A session.

After that, the flight continued without a dull moment, thanks to the endless chatter and industry talk. Whether it was due to Cho Min-woo’s sociability or not, I was erasing the uncomfortable narrative I had with him. It was surprising that we had become close enough to exchange jokes and laugh comfortably.

Was I really taking things too seriously before? I recalled what Cho Min-woo had said to me in Tokyo. He told me not to live life too seriously. I decided to try following that advice. To live a little lighter, sometimes letting things be.