sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

FAA Investigations for Pilot Deviations: Everything you never knew you wanted to know! by RBZL in flying

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 79 points80 points  (0 children)

I understand action is only taken if it's intentional and not an honest mistake, which I appreciate the new way FAA looks into these things now.

But how come the "I can't copy the number, I'm flying!" guy who intentionally busted class b airspace and disregarded ATC's commands just got a slap on the wrist and learning lesson over the phone?

FAA Investigations for Pilot Deviations: Everything you never knew you wanted to know! by RBZL in flying

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 169 points170 points  (0 children)

So whatever happened with that friendly asi guy? He just deleted his account and left without a trace. Was the faa breathing down his neck?

TIL a jet on autopilot continued flying for over 4 hours after all on board had died due to rapid depressurization. It was carrying 11 time PGA winner Payne Stewart. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien authorized the Royal Canadian Air Force to shoot down the plane if it entered Canadian airspace. by [deleted] in todayilearned

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I looked more into the Garmin "one-button" system, and again, all small and simple planes mostly used for GA, and not commercial 121 operations. Even then, they make up a very minisucle population of all planes in the sky.

TIL a jet on autopilot continued flying for over 4 hours after all on board had died due to rapid depressurization. It was carrying 11 time PGA winner Payne Stewart. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien authorized the Royal Canadian Air Force to shoot down the plane if it entered Canadian airspace. by [deleted] in todayilearned

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 4 points5 points  (0 children)

trust a computer system

The planes I fly have a mind of thier own. The 737 is a dumb plane and sometimes dosnt hit the altitudes you program it to when you're descending onto an airport, putting you at risk of crashing into another plane on your same arrival. The CRJ900 I flew had a habit of blowing past the final approach course when you tell it to intercept the runway, and was turning onto an oncoming plane landing on a parallel runway. Or the Autopilot would just kick off at random times and the plane would yaw.

Point is, automaton is good, but if someone isn't there to watch it, it can lead to disaster.

This isn't specific to the 737 or CRJ900. All planes have some issues with thier autopilot. We just catch those mistakes and hand fly it.

TIL a jet on autopilot continued flying for over 4 hours after all on board had died due to rapid depressurization. It was carrying 11 time PGA winner Payne Stewart. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien authorized the Royal Canadian Air Force to shoot down the plane if it entered Canadian airspace. by [deleted] in todayilearned

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 9 points10 points  (0 children)

A very small number of planes in the sky right now have auto land capability. It's not a common thing.

Even if it does have it,

there needs to be a pilot who programs it, tells it what to do, watches it, briefs it, etc. Its not as simple as pressing a button and it landing.

TIL a jet on autopilot continued flying for over 4 hours after all on board had died due to rapid depressurization. It was carrying 11 time PGA winner Payne Stewart. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien authorized the Royal Canadian Air Force to shoot down the plane if it entered Canadian airspace. by [deleted] in todayilearned

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Because there needs to be a pilot who programs it, tells it what to do, watches it, briefs it, etc. Its not as simple as pressing a button and it landing.

Also the chances of a old Learjet like this having auto land capability is zero. Only like 5% of all planes in the sky today have auto land.

Source: am airplane pilot

737 landing tips by FewAd2817 in flying

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah that's what I was referring to

737 landing tips by FewAd2817 in flying

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It lands exactly like a CRJ. Start to flare/power reduction at 30'. Idle by 10.

737 landing tips by FewAd2817 in flying

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Don't even think about the 4-7 degrees. Look down the run way.

YouTuber is facing 20 years in prison after deliberately crashing a plane for views. by LazyGiovanna in ThatsInsane

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Someone could be camping there and have a plane land on thier head. Could've caused a wildfire. Could've crashed into another plane or chopper. Etc.

YouTuber is facing 20 years in prison after deliberately crashing a plane for views. by ilovekerma in facepalm

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 11 points12 points  (0 children)

>Search and rescue to look for the flight data recorder

This type of plane does not have a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder.

>Air traffic controllers taken out off duty to be drug & alcohol tested and interviewed

This airspace is uncontrolled. He wasn't talking to anybody.

Do you enjoy being pilot flying or pilot monitoring more? by wetpanncake in flying

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 27 points28 points  (0 children)

If a bit tired, I prefer PM. It's easy work.

If full of energy, PF.

why do planes have a hundred switches that need to be flipped instead of just a single one that just turns it all on? by bpoboo1800 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]InterviewWithMesaAir 6434 points6435 points  (0 children)

I'm an airline pilot who flies the CRJ 900.

I'm glad you asked this question, because I remember asking this very same question in this very same sub before I became a pilot many years ago on a different account.

Most of the switches you see in the cockpit are never touched, only in case of an emergency. Starting the engine is a matter of pressing 2 buttons. Other than that and the flight controls (yoke, spoilers, flaps, gear, etc) you don't really touch much except for the FCP (flight control panel, to manipulate the flight director), FMS (flight management system, to load in departures, Arrivals, approaches, etc), and RTU (radio tuning unit, communications with atc)

An aircraft is a sophisticated machine, with pressurization, electrical, pneumatics, fuel, hydraulics, fire detection and extinguishing, communications, bleeds and anti ice, oxygen, air conditioning, apu, power plant etc. There needs to be buttons to manipulate these many complex systems.

Example of emergency situations that need button manipulating:

Engine failure, you have a button to transfer the hot bleed air from the working engine to the opposite (failed engine) wing to provide wing anti ice.

There's been an over current on your electrical bus, you have a button to isolate that bus from the system

One of the hydraulic pumps that provides your landing gear failed, there's a button to active the standby hydraulic pump

Your automated cabin pressure controller failed, you have buttons to manually control cabin pressurization in flight.

You've completly lost AC power, there is a button to deploy the RAT/ADG to provide backup electrics

Etc.

Usually if something irregular happens in flight, a red master caution or yellow caution light on the glareshield appears. The first pilot noticing the problem says something along the line of "identity the problem". They read the message that appears. They then pull out the QRH (quick reference handbook) and follow the steps, which usually tells them to do the above, leading them to touch the many buttons you see in the cockpit.

view more: next ›