GA guys: Could you land an Airliner?

CRJ - Yes, I would be able to get it down to 50' before I had to touch the controls, besides the throttles. I'm currently in a FMS class at my college. So we have been using the AeroSim CRJ trainer.

737- Maybe, most likely I can get it down with out too much damage. I've had an hour worth of training at the Southwest training center. I know it's a drop in the bucket, but it showed me how simple it is to fly.

Anything else I bet I could figure it out with my knowledge of the above and help from the outside world about that aircrafts quirks.
 
wabower said:
What did the FO say to the FA when the Captain slumped over and died during a trip?
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"OMG..... when did that happen???" :rolleyes:


Seriously though, if the Capt dies in flight who is PIC?
 
Keep this in mind...
Landing the sim is a HELL of alot harder then the real plane ...sims are pitchy and squirrley. The real thing pretty mutch goes right were you point it..just dont get slow/ manage the energy from the seat of your pants and your fine.
 
The problem with single engine GA questioning their ability to get an airliner down is simply a failure if imagination. It is an airplane - it has different speeds - unless the rapture has happened and there is no one on the ground to help you [all airline pilots being such angels they get taken immediately and every ATC has caused people to pray - so they go too] then all you need to do is take the binders out of the closet in the back or access the pilots iPads for the flight manuals . . .

It really is no different other than the speeds and the flare - and honestly you will probably land on the third approach anyway- after you have time to try it all out and see how it all comes together . . .
 
comanchepilot said:
The problem with single engine GA questioning their ability to get an airliner down is simply a failure if imagination. It is an airplane - it has different speeds - unless the rapture has happened and there is no one on the ground to help you [all airline pilots being such angels they get taken immediately and every ATC has caused people to pray - so they go too] then all you need to do is take the binders out of the closet in the back or access the pilots iPads for the flight manuals . . .

It really is no different other than the speeds and the flare - and honestly you will probably land on the third approach anyway- after you have time to try it all out and see how it all comes together . . .
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Ever seen The Langoliers? There's always an off duty airline pilot on board who doesn't get "called up"
 
"Attention passengers, this is the new guy at the wheel. I need to practice some slow flight and stalls to get a feel for this plane so please locate the closest barf bag"
 
They do this in The Aviators in an Embraer 190 sim. Even the camera man who's never flown before lands the plane safely, though I suspect that part of that was because he was not nervous at all.
 
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the former guy in seat 16E, now your Captain. We're gonna land just fine in about 32 minutes. The tower has asked that we make a few low approaches so they can calibrate their equipment. So we will need to accommodate them. We might have a shimmy or shake and those of you in first class might hear some bells and buzzers, that's just normal for this part of the flight. After landing, we are going to taxi to the end of the runway where a tug will come in and tow us to the gate. This is standard procedure in this type of operation. We will be arriving at Gate 32 and will be about 20 minutes late. Thank you for flying whatever the name of this airline is. . . "
 
I did get the Delta 767 sim down one time. Not sure that means I could get the real thing down.
 
If Cirrus partnered with Boeing.....................:yikes:naa, never happen!
 
Let's say you figured out how to use the radio, although that's far from certain. Who would you call? How long until they find somebody who knows squat about whatever you're flying?

Florida Cracker said:
Yeah that.
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wabower said:
Let's say you figured out how to use the radio, although that's far from certain. Who would you call? How long until they find somebody who knows squat about whatever you're flying?
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Have the FA call the company on the phone. They'll take it from there.

-Rich
 
wabower said:
Who would you call? How long until they find somebody who knows squat about whatever you're flying?
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As long as they've got Rex Kramer on speed dial, I'd be fine.....although I hear Bob Hoover is a good one to call in a pinch.
 
wabower said:
Let's say you figured out how to use the radio, although that's far from certain. Who would you call? How long until they find somebody who knows squat about whatever you're flying?
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Radios are pretty similar, once you located them, and a call on 121.5 and 7700 on the transponder will get you all the attention you need. And I'm relatively sure ATC could get a qualified person with you fairly quickly.
 
If the full motion 737-800 Sim at Delta is accurate...yes.

If not...Who knows.
 
I think just about any confident and willing pilot could, especially with oodles of time under their belt so their comfy in the air. Not saying it would be pretty and soft ;) but I would hope without casualties.

Provided coms and transponder are functioning correctly.

