Reading Test

The Best Job in the world

A lot of people are surprised when I tell them my job.That is because I say,'I am a pilot!' What is so surprising about that? I am a female and, in Britain, only 300 of the 13 000 airline pilots are women.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a nurse.I changed my mind after flying in a plane for the first time when I was thirteen. My brother and I went to see the pilots in the cockpit during the flight-you can't do it nowadays. It was an amazing experience.I remember thinking,'This is much more exciting than being a nurse!'

It takes several years to become a pilot.First. you get a Commercial Pilot's Licence and take a complete medical examination. It is so important for you to be fit and healthy in this job. then, to fly passengers planes, you fly 1 500 hours as a trainee pilot and pass a written exam. Also, when you are qualified, instructors check your flying skills every six months.

At the moment, I am working on short flights between Mancester and European destinations like Barcelona, Nice and Milan. Some people say that this is not as hard as flying long distances to America or Asia, but I disagree. The sky above Europe is the busiest airspace in the world. It can make flying difficult, especially when the weather is bad.

Being a pilot is an incredibly responsible job. The lives of hundreds of people are in your hands. It's essential for pilots to be prepared for anything to happen at any time. It is very important to think quickly and stay calm under the pressure.

As a first officer, I always work with another pilot, a captain.The captain sits on the left-hand side and the first officer on the right. We share the job of flying the plane on each journey. It is safer to have two pilots in case one of us becomes ill and is unable to fly.

I know there are easier jobs, but there is nothing as exciting as flying a plane.