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Could a NON-PILOT land an airliner?
There are probably a fair number of people who like to imagine that if they were on board a jetliner and the flight crew became incapacitated, then they could jump up and save the day. ‘After all,’ they think, ‘I’m good at Microsoft Flight Simulator and, well, how hard can it be?’ The answer, it turns out, is extremely hard, according to those in the know – actual airline pilots. (www.dailymail.co.uk) More...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Could aircraft be set up so they could be flown as drones if no pilot is available?
Auto landing system
Very good question. Depends largely on who the non-pilot is, how the communication links are, and circumstances. I had a chance to spend about 2 hours in a 757 simulator from a friend at United. After having fun for about 20 mins, I asked the sim trainer to spend the rest of the time showing me how to fly in a crisis situation. My reason being, survival. I learned a bit about key instruments, key alarms, radio operations, and flight computer programming. I think is it not impossible to land. Very difficult, but not impossible. I am a physician, and have no doubt that if a pilot was to spend a few hours in an operating room, I could get them to close. Not pretty, not replacing a surgeon, but in survival mode could have a win.
What are the chances a 737 with say 150 passengers has a person who has at least soloed in a small plane?
Everyone here seems to be talking about skills of flying / landing the plane. Whereas I doubt that with the current safety measures, it would be impossible for anyone in the cabin to actually get INTO the cockpit if all flight crew was taken out, since it's supposed to be terrorist proof and locked from the inside? So you just have to hope that the entered flight plan includes an automatic landing.
A non-pilot, in a heavy as in 747 or thereabouts weight category, no real chance. One matter nearly no one has referenced, is most home sims have no inertial loading to sim the A/C inertia slower response times. That was a shock to me, which I had to practice to lead correctly. I have 1400 total time, half in a light King Air A 90, and some in a DC-3. Still a light and rigid wing aircraft, by real standards. Do a real sim with the motion and response slowness of a high inertia heavy, and I'd rather be elsewhere. Not a doubt I could handle such landing well, with minimal damage, if any. I had just enough real sim practice to know how to lead a 747.
The inertia difference from light aircraft is amazing. And it will put you behind the flying landing curve every time, unless you get it down pat with practice. And that assumes all main systems reasonably functional.
The inertia difference from light aircraft is amazing. And it will put you behind the flying landing curve every time, unless you get it down pat with practice. And that assumes all main systems reasonably functional.