And how the heck did two pilots end up out of service? lol
 
ProspectingCFI said:
And how the heck did two pilots end up out of service? lol
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Our government would probably be asking the same and I'm afraid there's a real possibility you might be shot down. I guarantee they would scramble jets.
 
Could I? Yes.
Would I?

Well, that's going to depend on a couple things. First I'm going to aprise ATC of the situation. Then I'm going to ask one of the others on the air what to company frequency is and see if I can get hold of someone at the airlines and start the negotiation.

"Yeah, I can land it no problem, but I'm gonna need you to get on the phone with the insurance group and see what's its worth them having it in reusable condition when I put it down. You really don't think I'm going to do this out of the goodness of my heart and save you guys millions of dollars while all I get is a thank you and maybe an invite to be on Leno or Lettermen. Screw that. So what's it worth to ya?"

Fame might be 15 minutes, but fortune lasts longer.
 
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Would the FAA bust me because of the drink in the cabin that's been less than 8 hrs. ago?
 
O-200 said:
Would the FAA bust me because of the drink in the cabin that's been less than 8 hrs. ago?
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Hmmm...emergency, you get a pass on any normal rules that you need to overlook in order to deal with the emergency. Just be sure to declare it.

But how hard it is to press the big green LAND NOW button? :wink2:
 
Swampfox201 said:
Our government would probably be asking the same and I'm afraid there's a real possibility you might be shot down. I guarantee they would scramble jets.
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Even though you're taking it to the filed destination anyway? You watch too many ****ty movies.
 
EdFred said:
Even though you're taking it to the filed destination anyway? You watch too many ****ty movies.
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Pre 9/11 I'd agree with you but in today's world who knows. Better hope you don't have an accent when you call ATC.
 
EdFred said:
Could I? Yes.
Would I?

Well, that's going to depend on a couple things. First I'm going to aprise ATC of the situation. Then I'm going to ask one of the others on the air what to company frequency is and see if I can get hold of someone at the airlines and start the negotiation.

"Yeah, I can land it no problem, but I'm gonna need you to get on the phone with the insurance group and see what's its worth them having it in reusable condition when I put it down. You really don't think I'm going to do this out of the goodness of my heart and save you guys millions of dollars while all I get is a thank you and maybe an invite to be on Leno or Lettermen. Screw that. So what's it worth to ya?"

Fame might be 15 minutes, but fortune lasts longer.
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I like the way you think!:yesnod:

I, OTOH would be just trying to save my own sorry a--!:yes:
 
Badger said:
As I found myself daydreaming in coach last week on the way home from a trip, I wondered 'if something terrible happened to the crew, and they asked if there was a pilot on board, could I actually land this bird?'

I know TV is all hyped up...but..... could it be done? With enough help from an experienced pilot on the radio to establish speeds, etc. maybe I could get it down safe with 20k of runway!

What about you, could you save 250 people?:dunno:
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Of course I could, as long as the whole thing was in my imagination. Heck, I've had thousands of daydreams regarding my various imaginary forms of superhuman acts of bravery, skill, and daring. I don't know how many times I personally have saved the world. Save an airplane full of passengers, phtt... no prob.

Actually, I do think that saving the airplane full of passengers is one of my favorites though, however in mine, first I kill all the terrorists, who have killed the flight crew, then I land the passenger jet to the applause and adoration of all.

-John

ps: I have not read all of this thread, I apologize if anyone has beat me to the punch, I did not mean to diminish your glory in any way.

-John
 
I've got some time in the 777 sim and MD-11 sim, I'm pretty sure I could muddle through normal flight regimes and get it on the ground safely. The advanced avionics really give you hand by bugging your speed for you. As long as I don't have to program the FMS to do something for me I'm okay with the physical flying. If it's IMC and I have to do a procedure that's not already programmed, it's gonna have to be a PAR type approach.
 
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comanchepilot said:
The problem with single engine GA questioning their ability to get an airliner down is simply a failure if imagination. It is an airplane - it has different speeds - unless the rapture has happened and there is no one on the ground to help you [all airline pilots being such angels they get taken immediately and every ATC has caused people to pray - so they go too] then all you need to do is take the binders out of the closet in the back or access the pilots iPads for the flight manuals . . .

