I'm an Airline Captain - Ask me anything!

[alexd112]

Hi all,

As the title says, I am a senior airline captain with 20 odd years of experience. Ask me anything!

Oops sorry for assuming. I always find pilots all have a similar voice over the intercom which is very odd. The best pilot we had was Swiss he was bloody hilarious. We landed in Berlin just after heavy snow, we’d been delayed in Glasgow for 6 hours. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen we have landed but the snow is obscuring my numbers on the runway, I am waiting for a truck to lead us in!’ Then 15 minutes later ‘we are just waiting for the stairs, the people who drive the stairs also lead aircraft in. Relax, call Home, whatever! Swear if you wish we cannot understand you with your accent (mainly Scottish) anyway’

A male cabin crew once told me that the pilots and cabin crew are v promiscuous when abroad, is this true? He was straight and said it was a dream job for a straight male man!

@WorryingWombat

1. I fly airbus.

1. Thrust bump is an additional squeeze of power available for departure from particularly challenging airports or conditions (e.g LAX on a very hot evening in a very heavy aircraft needs every ounce of power to achieve the required performance)

De-rated engines have their maximum mechanical power reduced in order to save wear and tear on the engines. Basically, the airplane just doesn't need all of that power.

Not too sure about Boeing's, however I think they have something called ICP.

Why do some Captains/FO see FAs as little women and treat them as such when they themselves are doing a job that requires a great deal of training and aircraft knowledge not just pushing a trolley up and down an aisle?

Are the situations in the sim check pre-decided on a check list or does the examiner just program in their own choice of scenarios?

What does "doors to manual and cross-check" mean?

@SinglePringle

The autopilot normally gets engaged a couple of minutes after departure and will be disconnected about 5 miles from landing. The glamour and thrill of flying wears offJust because the autopilot is engaged does not mean that we are slacking off, we have to constantly tell it what to do through the flight management system.

Staying focused is actually a lot easier than you think. It is very busy for the first hour of a flight, especially for the likes of a transatlantic crossing. After that, there are periodic position reports, system checks, radio calls, checking of alternate airports, updating of weather etc etc - always something to do!

Sorry if this is a distasteful or distressing question for anyone, but I am curious to know if any new measures have been put in place since the German Wings flight that was brought down by the pilot? I would assume most airlines have tried to implement something that would make such a situation impossible?

For reference, I am an unhappy flier, and also have had episodes of unstable mental health so that is the sort of thing that worries me.

@BonApp

I make over £100,000 annually. It varies from airline to airline. We are well looked after, which keeps us quite content. When things go wrong, it really is an incredibly responsible job - hence the salary'

5 days working, 3 days off, 5 days working, 4 days off - and repeat!

When you meet a date (or used to if with someone) do they take you seriously when you first mention you are an airline pilot?

@ACatsNoHelpWithThat

Occasionally - it's generally quite accurate but I find it annoying that the crash might have happened in a 737, and they're using a 747 simulator to reconstruct it - it drives me crazy, but that's just me

@alexd112 That wasn't the Bird strike at MAN in Apr 07 was it by any chance?

Dispatcher from LBA here by the way! 👍

@waterlego, I read that if one member of the flight team has to leave the cockpit someone (flight attendant) will step in so there is never one person alone. This means there will always be someone to let the other pilot back in.

@Coughy

Have you?

Thanks. I thought it would be more like £200k given the responsibility (as you say) but I can imagine that Emirates pays more than Ryanair as an example.

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu

That's a bizzare one for sure! Don't think the industry insiders have any more of a clue than the public. It's a real mystery, but I actually never really thought too much about it. They will find out eventually find out though! How long that takes, no one knows.

Do you know if you have a celebrity on board? Who's the most famous person you've flown?

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu

You'd be surprised how normal, boring and loyal we are. Although I am sure there are plenty of people getting up to all sorts, as with every other job that takes you away from home.

Thank you for the answer!

My DH is now in love with you 😂

His dream was to fly, he even got accepted at Oxford aviation many moons ago but we could not afford the fees 😔

He now flys joy flights as and when money allows! just because he loves it we hope when the kids grow up we can afford to fund his PPL

It was his life dream to fly an Airbus A320 off runway 23R 💙

he says your a legend!! Because you probably Do!! 😂

Another question...

It's his understanding on Airbus there are 3 hydraulic systems if 2 of the 3 fail is 1 sufficient to sustain flight?

Thrust bump is an additional squeeze of power available for departure from particularly challenging airports or conditions (e.g LAX on a very hot evening in a very heavy aircraft needs every ounce of power to achieve the required performance)

That sounds rude

@QueenOfIce

Disrespect of anyone's role in aviation just shows how ignorant people can be. I for one rely heavily on FA's (from the most senior to the most junior). They are my eyes and ears in the cabin. While most of their day is spent looking after the 'hospitality' of passengers, their function is first and foremost to protect and keep safe everyone on board. When the sh** hits the fan, it's amazing to see them spring into action and put their training and procedures to really good use.

bibblebobblebubble

"Doors to manual" means that the doors are (obviously) set back to manual mode, i.e. if the door is opened, the emergency slide won't inflate by itself. This is done when the plane lands. "Cross check" means that another flight attendant has to check that this has been done correctly.

Has any of your passengers ever got their bottom stuck in the loo?

@Pavlova31

The scenarios would be selected by the training team in line with EASA regulations to ensure that crews all around Europe are proficient in similarly challenging situations.