Can you land an airliner?

[Joe L 62]

Several points have been made - but the most important still is:Anyone can land an airlner, question is can everyone walk away from the landing . . .:DJoe Lorenc

[Max Kraus 338]

NO ONE can land an airliner based on FS knowledge alone. This comes up all the time. The answer is always NO, ok. Too many things FS does NOT simulate - turbulence, wind effects, control responsiveness, throttle responsiveness, fear, apprehension, workload, emotion... People still somehow believe this pipe dream - that cause they've flown many hours in the PMDG they could land a Boeing, but I tell you it's just that. A dream.

[G7USL 117]

Is an 'auto-landing a dream too then? Why is it that crews are forced to use it when conditions absolutely demand it eh?Let me tell you, if your neck is on the line and death faces you in the eye, you WILL do what is necessary, like it or not! IT'S THAT OR KISS YOUR BUTT GOODBYE.Assuming as I mentioned before, access to the flight deck is permitted.

[michal 44]

>NO ONE can land an airliner based on FS knowledge alone. This>comes up all the time. The answer is always NO, ok.This is your own opinion only. Did you watch the Mythbuster program on the Discovery?. People with zero prior experience with some coaching over the radio were in fact able to land in a commercial sim. I am not saying anyone could do it, it would take a real 'cool' individual to do it but some individual with many hours on a PMDG simulator with a help from the ground and in favorable weather in my opinion could do it. There were many nay-sayers like you who claimed that something was impossible only to be ultimately proven wrong.Michael J.http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9320/apollo17vf7.jpg

[Guest bstolle]

They did this in a SIMULATOR!!!!!When they screw up, the motion stops, thats all.So there is no pressure at all.Imagine this situation in a real plane where you know that this is your ONLY chance to survive. You KNOW that even the slightest initial error might end in killing yourself, all passengers and maybe even people on the ground.I don't think that a 'flightsim only' pilot would be able to 'hand fly' a jet airliner.However, I do believe that if you are able to establish radio communications, and you are a serious flightsimmer, your chance to setup and execute a successful autoland are very realistic.Regards BerntCapt 767

[G7USL 117]

>They did this in a SIMULATOR!!!!!>When they screw up, the motion stops, thats all.>So there is no pressure at all.>>Imagine this situation in a real plane where you know that>this is your ONLY chance to survive. You KNOW that even the>slightest initial error might end in killing yourself, all>passengers and maybe even people on the ground.>I don't think that a 'flightsim only' pilot would be able to>'hand fly' a jet airliner.>>However, I do believe that if you are able to establish radio>communications, and you are a serious flightsimmer, your>chance to setup and execute a successful autoland are very>realistic.>>Regards> >Bernt>>Capt 767I'm assuming with just 83 post's that you have not got the 'Level-D 767 or the PMDG 747's and 737NG's? Did you know also that Boeing actually use PMDG's offering in their training?Maybe if you do, or are planning to, you will agree that an ardent and keen, enthusiastic PMDG simmer MIGHT be able to save lives by taking over if that need should ever arise?But, as I keep repeating, the door to the flightdeck is locked permanantly now so, I think it would be just a 'kiss your butt' goodbye, don't you?

[Guest bstolle]

>I'm assuming with just 83 post's that you have not got the 'Level-D 767 or the PMDG 747's and 737NG's?Wrong assumption.>you will agree that an ardent and keen, enthusiastic PMDG simmer MIGHT be able to save lives by taking over...No, I definitly don't agree.>the door to the flightdeck is locked permanantly now soIf the door is locked from the inside, the flight attendants of course know the emergency code to gain access to the flightdeck. As I said before, an 'enthusiastic PMDG simmer' might be able to set up and execute an autoland, but he will not be able to hand fly a 737.RegardsBerntCapt 767

[Guest jboweruk]

I believe the question was 'could you land an airliner' not whether it could be done by hand, and as long as you had help setting up the autopilot (ie you knew which channel to tune to on the radio to start with to get that help) then yes, if the AP was out, then not a chance, though I'd rather try than do nothing if my backside was on the line. Survival instinct and all that. It's not likely though, as very often there will be some kind of qualified pilot on the aircraft. You may find yourself helping him/her though.

[michal 44]

>They did this in a SIMULATOR!!!!!>When they screw up, the motion stops, thats all.>So there is no pressure at all.So what that it was in a simulator? They did not have to stop the simulator - they landed OK. I said this before - I understand your point about people being more nervous in real aircraft than in a simulator but I reject the notion that there will NOT be a single individual who will manage regardless.Michael J.http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9320/apollo17vf7.jpg

[Guest jboweruk]

I agree, I think somebody with enough hours on a simulator such as the PMDG or LvlD and who can keep their head in any situation may stand a chance, besides, if the crew are out and nobody else can do it what have you got to lose by trying? If you were going to die anyway you may as well give it a shot, a snowflake's chance in hades is better than no chance at all...

[Tristan 1]

>I agree, I think somebody with enough hours on a simulator>such as the PMDG or LvlD and who can keep their head in any>situation may stand a chance, besides, if the crew are out and>nobody else can do it what have you got to lose by trying? If>you were going to die anyway you may as well give it a shot, a>snowflake's chance in hades is better than no chance at>all...Yeah that...I think there is a misconception about how difficult airliners are to fly. They don't design aircraft to carry hundreds of passengers day in day out, difficult to handle and fly. Providing you know the Vref and flap settings, and you have a good picture of what approach profile to maintain, it is quite possible. In addition, the person flying the jet doesn't have to commit to the first approach attempt, they can always go around to cct height of 1500ft agl and fly a circuit for another approach attempt. The person I have in mind btw, is a PPL in real life and is fluent with the PMDG and LVD sim products.

[jagabom 21]

Like I said Dave, here we go again. Ha Ha JimCYWG

[Guest bstolle]

I have to admit that my respone was wrong, because I forgot that this is a flight simulator forum.There might be quite a few flightsimmers who train day in and day out with high complex add-ons just for 'THE' day, when they might save hundreds of lifes.So simply stating that landing a jet transport by hand flying (let alone a go around) isn't possible, might destroy some daydreams which is not my intention.So I revise my statent: A very small percentage of the flightsimmers in this forum might be able to land a jet airliner! RegardsBernt Capt 767

[G7USL 117]

Bernt,Welcome to reality and thank you for your realization.It was a bit like someone saying to you that "YOU WILL NEVER BE A PILOT"! I'm sure that you now know what I mean.On the other side, if we (The small percentage) were lucky enough to be able to earn our money the way that you do, we would be as good or maybe better than you because of our enthusiasm for doing what we love?

[michal 44]

>A very small percentage of the flightsimmers in this forum>might be able to land a jet airliner! And I have no problem with this statement. Some group of people are actually known to perform better under heavy stress.Michael J.http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9320/apollo17vf7.jpg