Bomber pilot helped land airliner after captain fell ill

[tankerhead]

In that situation any goober could've said he was a pilot and got in the cockpit. There are bad guys flying the system and waiting for opportunities, this could have been an opportunity.

But more important is what we r trained to do; and at our airline it's land single-pilot. It would be a bigger distraction trying to fly and familiarize someone on the the airplane.

But this goober had a military ID.

And likely a few pictures of himself and his sexy Bone on his iPhone.

 

[tomgoodman]

I'd be really interested to hear if the FO would make the same decision again in retrospect.

Since the decision led to a successful outcome, I think she would do it again.
As they say in the NFL, "Never take points off the board."

 

[waveflyer]

Not terrorism, but what about some idiot who took some flight lessons, has a hero complex, and tells the FA that they have "experience flying a boeing/airbus/etc., while leaving out the fact that it was on MS FlightSim?

Sorry, no airline ID, no cockpit entry.

I'd rather have a flight attendant up there with me than someone of unknown origin.

Possible exception: A frac pilot with a verifiable ID, such as NetJets would be of some value, but again, you gotta prove it or no deal.

So you'd take a OA/frac ID over a military ID-?
My issue isn't one over the other - it's now you're checking id's inflight up in the cockpit. That is a problem. And i'd imagine it's a problem to an airline's security program.

 

[livin'thesim]

So you'd take a OA/frac ID over a military ID-?
My issue isn't one over the other - it's now you're checking id's inflight up in the cockpit. That is a problem. And i'd imagine it's a problem to an airline's security program.

Military ID? No problem either. But wasn't the guy in the story retired? Or did I miss that?

Need to have an ACTIVE ID of some sort.

 

[livin'thesim]

How is a fractional pilot any more/less useful than a military pilot in this situation.

I don't think i'd bring this guy up. I'm not sure i'd bring this guy up even if he was an OA 121 pilot unless we had previously met (i.e. jumpseater checking in). Not for security, just for the fact that you are taking an unusual situation with 100 moving parts, and doubling-down. The "increase" in safety in having him up in the cockpit does not warrant the risk that many previous posters have already mentioned.

I'd be really interested to hear if the FO would make the same decision again in retrospect.

I thought he was retired. Active mil, no prob.

 

[wms]

Since the decision led to a successful outcome, I think she would do it again.
As they say in the NFL, "Never take points off the board."

Just like an unstable approach that ends in a landing you walked away from, the result doesn't mean the decision was good. If she did what they train to do, ok. But if the training says land single pilot, then land single pilot.

 

[atpcliff]

I've had training from 3 US airlines: my training for single pilot? Nothing.No mention of it whatsoever.

 

[wms]

We do it, for incapacitated pilot.

 

[Dan Roman]

We do it too.

 

[GlorifiedCabbie]

So remind me again, How hard is it to work the radios, flaps and gear?

 

[wms]

Easy enough to do it yourself without thinking About it.

 

[HowardBorden]

I've had training from 3 US airlines: my training for single pilot? Nothing.No mention of it whatsoever.

We do it at 50 feet every PC. On a hand flown CATIII HUD approach the F.O. calls minimums, if the Captain doesn't respond "landing" or "going around" the F.O. takes the aircraft and does a single pilot go around.