# Why do pilots still tell you their planned altitude, weather at your destination, etc? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187 "2019-10-03T01:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/21 "2019-10-03T13:40:52Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Except when you’re on a flight with seatback entertainment. They freeze the system with a “There’s an announment in progress” message which not only stops your movie but prevents you from searching for anything else (like what you might want to watch next on a long-haul flight) > > “Ladies & gentlemen on the left side of the plane, if you look out the window you’ll see \. Ladies & gentlemen on the right side of the plane, if you look to your left you’ll see…the bald spots of your fellow passengers on the left side of the plane.” 😃 They make a LOT of announcements. Let’s ask them to cut the announcements about their sky mart and how you can buy their credit card before they remove the pilot introducing himself to the passengers. Deal? (And if we are flying over the Grand Canyon, I actually DO want to look out of my window right now, and I’m grateful for the information.) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/22 "2019-10-03T14:21:37Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Except when you’re on a flight with seatback entertainment. They freeze the system with a “There’s an announment in progress” message which not only stops your movie but prevents you from searching for anything else (like what you might want to watch next on a long-haul flight) This. It’s also really annoying when you’re trying to sleep. I’m fine with the intro message soon after takeoff. I appreciate knowing if we’re going to be early or late because of headwinds/tail winds, and if it’s going to be smooth or bumpy. I have zero interest in what our altitude will be, and I can’t understand why anyone other than a fellow pilot would care if we’re at 32K or 35K. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/23 "2019-10-03T14:37:13Z")
I’d like to know what the weather is like at my destination. The other stuff about altitude, cruising speed, etc. is important because it tells me the pilot knows what he’s doing. For instance, if he says we’ll be cruising at 2000MPH at 150 feet then I’m getting off that plane. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/24 "2019-10-03T14:42:03Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > … remove the pilot introducing himself to the passengers. Annoying as he/she may be at times, we definitely don’t want them removing the pilot! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/25 "2019-10-03T14:44:47Z")
Unless it directly impacts our arrival time, why in the world would I want to know the weather at our destination? I’m going to go from a climate-controlled airplane into a climate-controlled terminal, get into a (hopefully) climate-controlled cab that will take me to my climate-controlled hotel. Unless the weather report is “intermittent meteor swarms” I don’t see why I should care. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/26 "2019-10-03T14:51:10Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Has anybody, anywhere ever cared whether they are going to fly at 32000 feet vs 34000 feet, or whatever? > > Does anybody in 2019 not have the ability to look up the weather at their destination if they wish to do so? > > I’d think most people flying nowadays would rather not be interrupted from what they’re doing to hear such trivia - thoughts? I like to know my pilot is on top of rudimentary flight information. At least I know he’s not up there going “So, we’re pretty far up. Like, is this higher than birds? Maybe. What does this button do? Wheeeeeee!” ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/27 "2019-10-03T15:03:17Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Unless it directly impacts our arrival time, why in the world would I want to know the weather at our destination? I’m going to go from a climate-controlled airplane into a climate-controlled terminal, get into a (hopefully) climate-controlled cab that will take me to my climate-controlled hotel. Unless the weather report is “intermittent meteor swarms” I don’t see why I should care. 😃 The pilot cares. They’re just repeating what’s on their mind, flight path and weather. What else can they talk about? On Sundays we sometimes get updates on Seahawk football scores on flights to and from Seattle The flight attendant credit card promotions do bother me though. I actually complained to corporate. They said passengers appreciate the opportunity to get the deals. Ha. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/28 "2019-10-03T15:04:56Z")
