Except he said that due to some new rules he learned at a recent FAA seminar, he has to submit a list of questions he plans to use to the local FSDO (FAA office) and that the oral portion of the exam might last 4-5 hours (for a PPL!). This is a whole lot more than the 2-2.5 hours everyone originally told me to expect!
Yes, essentially. See here, where a single switch setting caused a passenger airliner to dive steeply and flip upside down. Additionally, the same switch is suspected of causing a previous accident in the same model airliner, that one being fatal.
Sort of I suppose, except that I’ve never seen a gust lock that can be engaged accidentally. They generally take a bit of force to engage and/or a certain technique. It’s not the sort of thing that can be bumped in to place.
I can’t really think of a single switch that could be bumped that would cause huge problems assuming basic competence from the pilots. In the Avro RJ you can turn off electrics, hydraulics, a fuel pump, an airconditioning pack, an air supply, or some of the avionics but no one switch selection is going to be a big issue.
During my command training last year we were on descent through 10,000’ and preparing for a practice GPS instrument approach into an unfamiliar (to me) airfield with no control tower and some VFR traffic. Approaching 10,000’ we do the transition scan followed by completing the descent/approach checklist. This involves setting the local barometric pressure on the altimeters, turning the seatbelt signs on, the aircraft lights on, and the galley services off. The galley switch is immediately adjacent to the number 1 generator switch which supplies half of the aircraft’s electrical power. You can probably see where this is going ;). At 10,000’ we have generally just changed radios to the CTAF frequency, made our inbound call, and are often arranging separation with other traffic; it is a busy phase of the flight.
I’ve never done it before and I will never do it again, but this one time I turned the galley switch off and heard chirps indicating the autopilot had disconnected, at the same time the EFIS screens went black briefly then came back on line and the master caution started flashing along with a chime that alerts you that something has gone wrong.
I cancelled the autopilot chirp, took manual control, and looked at the caution lights which told me the number 1 generator was offline. Mentally slapping my forehead I turned the generator back on and the galley switch off the way it should have been done in the first place, reinstated the autopilot and carried on to an uneventful approach and landing. My training captain was too busy doing his first officer duties that he didn’t realise what had happened until I’d fixed it.
The point of the story is that despite all the bells, whistles, and lights that were creating their own brand of chaos, nothing bad happened. The electrical power to the left side of the aircraft was turned off but the generator from the other side automatically took the load so all of the electrics came back after a split second. The power interruption caused the autopilot to disengage but that was the only lasting effect. I could have reinstated the autopilot, left the generator switched off and we would have been back to a fully functioning aeroplane. It’s much the same for all of the other systems. Any one switch probably has a partner that controls a second redundant system that can take the load if needed. Something like a gust lock has to be deliberately (maliciously) put into place and in the RJ you physically couldn’t lock the controls without throwing the aeroplane around in the first place.
4-5 hours??? I think I spent about 30 minutes.
My check ride was a nightmare of things gone bad. the only reason I got my license is that I didn’t kill the examiner. NEVER put your foot on the clutch when touching down.
What a relief! I thought I was the only one that had all sorts of things go wrong during my checkride.
(Let’s just say getting ramped checked during your PPL checkride is not amusing… and that wasn’t the only thing that went off the rails)
They might not have been his exact words but basically he really did tell my instructor that I was getting my license because I didn’t kill him. I scared the crap out of both of us. To shorten a long story I almost stalled it at 50 ft on an unintended go around which started by pranging it on the runway going too fast. It’s a little scary nosing a plane down when there’s a line of trees in front of you and you can’t see the horizon.
The only thing that went well was the emergency landing. He pulls the engine to idle and has me pick a spot to land. The one I picked out was not really a good choice and I had to cross control it to force it down. Seems to me he let me come down to about 200 ft off the deck before he was satisfied. must have looked interesting from the ground.
In this video (which by coincidence I watched only 2 days ago) the poster successfully pilots a Cessna 172 from take-off, around the pattern, to a successful landing, with no input or intervention from the flying instructor sitting in the right-hand seat.
