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…
When you’re flying as a passenger on a commercial airliner, it’s hard to imagine the level of coordination and planning that goes into ensuring your flight is safe. As this coordination is largely behind the scenes, airline pilots and flight…
Commercial pilots are a special breed. While they have a few things in common — they typically love their job and the challenge of flying planes — if you ask 10 pilots the best way of doing something, you’ll frequently…
If you’ve ever been on an aeroplane, you will have walked past the crew seating, located near the exits and in the cockpit. These seats are often referred to as jumpseats, and they’re typically only for airline staff. However, there…
For years, there has been a myth that pilots sleep on the job. Pop the autopilot in, kick back and relax, before waking up just in time for landing. While this is an exaggeration, what is the reality? People have…
Have you ever looked at the back of a plane wing and seen a row of small metal spikes? They’re officially called static wicks, and they play an important role in keeping your flight safe. But, what are they exactly?…
As a frequent flyer, the idea of parachutes being available on planes is a comforting one. Needing one would be an extremely rare event, but after all, many other extreme scenarios are covered. Under every seat lies a lifejacket for…
The Beluga XL plane, also simply known as the Whale Plane, is one of the strangest planes in the world. Looking totally unlike normal cargo planes, the unique shape has even led some people to ask if it’s a Photoshop…