One thing that bugs me a little is pilots’ obsession with wind speed and direction. Sure, I know these things are very important to the person who is flying the plane, but the rest of us don’t really give a rat’s ass whether the wind is out of the North or out of the Southeast. And unless there is a hurricane, I don’t care too much about the wind speed either. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/29 "2019-10-03T15:05:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’d like to know what the weather is like at my destination. The other stuff about altitude, cruising speed, etc. is important because it tells me the pilot knows what he’s doing. For instance, if he says we’ll be cruising at 2000MPH at 150 feet then I’m getting off that plane. Can I haz your SR-71 ride? Pretty please with sugar on top! [Maj. Brian Shul - “Speed check”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0); funny story. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/30 "2019-10-03T16:13:05Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Unless it directly impacts our arrival time, why in the world would I want to know the weather at our destination? I’m going to go from a climate-controlled airplane into a climate-controlled terminal, get into a (hopefully) climate-controlled cab that will take me to my climate-controlled hotel. That’s what Steve Martin’s character thought when he left his meeting without his gloves at the beginning of _Planes, Trains, and Automobiles_. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/31 "2019-10-03T16:44:51Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > This. It’s also really annoying when you’re trying to sleep. > > I’m fine with the intro message soon after takeoff. I appreciate knowing if we’re going to be early or late because of headwinds/tail winds, and if it’s going to be smooth or bumpy. I have zero interest in what our altitude will be, and I can’t understand why anyone other than a fellow pilot would care if we’re at 32K or 35K. You know, giving flight details such as altitude really don’t matter to most passengers, including me in most cases. But sometimes they provide enough data to get my imagination going, such as routing (we’ll be flying to the north of our destination then turning south for final approach…), sightseeing opportunities enroute, or bad weather avoidance. Then, on the (occasional) flights where such info is available, I really like geeking out and spending the whole flight viewing the map that shows where we are, our speed, altitude, heading etc. and trying to match up what I see on the map with the terrain on the ground. The annoying thing in this case is that for every announcement they make, they TURN OFF the map service. ARGH After all, we’re in a pilot’s world\* now. No sense in trying to pretend we aren’t. \*I once saw a woman close to hysterics when she looked out the window in the gate area and saw a pilot doing a preflight check of the aircraft (landing gear, empennage, etc. as they are required to do). The sight was totally freaking her out. Maybe she thought the plane just did its thing automatically, without human guidance? Or maybe she didn’t like that it was a guy who was going to be flying the plane? No idea. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/32 "2019-10-03T17:14:11Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > I’d say quite a few people don’t have the ability to look up the destination weather while travelling. Not having a smartphone is still not all that unusual and in some countries opportunities to get online without having access to the local network aren’t so common even if you do have one. I still know several people (mostly older) with no internet access at all. > > I don’t think my Uncle’s ever been online. He could phone someone and ask them to look the weather forecast up for him, but that’d be about it. Internet penetration in the US is near 90%. Smartphone penetration in the US is above 70%. I would expect that there is a high correlation between the number of people with access to the internet and smartphones and people that use air transportation. So that the number of people that fly and don’t have access to the internet, is relatively small. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/33 "2019-10-03T19:23:44Z")
If they’re going to say anything at all (and I think it’s good they do), it seems right and proper to say something that sounds authoritative and professional. I mean if they said “Ladies and Gentlemen I’d like to welcome you on board. I’m the pilot and I’m sitting in a little room at the front, it’s my job to operate the levers and knobs so as to make the plane go where it should” it wouldn’t come across nearly so well. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/34 "2019-10-04T15:17:44Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m the pilot and I’m sitting in a little room at the front, it’s my job to operate the levers and knobs so as to make the plane go where it should" Actually the pilots on most commercial planes don’t push many levers and knobs anymore. The computer flies the planes almost exclusively. The pilots are there to step in if something goes not according to plan. I have a friend who is a commercial pilot, and his hands aren’t on the wheel 99.9% of the flight and typically only at take-off and landing. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/35 "2019-10-04T15:55:11Z")
Flying home for Christmas, we did get a CF-18 escort, so it was very cool to have that announcement “Ladies and gentlemen, if you look out your windows, you will see CF-18s doing some training on escorting a passenger place…” I love the military pilots and their announcements, especially on the Christmas flights - everyone is in such a good holiday mood. ---
