Is there a pilot onboard?
 

So you flying away on your hols and the announcementcomes over "is there a pilot on board please make themselves known tocabin crew",

You proudly stand up and state "I'm a pilot!" holding your brown PPLup

calmly walk to the front take control and cut a long story short end up beautifullylanding a B757 or A340 with help from air traffic.

What can you legally put in your log book and what would you really log?

I would definitely be putting down 1 landing at least

Tom

As you are not type rated on the aircraft you could not legally log the hours.
If you held a PPL and as a passenger the pilot dropped dead in an aircraft you were legally qualified to fly then you could record the hour.
As an ATP rated to fly corporate jets I could not record the hours if I landed a 757.
Good luck if it does happen and you answer the call :ok:

Pace

I reckon,as the only Pilot,you would be commander and therefore P1 regardless of type rating! (by the way,if you ever do get the chance,use the autopilot.)

I didnt think you could legally record anything but id still be putting something down in the log book! :)

Dash6

So George would be flying it not Tom? ;) maybe George could log the hours ? ;)

Pace

That all assumes you make it safely down to earth - big assumption......:ok:

Well I suppose that comes down to is a logbook a record of

1) flights flown, or
2) flights legally flown ;)

I can't see why you wouldn't be the commander in this case, and indeed as the commander you're allowed to break any law in the ANO required for the safety of the flight.....so perhaps it's not even illegal ;)

Personaly I'd certainly log it....it would be a good story ;)

Has this sort of thing ever happened outside the movies?

Legally? Legally, your logbook is your own private property and you can write in there whatever you want.

The only reason that comes to (my) mind why one logs landings at all, is to prove that one stays within the 90 day rule. Since this rule rquires the 3 takeoffs and three landings within 90 days in an aircraft of the same type/class/category and your chances of doing the three takeoffs and another two landings in an airliner are faint, it makes no difference at all ;)

BTW: Did Capt. Sullenberger have a valid seaplane rating when he landed on the Hudson river? Did he log the ditching as waterlanding?

Who is George?

Not really, your logbook is actually a legally binding document and making false entries is an offense (more or less serious, depending on the jurisdiction). If you then go and claim ratings or something similar based on those false entries it becomes an even more serious offense.

Not that I know of. There have been instances where a deadheading flight crew member has been called to assist in the flight deck because of incapacitation of one active crew member, although there was no such announcement over the PA in those cases as deadheading crew are manifested and also easily recognizable by means of the uniform they're still wearing. :ok:
I doubt even the most experienced PPLer would manage to pull off such a stunt in reality. He/she might try but it will most likely end in disaster.

Ciao,

Dg800

I would log it ... if I managed to land the aeroplane in one piece :)

To be honest I don't know how difficult it would be.

I've flown a 737 simulator and managed to take off, fly a circuit and land, all visual since I don't have an IFR rating. I flew the aeroplane as if it were an overgrown Cessna and the instructor said I did okay.

But in real life I expect things would be very different.

Dash6

George is a very old term used for an autopilot ;) I had a lovely old friend and ferry pilot who flew well into his late 70s before tragically being killed on one such ferry.
He used to tell his wife that he had a co pilot called George and not flying alone!

Pace

Tom

I hold an ATP and a current C500/550/560 type rating! If it was me called to the flight deck I could not record the times legally. They could not be added in anyway to my total times or used.
If I wanted to add them for posterity or for fun and clearly marked them as such that would probably be ok.
The biggest problem you would have if it happened for real would be that you would be completely out of your depth as a basic PPL.
That itself is not a criticism but stating a fact that you would quickly become overloaded with the panic of the situation and the amount of new information bombarding your mind and probably freeze or become brain inactive which I have seen with experienced overloaded pilots who become like information zombies :{

Pace

I thought that it was 'Otto' not George
 

Ha Ha Ha :) love that clip !

Otto is Georges younger Brother But George is the main guy take my word for it ;)

Pace

1 landing at least?....you reckon they'd be using you for the next leg and give you a chance to do landing #2 then?

If that call ever came, the only thing I'd be writing down is my will :{

CharlieDelta

The Bounces would be so big He would probably land at a few airports anyway before stopping :E so maybe 3 or 4 landings in one!!!

Pace

There is possibly an analogy.

You are wandering through the forest and the person in front keels over. You realise they have had a heart attack. You apply first aid on the basis you judge the situation to be life threatening and aid to be several hours away. Unfortunately it goes horribly wrong and the walker dies. The estate sues you. Are you liable? You were not "qualified" to provide treatment, but lets say you have had some training.

The House of Lords has said that in such circumstances an action deemed necessary but which would otherwise be illegal is a defence against the illegality.

So you accept command although not qualified to do so, but you accept command out of necessity, because there is no one better qualified. By analogy your actions are probably legal, and if you are legally in command you can log the flight.

In the alternative you leave George in charge but get on radio to ATC. You tell ATC that you want legal authority from the CAA to take command and if dont get it you will leave George to do his worst. ;) I wonder what the CAA would say? I wonder if they have authority to give you authority. I wonder what you would do if they refused authority?

Similar Question - More Realistic Scenario
 

You are flying in IMC at night as a passenger in the right seat of an aircraft type which you are legally qualified to fly under VFR. The pilot becomes unconscious and you safely fly to the nearest airport and carry out an ILS to a successful landing. Can you book the night and instrument hours?

See my previous analogy - the realism makes no difference, the scenario is actually the same.

A better contrast would be between persons with and without any qualifications.