It really is no different other than the speeds and the flare - and honestly you will probably land on the third approach anyway- after you have time to try it all out and see how it all comes together . . .
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OK, Johnny Private gets into the cockpit of an Airbus (320 or 330). It's on autopilot and the FMS is loaded with a flight plan to Paris. They are over New York and the weather is typical, several cloud layers to the deck. AP1 (autopilot one) is engaged and the aircraft is in managed mode.

Johnny Private gets out the FCOM (Flight Crew Operating Manual) and decides to get the airplane on the ground at JFK (nice long runway).

The FCOM is over a thousand pages, give or take. Johnny will have to figure out how to "divert the box" (FMS) to JFK, load the necessary approach, which page to enter the landing data as well as a routing for the letdown and arrival. He will also have to figure out how to operate the FCU (flight control unit), which button to push or pull (manage or selected) and the corresponding FMA's (Flight Mode Annunciation) on his PFD (Pilot Flight Display). And along the way he will have to figure out how to operate the RMP (radio management panel).

He'll also have to figure out what the PFD displays are telling him, when and how to configure for landing, how to arm the FCU for the approach, location of the decel point or which page on the FMS to access to activate the approach phase.

And I've only scratched the surface. Johnny is gonna have his hands full for sure. :rolleyes:
 
Start a thread on here while inbound to the airport and the airline folks on here can 'talk' you down.


A 500,000 pound airplane handles the same as a 5000 pound plane, right??
 
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wabower said:
Let's say you figured out how to use the radio, although that's far from certain. Who would you call? How long until they find somebody who knows squat about whatever you're flying?
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You mean I cant just put on the head sets and expect to be talking to someone? Well then I'd likely call on 121.5. might take a few minutes to find the switch to get on the com, more interesting if it happens on an Aeroflot flight I admit, but I will get there. The information to fly the plane will be in the cockpit next to the seat or in the pilots cases. Not a likely scenario, but not destined to fail.
 
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RotorAndWing said:
OK, Johnny Private gets into the cockpit of an Airbus (320 or 330). It's on autopilot and the FMS is loaded with a flight plan to Paris. They are over New York and the weather is typical, several cloud layers to the deck. AP1 (autopilot one) is engaged and the aircraft is in managed mode.

Johnny Private gets out the FCOM (Flight Crew Operating Manual) and decides to get the airplane on the ground at JFK (nice long runway).

The FCOM is over a thousand pages, give or take. Johnny will have to figure out how to "divert the box" (FMS) to JFK, load the necessary approach, which page to enter the landing data as well as a routing for the letdown and arrival. He will also have to figure out how to operate the FCU (flight control unit), which button to push or pull (manage or selected) and the corresponding FMA's (Flight Mode Annunciation) on his PFD (Pilot Flight Display). And along the way he will have to figure out how to operate the RMP (radio management panel).

He'll also have to figure out what the PFD displays are telling him, when and how to configure for landing, how to arm the FCU for the approach, location of the decel point or which page on the FMS to access to activate the approach phase.

And I've only scratched the surface. Johnny is gonna have his hands full for sure. :rolleyes:
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Exactly, that's the issue with all TAAs in fact, airliners compounding over Garmin level stuff since it's spread out as well. I don't think I would bother even trying, they can work me on that frequency all the way to the ground if I can't figure out how to change, so that's not a major worry. As for navigation, as soon as I go off the programmed AP, I'm pretty much committed to hand flying unless there is an obvious or at least easy to find a simple 'heading' mode switch for the A/P, that's fine by me. I'm also going to need ground ref or vector nav, I wouldn't waste a whole lot of time and effort studying the FMS section of the manual, but if I had a long leg on A/P I may give setting up on it a try.
 
us AAirways said:
Start a thread on here while inbound to the airport and the airline folks on here can 'talk' you down.


A 500,000 pound airplane handles the same as a 5000 pound plane, right??
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It doesn't 'handle' the same, but it does act/react the same.
 
Badger said:
As I found myself daydreaming in coach last week on the way home from a trip, I wondered 'if something terrible happened to the crew, and they asked if there was a pilot on board, could I actually land this bird?'

I know TV is all hyped up...but..... could it be done? With enough help from an experienced pilot on the radio to establish speeds, etc. maybe I could get it down safe with 20k of runway!

What about you, could you save 250 people?:dunno:
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Of course I could! As long as my ass is in that ship, I will land the thing.

Make it as simple as possible--give me the target numbers, the approach plate, show me where the deice switch is, etc., and at what altitude I should flare.

"I just want you to know, we're all counting on you!"
 
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