Could I fly a real Boeing 737-800?

[Hairy_Satchel 0]

I find flying a real aircraft a bit easier than the simulator once I got the feel of it. Heighted senses and situational awareness are all amplified when breaking the equipment or your neck is on the line. I also find myself thinking about nothing but the task at hand and that is maintaining control of the aircraft first and foremost. And greasing the landing is icing on the cake. My first real world approach I added power on final and knew which way to spin the trim wheel without being told. These are skills I picked up on my own with the simulator and brought to the table when needed. Still, landing a 737 with my limited experience would be a monumental challenge. God help my passengers and the insurance companies. 

[iainsmith 9]

 

 

Manual flight? Forget it, not even taxi. You couldn't taxi or take off or land even Cessna 172 with simulator practice only.

 

Well, a guy did it in one month for Belgian TV, so it can't be that difficult. It's 50 mins but worth a watch.

 

 

Iain Smith

[pete_auau 1,158]

Yea I suppose any one  can if  you got  a captain sitting next to you which by the looks of it  is actually flying the plane him self, do you really think that they would let  some  one take controls of  a 737  and land.  If  you believe this than I think you live in fairy land

[g_precentralis 191]

 

 

Well, a guy did it in one month for Belgian TV, so it can't be that difficult. It's 50 mins but worth a watch.

 

In one month of extensive training. Watched it long time ago, really nice show. And after one month of training, he still floated - not enough feel for controls yet and captain have had to intervene. Second approach, over corrected several times, and landed very hard - not enough feel for controls even with practice in simulator. At third approach he finally got it. Now, what chances are that someone without any experience would land it?

Yea I suppose any one  can if  you got  a captain sitting next to you which by the looks of it  is actually flying the plane him self, do you really think that they would let  some  one take controls of  a 737  and land.  If  you believe this than I think you live in fairy land

Why not? Agree, it could be arranged for the show, but there's no proof they did that.

[pete_auau 1,158]

it could be arranged for the show, but there's no proof they did that.

Yes your correct it was arranged  so you thought he was landing  but actually he wasn't or else  the captain wouldn't  be  in the cockpit. This would have been better for the show if  he was actually alone in the cockpit 

[g_precentralis 191]

Yes your correct it was arranged  so you thought he was landing  but actually he wasn't or else  the captain wouldn't  be  in the cockpit. This would have been better for the show if  he was actually alone in the cockpit 

 

That's not an evidence at all. How captain's presence at flight deck makes him landing? 737 is a 2 crew aircraft, it cannot be legally flown any other way. For example, most of my flights are with captain instructor on board, does that makes my landings fake?

[pete_auau 1,158]

That's not an evidence at all. How captain's presence at flight deck makes him landing? 737 is a 2 crew aircraft, it cannot be legally flown any other way. For example, most of my flights are with captain instructor on board, does that makes my landings fake

 

Again your correct a 737 is  a 2 crew aircraft, but  the thread was generally if you could land  the 737  if both pilots were incapacitated  in some way or other and your the only one in the cockpit.  And if you had  a captain sitting next  to you than anyone  could do what was shown in the clip, than if you believe everything you see in these types of shows 

[iainsmith 9]

 

 

Now, what chances are that someone without any experience would land it?

 

Ok I agree but I reckon that someone who had many hours on FSX with the 737NGX would have a much better chance than most. Anyway I'm convinced the guy on the show actually did it. Otherwise there was no point in making the programme - they may as well have made a fictional drama!

 

Iain

[Guest]

I find flying a real aircraft a bit easier than the simulator

 

+1

 

Its easier to fly a real aircraft than a simulator.

There is a lot more sensory input informing your actions when you fly a real aircraft

and that makes it easier. Assuming you have experience of both.

For example. I find the approach and landing of a glider in any FS that I have it in

much harder than it is in real life.

 

 

 

Anyway I'm convinced the guy on the show actually did it.

 

I seen this before and I agree that he did it. The guy in the left set would have inspired a great deal of confidence and been ready to say "I have control" every second of the way.

