CEO at the controls of media-packed demo flight
 

Norwegian's CEO (non licensed/rated) took over the controls and flew Boeing's 787 at 16,000' over the mountains of Norway on a recent demonstration flight as part of Boeing's Dream Tour filled with media and guests.

VGTV

Translated from the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG), May 3rd 2012:

"Bjorn Kjos was very excited after taking over the controls of his brand new 787 Dreamliner after takeoff from (Oslo) Gardermoen today at 10:10.

The Norwegian-boss likened the aircraft's technology to spacecraft when comparing against the rest of today's aircraft technology, and the two powerful engines lifted the aircraft containing 50-something passengers at a 20 degree climb angle. It levelled out a 3000' after a few seconds climb, when shortly thereafter Bjørn Kjos himself was allowed to fly the aircraft westerly and up to 16,000' over the mountains of Hardangervidda."

Normal Boeing ops to let non-rated / non-licensed passengers, this time in form of a CEO, have an operating seat with a cabin full of media and invited guests onboard?

and this is how people get killed...totally irresponsible

Björn Kjos is indeed licensed (former ex-mil) but most likely not type rated. But if the guy in the RHS was a training Captain I don't see the problem. Doesn't Airbus or other OEM's do these kinds of demo-flights with potential buyers head of flight ops/management/chief pilots all the time? Not to mention when the PIC needs the restroom the FO is usually left alone with an FA in the LHS, albeit not flying obviously.

I suppose one could make the argument that this was unwise due to the 50 pax/press that were on board, which makes this a slightly different case than a normal VIP demo flight.

But in all honesty, I don't think it's a big deal and certainly not something to make a fuss about. If they put Bruce Dickinson up to takeoff and land an A320 w/o a type rating or sim training, or that dutch guy that was put up to land a 737 w/o even having a flying license, there's certainly no harm in letting a licensed pilot play around with a 787 at 16,000 feet. Unless, of course, the thing catches on fire. :}

Just as well it was not Mr O'Leary at the controls of one of his 737-800s! Imagine the bruhaha here if it was!

Remmber that A300 crash at Aeroflot?

So the view of some seems to be that on the spur of the moment a CEO "took the controls of the aircraft"?

Or

Seeing as it was a planned flight is it not just slightly possible that him "taking the controls" was carefully thought out and checks made to ensure it was completely legal and above board, particularly as there was no doubt it would be reported in the media (who were all passengers and would be aware of it)?

And nowhere was it reported that he was flying from the left seat, its not like he did a barrel roll!!
:E

Willie Walsh is a qualified pilot and I think on Airbus so if he sat in the R/H seat of the new A380 on its way to LAX would that be a problem then?

If the Commander is a TRIA and the other pilot has a valid licence then this is legal. Not with pax or supernumerary crew not required for the operation however. Basically this is the legal way of conducting Base Training with a non-type rated pilot.

If your CEO wants to fly it best done without the press/media/everybody else on board and certainly don't publicise it.

Non event. I think someone is trying to make something out of nothing.

Gotta love somebody likening an ex-military pilot CEO to a 13-year-old kid. And then getting their facts wrong, too (it was an A310).

the original post made no reference to the guy being a qualified pilot ....Sorry, 310

The Aeroflot A310 accident was caused by the captains son turning the control column and disabling the A/P lateral mode. Not only did the Captain fail to notice this, but while attempting to recover the ever increasing bank, he failed to turn off the A/P all together which would have given him full control over the aircraft again.

As they say. You live and die by the FMA.

Good for him. Am quite confident a former F-104 pilot is able to do a bank and a climb from 3 to 16 in a FBW envelope protected aircraft with all the latest bells and whistles, plus a bloke sitting next to him which I would, safely I dare say, assume is either the chief pilot, chief technical pilot or chief training ditto.

Hey Bumps; what's up with Bruce Dickenson? Don't know about the A320, but he is a fully qualified pilot and has operated extensively as a captain on both 737 and 757, so I don't think there would be a problem. BTW I flew with him when he was a F.O. on the 737, and he's a very professional and capable pilot, as well as being a nice guy. Don't know about Iron Maiden though: not my thing.

Total non event, it wasn't a public transport flight. All USA two crew aircraft have to demonstrate to the FAA that they can be flown by one qualified pilot if necessary, required for certification purposes, Boeing make films of each aircraft SIM with one pilot doing take off, climb, approach, GA, engine failure, single engine approach and landing.

:zzz::zzz::zzz:

There are still more dangerous licensed pilots flying around than non-licensed CEO's, posing for a picture in flight.

Fuss over nothing.


We had A CEO at Continental who was type rated on the B757 (Gordon Bethune) and used to 'take the left seat' for Aircraft deliveries.


Believe me, he wasn't in charge, there was always a Senior Check Airman from the training department baby sitting him. He was watched very closely and taken over from when necessary.


It was just publicity, a CEO that can 'fly too' !

He is probably more qualified than the majority of his new hires.

Good grief people....as one mentioned above...there's NOBODY in the left seat when I head to my "post brekkie pee break"....

I get it now he is a pilot, from the original post there was no mention of his flight experience in the OP. I thought that a total novice was allowed to handfly from 3000 to 16000...that case would be irresponsible.

B.K was trained by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the USAF, then flew the CF-104 with 334 Sqdn out of Bodø for 6 years.
He knows more about flying than most CEO's.

but was he current on anything? did he have a sim session before his flight?