He had no previous flying experience at all, and in fact had never been in a small aircraft before. However he had extensive Flight Simulator experience and had prepared and practised for this specific flight at this specific airport (North Las Vegas).
So the answer is: IF it is a Cessna 172 and IF you have practised in Flight Simulator, you have a very good chance indeed.
A turbo-prop, given a long enough runway, I believe I would have a non-zero chance.
However, as others have noted, if it is a jet, you have effectively zero chance of putting it on a runway and surviving. I suspect that is true even if you have a PPL, a lot of flying time, and someone on the radio talking you down.
I don’t think traffic would be a major concern - once you have made a “help, the pilot’s dead” radio call, all traffic will be cleared out of your way.
By the way, there are “pinch-hitter” classes offered to non-flying spouses at many locations in the US. 4 hours of training to help you get back on the ground when the pilot is incapacitated. Is 4 hours enough to teach someone to land a plane? :dubious:
One piece of advice I was given for that situation: if you are not going to clear the obstacle, and raising the nose will cause you to stall, extend the flaps fully. It’s an absolute last resort; it will lift you over that first obstacle, but you’ll still be in a very bad situation.
Never tried it myself so I’m not speaking from experience!
I know someone who went from flying piston radial twins directly to a 727. Simulators must be pretty good.
I agree. I haven’t had to pass a full exam in 20 years but traditionally the 1 hour oral for my BFR every two years consists of a half hour of the standard questions followed by a half hour of the examiner and I trying to stump each other with really esoteric stuff because we can’t think of anything else to ask about. I have a very hard time imagining what you could be asked on a private pilot exam that would take 4 hours.
As for check ride nightmares, on my instrument the examiner was reaching across to cover up an instrument during an approach and grabbed the dashboard “eyebrow” which had a giant “DO NOT GRAB” placard on it. Pulled the damn thing down into my lap covering all the instruments and I had to go missed while I sorted it out. The guy very apologetically failed me for it since I didn’t complete the approach. If I remember he felt that by the rules he had to pink slip me since I went missed on an approach but he didn’t charge me for the retest and let me pick the approach we used for it since I had done everything else right on the initial test. Plus all these years later it makes a good story.
Finally the OP asked if a flight school minds having someone come in for a single flight to see if they like it. I was just talking to an instructor and he mentioned he had a “discovery flight” that day. I commented that that must be one of the most fun parts of his job and he said, “Yeah, I actually get to fly.” Let me explain that. In order to get a job with even a small airline you have to have logged hundreds of hours. The cheapest way to do that is to work as a flight instructor where you can log hours you instructed even if you never touch the controls of the plane. So lots of guys get their ratings and then teach for a few years building up hours, but never flying all that much themselves. On a discovery flight the poor instructor doesn’t have to just sit there telling you what to do, he actually gets to make the takeoff and landing (although the student does do most of the flying in between).
If you’re talking about something like a C172 or a small Piper yes, it’s sufficient. They get actual landing experience (under supervision, of course) and are also taught how to call for help on the radio. Remember, we’re not talking about perfect landings, we’re talking about landings you can walk away from.
I’ve known a few flight instructors who were willing (nay, encouraging) of spouses/children/SO’s to do a pinch-hitter course geared to a specific airplane, which is probably helpful for those pilots flying somewhat less than conventional aircraft. I don’t mean really bizarre stuff, just things like taildraggers and some vintage or experimental aircraft that aren’t too far off the beaten trail.