[Bryan Lee 0]

After what, like 20 plus years of simming everything from a Honda Civic to a F-16 I would like to believe I could easily configure, taxi, take-off, fly, and land a 737 NG. I have doen it hundreds(thousands) of times in the sim and it supposedly made to wrok just like the real thing so why not? Of course your hands would be sweaty, you would be sitting in ball soup and probably shaking like a little girl by the time you landed it, but I really see no reason why us seasoned sim pilots couldnt do it in clear weather with a well functioning aircraft. Flame away...

[Domini99 0]

After what, like 20 plus years of simming everything from a Honda Civic to a F-16 I would like to believe I could easily configure, taxi, take-off, fly, and land a 737 NG. I have doen it hundreds(thousands) of times in the sim and it supposedly made to wrok just like the real thing so why not? Of course your hands would be sweaty, you would be sitting in ball soup and probably shaking like a little girl by the time you landed it, but I really see no reason why us seasoned sim pilots couldnt do it in clear weather with a well functioning aircraft. Flame away...

FSX Flight Dynamics and Flight Model is pretty bad..

Even the top products like A2A flight models are poor compared to real world.

I've never had my plane fall down when going lower than treetop level where the wind's calm while landing.

Ground effect is different, it's not like it is in real life.

 

Taxi, takeoff and cruise wouldn't be such an issue i think, but landing could. Im not quite sure how an airliner handles while landing but the cessna i flew in handled different from the A2A cessna.

[PIC007 82]

Let me say this as politely as possible, there is no chance in hell a strictly sim pilot flying solo could ever fly an airliner.

 

But, it is a nice fantasy while doing 0 tks at your desk, instead of 450kts with 150+ live passengers, 200 tons of pressurized metal behind you, and being so far behind the airplane that you are completely overwhelmed.

 

And I say that being a 'real world' and sim pilot, knowing my chances would be under 1% of not killing everyone on board!

[xplanery 250]

And I say that being a 'real world' and sim pilot, knowing my chances would be under 1% of not killing everyone on board!

 

 

 

I think you are just overestimating the difficulty of flying an airliner. They are just big Cessnas with a lot of fancy stuff in it, they follow the same laws of physics and even have all kind of assisting systems that small Cessna's don't have. 

 

I'm pretty sure anyone who has flown enough with PMDG 737NGX or Aerosoft A320 could make a survivable landing in ideal daytime weather conditions. 

 

Think about this Asiana accident for example. Pilots messed up really badly and practically stalled the aircraft to the ground, yet only a couple of people died. The Turkish airlines flight in Amsterdam fell from a lot higher altitude, yet there were still many survivors. 

 

Thus, making a crash landing that is survivable for most people at least can't be all that difficult.

 

 

But, it is a nice fantasy while doing 0 tks at your desk, instead of 450kts with 150+ live passengers, 200 tons of pressurized metal behind you, and being so far behind the airplane that you are completely overwhelmed.

 

 

Not really, there's a thing called autopilot and thanks to reserve fuel you should have time for many attempts. For landing you aren't going to fly with speed of 450knots anyway. 

[carlito777 712]

Let me say this as politely as possible, there is no chance in hell a strictly sim pilot flying solo could ever fly an airliner.

 

But, it is a nice fantasy while doing 0 tks at your desk, instead of 450kts with 150+ live passengers, 200 tons of pressurized metal behind you, and being so far behind the airplane that you are completely overwhelmed.

 

And I say that being a 'real world' and sim pilot, knowing my chances would be under 1% of not killing everyone on board!

You are completely overstating the complexity of the pilot job. Flying a plane is not as complicated as transplanting an organ...

[g_precentralis 191]

Flying a plane is not as complicated as transplanting an organ...

 

After some practice in surgeon simulator, anything is possible.

 

 

It cannot be that hard. Take a blade, cut here, cut there... You would be a little bit nervous, but once you calm down, it would be easy. Given that patient is in perfect condition, blades are sterile, what can possibly go wrong?