# Landing a commercial airplane

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landing-a-commercial-airplane/369529>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 21, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landing-a-commercial-airplane/369529 "2006-08-21T01:31:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landing-a-commercial-airplane/369529/41 "2006-08-23T12:21:03Z")

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[QUOTE=Sam Stone]  
I think a good private pilot, with an airliner on the ground to instruct him in the systems, could have a decent chance of landing an airliner if there is a precision approach radar at the airport. The radar controller could give the airline pilot the flight details (“slightly below glideslope, slightly to the left of centerline”), and the airline pilot could instruct the pilot in the plane what to do to correct. The trick would be to get a nice stable glidepath going from some distance out, trim up the airplane, and give the private pilot lots of time to prepare for the landing.  
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In light of the contrary responses from those who have flown big birds, I wonder what particular experience you have that makes you feel this to be true? Or are you just offering an uninformed opinion?

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landing-a-commercial-airplane/369529/42 "2006-08-23T14:30:26Z")

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Did you note my conditions about there being a precision approach radar? My point being that with a PAR and an airline pilot on the ground?

I don’t have experience flying large jets, but I do have some experience flying PARs. The PAR controller can fly you right onto the button of the runway. My thinking is that the pilot in the airplane can be guided into setting up a nice stable descent right on the glideslope, and if he starts getting behind the airplane he can be waved off and come around to try again. Once he’s on a stable descent right on the glideslope, all that’s left is to flare at the appropriate time and cut the throttles.

But I don’t have jet time, so I’ll wait to see what the heavy drivers have to say about that.

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