To become a good airline pilot, one must start as an observer sitting in the jumpseat. The following are a few notes that I have taken while benched on the jumpseat. Please keep in mind that I work for a Chinese airline in China, so there are some observations that probably don't quite add up in the western world.

1. Familiarize yourself with the flight crew that you will be flying with; put in an order for lunch or dinner (Chinese food) before a flight
A. If you really want to get on everyone's good side, then observe at what everyone likes to eat and then make sure it's ordered when they are flying with you
B. Ordering from a Chinese food menu is an art form all by itself, so memorize the menu as if you were memorizing the memory items in your QRH
2. Pre-Flight Preparations
A. Goto the Documents Office to pick-up the Charts/Maps briefcase that goes with the proper airplane registration (OK Airways only has an office-copy of the charts/maps)
B. Make sure to practice writing the Captain/Instructor and First Officer names in Chinese. (Don't wanna look like a fool who doesn't know how to write the Flight Crew's names.)
C. Goto AOC to check weather, NOTAMs, fill out a pre-flight checklist, verify and confirm that all flight documents are complete
D. Fuel planning for the flight
E. Verify and confirm the airplane's registration number, flight number, gate number
3. Dropped off at the Terminal via company van
A. Verify that all flight crew is present
B. Go through Security via the Airport Staff line (Kool!)
C. Complete airplane walk-around
D. Fuel up the airplane (about 10 tons~21,000 lbs)
4. Flight Deck Preparations
A. Wipe clean the main panel's display units and control column
B. Wipe clean the left and right forward windows
C. Take-out the proper charts/maps and documents that might be used during flight
D. Prepare a smoking cup (wet towel to line the paper cup)
E. Once the Load Sheet comes, convert the zero-fuel weight from kgs to lbs, enter into FMC/CDU, then convert the gross weight from lbs to kgs to cross-check the numbers with the Load Sheet
5. Phases of flight
A. Record times for: start engines, take-off, landing, shut-off engines
B. Monitor, observe and learn from the experienced Captains/Instructors and First Officers
C. Fill out the Flight Report which includes flight legs, crewmembers names, departure and destination airport, flight times, fuel, pax numbers, airplane's gross weight and cargo weight
D. Fill out the Maintenance Logbook and if necessary the Technical Logbook
6. After Landing
A. Prepare to give flight times to pilots
B. Prepare to give flight times to flight attendants
C. Clean out the garbage in the flight deck
D. Gather up all related documents and charts/maps
7. Back at the base in Tianjin
A. Return charts/maps briefcase to the Documents Office
B. Hand-in all flight documents to the dispatchers at AOC

Note: 1. Ask more, report more, less hand movements in the flight deck
2. In the flight deck, one must ask the Captain before doing anything