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FAA Study: Many commercial pilots have difficulty flying planes manually
- Thread starter Tragicomedy
- Start date
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Rhomega Beta
Member
Google should start working on self-flying planes.
TunaMarshmallow
Member
We... have those.
It's easy to criticize sitting in front of a computer but GODDAMN that particular case was dumbfounding. So many lives lost due to a stupid human error.
Tragicomedy
Member
This is nightmare fuel.
As a teenager, I became inexplicably terrified of flying. Sweaty hands, shaking, having to control my breathing, the full enchilada. I've been a frequent flyer since I was six, since my parents work took me on tons of international flights. Out of nowhere, BAM...became afraid to fly.
My current line of work involves me flying fairly regularly, so it's something I've had to deal with. For the most part, I've overcome it. Every once in a while I have an absolutely terrible flight (flying in a hurricane sucked) that puts me back in that teenage mindset.
To make a long story short, the main way I deal with this fear is I remind myself over and over again that the pilots are trained professionals and they know exactly what they are doing at all times. Even when something happens that makes my heart jump, I tell myself that the pros are up in the cockpit.
What if they aren't so good after all?
As a teenager, I became inexplicably terrified of flying. Sweaty hands, shaking, having to control my breathing, the full enchilada. I've been a frequent flyer since I was six, since my parents work took me on tons of international flights. Out of nowhere, BAM...became afraid to fly.
My current line of work involves me flying fairly regularly, so it's something I've had to deal with. For the most part, I've overcome it. Every once in a while I have an absolutely terrible flight (flying in a hurricane sucked) that puts me back in that teenage mindset.
To make a long story short, the main way I deal with this fear is I remind myself over and over again that the pilots are trained professionals and they know exactly what they are doing at all times. Even when something happens that makes my heart jump, I tell myself that the pros are up in the cockpit.
What if they aren't so good after all?
Tragicomedy
Member
Don't worry dude, the computers will keep you safe!
speculawyer
Member
Thank you computers!
Karsticles
Member
Who doesn't forget how to do something without practice?
Lamel
Banned
Wouldn't you want to have the computer do most of the work anyway?
But yeah, reliance on autopilot is bad.
this too
But yeah, reliance on autopilot is bad.
this too
I can't tell if this post is serious
Modern craft are inherently less stable and more reliant on computer assist than past aircraft. There's also a lot more of them in the air. Perhaps that has something to do with it than just lack of training.
Then again, a pilot not knowing how to recover from a tip stall is pretty troubling. I thought that was one of the mandatory elements of pilot training. PEACE.
Then again, a pilot not knowing how to recover from a tip stall is pretty troubling. I thought that was one of the mandatory elements of pilot training. PEACE.
Or landing on a clear, sunny day with no wind.
D
Deleted member 80556
Unconfirmed Member
I think I'm going to avoid flying for a few days, maybe months.
I think it's more likely years.
I think it's more likely years.
I have something to tell you...
Lamel
Banned
Mistakes happen regardless, even if you've successfully landed on a clear, sunny day 1000 times.
entremet
Member
Old school military pilots are the best. They were paid to train full time, and they trained for the worst case scenarios. It is just not economically feasible for a civilian trained pilot to have anywhere near as much experience as a military trained pilot.
The problem is that militaries(even the US military) don't train pilots in the numbers they used to, because with the more high tech planes, drones, cruise missiles, etc., fewer pilots are needed in modern wars. You don't have to blanket the sky with planes to maintain air superiority these days.
The pilots the military does train tend to be career military these days, it pays better.
Training to be an airline pilot as a civilian requires so much education and training time that you really have to love the job to become a pilot these days, because the hours are shit and the pay isn't really that great when you consider the time investment in training relative to other high skilled jobs.
Tragicomedy
Member
Sullenberger was a stud. But to be fair, he teaches flying safety for a living and is an obvious exception in his field.
My friend is/was a flight attendant for a regional airline and good god the things she tells me about some pilots. Young, inexperienced, worked to death and tired as shit.....makes me never want to fly for some shitty regional. When I get on a plane I damn well better see some grizzled old dude with a mustache and a tattoo on his arm from "the war" greeting me from the cockpit.
criesofthepast
Member
Get some Xanax. NOW! If the planes going down you'll just be hysterically laughing like a madman high as fuck or fast asleep. Good old Xanax.
They essentially already are, probably 90% or more.
Lucky Forward
Member
See, some peckerwood's gotta get the thing up. And some peckerwood's gotta land the son of a bitch. And that "peckerwood" is called a "pilot".
-- Pancho Barnes, "The Right Stuff"
I'm the same as you.
I take .5 mg of Xanax and down it with a few beers.
Bizarrely enough the best flight I ever had was in a DeHavilland Beaver sitting in the copilots seat...probably because I could see everything that was happening.
Vincent Alexander
Member
This is probably the most frightening thing I've read all year.
2 Slice Toaster
Member
Most people have a difficult time operating a car safely, and we let anyone drive those. I'd still rather be on a flight than on the road, anytime.
SniperHunter
Banned
Great documentary.
Not really shocking.
The plane does most of the work by itself once you get it in the air. Only part you really have to do is land, and that is like 9/10ths of pilot school. Shit even in Pilot Wings landing was the battle. That is real life simulation coming at you from your Super Nintendo in 1991.
The plane does most of the work by itself once you get it in the air. Only part you really have to do is land, and that is like 9/10ths of pilot school. Shit even in Pilot Wings landing was the battle. That is real life simulation coming at you from your Super Nintendo in 1991.
Surely if they make the auto-pilots good enough you wont really need a pilot?
I prefer humans being competent enough to handle that 5-10% failure rate for computers(especially with corporations which don't care about safety first, but with money and are less willing to upgrade/repair unless they literally have to)
True. With good enough redundancy though you could probably get to a point where you need one guy who knows how to land and not much else.
Yeah great I just had to watch that, what with my 9 hour international flight in three days coming up and all :/
Tragicomedy
Member
Being able to see where I'm headed would make a significant difference, no doubt.
Being on solid ground is even more ideal.
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