PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Could this happen: a non-pilot landing a heavy jet ??
Old 25th Aug 2002, 15:04
  #87 (permalink)  
Pilot Pete
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
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Delay in replying due to 4 early starts (flying the real thing. Calm down, just a statement of fact not an expression of superiority!)

Teropa

You have impressed me with your arguments for your perceived ability to carry out the task, but you have been very defensive when others have suggested problems or their belief that you would not be able to do it.

I think what most people are trying to say is it is fine sitting in front of a sim with every thing going as you would expect and are used to, but the real world is just not quite as cosy as that. I am trying to be diplomatic in saying that I truly think you would give it a very good go and maybe you would pull it off, but, I think you need to realise that it would not be as straight forward as you appear to think it would be. Don't come back with 'why won't it be as straight forward', it's just one of those things with so many variables involved, you may be able to sit here now with what appear to be good answers to many problems, but do not under-estimate just how different it is when you sit behind the controls of the real thing for the first time and how a lot of what you thought you knew just won't come to hand. As MINDTHEGAP mentioned it is truly amazing just how difficult it all becomes once in the real world even after a full type rating course. I remember my first couple of trips and there was a LOT of intervention and prompting from the line trainer.

As for the flare at 50' during autoland I would tend to agree with Captain Stable (I think that's who said it) in that in your position I would just let it do it and drop hard onto the tarmac, you'd probably survive it even if the a/c didn't. What I did was to disconnect the autopilot, add thrust, re-establish the flare and land (nice long runway), but of course both I and the Captain spotted what it was doing very early so thrust was not all the way back at idle with the speed washing off quickly, but I would certainly not advise this in your senario. If the runway had been shorter then it would have been a G/A, as mentioned just press the button(s) and make sure the auto-throttle gives you G/A thrust (in the fully functioning 757 you can just firewall them).

Who knows the probability of a successful landing? You're not gonna get a type rated guy in the tower unless you're VERY lucky, just don't under-estimate how difficult what you are suggesting actually is to do.

PP
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