# Pilot Dies on Miami-Santiago Flight **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2023, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696 "2023-08-17T03:59:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696/21 "2023-08-19T23:27:45Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > At least in normal operations, the pilots take turns actively flying vs assisting by operating radios and other admin crap I’d go further and say most of the time the plane is flying itself and the crew takes turns monitoring it to ensure it was properly programmed and is following that programming. Once it’s at altitude and set up the goal is to stay awake and recognize the next center call. I kid but there’s a lot monotony in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696/22 "2023-08-20T21:42:55Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > …barely qualified FOs hauling passengers in RJs… RJs? (Really informative and interesting posts, BTW.) j ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696/23 "2023-08-20T21:57:05Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > RJs? Regional Jets, I presume. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696/24 "2023-08-20T22:16:11Z")
Yes. > **[Regional jet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_jet)** > > A regional jet (RJ) is a jet-powered regional airliner with fewer than 100 seats. The first one was the Sud-Aviation Caravelle in 1959, followed by the widespread Yakovlev Yak-40, Fokker F-28, and BAe 146. The 1990s saw the emergence of the most widespread Canadair Regional Jet and its Embraer Regional Jet counterpart, then the larger Embraer E-Jet and multiple competing projects. In the US, they are limited in size by scope clauses. > The market was consolidated as Bombardier Aviation sold its ... The article talks about them dating back to the 1960s, but back then it was really a different concept than the current post 1990-RJs. At one time apprenticeships were done on very small slow prop planes in minor markets where mistakes were easy to correct, happened slowly, and at worst 9 people got killed. The modern RJs are exactly as fast & complicated & sophisticated as Boeings or Airbuses, operate in the very same major league airports and weather conditions as the big guys, and carry roughly 50 to 100 people. The opportunities for mistakes are far larger, the potential impact of them is far larger, and the time and resources to correct them are far smaller. It’s not a good environment for someone still feeling their way towards skill. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696/25 "2023-08-20T22:38:55Z")
Thanks, both. j ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696/26 "2023-08-21T11:03:49Z")
When we went to Belize in order to get to our resort we had to fly from Belize City to Hopkins. Not a long flight but the plane was a single engine and there was only one pilot: a very obese man who was sweating profusely even though it wasn’t particularly warm that day. I want my plane flights to have at least 2 engines and at least 2 individuals who don’t look like they’re going to vapor lock & competent to fly it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pilot-dies-on-miami-santiago-flight/988696.md?page=1)