£200k salaries and why they really make you put your phone on airplane mode: Secrets of a pilot

If you've ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you.

Each Monday, the Money blog speaks to someone from a different profession to discover what it's really like. This week we chat to Martin Drake, a retired British Airways Boeing 747 captain and representative of the British Airline Pilots' Association.

Starting salaries are often not as generous as people imagine... with new pilots generally receiving £30,000 to £40,000 a year.

If you go on to become a long-haul captain, you would be earning between £125,000 and £200,000, with senior captains on certain airlines making over £200,000. It can be difficult to quantify as pilot salaries often depend on the type of aircraft, and routes flown and the airline you work for.

There are no specific loans to fund training, like student loans... There are a handful of airline-funded training schemes, but aspiring pilots largely need to fund their own training and will often have to repay any money they've borrowed once they start work.

Don't wait, get on the pension ladder ASAP... Retirement comes round quicker than anyone expects.

I got four weeks' holiday split equally between summer and winter periods... As we worked 365 days a year, my company gave us an extra two weeks as time off in lieu for weekends and public holidays.

Pilots' working hours are governed by legislation and cover the hours on duty, hours flying and a rest period. This takes into account start time, number of flights, number of time zones crossed and previous rest period, to mention a few.

In terms of time in the air, pilots cannot fly for more than 100 hours in a 28-day period. Tap here to read the latest consumer news The biggest change I have seen in my time in the industry has been...

deregulation of airspace. At the start of my career, there were more defined routes and set airlines that flew them.

Now there are far more routes and more airlines that cover them. While this has some advantages, it can make things more complicated for pilots.

Passengers should always take the illumination of the seatbelt sign seriously... First of all, it is a legal instruction from the plane's commander that must be obeyed.

The seatbelt sign is illuminated at times when there is a greater chance of sudden movements of the aircraft, such as during take-off, landing and turbulence. If you leave your seat while the seatbelt sign is on, you risk injuring yourself or another person, possibly quite seriously.

When you don't put your phone on airplane mode... we occasionally get interference on the audio circuits when communicating with air traffic control, like a repetitive dinging noise.

This is mainly a nuisance rather than anything more serious, though it's something that pilots would rather not have bothering them while flying a plane. The best time to fly as a passenger is...

mid-morning, as you tend to be better rested and more relaxed. One of the best places I have visited for work is...

New York, as there is always something going on, no matter the time of day. If you have 24 hours there, my advice would be to research and come up with a plan in advance.

Work out where you want to go and have some alternatives just in case plan A doesn't work. Do not try to cram too much in.

Travelling is about quality over quantity. Always carry a large square feather pillow in a cotton pillow case...

They can squash down to almost nothing in your luggage and they make travelling much more comfortable - and it gives you an extra pillow at your accommodation. The scariest experience I've had was...

when I was flying across Greenland. The turbulence was so bad - I couldn't keep the aircraft at its allocated altitude.

It was extremely uncomfortable for everyone onboard, with people being jostled in their seats and no doubt a few drinks were spilled. While pilots usually need to keep the plane at a set level of altitude, I was given permission to fly the aircraft at up to 2,000ft above or below the original altitude.

This allowed the aircraft to ride the conditions rather than battle through them. Eventually, we managed to pass through the turbulence, but it was certainly not pleasant for anyone on the flight.

In the event of an emergency, pilots... tell it like it is.

There is no time for secret squirrel codes - anything like that would risk confusion at a critical time. While pilots might use words like mayday or other codes, these are used to communicate with air traffic control.

Read more:'I'm a child psychiatrist - here's the biggest source of stress for children''I'm a personal shopper - this is your wardrobe essential and why you should pay at least £100 for it''I won £500k for one race': Inside the life, and finances, of a jockey My favourite route to fly was... London Heathrow to San Diego.

It's a great route flying over nearly all of the US. It has an interesting approach to the airport as it is very steep - you essentially fly down past the hill nearby - and the runway is very short.

And to add to it, you have to use GPS guidance rather than using the Instrument Landing System - which is automatic - so it is more challenging as a pilot. I also love San Diego as it's a great destination city.

It has a lot of variety while being a relatively small city. Whether you like your history, shopping or just want to sit and relax by the water, it's got something for everyone.

I'd really recommend it. On the flip side...

routes to Middle Eastern destinations could be quite tiring as they involve flying over a lot of different countries, which makes for a complicated airspace over the whole route. You have to change air traffic control units frequently and it's a very busy airspace.

It's a bit like driving through something like Spaghetti Junction. The biggest threat to the aviation industry is...

crew fatigue. Pilots are flying more and their routes are not always scheduled in ways that allow for the proper amount of rest.

As a result, pilots are feeling more fatigued. Fatigued people make mistakes and do not operate to the best of their ability.

I am sure we have all been in a situation where we are so tired we can't string a coherent sentence together. We need airlines and our regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, to listen to pilots and take proper measures to address the level of fatigue among pilots.

In terms of AI... some manufacturers are pushing to bring in reduced crew operations.

Currently, all flights have at least two pilots operating the aircraft, with more for long-haul flights. This keeps passengers safe, as flight safety is built around the idea that there are two of everything essential, including pilots.

This way, you always have a backup should something go wrong. However, some companies want to bring in reduced crew operations, and eventually it would involve replacing the second pilot with some degree of automation and ground support.

This goes against basic flight safety principles. Pilots are essential for keeping the aircraft safe, so why would you compromise that by removing a pilot? When there is an unruly passenger on board...

crews are trained in dealing with disruptive passengers and they are skilled in de-escalation techniques. This is not only unpleasant for other passengers, but it can also put the safety of the flight at risk.

As a last resort the captain can authorise the physical restraint of a disruptive passenger. Airlines carry restraint kits for that precise circumstance, but it's very rare that this is needed.

Being a pilot is a very rewarding career... as you help connect the world.

Whether that's transporting people to their holiday destination, reconnecting families or carrying parcels across the planet, every pilot has a part to play. It's also allowed me to fly all over the world; there are very few places I have not been to.

I cannot remember a time when I was not looking forward to going to work. I would have no hesitation in doing it all again!.