Pugilistic get off your high horse. This is a total non event. You are just one of modern day life's trouble makers with nothing better to do but make mischief. People like you make me :yuk:. And the Aeroflot accident involved a young kid, not a responsible adult, (ex)pilot and CEO of the airline. Finally, many more fully qualified, type rated, pilots have managed to fly perfectly airworthy aircraft into the ground. I detest the expression, but for you it's worthy: Go get a life!

Indeed, and he's still at it:

Herod, I'm not bashing Bruce or his flying abilities. I'm simply making the argument that there's no problem having a non-rated pilot at the controls with a training Captain in the other seat. As was the case with Bruce when flying the A320 with Airbus, and Björn Kjos flying the 787 with Boeing.

Now, if you really want to stir the pot check out this video of someones mother in the hot seat of a 757:

Also a non event. The Captain not in uniform would indicate it's not a commercial flight. What's the matter with you people? You will be no doubt horrified to know that in my 44 years in aviation I have sat either left or right seat - and occasionally even hand flown - a variety of airliners ranging from the Comet 4 to the L-1011. I have never held a pilot's licence. Before the lunatics took over the asylum this was more common an event than you could believe. I can't recall airliners falling out of the sky all over the place. There will always be one offs, but as I have already said, even those who are qualified and rated have totally stuffed it for no good reason.

Was he legally required to do so? :rolleyes:

Not a commercial flight, not for hire or reward, qualified person in the other seat, person who was in the seat is now a safety (monitoring) pilot etc etc.

:mad::mad::mad:

I believe that such a film was made at the beginning of the 737 program with an actual flight showing an empty right seat and an engine failure on takeoff, and manual gear extension, in addition to the items in the quoted list.

Oh my goodness, someone's mom flying the airplane! That's so dangerous. ;)

The reality is she is flying at high alititude and cruise mach. That's harder than hand flying at 16,000'.

Video also shows the pitch sensitivity(look at VSI/VVI in the video), and small control movements, required at high altitude. Might be a good video to show non jet guys transitioning to jets.

Hand flying the 787 by a non-rated guy on a non-commercial flight, especially at medium altitudes? Non event.

Hotel Tango, I am not going to argue with you:zzz:

I know it's off topic, but 'mom' looks a very attractive lady.

Hmm - a few salient points:

• While I think said pilot held Captain rank, he was not PIC on that flight
• Aeroflot A310 crews told investigators that the engagement of CWS mode by turning the yoke for 30 seconds was not covered in their training - it's likely he'd never have allowed them to touch the yoke if it was
• None of the flight crew, including the PIC, batted an eyelid at allowing the kids on the flight deck and in the seat, which implies that this was not a one-off
• Soviet-era jets apparently only allowed AP disconnect via the switch, and had no CWS mode
• By the time the boy raised the alarm, the aircraft's bank was on the verge of generating G-forces that prevented his father from reaching the AP disconnect
• The PF allowed the bank to progress, which implies he was not scanning his instruments

Ironically, even after the AP disconnected the A310 had a failsafe system which would return the aircraft to straight-and-level after an upset. All they had to do was release the yokes. The final stall was not a result of the boy's inputs, but that of the crew.

As flyboyike says though, this is a completely different matter from that being discussed on the thread.

Oh I agree that this was a terrible thing. We bought a DC-3 and just after the purchase, the boss, not a pilot at all, was allowed to get into the left seat while we were flying.

And we were all killed instantly. Had a hell of a funeral though.

All of us were killed again when he sat in the left seat of our new Falcon 50EX and then again in the new Falcon 900EX while we where in flight.

Oh shoot, I forgot the time we were all killed when I let a very good looking female TV reporter sit in the right seat of a 727 I was flying.


Some people need to get a life. :rolleyes:

What w bl**dy great fuss about nothing. Please get real.

With 50+ people on board it was just as dumb as HT's comments.

:ugh: KBPsen, your the dumb one in my books. Don't know why you're picking particularly on HT. Plenty of others have more or less said the same and I agree: NO DANGER and a NON EVENT. :mad:

Thanks for that Avman. We have found a new revenue stream then. How about 5 minutes for 500 bucks? Imagine the extra income on a long-haul flight. It is after all a total non-event.

dazdaz1, I was thinking the same thing!:D Nice to see Mum's with extra talent.

SHOCK, HORROR, CEO IN CONTROL!!!!
 

Great news!!!

The gaffer gets outa the office and down to the shop floor to see what it's like?

Pity a few more don't do the same, except they have to do it for 1 month of my (or any other line dog's roster), follow me everywhere except the crapper and my bed, sweat with me on the tarmac at RAK in 40c heat and do the externals whilst standing in/near the packs exhaust, shadow me in the bumpy van-with-seats ride to outstations and back pre and post flight, get the same "rest" and be on the go for the same duty hours permitted by our (foreign) FTLs, eat the same crew food, no more and no less, go to sleep at 0500 in a strange bed disturbed all day by the crew disturbance unit a k a "housekeeping", and be bright as a button at the end of it, well able to perform in the latest HR aptitude tests which are this year's flavour!!!!

And if he/she is still on their feet and compus mentus at the end of it, then they are qualified to dictate what we are supposed to be capable of.

BRILLIANT IDEA.

Any takers from the CEOs out there?? :rolleyes: