Mythbusters...SBS Monday night 17 March
 

:eek: Sounds like it's worth a watch.

Mythbusters at 1930 on SBS....quote.."If you'd never flown a plane but were the only person not incapacitated on a commercial flight, could air traffic control help you land it ? Thats the main mission for the Mythbusters in the airplane special. "

Emeritus

If nothing else it just might help 'ejumacate' any non-aviation types a little as to what is involved in training to become a Pilot.

Well, one hopes so anyway!:hmm:

Could be even more entertaining if it involved Samuel L Jackson and a bunch of snakes....:E

Probably worth a watch though.

I'm sure regardless of the outcome there'll be a bit of talk here after the show.:ok:

I think most ATCs know a bit about Alpha Floor, Prot and Max so it should be a bit of a doddle for them to "get it down !"

I'll never forget the show they did to try to prove/disprove the explosive decompression myth.

They used a hulk at the boneyard at Mojave Airport, sealed and pressurised the fuselage, and and then shot a bullet into it to see if it would explosively decompress. Of course it didn't, so they declared the myth busted. :rolleyes:

What they failed to take into account was the outside pressure of the aircraft was equivalent to about 3000' ASL, the height of Mojave Airport, not >20K' where an explosive decompression would occur! :D

DirectAnywhere is correct.

K

.. unusual for me but I watched that episode ... the problem is not a little hole (remember that the outflow valve is letting air out as well .. not to mention all the other leaks in the hull) .. but either a big one (window/hatch lets go) or a tear (a la the Aloha convertible) ..

An entertaining program at times but a bit long on waffle and TV razzmatazz and usually pretty short on the technical stuff ...

Direct Anywhere / Kanga 767: In all probability, they would not have got the pressure difference right. They would have adopted normal pressure - hence the lack of any reaction when, at ground level, they shot a bullet throught the fuselage.

I'm with Foxtrot Alpha 18.

they would not have got the pressure difference right

I think that is an unfair comment .. simple diff gauge sorts that problem out.

'Adopted normal pressure' What does that mean?

Define 'Normal'?

Either they had sufficient differential pressure or they didn't. I don't know, I didn't watch it, But if its 107PSI (absolute) inside and its 100 PSI (absolute) outside, then the differential pressure is 7PSI. If it's 57PSI (absolute) inside and 50 outside its 7PSI Diff.

7 PSI diff is 7PSI diff.

Now whether they actually had 7psi (or whatever max diff is for that type), that is still open to debate.

K

ampan & FoxtrotAlpha18

I actually did see that program in Hong Kong about six months ago and they did pressurise it to a normal differential pressure an aircraft of its type would experience at cruise. I had no problem with their experiment or its conclusion. If you guys have experience with pressurisation you will know from the limitations section of your FCOM or Pilots Operating Handbook that the limitation on the pressure vessel, i.e. the fuselage is “Differential Pressure” not what the outside pressure is. :8

I like the one where they tested if someone could use a slideraft to float to the ground from an aircraft inflight.
They decided that it would be near impossible to get out of the aircraft with an inflated slideraft, but if that was possible, the descent in the slideraft was survivable.

Am so looking fwd to watching this show. How many times has us pilots stepped aboard a 'bus' as a plaeb/pax & thought I could be the only other pilot on baord that might save the day if all the flight crew had fish !:E!
We`all know that flying in basic format is simple, tales but a few mins to master in ideal conditions but under the IFR with 300 screaming pax things might be a tad different:E

F


F

Everyone and everything to do with the Mythbusters show should be shot at close range with a bucket of steaming bat ****. :mad:

ahhh tinpis :ok: succinctly and beautifully put, as usual!

ATC or Rated Pilot
 

As an ATC of 35 years experience (now retired), and having held a CPL with Multi Engine CIR for even longer, I would not even consider trying to "talk down" a "non pilot" in any aircraft I was not rated and current on. Even then I would be more comfortable with a suitably rated flight instructor doing the "talking down".

As I have not flown RPT Jet aircraft one of my first actions would be trying to get a suitably qualified pilot into the tower to try and talk the "non pilot" down. I suspect that is what the myth busters will be doing, getting another pilot to do the talking on an ATC frequency, not the ATC.

ATCs certainly do not have the knowledge or training to act as de-facto pilots anymore than pilots could act as ATCs.

I am aware that in the past there have been instances where suitably qualified (as pilots) ATCs have been instrumental in getting pilots out of trouble, but I am not aware of an ATC ever talking down anything larger than a light aircraft.

Now, if I was a passenger on the aircraft with a disabled crew................:sad:

Tinny, I'm beginning to think that you have'nt been taking your pills again!!:E

Getting a bit grouchy in your old age??:D

I think it's happened in the USA a few times where somebody has talked a non flying person the basics in order to land, then again everything happens in the "land of the fee" !:E
I can recall some years ago now a woman was talked down when her hubby had a heart attack at the wheel & died (she wasn't sure he was dead at the time but you would think the worst that's 4 sure!), cherokee I think it was. Imagine trying to compose yourself to fly with the only help from the ground whilst yr mate is dead right beside you !

Twin engined planes, twin everything for safety but when it's a SP op there's only a single heart !

CW

The guy doing the "talking down" is not an ATC but an experienced instructor.

The problem also with the Mythbusters decompression episode was the lack of airflow across the airframe. Air moving past will usually add quite a bit more damage to the surface when shot or torn open and increase the decompression effect.

The upcoming episode will be interesting