**Author:** ![CaptainE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71c47a/32.png) [@CaptainE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptainE)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/36 "2019-10-04T17:23:01Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Actually the pilots on most commercial planes don’t push many levers and knobs anymore. The computer flies the planes almost exclusively. The pilots are there to step in if something goes not according to plan. I have a friend who is a commercial pilot, and his hands aren’t on the wheel 99.9% of the flight and typically only at take-off and landing. Actually we do “push many levers and knobs”, and even flip switches. The autopilot flies for a large portion of the flight, but the flight management computer must be programmed, and the autopilot, when used, has to have input, which comes from the pilot. Pilots are not there to step in when things don’t go according to plan, we are there to make the plan, and implement it. AI is not here in aviation yet. On topic, I rarely make PAs. From the incessant airport security ones, to the pre boarding ones, to the boarding ones, to the flight attendant ones, there is no peace and quiet to be found. We have a lot of clueless pilots who give useless (to most) info like cloud height and visibility at the airport (broken clouds), or stand in the cabin to do their PA. Ego drives much of that behavior, as does thinking that people are overly interested in what you have to say. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/37 "2019-10-04T17:38:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > “intermittent meteor swarms” band name ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/38 "2019-10-04T20:59:14Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Internet penetration in the US is near 90%. Smartphone penetration in the US is above 70%. I would expect that there is a high correlation between the number of people with access to the internet and smartphones and people that use air transportation. So that the number of people that fly and don’t have access to the internet, is relatively small. Yes, but \*while traveling \*I would think that amount would be pretty tiny. I have certainly never paid the exorbitant costs to use the internet service while on the flight. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/39 "2019-10-04T22:03:14Z")
This is an announcement you don’t ever want to hear your pilot make. (Obligatory XKCD link.) > **[Captain Speaking](https://xkcd.com/1660/)** > > Oh dang, you have to pay? Hey, has anyone else paid already? If so, can I borrow your phone for a sec? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187/40 "2019-10-04T23:59:40Z")
> [@CaptainE](#): > > Actually we do “push many levers and knobs”, and even flip switches. > > The autopilot flies for a large portion of the flight, but the flight management computer must be programmed, and the autopilot, when used, has to have input, which comes from the pilot. > > Pilots are not there to step in when things don’t go according to plan, we are there to make the plan, and implement it. AI is not here in aviation yet. Indeed. One of the biggest misconceptions about modern air travel is that the pilots don’t do anything. On a short sector we are basically finger banging the flight management computer for the entire flight. > [@Captain\_S\_itmagnet](#): > > My employer requires that we make a welcome announcement or at the very least a progress report enroute. Plus it’s good customer service. I’ve always wondered if the layman knows or cares about how high we are. Most of us when travelling want to know that we will be on time and that it will be relatively smooth. I always smile when a crew announces what the weather at destination four hours away is right now. Don’t care. What will it be when we get there? My employer also requires a welcome PA, typically made by the captain, and an en route PA with updated arrival time etc, made by the flying pilot. Our domestic aircraft don’t have inflight entertainment and the routes are quite short, 45 minutes for the one I most commonly fly, so we aren’t interrupting anyone’s movie or anything, but I get that people aren’t always interested. A lot depends on the traveller as well. Some of our shuttles in and out of the capital city are filled with business people and politicians, they don’t care about much, it’s almost like a train commute for them. Leisure travellers are more likely to be interested in the scenery and the weather, and I fly in a very scenic country. We often get positive feedback about our PAs, particularly when there is some kind of issue and the captain takes the time to address the passengers from in the cabin. People mostly seem to either respond well to it or just not care, so we will continue to do it. I am well aware that a PA needs to be relevant though and that all a passenger probably cares about is the temperature and if it’s raining or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pilots-still-tell-you-their-planned-altitude-weather-at-your-destination-etc/841187.md?page=3)