56 minutes ago, LRBS said:

Regarding the Hudson river incident, any well trained pilot would have reacted the same (this is basic private pilot skills here, simulate engine failure and find a spot to land). It doesnt matter if you fly a Cessna or an Airbus, find the best glide speed, pick up a spot and land the plane.

Lost you right here. You scold Claudius for being simplistic and then you post the above. Hudson River was a once in a lifetime event IMO, not fodder for a PPL pilot and most ATP’s would have failed the Sullenberger test too. YMMV. TANSTAAFL. Blue skies,

-B

54 minutes ago, btacon said:

Lost you right here. You scold Claudius for being simplistic and then you post the above. Hudson River was a once in a lifetime event IMO, not fodder for a PPL pilot and most ATP’s would have failed the Sullenberger test too. YMMV. TANSTAAFL. Blue skies,

-B

I see things differently, but we can agree to disagree. From my perspective, this is something pilots are trained on from the very first steps of becoming aviators, and it’s our responsibility to maintain that knowledge. Perhaps some ATPs don’t keep up with it (though I doubt many fall into that category), but to this day I always scan for the “what if” scenario. I am far from taking credits away from Sully, but many other aviatiors would have followed the same steps. There has been other events similar to Sully (Air Ural A321 a few years ago, also a 737 that had to dish into a river in Indonesia iirc).

I’d be curious how you would feel if someone came here and spoke about your profession in the same way? I was far from scolding him, trust me.

1 hour ago, btacon said:

Lost you right here. You scold Claudius for being simplistic and then you post the above. Hudson River was a once in a lifetime event IMO, not fodder for a PPL pilot and most ATP’s would have failed the Sullenberger test too. YMMV. TANSTAAFL. Blue skies,

-B

I never mentioned ditching in the Hudson River. Once again, this appears to be speculation rather than a discussion based on factual knowledge.

Since the topic of ditching has been raised, it is worth noting that Airbus aircraft—including the A320, A330, A340, and A380 families—feature a dedicated DITCHING push-button on the overhead panel. Commercial pilots operating these aircraft receive training that includes ditching procedures and water-survival considerations. During recurrent simulator training, we routinely practice emergency procedures such as securing the aircraft to minimize water ingress, evacuation procedures, life raft deployment, and related emergency checklists.

In fact, at least six commercial airliners have ditched, demonstrating that while rare, this is not a purely theoretical subject. As someone dual-qualified on both Boeing aircraft and the A380, I have personally undergone this type of training. The primary difference is that Boeing aircraft, at least to date, do not incorporate a dedicated ditching switch or associated system logic in the same way as Airbus aircraft.

This highlights a recurring issue in many of these discussions: individuals with little or no operational knowledge often make definitive claims, engage in arguments, and then become frustrated when experienced professionals provide factual corrections.

Returning to your original statement, it is clear that you were unaware that ditching procedures and related emergency training are part of the curriculum for pilots. As for the outcome of any actual ditching event, no one can provide a definitive answer. Success depends on numerous variables, and ultimately there is always an element of uncertainty.

Unfortunately, this is another example of a discussion becoming unproductive because it is driven by assumptions rather than informed understanding. That is genuinely disappointing.

Gliding is different by ditching 😃