we had this thread a few months ago and in that one it was ninjas that took out the pilots. I am going with the same guess on this one. you will probably know how to find the right buttons to autoland the plane with a bit of talking too. Might be able to manually land it but I think fear would make that really really tough even under ideal conditions

So, the consensus is you could do it, but first you'd have to take out the ninjas. Glad we cleared that one up.Right next, world peace...Al

I believe the safe and simple way to answer is that some "experienced" simmers would be able to operate the airplane, but not fly it. As a RW pilot myself (not qualified on jets), I would say that no amount of simming will ever make a pilot, only the real "feel" in the air - especially in IFR - can achieve that, so don't dream too hard, the wakeup could be brutal... Check the pilot's meal and get the poisoning in yours it will be safer for all. In any case, talking of inflight meals on some airlines, one wonders... how the pilots can make it to their destination!

Well its more about engine management with the turbines - you can quite easily overcook an engine if you are not paying attention!

That's pretty specific to the J41's geared Garrett engines which are not the same as the free-shaft PT6A used in the King Air...

If this gets to happen... first item on your checklist is to poo yourself, then cry to *******, and then let's see. The real plane is far different from any home simulator and the 3D environment is the guilty one. I have had the chance to fly a full motion simulator some times and although I am a "super Leonardo MADDOG dominator" in my computer, I really wanted to cry my mama, that is another story.If this happens the first thing is to contact an ATC, would you know how to do that? do you know wich is the use of each button only in the radio stack panel? Don't talk about the rest. I give thanks for having two pilots minimum in the cockpit.

I have thousands of hours in jets and turboprops. I flew the Beech 1900D and the Dash 8-202 and they require much more technique to land than either the CRJ-200/700/900 or EMB-145's that I flew. With free turbine turboprops like the P&W engines you can't just go to flight idle and wait for the mains to touch down. The blades go towards flat pitch at flight idle and you will drop like a brick. On just about any jet out there you close the throttles at 50' and work the pitch to achieve a smooth touchdown. That transition takes much more touch in the props. It's not HARD by any means but it does take technique. And of course all of this is assuming you flew a stabilized approach and you are at the proper ref speed at 50'. There was also always the occaisionally out of rig engine on the turboprops that made things sporty. Sometimes after you touched down and went to flight idle and beta one prop would proceed the other and there would be some yawing to spice things up. I'd rather talk someone down in a jet anyday. Hiram Hunt

I have thousands of hours in jets and turboprops. I flew the Beech 1900D and the Dash 8-202 and they require much more technique to land than either the CRJ-200/700/900 or EMB-145's that I flew. With free turbine turboprops like the P&W engines you can't just go to flight idle and wait for the mains to touch down. The blades go towards flat pitch at flight idle and you will drop like a brick. On just about any jet out there you close the throttles at 50' and work the pitch to achieve a smooth touchdown. That transition takes much more touch in the props. It's not HARD by any means but it does take technique. And of course all of this is assuming you flew a stabilized approach and you are at the proper ref speed at 50'. There was also always the occaisionally out of rig engine on the turboprops that made things sporty. Sometimes after you touched down and went to flight idle and beta one prop would proceed the other and there would be some yawing to spice things up. I'd rather talk someone down in a jet anyday. Hiram Hunt

I got a crap load of time on the King air 90,100,200,1900, Cessna Conquest and the Dash 8-100/300. You get a gust of wind and it was a breeze to correct for it. You dont have 150,000 pounds of momentum to worry about if you lose 20 knots. In the short strips we used to fly into you had to put the power levers to idle. I could grease a landing on the kng air more times in a row than I can the 737 thats for sure. In the 737 its a game of drag management. You get caught going too fast on the approach you better get ready for the go around. In a turbo prop its a piece of cake to correct for a fast approach.JackColwill

There was a corporate King Air 350 in the states a few years ago that went through this. The pilot had a massive heart attack and died in the cockpit. The owner of the plane came up to the cockpit and sat in the co-pilot's seat. He wasn't a pilot but he put on the headset and figured out how to make a radio call for help. The air traffic controller called a friend of his that was a King Air pilot and flight instructor and they talked him down to a safe landing. It's been featured on several television programs since. They played the recordings of the ATC tape and the owner sounds NERVOUS!!!! He was able to land safely and didn't even damage the plane. I have a couple of thousand hours in the Beech 1900D and a little time in the King Air 90. These are definately not the kind of airplanes you would want to attempt your first landing in while scared to death. They are great flying planes for experienced pilots. Turboprops are more complicated than jets though, and require more technique from the pilot. So if that guy got down in a 350, I have NO doubt that someone could be talked down in a 737. Hiram Hunt

Actually that guy had his PPL. They did a story about him in flying magazine. He now has his IFR and Multi after that experience. So he did have a decent amount of flying experience to bring down a King Air. The biggest problem he had was turning off the autopilot. Once he turned it off he got some instructions from a King Air pilot on the radio and landed safely. This also happened before in the Northeast US. I think it might have been a Cape Air 402. The pilot passed out and maybe died not sure. Either way on that flight there was someone who had a PPL or maybe just a student rating. Either way he landed the aircraft safely also. As for jets, only thing that comes to my mind that happened was last summer an AA 767 FO became sick and the captain had a FA who had a commercial rating come up to the cockpit to help with the radio, look for traffic etc.. I think with my time in FS and my limite actual flying, in perfect conditions or even moderate conditions with no failures I would be succesfull. I know how to work the A/P, FMC, Flaps gear etc.. Steven Herzberg

Jack your missing my point. In my opinion the jet would be easier if you've never flown a plane. You are an experienced pilot. As am I. I have made crazy short landings in the Dash 8 and the 1900. And crazy short takeoffs when empty. But you have to be a better pilot to get the most out of a prop than you do a jet.Hiram Hunt

Im lucky enough to have just been endorsed on the Cessna Citation 500 and B200. In the limited experience I have had, I would have to say the jet is easier from an engine management point of view. But at the same time requires much more energy management than the King Air (if you bring the power back to idle on a four bladed King Air at 50ft you will fall out the sky!