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Why it really should be about the man and not the machine
I will start this article with a short foreword. Although it may sound as though I am being critical of airline pilots, that is not the case. I believe there is a consequential gap in the way airline pilots are currently being trained. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule and there are some great airline pilots out there. My good friend Stan Humphrey in Galveston, Texas is one of them. When he is not flying a Boeing 737, he is out doing loops and rolls in his personal Starduster bi-plane.…Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
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Congrats on passing your check ride this week. You are right with Job#1 and Job#2
In an emergency what do you do? "Fly the airplane!" aka Job#1. What I meant by my post is how many pilots think they can fly the airplane vs how many actually can fly the airplane are out there. Because in the cause of Asiana, Air France and Colgan I'm pretty sure they thought they could but when the situation came to hand they realized too late that they couldn't.
In an emergency what do you do? "Fly the airplane!" aka Job#1. What I meant by my post is how many pilots think they can fly the airplane vs how many actually can fly the airplane are out there. Because in the cause of Asiana, Air France and Colgan I'm pretty sure they thought they could but when the situation came to hand they realized too late that they couldn't.
I think that a whole lot of it just depends on the work ethic of the individual themselves. You got button pushers, you got pilots, and you got LAZY pilots. I just hired 2 135 guys for a King Air 90 this morning. They came off earlier models with not near the bells & whistles that this one has and they were like kids in a candy store seeing it all but the point is the attitude is nice; they'll use it to ease the workload but not be dependent on it. They can Fly the plane. Two that we have that I started training on our CRJ the 1st of the year that had been on that KA. They have it now after about 6 months and are good enough that I can doze behind them. I started years ago as an FE on a 707, working my way up and have seen all the automation and change over the years. It is all nice enroute, taking care of the little stuff and really cuts down on the workload, but when I comes to taking off or landing, I want the yoke and throttles in MY hands. As the post below says, the autopilot is the most talented guy in the cockpit, EXCEPT ME. I realize there is an airline requirement that some have to follow, but personally, if you have the autopilot on under 10 grand, you are not doing your job. takeoff/landing is what we get paid for, and most pretty well. We need to earn it.
Just curious. What airline lets you be qualified on the 76 and 777 at the same time?
I think Boeing authorizes a single type rating for both airplanes because of their similar flight characteristics. That's coming from someone who only has a small idea :) Anyone else, feel free to add on to this because I'm not perfect.
I'm not sure myself although I know who he flies for and will let him answer for himself. That said, there is a common type rating on the 57/67, not sure about the 77 but they are similar. That said, these are all FAA type ratings. I didn't know of an airline that had any restrictions.
The 757 and the 767-200 and -300 have a common type rating.
Actually, all models/versions of the B757 and B767 share a common type rating. I know, because I have one.
When we get into the model variants, then it is simply "differences" training that is required.
BTW...if you notice on the B757/767...the flight deck entry. The B757 has a small step UP, the B767 a small step DOWN. Point is, for CAT II and CAT III considerations, the "sight picture" for pilots is the same. Seat position, window architecture, etc.
side note: The B787 cockpit design and layout was intended to be "comfortable" and similar to the B777. So, it was determined that an easy transition could be made by B777 experienced pilots.
When we get into the model variants, then it is simply "differences" training that is required.
BTW...if you notice on the B757/767...the flight deck entry. The B757 has a small step UP, the B767 a small step DOWN. Point is, for CAT II and CAT III considerations, the "sight picture" for pilots is the same. Seat position, window architecture, etc.
side note: The B787 cockpit design and layout was intended to be "comfortable" and similar to the B777. So, it was determined that an easy transition could be made by B777 experienced pilots.
So, what is the solution? I believe we need to get back to the basics."
This applies to so many things - piloting, math, spelling, baking bread, etc. It is vital to learn how to do just about anything "by hand", so that the process is understood (and unforeseen problems can be solved based on a thorough understanding), before turning to the convenience of automation. I have long felt reliance on technology is dangerous.