re: 50% of Survey men believe they could land airplane safely with Air Traffic Guidance

Several years ago, I had to work at multiple sites in Hopedale and Grand Isle over the course of a year - and occasionally had to catch a ride in one of those small 2-seater planes where you are sitting next to the pilot.

One flight we were cruising along and I suddenly thought - “what if this pilot has a heart attack?!!”

So I started watching everything he did and made a mental note of how he contacted and spoke to ATC.

I watched him closely as we landed and then on the next flight watched him closely again to see if the things he did were the same way he did then the previous flight.

After it was all said and done - I did feel like, in an emergency, I could probably fly the place with radio assistance - however, I was pretty confident I’d crash and burn on the landing.

Mythbusters did an episode on this. Both Adam and Jamie were able to successfully land their planes in the sim while be coached down by a pilot on the radio.

I have my pilots certificate. I don’t have a lot of time and most of it in a Piper Warrior. I can say without any doubt that all of us are dead if we have to land an airliner. Without training there is zero chance. The kind of training I have doesn’t translate at all to them. Sorry guys, even if you had the most experienced pilot in that airframe on the radio, you can’t do it. Now all of this is to say if you have to hand fly the plane. If there is auto land capacity I do believe someone could explain how to program it. Maybe.

quote:

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If you can’t back your truck into a parking spot without having to pull forward and adjust, you can’t land a fricking airplane.

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Well then I could land the fricking space shuttle. I can back a 42' boat up in a McDonald's parking lot in one shot.

Just fly the HUD.. easy..

I may not get us on the runway but we will get down for sure

My CEO had that Cirrus parachute 4 seater and I flew in the passenger seat at least once a month while he piloted the plane. All I cared about was the procedure to follow before engaging the chute. Turn engine off, dump fuel, pull the overhead handle. We rarely flew above 11,000 feet and he always told me to try to level it down to 5,000 before engaging the chute and he tutored me on that part also. I don’t think I could have landed it well though even though I observed the process many times.

If 777tiger can do it...