Interesting story of an incapacitated airline pilot and...

The FO did a very professional job. Once she landed without incident she really had three choices:

a) Ask her new copilot, who is qualified in a heavy four engine centerline thrust afterburning jet bomber (which I don't think has a tiller) to taxi an airliner with a tiller. It's long shot, but worth asking.

b) Stop on the runway, call for stairs, wait for some indeterminate period of time while the Captain is suffering from a life threatening medical emergency.

c) Since she is fully qualified on B737 systems she switches seats and does her first 'solo taxi' to the gate.

Aftermath: The copilot logs PIC from the moment the Captain was incapacitated.

The Bone pilot enters SIC time in his logbook asks the copilot to sign his logbook with "B737 familiarization training". Could be useful when the military pilot retires or separates.
 
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Shepherd said:
Really?
Read the story over then post an apology.
It doesn't say she didn't know how to taxi the plane. it says she didn't know WHERE to taxi the plane.
It's a pretty safe bet she didn't have an airport diagram for that airport sitting on her lap when she landed.
Personally, I would have left it sitting in the middle of the runway and told Ground "Deal with it."
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You're right. I read it too fast and thought I'd seen that she was in trouble.

Apology offered.

Dan
 
BillTIZ said:
Yes he would, but that does not mean he would not get ill within a week or 5 months from his last physical. It only meant he was healthy the day he took his last medical and had a high probability of making it 6 more months.
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I think you missed the sarcasm in his post.
 
JimNtexas said:
. Could be useful when the military pilot retires or separates.
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Already separated. The Bone dude is on terminal leave at the end of an ALO tour. He is transitioning to OH ANG C-130s.

He will be receiving a Commendation Medal for 'Single act of courage'.

PM me if you'd like details.

TC


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
JimNtexas said:
The FO did a very professional job. Once she landed without incident she really had three choices:

a) Ask her new copilot, who is qualified in a heavy four engine centerline thrust afterburning jet bomber (which I don't think has a tiller) to taxi an airliner with a tiller. It's long shot, but worth asking.

.
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Taxi the Bone, pull the stick trigger which engages nose wheel steering on the ground and use the rudder pedals. That same trigger will disconnect the air refuel probe when engaged, and with first and second detents while in terrain following mode disengages terrain following and fly up protection.

Who knows how many other functions have been programmed to the stick trigger switch in the last 15 yrs since I last flew it.
 
BillTIZ said:
Taxi the Bone, pull the stick trigger which engages nose wheel steering on the ground and use the rudder pedals. That same trigger will disconnect the air refuel probe when engaged, and with first and second detents while in terrain following mode disengages terrain following and fly up protection.
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I'm not at all surprised. That's very similar to the F-111, and I knew that the two airplanes have a lot of common user interface elements.
 
The captain must have had the fish dinner ... :goofy:



wnxuLws.gif
 
Why does the aircraft use a tiller instead of steering with the feet?
 
Jaybird180 said:
Why does the aircraft use a tiller instead of steering with the feet?
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Don't know for certain, but my guess is that in larger aircraft where the nose-wheel is behind or directly below the cockpit, the linkage required to connect the wheel to the pedals is too cumbersome to be worth the trouble, so they use a tiller. Been that way for transport aircraft since the 40s.
 
Isn't there a small motor that actually does the movement of the nose gear? Lots of weight would make it very tough to turn with rudder input.

I haven't a clue but I bet there are those here that do.
 
Found this information on another forum:

Power from the hydraulic system is used to turn the nose wheel 78* right or left when on the ground and is controlled by a tiller on the pilot's side of the aircraft. Approximately 7* steering can be achieved through the rudder pedals on takeoff or landing.
 
Jaybird180 said:
Why does the aircraft use a tiller instead of steering with the feet?
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Perhaps it's also advantageous when landing in a cross-wind. The pilot can use the rudder to maintain alignment as necessary while still keeping the nosewheel aligned straight down the runway since there's no linkage between the two. I'm sure the rudder alone is not sufficient for steering, especially with no propwash, and differential braking on a big plane like that could be bad for the brakes I'd bet.
 
In a nutshell, the tiller in most airliners is used at taxi speeds, and the pedal interconnect for anything above taxi speeds. In the 737, I typically use the tiller for most taxing, but often use the pedals to keep it straight while taxiing on long straightaways, and switch back to the tiller for turns. On takeoff, the tiller is used until the airplane is rolling straight, then it's all rudder pedals like any other airplane. On landing, it's rudder pedals until it's time to turn off the runway, although you can typically turn onto high speeds using the rudder alone.

It sounds way more complicated than it is.

Oh, and the FO in the OP story did an outstanding job, although I'm not sure I'd have let an unknown person in the cockpit in flight. I wasn't there, though, so I'll reserve judgement on that!
 
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SCCutler said:
From my couple of hours of 737 sim time, yes, the tiller's the thing. I believe other Boeings are the same.

Others? Color me, "clueless."
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727, 757, 767 have ony a one tiller for the captain. There is a tiller on both sides in the Airbus. The B-52 uses only rudder pedals for Taxi but has a lever that switches between ground (more throw) and takeoff/land (less throw per given pedal input).
 
maddog52 said:
727, 757, 767 have ony a one tiller for the captain. There is a tiller on both sides in the Airbus. The B-52 uses only rudder pedals for Taxi but has a lever that switches between ground (more throw) and takeoff/land (less throw per given pedal input).
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Are the FOs trained on how to taxi?
 
us AAirways said:
Are the FOs trained on how to taxi?
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Normally, no, but it really isn't too hard to figure out....... Plus, most major airline FOs were Capts at previous jobs. Anyone that's flown a commuter or larger airplane in the last 30 years has probably handled a tiller.
 
Slipkid65 said:
Normally, no, but it really isn't too hard to figure out....... Plus, most major airline FOs were Capts at previous jobs. Anyone that's flown a commuter or larger airplane in the last 30 years has probably handled a tiller.
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Additionally, now that FOs are required to receive PIC type ratings, taxi training will be part of that as well. But like you said, most have seen a tiller at a prior job anyway.
 
Everyone is missing the real question. What's the captain's seniority number?
 
acrophile said:
No, the article does not say she asked him that. She merely asked him if he knew where to taxi to (she hadn't been to that airport before).
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I'm amazed this question still remains. BZ to both the FO and Bone pilot.
 
Why didn't she ask for progressive taxi instructions?:dunno:
 
Jhernandez04 said:
Awesome story, glad everyone made it out okay.

I bet that situation was tense! That kinda ordeal, + making it out alive...... id be on an adrenline rush for days. lol
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Yea, but you'd be posting the story on Pilots of America in about 10 minutes. :D:yes:
 
acrophile said:
No, the article does not say she asked him that. She merely asked him if he knew where to taxi to (she hadn't been to that airport before).
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A GA pilot could have pulled out his iPad and shown her the airport diagram on ForeFlight! Slacker professional and military pilots. ;)
 
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