Dec 24, 2023 18:00:00

Half of American men believe they can make an emergency landing on a passenger plane. What do experts say?

A past survey conducted in the United States found that a certain percentage of people believe that they can defeat beasts of prey such as bears and lions with their bare hands, making it seem like they've been watching too many movies. A mysterious confidence is emerging. A newly released survey found that nearly half of American adults believe they can land a plane in place of the pilot in an emergency, and aeronautics scientists say 'The chances are almost zero,' he added.

How confident are you that you could safely land a passenger airplane in an emergency situation, relying only on the assistance of air traffic control? | Daily Question
https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2023/01/02/fd798/3

Almost half the men surveyed think they could land a passenger plane. Experts disagree
https://theconversation.com/almost-half-the-men-surveyed-think-they-could-land-a-passenger-plane-experts-disagree-218037

The market research company YouGov asked 20,063 adult Americans, ``How confident are you that you could safely land a passenger plane relying solely on air traffic control assistance in an emergency situation?'' These are the results of a survey asking. The top group, ``Very confident (13%),'' and the bottom group, ``Somewhat confident (19%),'' add up to 32%, meaning nearly one-third of Americans are confident in their own piloting techniques. I found out that I have

Furthermore, when the same question was answered by gender, 46% of men thought that ``I think I could land a plane.''

On the other hand, experts are skeptical that amateurs can land a passenger plane safely with just the assistance of air traffic controllers. According to five experts, including Tim Riley, who teaches aeronautics at Griffith University in Australia, airline pilots spend 90% of their time onboard monitoring the autopilot system.

The remaining 10% is dealing with problems that occur,

taxiing , and takeoff and landing, but Riley and others point out that this landing and takeoff is probably the most difficult task for pilots.

First, during takeoff, the aircraft is accelerated until the wings can obtain sufficient lift. At this time, the pilot maintains the aircraft in the center of the runway until it reaches takeoff speed, and monitors multiple instruments and external You must pay close attention to the signals and maneuver. After takeoff, the aircraft coordinates its route with the controller, follows the designated route, retracts its landing gear, and ascends while maintaining the correct speed and direction.

Landing is even more complex, with pilots managing the landing gear and wing flaps simultaneously while maintaining appropriate speed, adhering to aviation regulations, communicating with air traffic controllers, and completing various checklists on paper and digital media. must be checked.

As the runway approaches, the pilot accurately judges the altitude and adjusts the descent speed while reducing power. Then, once the landing gear reaches the road surface, it uses the brakes and reverse jets to stop the aircraft before it reaches the end of the runway. The pilot is said to be able to complete these tasks in just a few minutes.

In order to acquire these piloting skills, pilots first learn about aerodynamics, meteorology, aviation laws, flight rules, aircraft engine systems, aircraft performance, flight plans, human factors related to aircraft, etc. in classroom lessons. Once you have mastered the basics, you will continue training using simulators and actual aircraft, and step up from small to large aircraft in order to become a professional passenger airline pilot.

From the above points, Mr. Riley and his colleagues concluded, ``The possibility that someone who has never even learned the basics of airplanes will be able to successfully land a passenger plane with the help of air traffic control is almost zero.''

◆Forum now open
A forum related to this article has been set up on the GIGAZINE official Discord server . Anyone can write freely, so please feel free to comment! If you do not have a Discord account, please create one by referring to the article explaining how to create an account!

• Discord | 'Do you think you can make an emergency landing of a passenger plane?' ' | GIGAZINE
https://discord.com/channels/1037961069903216680/1188776973233815642