• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

A Day in the Life: Nguyen Nam Lien

By David Challenger
CNN

Adjust font size:

Editor's note: CNN's "Day in the Life" special examines people earning a living doing what many others dream of doing.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (CNN) -- Vietnam Airlines pilot Captain Nguyen Nam Lien sits inside the cockpit of his stationary Boeing 777-200 passenger jetliner, his display panels and surrounding instruments lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree.

After receiving final clearance, he pushes the aircraft's throttles to maximum power, flooding the plane's two massive General Electric 90-90B jet engines with fuel.

The power plants immediately respond with a high-pitched whine and the plane quickly gains speed as it roars down the main runway of Ho Chi Minh's Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Within seconds, as the plane mocks gravity and becomes airborne, it begins its nine-hour night flight to Melbourne, Australia.

Nguyen, 45, joined Vietnam Airlines in 1990, after serving 11 years as a MiG-21 jet fighter instructor with the Vietnamese Air Force.

"Most pilots for Vietnam Airlines, especially pilots that are over 45, come from the country's air force," Nguyen says.

"I can only speak for myself, but I became a pilot as I love the challenge of flight. We were never born to fly. After all, just beyond those windows is no-man's land -- where there is little oxygen and the air temperature is minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit)."

Nguyen's job is one of strict rules and regulations, which are mapped out in the Flight Operational Manual. For example, Nguyen is barred from drinking alcohol for at least eight hours prior to flying.

He must also adhere to strict rest periods. For a flight of up to eight hours, the minimum amount of time before flying again is 12 hours. For an eight to 12 hour flight, it's 24 hours.

Nguyen's day started off by first clearing security at Tan Son Nhat Airport, then heading to the Flight Preparation Office, where he was given all the information he needs for his flight to Melbourne.

This includes a warning of known military exercises in the area, weather conditions, the technical status of his plane, the air traffic controller flight plan, and alternate airports in case of an emergency. "For this flight, such airports include Singapore, Denpasar, Darwin and Alice Springs, but it's largely dependent on weather conditions," Nguyen says.

"Then my co-pilot and I headed to the cockpit, where we carried out numerous checks, including latest weather information, speed of head wind, and a read-and-do take-off check list.

"We also received a report from our cabin crew that all passengers are seated and ready for departure," he says.

One of the most important exercises before taking off is calculating the "decision speed" --- the point at which Nguyen decides if he proceeds or aborts take-off.

"This point is called V1, and although pilots calculate that speed by taking into consideration things like the weight of the plane, head wind and outside temperature, these days we have a lot of help from our on-board computers," Nguyen says.

After "rotation" (the point the aircraft becomes airborne), Nguyen retracts his undercarriage and flaps, and keeps a close eye on weather conditions as he climbs up through the lower altitudes.

"Technically, I could enable the auto-pilot to take over flight operations about 200 feet above ground. It essentially acts as a third pilot and reduces a great deal of the workload," Nguyen says.

"I usually switch over at 500 feet, but if you want, you can fly the plane manually up to 10,000 feet."

During the long hours of cruise control, Nguyen continually monitors his flight plan, checking on fuel usage and any variations from his computer's readouts that may occur.

He also looks for the best cruising altitude, which can save fuel and time, while as frequently as every 10 minutes he'll talk to ground control towers. Such contact is vital, as it gives Nguyen the latest weather conditions and possible problems with turbulence.

"If we do hit turbulence, the first thing we do is switch the seatbelt sign on," Nguyen explains.

"Then we slow speed by about 50 kilometers/hour. If this doesn't help, we may need to change altitude and/or course. If it's a really big storm, we may have to divert our route by 100 kilometers to 200 kilometers.

"But unfortunately, there's nothing much we can do about detecting clear-air turbulence," he says.

And when things get really bumpy, does he ever grab the armrests with a death-like grip like this writer?

"Frankly speaking, the word 'scared' is not in our vocabulary. What we experience during training is much worse than we'll ever encounter," Nguyen says.

"We pilots have a saying: 'Ignore what you can't control. Control what you can't ignore'. Sometimes after a flight, I'll reflect and assess something that I could have done better during the flight, but I've never been scared.

"In fact, turbulence is not so worrying. We're much more worried about wind sheer (a change in wind speed and/or direction, both horizontally and/or vertically, within a short distance). In Asia, wind sheer can be bad at airports in Hong Kong and Tokyo," he says.

During the flight to Melbourne, Nguyen and his co-pilot occasionally stretch their legs, but neither take a nap. They also receive a visit from two flight attendants every 15 minutes, which helps them stay alert.

"Because of 9/11 and the increase in security measures, only two of the 12 cabin crew have the password to the cockpit's door, which is extremely secure and bullet-proof," Nguyen says.

As he guides the massive jet during its final descent into Melbourne airport, Nguyen checks the city's latest weather conditions, and which runway he's been assigned.

He also runs through an "action plan," including what to do in the event the plane is forced to abort its landing.

"As usual, it's all about planning. We normally extend flaps at about 3,000 feet, but by 1,500 feet, we're usually in full-landing configuration," Nguyen explains.

"Depending on conditions, we'll hit the tarmac at between 220 km/h and 260 km/h. We can use the autopilot for landing, especially in cases of bad weather or low visibility. But I like to land manually when I can --- nothing can compare to that pleasure."

Once at the terminal, Nguyen will kill the engines, employs the parking brake and talk to the airport's ground crew. He will then run through a shut-down check list, and fill out a log book that records points such as time of arrival, how much fuel remains, and if there were were malfunctions during his flight.

He'll then head to his hotel for some much-needed rest.

"I certainly consider myself lucky," Nguyen says.

"I love embracing the technology we have at our fingertips -- it's just like a very expensive toy. And of course there's the travel, seeing the world and meeting people ... it's like no other job."

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• 'Last Lecture' professor dies
• Pitt-Jolie guards battle paparazzi
• Teens charged in Mexican's beating
• McCain: Nuremberg for bin Laden?
• Hole found after emergency landing

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan

• Recruiting suicide bombers (2:50)
• London was lucky (2:36)
• Cars in London rigged as bombs (3:48)
• Second explosives-packed car foun (2:32)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)