Pilot's artificial arm 'became detached while landing plane'
The Britannia captain lost an eye when his R/C model aircraft shed a propellor blade. He was allowed to continue flying until the end of his tour because he was familiar with the aircraft. Not sure what happened to him after he left the Britannia fleet.
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Captain Ian Baston, Flybe's director of flight operations and safety, said it was an equal opportunities employer and "in common with most airlines, means we do employ staff with reduced physical abilities".
How ridiculous.
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ian16th
But the paying public expect that the appropriate Government appointed agencies do this, before issuing their licenses.
This is why we have licenses!
But the paying public expect that the appropriate Government appointed agencies do this, before issuing their licenses.
This is why we have licenses!
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How exactly would he control the yoke? I'm no expert, but as far as I know they haven't developed a hand that can do much more than act as a 'holder'? Or does he have a hook??
To the pilots who still don't seem to understand that passengers are their livelihood, the fact remains that many pax will be horrified by this, and will possibly choose not to use Flybe in the future. And no amount of sarcastic comments will make any difference.
I know people who already choose not to fly with them because they won't fly on prop liners. It may be dumb, it may be pathetic, but they won't fly on them, and that means less revenue for the airline.
To the pilots who still don't seem to understand that passengers are their livelihood, the fact remains that many pax will be horrified by this, and will possibly choose not to use Flybe in the future. And no amount of sarcastic comments will make any difference.
I know people who already choose not to fly with them because they won't fly on prop liners. It may be dumb, it may be pathetic, but they won't fly on them, and that means less revenue for the airline.
Why was the co-pilot not following through on the controls?
A training captain or, indeed, a line captain, if he wishes, may follow through.
I did not follow through with my FOs because I hoped that they were properly trained before being released to line flying and I consider following through to be distracting to the handling pilot.
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Anyone considered how many uneventful landings this captain made before this unfortunate incident? Personally, I would fly with this guy again. A lesson has been learned which will safeguard the potential of a repeat occurrence. Just remember Basil that there have been thousands of four-limbed pilots who have stuffed it with a total loss of life! There are quite a few psychos out there too. They worry me more than this guy!
If the captain concerned is reading this, you have my support and I will gladly fly with you.
If the captain concerned is reading this, you have my support and I will gladly fly with you.
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Basil
I feel sorry for the guy, whose professional flying career may be ended by the result of the enquiry and ensuing publicity.
I feel sorry for the guy, whose professional flying career may be ended by the result of the enquiry and ensuing publicity.
How would this have played out on an aircraft with a side stick?
As shouted very loudly by a colleague whose seat unlatched and slid back on rotate (if that's not exaggerating the process of getting a Varsity airborne
)
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The verbal news announcement, rather than what's online, said that he had the hand of his prosthesis attached to the yolk through some sort of clip, a procedure he always undertook prior to landing. But in the gusty turbulence of final approach, when he pulled back in the flare the whole thing became detached so he immediately grabbed the yolk with his right hand, leaving the throttle unattended. That's when the co-pilot should have been on the case straight away, and perhaps he was, but by then they'd already bounced and landed heavily, thankfully no-one hurt.
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The Captain has my support too and I was impressed by flybe's response. Contrary to the way this industry is going, I believe there's a huge amount of value in people who are outside the "perfect pilot" mould.
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Pilots with an artificial arm, things don't have to become more crazy than that. 
Apparently the authorities will stop at nothing in order to inflate the amount of pilots at the wish of the airlines, so that airlines can hire and fire at will whilst consistently lowering T&C's...
Demand and supply folks: artificially increase the supply faster than demand, and guess what happens to the price (i.e. salary)?
p.s. Where was the F/O? Was it one of those MPL buttonpusher follow the magenta line OM-A reader pilots who has no clue that you can fly an airplane all by yourself?
Apparently the authorities will stop at nothing in order to inflate the amount of pilots at the wish of the airlines, so that airlines can hire and fire at will whilst consistently lowering T&C's...
Demand and supply folks: artificially increase the supply faster than demand, and guess what happens to the price (i.e. salary)?
p.s. Where was the F/O? Was it one of those MPL buttonpusher follow the magenta line OM-A reader pilots who has no clue that you can fly an airplane all by yourself?
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As a lowly passenger I actually do have some sympathy for this pilot , He has done nothing wrong as I imagine that his medical etc and testing for his licence was satisfactory. As mentioned in an earlier post how many incident free landings has this guy made in his career.
The company that employ him should have conducted risk assesments etc was there an issue with the fastenings rather than with the fact that his arm was prosthetic. Maybe stronger/ re designed fastenings etc would be the answer rather than screaming for his head
The company that employ him should have conducted risk assesments etc was there an issue with the fastenings rather than with the fact that his arm was prosthetic. Maybe stronger/ re designed fastenings etc would be the answer rather than screaming for his head
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It's worth noting that in this self-publicity obsessed age, none of the 47 passengers even noticed anything wrong, or we would have known about this "incident" in February. We only know now because the pilot reported it himself, the AAIB gave it 2 of the 120 pages in the August bulletin, and in all those pages a BBC hack couldn't find anything more interesting to scrawl about.
Give the guy a break.
Give the guy a break.
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For arguments sake let's say this pilot was without any form of disability and a mechanical device critical to the control of this aircraft malfunctions and causes a similar landing. Would the aircraft and all other aircraft of type not be subject to investigation and possible grounding until the said defect was fully corrected?
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Sorry, but I do not wish to be flown by someone with bits missing.
Besides, the press are doing a good enough job bashing our profession and this individual without such ill judged support.
As an aside, in the same AAIB bulletin, another crew managed to generate hard EGPWS warnings arising from an unstable approach. This did'nt make the headlines but I would warrant any professional pilot reading both reports would conclude that limited cognitive ability far outweighs the risk of corrected physical ability.