Off-topic Talk Where overpaid, underworked S2000 owners waste the worst part of their days before the drive home. This forum is for general chit chat and discussions not covered by the other off-topic forums.

fear of flying

Thread Tools
 
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 12:49 AM
  #71  
exceltoexcel's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,938
Likes: 0
From: limerick
Default

I guess it depends on what "well trained" means to you but how many hours does a typicall commerical passenger airline pilot have to have to get his wings? I'm not talking licence I'm talking about actually getting hired. Why do you have such a freakin problem with airline pilots? I mean was your father a pilot and he beat you every day when he was home or something?
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 03:41 AM
  #72  
mns2k's Avatar
Registered User
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,193
Likes: 0
From: Denton, Texas
Default

Originally Posted by lig,Jan 27 2006, 01:28 AM
Wis.

More people die in their bedrooms than on planes.
As long as its on the up stroke its fine with me
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 07:10 AM
  #73  
lig's Avatar
lig
Community Organizer
20 Year Member
Photoriffic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 188
From: seattle
Default

Originally Posted by mns2k,Jan 27 2006, 05:41 AM
As long as its on the up stroke its fine with me


in flagrante delicto, baby!
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 01:16 PM
  #74  
PilotKD's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,432
Likes: 0
From: South Jersey
Default

[QUOTE=exceltoexcel,Jan 27 2006, 03:49 AM] I guess it depends on what "well trained" means to you but how many hours does a typicall commerical passenger airline pilot have to have to get his wings? I'm not talking licence I'm talking about actually getting hired. Why do you have such a freakin problem with airline pilots?
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 02:17 PM
  #75  
exceltoexcel's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,938
Likes: 0
From: limerick
Default

I figured, so why does Steve have such a big beef with pilots?
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 02:23 PM
  #76  
Morris's Avatar
Registered User
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 7,401
Likes: 1,104
From: Napa
Default

Maybe he doesn't know what it takes to be a commercial pilot.
Maybe he's having a bad day.
Maybe he's pulling your leg.
Maybe he likes to always be negative.
Maybe he should tell us himself.
What about it Stevo?
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 05:46 PM
  #77  
PilotKD's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,432
Likes: 0
From: South Jersey
Default

Originally Posted by exceltoexcel,Jan 27 2006, 05:17 PM
I figured, so why does Steve have such a big beef with pilots?
Don't know... don't care really. He also thinks airliners takeoff by themselves while the pilots babysit and to date, there is no commercial airliner that takes off on autopilot. They may turn the autopilot on a thousand or so feet above the ground after takeoff, but the airplane does not takeoff by itself. They do have autothrottles, which will advance the throttles up to a preset takeoff thrust setting, but as far as pitch, roll and yaw inputs, it's all done by the pilot flying.

As far as autoland goes, performing a Cat III autoland requires certification of the aircrew, aircraft, ground equipment and a maintenance program. Every one of these needs to be "current" and tested. Even the ILS equipment on the ground has to be certified by the FAA in order to be used as a Cat III autoland approach (where the aircraft flies the approach, flares, touches down and brakes all by itself). You just can't let the aircraft autoland into any old airport. Pilots don't do autolands very often. Sometimes in poor weather or to stay current (or to keep the aircraft systems current - required once every 30 days), but I would look at it as a pride thing. Do you think pilots actually enjoy the fact that technology will eventually take us out of the cockpit? No, not really. I know for me, takeoff and landing is the most fun and challenging part of the flight. It ain't easy landing a 190,000lb aircraft at almost 190mph in the first 3000 feet of the runway (ie: touchdown zone), with gusty crosswinds. Now, alot of airline pilots will let the autopilot fly the instrument approach down to 200 feet above ground and then turn the autopilot off to hand fly it for landing. I'm not going to lie. The autopilot flies the airplane better than we do (as long as we tell it to do the right thing - garbage in/garbage out). As airline pilots, they're providing a service to a few hundredy potentially bitchy passengers in the back. Using the autopilot as much as possible provides for a smooth flight (and more fuel efficient) and less passenger complaining. If you're going to hand fly, you've gotta be smooth.
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2006 | 05:58 PM
  #78  
Saki GT's Avatar
Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 36,017
Likes: 226
From: Queen City, NC
Default

Good to know about the Continental planes - I'll give them more consideration when I fly.

Kind off OT, but I had a mechanical delay on a flight yest, and the pilot got on the airport terminal PA and started a big speech about how planes are just machines, and machines break, but he was confident in Delta (my flight) and that he really stood behind the company. Then, on my connection, the next pilot came out of the cockpit and greeted the passengers over the PA, saying what cities we'd be flying over, temps, time, and how he appreciated our business.

I thought it odd that in one day I had two separate pilots give speeches to the passengers... Maybe pilot appreciation is part of Delta's bankruptcy plan?
Reply
Old Jan 28, 2006 | 06:12 AM
  #79  
Wisconsin S2k's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 9,792
Likes: 5
From: Milwaukee Area
Default

Originally Posted by PilotKD,Jan 27 2006, 08:46 PM
Don't know... don't care really. He also thinks airliners takeoff by themselves while the pilots babysit and to date, there is no commercial airliner that takes off on autopilot. They may turn the autopilot on a thousand or so feet above the ground after takeoff, but the airplane does not takeoff by itself. They do have autothrottles, which will advance the throttles up to a preset takeoff thrust setting, but as far as pitch, roll and yaw inputs, it's all done by the pilot flying.

As far as autoland goes, performing a Cat III autoland requires certification of the aircrew, aircraft, ground equipment and a maintenance program. Every one of these needs to be "current" and tested. Even the ILS equipment on the ground has to be certified by the FAA in order to be used as a Cat III autoland approach (where the aircraft flies the approach, flares, touches down and brakes all by itself). You just can't let the aircraft autoland into any old airport. Pilots don't do autolands very often. Sometimes in poor weather or to stay current (or to keep the aircraft systems current - required once every 30 days), but I would look at it as a pride thing. Do you think pilots actually enjoy the fact that technology will eventually take us out of the cockpit? No, not really. I know for me, takeoff and landing is the most fun and challenging part of the flight. It ain't easy landing a 190,000lb aircraft at almost 190mph in the first 3000 feet of the runway (ie: touchdown zone), with gusty crosswinds. Now, alot of airline pilots will let the autopilot fly the instrument approach down to 200 feet above ground and then turn the autopilot off to hand fly it for landing. I'm not going to lie. The autopilot flies the airplane better than we do (as long as we tell it to do the right thing - garbage in/garbage out). As airline pilots, they're providing a service to a few hundredy potentially bitchy passengers in the back. Using the autopilot as much as possible provides for a smooth flight (and more fuel efficient) and less passenger complaining. If you're going to hand fly, you've gotta be smooth.
I think we will be flying on midwest's Boeing 717 to and from florida when we go down. Do you (or anyone else here) know much about that aircraft? I know they are pretty new, so I'm hoping that's more a good thing than a bad thing. (Good cuz they're new, bad cuz they're new and maybe have some bugs or flaws that have yet to be found)
Reply
Old Jan 28, 2006 | 06:57 AM
  #80  
exceltoexcel's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,938
Likes: 0
From: limerick
Default

Its a great plane, just think about all boeing has learned over the years.

There first priority is to make the safest plane!

THe systems are so well designed now, every part that ever failed has been made better, stronger and more reliable.

You're even safer in a newer plane! Regardless of the model year.

Glad to see you're exploring the subject of your fears.

Probably the best thing you can do.

The more you know about it the more you'll realize you're safe up there.


to you!
Reply



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:44 PM.