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!

If something stressful happens in your non-working life are you equally as calm and competent as you would be at work?

Do you ever get fearful of terrorists?

Do all the baggage get scanned that goes in to the plane?

What happens to goods that also get loaded on to the plane? (None passenger goods) are these all scanned too?

I am starting on modular training for exactly such an eventual career change. Thank you for such an interesting thread !

What is the biggest tip you could give to someone who is terrified of flying?

I did the Virgin Fear of Flying course and it hasn't worked :-(

@Alexd112 another one!

I see the early morning ‘Stack’ into Heathrow every day. Is it like being on the M25 for you guys?!

Can you see the plane in front / behind / above?

Basically, is it like being on a motorway in the sky, with routes, exits, turning points?! And HOW do you know when you’re in the exact right point to bank? Clouds change....!

Ive always wondered if pilots take "reassuring voice" training and do you speak like that all the time or put on a special "pilots" voice?

I always get the most horrific ear pain when I fly. I've tried holding my nose and blowing/chewing and sucking sweets/those 'earplanes' plugs but nothing works!! Any advice?

Could you comfortably land a 747 given you’re an airbus pilot?

When you fly as a passenger (assuming you do) do you make sure your plane is being flown by a pilot whose ability you respect? Or do you just get on at the back like everyone else and have no idea who is piloting the plane?

Well I’m finding this fascinating. Thanks for answering everyone’s questions.

How do you find ATC at Frankfurt? I believe they have a reputation for being rather "abrupt".

Is their something significant about landing at CWL? I've heard it's used for training, but I'm not sure why?

What is the safest place to sit on an aircraft? How long would it take to die if you were sucked out I'm a bad flyer !

Hi folks, just back from a long dog walk - that is, a long walk with the dog, not a walk with a long walk!

@4forkssake
I'll answer your Q in a few mins!

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu
It is true that some carriers pay their pilots far less and operate a system whereby you only get paid by what you fly on a zero hours contract basis. Every pilot in Europe is certified by EASA so we all meet the same proficiency criteria, so we are all as capable of dealing with technical malfunctions as each other.

That said, experience counts for far more than people can imagine. Obviously, the carriers which pay their pilots well and give them very good working conditions have far more retention of pilots and therefore, a far bigger pool of experience. That's about all I could say on that matter.

@DearMrDilkington
My longest flight has been 12.5 hours. Generally, we are given 24hours free of duty down route.

have you ever seen a ufo

@HopelesslydevotedtoGu
The aircraft is pressurized to about 8 PSI. This means that the pressure on the inside of the airplane is more than the outside. Opening the door is pretty much impossible as the force required to overcome this pressure would be phenomenal.

@amigababy
I can assure you, that is definitely not the case!  Spilling Rice Krispies on the floor constitutes a nervous breakdown...

@autumnleaves101
No, because I have faith in our own procedures and the screening at airports.

Like everybody else, I am guilty of choosing my holiday destination wisely (or at least I hope so!)

Every single item loaded as baggage or cargo onto the aircraft is scanned.

What is your training like? How do you actually become an airline captain? DS is absolutely determined that he will be a pilot and captain for a commercial airline. What does it take in terms of education?

Do you fly the a380? I love those big ugly things

Is there a hierarchy amongst pilots according to whether they fly whales or much smaller aircraft?

Thank you! I get terribly anxious on flights and worry about things going wrong.... irrational phobias are the worst!

I'm flying on 6 long haul & internal flights in august/September think I need to get used to flying without worrying!

@madvixen
The only tip I could give you is to maybe try to actually accept what it is you're trying to overcome. But let's be honest, flying is unnatural for people!

However, your biggest friend is trust. Everyday when I go to work, I have to trust a large number of people - I have to trust the engineers who fix and certify the airplanes. I have to trust security to filter prohibited items. I have to trust the fuel company that the fuel has been checked for contamination. I have to trust the dispatchers who balance the loading of the aircraft. I have to trust Air Traffic Control in almost every aspect of my journey. I have to trust the cabin crew to do exactly as they're trained. I have to trust my co-pilot when I let them fly the aircraft. I have to trust myself that I am putting 100% into the tasks at hand everyday.

So I trust all of these people, because they have been trained to meet a certain standard. We rely on each other and back each other up and we alert each other to mistakes with an appropriate level of assertiveness. Put your faith in all of these people that come together everyday to do their very best to keep you safe and that's all you can do.

@SinglePringle
If it's a clear day, you can certainly see the aircraft in front, above and below you etc etc..

If it's a cloudy day, you might in-fact see nothing. We do have a collision avoidance system on board which shows us where there are other planes around us, so we have a very good idea of where we are in relation to everyone else.

It's a bit like the motorway, but far less boring

@wineoclockthanks
I would have answered by saying that we don't put on a special voice, but my wife assured me that we do!

Are you a psychopathy and will you crash my plane?

• genuine fear of mine.

@littlemisscomper
Your ear pain is (I suspect) caused by the reduced air pressure and lack of equalization between your inner ear and outside. Nothing I can suggest except what you've already tried, BUT, if you are traveling long haul, try going on a 787... the cabin is pressurized to a more human friendly altitude.

@Whichoneisit
Yes I suppose I could. I have flown a number of different types of aircraft, so going from an airbus back to a conventional aircraft wouldn't be too difficult. All of the automatics would be different, but I would have the benefit of knowing how to contact ATC who could get a 747 pilot up pretty quickly to walk me through getting the aircraft onto an approach.

@Dumbledoresgirl
I'd love to say I don't mind who flies, but I always enjoy having one of my friends flying me to my destination.

@FeeEngel
Nope! They're actually quite efficient. I suppose you've got to realise we aren't there for conversation, we're there for a service.

@Parkrunner25
CWL might be useful for some airlines (for base training). Base training is teaching new pilots how to take off and land (without passengers on board). Some airlines use Cardiff because it is quieter compared to other areas.

@therockinggazelle
Wow, you're an optimistIf it all goes horribly wrong, I really don't think there's any 'safest' places to sit! In the unfortunate event of getting sucked out, you would probably lose consciousness in about 10-12 seconds so you wouldn't know what's going on!

@Majorintrovert
Absolutely nothing to worry about - I want to go home to my family every evening.

@Processedpea
No....