Child Flies ATR
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0ODsXD4mbA

Translation of the FO's words in French is basically that the kid showed good skills in maneuvering the aircraft, he learnt quick and basically displays an aptitude. The individual talking towards the end in Arabic states it was something the company wanted to do to try and help the boy realise his dream (being an orphan) and that they organised for it to happen for him.

I shall add, the DMAC got hold of the footage as can be read on the Avherald, and the airline have simply hung the crew out to dry.

The FO specifically states "en croisiere il est manipule l'avion" ... in cruise he manipulated the aircraft.

Edit: Should add the somewhat crucial fact that both crew members are suspended and the captain has been arrested.

Why not do that in the sim?

Aeroflot 593.

Pilot shortage ? What pilot shortage ....

Questions, questions... How many passengers? What height? Company sanctioned? Over what part of the world? Is this permitted in this part of the word? Personally I'd love to let a kid fly my plane, but I'm not allowed to do so, but maybe these guys were. Until of course the media got hold of the story.

Given the kid's uniform, press/TV, pre-and post-flight interviews, etc., it's hard to believe this wasn't a company sanctioned event.

If so, it wouldn't be the first time somebody got local approval from the PR folks for a non-standard operation only to find that the feds were not amused.

In 1998 a retiring Northwest B-744 captain arranged with the company and the local ATC folks to fly formation with a B-24J on a final NRT-MSP leg with pax onboard. A KARE-TV crew was onboard the B-24 and filmed the formation flight for the Live at Five news.

Somebody from the FAA saw the puff piece on the evening news and came down on the pilots with license suspensions for flying formation with paying pax. A $33,000 fine was proposed for NWA. I think eventually all of this was tossed out on appeal, see:

https://www.ntsb.gov/legal/alj/OnODo...ation/4933.PDF

Who did the T/O?
Who did the landing?

Apparently it was not sanctioned by anyone and there were massive consequences.

Incident: Algerie AT72 at Algiers and Setif on Jul 26th 2017, flight crew permits child to control aircraft

So waitaminute....

do a stunt like this.

invite national TV to it.

What the heck were they thinking? Well, they got time to figure it out now....

The pilot clearly says he did the take off and landing ... it was obviously company sanctioned, can't see a problem with it myself.

My company used to send succesful interview candidates for a quick trundle to a reasonably close EU destination in the jump seat, as a bit of a familiarisation run. Usually we got desk drivers, but every now and then we used get an ab-initio pilot applicant (back in the days we had them), and we'd let them have a sit in the seat and get a feel for the controls. I suspect the SLF in the back would crap themselves if they knew.

There were other ways of making this dream a reality. I don't have a copy of the Algerian Air Laws manual to hand... Though I assume it cant be too far removed the the US FARs. Part 135.115 and part 135.115 make it very clear in Black and white that nobody other than crewmembers, check airmen, representatives of the FAA/NTSB etc may occupy a pilot seat or manipulate the controls during flight....

.... It seems a little maddening that the company appears to have set this up and nw is not backing the pilots... however, it is still down to the pilot to perform the flight in a legal manner, or refuse the briefing/gig.

No opinions are given here either way on whether or not this was a kind gesture. Just pointing out the relevant FARs and do understand that they may be different in other parts of the world... however, it appears that the Algerian authorities seem to agree with the FAA FARs here.

They certainly are. I do feel for the crew in all of this though, a company sanctioned event to help an orphan child realise his dream for a brief moment. Whether or not they were told it was all fine by the company or not we don't know, although as said above, it is of course the PIC's final decision as to what happens.

If anything, the DMAC will want to flex their muscles as a show of authority (false sense of 'safety'). I really do feel for the crew.

Presumably having the kid in the jump seat was company approved, but having him fly the aeroplane was not, hence the hanging of the crew.

As a non pilot who does not speak that language, I did note that every clip I saw showed the engine's apparently off.

I don't know enough about what some of the instruments should be saying in flight, but some of them certainly seemed to be in the position I would expect on the ground and while they showed a picture of an engine running, none of the clips with the boy in the captain's seat could definitely be said to be with the aircraft off the ground. There was carefully nothing visible out of the windows but a staged filming with careful camera angles and aircraft positioning could achieve all of that on the ground.

The gear is up.
 

And engines running, AP on and positive altitude on altimeter.At the maneuver clip airborne, the interview is on the ground.


Cpt Jr is flying, no doubt.

I do see company sanctioning everything, BUT the inflight seating!
The fact that the Captain lets the FO be at the controls tells me he deserve every year in jail and never to fly again. It is simple. I do not care if the aircraft was otherwise empty.


There is limits , Darwin is still hard at work.
Muppets!!

Around the 1.40 mark the gear handle looks like it is up and weather is being painted on the F/O's screen.

I could be totally wrong, as I look in the mirror these days I still see a young man but in reality I'm a 58 year old with a paunch and an attitude that doesn't get better with age.....

Around the 1:40 mark the parking brake is off, the power management rotary selector looks to be in climb or cruise position and the condition levers are in auto, there appears to be a tas/gs and a wind being displayed as well as the weather on the nd and the landing gear lever as previously mentioned.

I know right, FO at the controls, imagine that, I hear in some countries they even let FOs land the plane... :E

I think you're overreacting. Yes if it's against the regs don't do it. But the actual danger of letting someone fly for a bit while a qualified pilot is at the other set of controls, is overstated.

Maybe years of flying acro rides and instruction with first timers has skewed my perspective relative to most.

The Aeroflot 593 accident happened because there were no pilots at the controls, you gotta have at least one!