My biggest concern was going to be if I was going to have strong crosswinds for my check ride that day. It turned out to be perfect, and down the runway, so fortunately, that put me at ease on everything else, so, didn’t even any other horror stories to write about then. Those came later. :eek:
That was true at one time, still is, if your plane isn’t equipped with gps, but even most small planes are these days because it is affordable. You can simply type in an airport, it draws a straight line, and you simply follow that line to whatever destination you want to go to. Any decent gps unit will also show landmarks such as roads, cities, lakes, rivers, railroads, airports, towers, etc, and where your plane is located. It also has many other features that make flying easier and safer too. E.g., mine is interfaced with a collision avoidance system which enables you to locate other planes close to you. There are various forms of it, and it will identify their location, altitude, and lets you know if other planes might be a problem for you. Not 100% reliable, but after flying with one of these, it’s another feature I’ll always want in my planes now.
Your post brought back memories of what I used to have to go through during my first few days of training some 23 years ago. My instructor would often take me out for a one hour lesson. After doing a series of turns or other maneuvers, he would then ask me, do I know where we are, and how to get back. I had no idea. But you start familiarizing yourself with landmarks fairly quick, and after the first few flights shouldn’t have any trouble bringing yourself back in to your regular airport and that’s without relying on any instruments. I do the same thing to each of my new passengers, and on the first flight, after I’ve done various maneuvers, and directional changes, I don’t recall any knowing the way back. They are not used to know what to look for yet. After about the third flight, most seem to know.
And yes, with wind drift you had to be real careful over long distances or you could easily get off course. Dealing with those large paper maps (they are still used, but mostly for backup), and having to find landmarks with it could be a challenge at times before gps. A small plane had some navigational aids, the usual compass, and some had VOR that helped if you could get high enough, but low cloud cover flying VFR (visual flight rules), and flying over desolate areas, you couldn’t even rely on that.
Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to get lost, i.e., as long as your equipment is working, and it’s one of the main reasons I got back into flying is because of the latest electronic gizmos that make navigation and other aspects easier and safer.
Love it. Our local fire department had a saying. “Haven’t lost a foundation yet!”
nvm - dupe post
An aside – My Wife and I took a short hop in Costa Rica in a Dehavilland twin otter. The destination airport was totally socked in. They decided to fly to a different airport nearby and then bus us.
Maybe there was something wrong with the navigation system on the plane, or the pilot was not familiar with the airport, or both. They rubber banded a GPS unit (like a Garmin) to the steering wheel/yoke.
I’m glad to hear that while takeoff is more dangerous, landing is more difficult. I do a lot of flight sim and that has always been the case for me. Setting up a proper glide path for a landing is pretty intense. Heh. I even wrote an app to help with the calculations.
-Ground Speed
-Altitude to lose
-Feet per minute decent
-Commit Point (distance from runway)
Enter any three and get the last number.
Anyway, it’s much much easier to abort a landing, than a takeoff.
I’ve yet to abort a take off, but have had many go-arounds coming in for final. It’s those damn cross winds and gusts that still tend to give me fits.
While an airplane will virtually take off itself, helicopters won’t. As I said earlier, GA aircraft tend to have positive stability. Helicopters are inherently unstable. The linked video shows what happens when an untrained student attempts to take off on his own.
(Incidentally, the helicopter in the video is the last type I flew. One day I will be able to afford to fly them again!)
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By the way, there are “pinch-hitter” classes offered to non-flying spouses at many locations in the US. 4 hours of training to help you get back on the ground when the pilot is incapacitated. Is 4 hours enough to teach someone to land a plane? :dubious:
[/QUOTE]
It’s more like “is four hours enough to teach someone not to panic and drill a hole into the nearest shopping mall?”
The idea is to give someone the basics of how to use the radio, what the basic controls look like and what they do, and to appreciate the old maxims of never having too much fuel in the tank or too much altitude underneath you.
I’d expect that most people who take a pinch-hitter course will do it only once. What really needs to happen for those people who take the effort is for their spouse to put them in the seat once in a while and have them run through making sure they’re flying straight and level so they’re in no immediate danger, then getting on the radio for help.
Unless you’re on fire! 
Rule #1: FLY THE AIRCRAFT!
Or put another way: ‘Aviate, communicate, navigate.’ Fly the aircraft first. Then call for help. Then sort out where you’re going.