The thought of a heroic passenger landing a plane after the pilots have been incapacitated is a plot that’s been featured in countless movies and TV shows. But in real life, can passengers actually land a commercial aircraft? The short…
As an experienced airline captain, I’m often asked about the training airline pilots have to have. It’s typically one of the first things both cockpit visitors, and wannabe pilots, ask. More specifically, how long does it take to train to…
Think of an iconic pilot — from fictional hero Goose in Top Gun, to real life heroCaptain “Sully” Sullenberger of Hudson River fame. Aside from excellent pilot skills, they’ve got one thing in common, a rather impressive moustache! Despite the…
Operating state-of-the-art aircraft, travelling the world and being well paid for it. Oh, — and of course, no advert for becoming a pilot would be complete without the tagline “An office with the best views in the world”. Being an…
In the past, airline pilots were required to eat different types of meals to one another. This was to ensure that if one type of meal was contaminated, and a pilot fell ill due to food poisoning or an allergic…
Anyone who has flown on a commercial airplane in the last couple of decades, will know that passing through airport security can be one of the most frustrating parts of the entire travel experience. In fact, airport security are so…
With modern aircraft continuing to increase in size, and weighing hundreds of tons — unlike your car — parking an aircraft is not as simple as pulling into a spot and turning off the engine. The largest passenger aircraft in…
This is one of the most common questions any commercial airline pilot receives from both passengers and friends — do you manually land the aircraft? The answer is a resounding yes. Pilots typically always manually land an aircraft when possible.…
Rightly or wrongly, when most people think of an airline pilot’s life, they think it is one permanent vacation! The rise of instagram pilots — who seemingly sit on a beach 24/7 — showcase a working environment that’s one big…
The job of an airline pilot gets mixed reviews! On the one hand, there are plenty of movies, TV series and articles written about heroic aviators wrestling the controls and saving the day. Equally, there are plenty of articles bemoaning…
