A Joke

[JWxTreme]

[TheAviator]

I honestly believe that, if the worst were to occur on a flight and something happened to the pilots, I would be able to take care of the plane and get it down, maybe with a little help from ATC.

[Dexter Dog]

...as long as you can hit the "P"ause key? 

[JWxTreme]

LOL..I often thought about that too. I think on major airlines they have off duty pilots and other personnel on the flight.  If we were all going down anyway I might as well put my FSX skills to work. What is there to lose?  LOL

[Sifor]

Time to perfect my ILS skills!

I reckon I'd have a good chance if the aircraft didn't have any failures..like engines out.

[flyguy737]

in case no one heard this actually happened many years ago in south America I think it was in Brazil where a small commuter plane encountered a problem in the cockpit and both pilots were knocked out and a passenger who only flew Flight Sim managed to land the plane safely.

The story was leaked by some American reporter along time ago.

I think it is fair to say that 90% of us could manage to land even a 747 with some help from ATC.

[JWxTreme]

wow, Flyguy, that is an amazing story. I never heard that. I might manage to land safely but would  need to change my underwear afterwards.

[Jerry Smith]

Yeah but I am not sure i could get it on the centerline 

[macca22au]

This is an oldie and a goodie.  I fly flightsim, I know the switches, how to programme the flight computer, some have even had force feedback therefore I must be able to land the plane, and save the fair maiden, and the screaming children.

This conversation runs on a hundred forums, I know I can, I know I can.

I have only 1200 hrs RW,  most in multi-engine with an instrument rating.

Even today I feel confident about landing any piston twin and small turboprop (as long as engine management was not an issue - like treating the engines on the J41 in the same way as a PT6 ..  otherwise as stand in pilot you might well have an engine out landing also!

But a heavy with all that inertia is another matter. What would I do, I would maintain automatic flight to touchdown (including autothrottle all the way to the ground.  ATC would get a qualified senior pilot to guide me through cruise, descent, path to glideslope and if possible autoland. Of course I would ask to be diverted to the nearest Cat II/II runaway. If not, disconnect autopilot at lowest safest point on the glideslope(not the height the plates read).  I'm talking 50 to 100 ft and let momentum put you on, autobrakes, then reverse thrust but a long runway if I can't even do that.  Remember the pilot is the first on the scene of the accident, I would want to avoid that. Then I would wake from my dream, sweating.

[flyguy737]

This is an oldie and a goodie.  I fly flightsim, I know the switches, how to programme the flight computer, some have even had force feedback therefore I must be able to land the plane, and save the fair maiden, and the screaming children.

This conversation runs on a hundred forums, I know I can, I know I can.

I have only 1200 hrs RW,  most in multi-engine with an instrument rating.

Even today I feel confident about landing any piston twin and small turboprop (as long as engine management was not an issue - like treating the engines on the J41 in the same way as a PT6 ..  otherwise as stand in pilot you might well have an engine out landing also!

But a heavy with all that inertia is another matter. What would I do, I would maintain automatic flight to touchdown (including autothrottle all the way to the ground.  ATC would get a qualified senior pilot to guide me through cruise, descent, path to glideslope and if possible autoland. Of course I would ask to be diverted to the nearest Cat II/II runaway. If not, disconnect autopilot at lowest safest point on the glideslope(not the height the plates read).  I'm talking 50 to 100 ft and let momentum put you on, autobrakes, then reverse thrust but a long runway if I can't even do that.  Remember the pilot is the first on the scene of the accident, I would want to avoid that. Then I would wake from my dream, sweating.

Your so right there mate. But the one's among us who are real life pilots as well would fair a bit better. I have over 2000 Hours IRL on single and twin engine jobs but I still get nervous when I fly Airbus like when I went to China to marry my wife but I told the crew I am a pilot please call on me if the Captain needs help. I don't want to die without knowing why! hehe

[Heiko Glatthorn]

I did... 

http://www.flightsimworld.com/downloads/viewfile/526.html

[flyguy737]

Really good stuff there Mango but what no video???

[Heiko Glatthorn]

The d/l link is on that page (on top). Just a small 6 MB file though. And luckily it's quiet dark - otherwise you would see my white knuckles... 

[John York]

\  I'm not so sure as some of you seem to be.  I can't help feeling that God forbid should this happen there might be a difficulty in actually finding controls like the autopilot, flaps, wheels etc.  Also to handle ATC.

It wouldn't be easy but then when the s........t hits the fan and there's nothing else I would hope to do my best.  Certainly, in a smaller aircraft I think I could handle it if the pilot got into difficulties healthwise....I mean like dying at the wheel!

John

[flyguy737]

This would be daunting to anyone who is not a certified pilot but for those of us who actually have a pilots licence even small planes, we are taught not to panic but to think logical and remember our procedures. Private pilots are also taught over and over and over forced landings and emergency procedures. I am not saying that I would be great at it nor anyone else but I would panic as much.

Golden rule in Aviation : Fly the plane first, then communicate.

All of us are taught different but with the main focus the same. I personally have had 2 forced landings in my flying life both were scary and I was on edge but I knew if I was to panic I would have been worse then it was. My first one was the scariest I think as an oil line broke and my windscreen was covered in oil and the side windows were no good to me either. So I was flying blind. Only trusting my instruments got me down safe.

So if you just take each step at a time and focus most people with some knowledge can safely land a plane.

[Heiko Glatthorn]

You only have a chance when the aircraft is configured correctly (i doubt you can handle the throttle manually without falling out of the sky or making a high speed low pass). Question is - can you configure it even with radio guidance (preferably CAT III) ?

When i landed the TA 777 simulator, all was set correctly and i only had to concentrate on swaying the aircraft down, which was more than a handful...

[TenBlade]

My signature comes to mind: "I´ll rather be down here wishing I was up there

than be up there wishing I was down here!" 

Bjorn

[flyguy737]

oh yes Mango I get what your saying and it would have still been fun what you did, all I am saying is that a person who has flown in real life has a better understanding of what to do in case it ever happened. I doubt the average passenger would know but if it was me I would ensure the autopilot was on and the plane was flying normally as possible before attempting anything else!