Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Preliminary Steps
• Part 2 of 2: Landing Procedure
• Tips
• Warnings

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you were airborne and an airline pilot passed out? If there is no way to fly the aircraft, your safety may depend on only a few important decisions. Your boarding will likely be supervised by someone on the radio, but this overview will help you know what to expect. Scenarios of such events can often be seen in films and television shows, but in the real world, untrained people would not have to land a large plane. But by applying some basic skills and following the advice of air traffic controllers, it is possible.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Preliminary Steps

1. 1 Sit in the captain's chair. The captain usually sits in the left seat, where all the "levers" of the aircraft are concentrated (especially for light single-seat aircraft engines). Fasten your seat belt and shoulder strap, if equipped. Almost all planes have dual controls and you can successfully land the plane from either side. Do not touch the controls yourself! This will most likely be done by the autopilot. Leave control to him.
   • Make sure the unconscious pilot is not leaning on the rudder (equivalent to the steering wheel of an aircraft) Some aircraft may have a side rudder to the left of the captain's seat.
2. 2 Take a break. You are likely to be stressed by sensory overload and the severity of the situation. Breathing correctly will help you focus. Take a slow, deep breath to control your body.
3. 3 Align the plane. If the plane is noticeably raised or lowered, you need to carefully align the horizon line with the help of an external guide. Finally, all the skills learned from video games can come in handy!
   • Find the artificial horizon. Sometimes it is also called the artificial horizon. It consists of a miniature set of "wings" and an image of the horizon. The top is blue (sky) and the bottom is brown. On some complex aircraft, the indicator is shown on the display in front of the pilot. On older aircraft, it is located in the center of the top row of instruments. On modern airliners, the main flight data display (PFD) will be right in front of you. It displays important information such as indicated airspeed (IAS) in knots, speed over ground (GS) in knots, altitude in feet, and titles. It also displays information if the autopilot is on. This is usually referred to as AP or CMD.
   • Correct movement (elevation or descent) and roll (turn) as needed.Miniature wings should be flush with the artificial horizon. If they are already installed in this position, do not touch the controls, go to the next step. If you need to level the aircraft, pull the steering wheel towards you to raise the nose of the aircraft, or push forward to lower the nose. You can change the roll (turn) by turning the rudder left or right to engage the desired direction. At the same time, back pressure must be applied to the rudder to keep the plane from losing altitude.
4. 4 Turn on autopilot. If you tried to correct the flight path, the autopilot was probably disabled. Turn it on by clicking "Autopilot" or "AUTO FLIGHT", "AFN" or "AP" or something like that. On passenger aircraft, the autopilot button is located in the center of the display so that both pilots can easily reach it.
   • Only if these actions make the plane not work the way you want, disable the autopilot by pressing all buttons on the rudder (among which there will probably be a disable button for the autopilot). Usually, the best way to get the plane to fly normally is not to touch the controls. The autopilot is designed so that most people who are not pilots can maintain control of the plane.

Part 2 of 2: Landing Procedure

1. 1 Get help on the radio. Look for the handheld microphone, which is usually to the left of the pilot's seat just below the side window, and use it as a CB radio. Find the microphone or grab the pilot's headset, press and hold the button, and repeat May Day three times followed by a brief description of your emergency (unconscious pilot, etc.). Remember to release the button to hear the answer. The airport air traffic controller will help you control the plane and land it safely. Listen carefully and answer the dispatchers' questions to the best of your ability so that they can help you to the maximum.
   • Alternatively, you can grab the pilot's headset and press the button press to talk (PTT), which is at the helm. There is also an autopilot button, so don't press it accidentally, otherwise you will ruin the autopilot system. Use a handheld radio.
   • Try to get help on the frequency you are currently on, but the connection can sometimes be interrupted. Use the call sign "May Day" at the beginning of each of your calls. If you cannot contact the dispatcher and you do not know how to change the radio frequency, you can ask for help on the 121.50 MHz frequency.
     • If you see a red light on the control panel, tell the dispatcher. Below, under the red light, there will be a description of the meaning of light, i.e. generator or low voltage. Obviously, this requires surgical intervention.
   • If you can find the transponder in the glass of the radio (it has four windows for 4 digits from 0-7, usually located at the bottom of the stack), set it to 7700. This is an emergency code that will tell air traffic controllers quickly that you have It happened.
2. 2 Use the aircraft call sign when talking to the dispatcher. The call sign of the aircraft is on the panel (unfortunately it does not have a standard position, but the call sign must be somewhere on the panel). Call signs for US registered aircraft start with the letter "N" (eg N12345). On the radio, the letter "N" can be confused with other letters, so you need to say, for example, "November". Using the call, you can clearly determine the location of the aircraft, as well as give the dispatchers important information about the aircraft so that they can help you land.
   • If you are on a commercial aircraft (aircraft by airlines such as United, American, USA Airways, etc.), the aircraft does not need to be named by its letter "N". On the contrary, you need to give his callsign or flight number. Sometimes pilots can put a note on the control panel to remember this information. You can ask the stewardess what flight number this plane has.When calling over the radio, say the name of the airline followed by the flight number. If the flight number is 123 and you are flying with United, your callsign will be "United 1-2-3". Don't read the numbers like a normal number, but say "United one hundred twenty three."
3. 3 Maintain a safe speed. Look at the airspeed indicator (usually referred to as ASI, airspeed, or knots), which is usually located towards the upper left of the dashboard, and watch your speed. The speed can be displayed either in MPH or in knots (they are the same). The speed of a small 2-seater aircraft should not be less than 70 knots, a large one - not less than 180 knots. Ultimately, just make sure the green zone is on for normal flight until you contact the controller by radio.
   • If the airspeed starts to rise and you have not touched the throttle, you are probably flying downhill, so you should tweak the helm gently. If the flight speed decreases, gently push the nose away to increase the speed. Do not let the aircraft fly too slowly, especially near the ground. This can cause the engine to stall (the wing will no longer rise).
4. 4 Start your descent. The dispatcher will inform you about the landing procedure and direct you to a safe landing place. You will most likely be assigned a runway at the airport, but on rare occasions you may need to land in a field or on a road. If you must land and cannot get to the airport, avoid areas with power lines, trees, or other obstacles.
   • To start landing the plane, you need to lower the throttle (to reduce power) until you hear the sound of the engines change, and then they stop. It's impossible to say for sure, but it probably shouldn't be more than 3.50cm or so of throttle path. Keep the airspeed within the green zone. The nose of the aircraft should go down on its own, without pressure on the steering wheel.
   • If you find constant pushing or pulling vibrations from the steering wheel, you must use the trim tab to keep the airplane steady. Otherwise, it can become very tedious and / or just distracting. The trimmer wheel is typically a wheel approximately 15-20 cm in diameter that rotates in the same direction as the chassis wheels. They are often found on either side of the knees. They are black in color and have slight irregularities on the outer edges. When pushing in the opposite direction to the steering wheel, turn the trimmer wheel gently. If the pressure is slightly higher, turn the wheel the other way until you reach the original pressure level. Note: On some smaller aircraft, the wheel trim may be in the shape of a handle. Also, on some larger aircraft, the trim is in the form of a switch on the helm (control button). It is usually on the top left. If the aircraft is pushing the control wheel towards you, pull the lever down, if the control is moving away, up.
5. 5 Proceed to landing. You will work with different resistances (bars and flaps next to the throttle bodies) to slow the plane down without losing balance. Lower the chassis down if they are retractable. If the mechanism works, then you don't need to do anything. The gear knob (the end of the knob is in the shape of a tire) is usually located only on the right side of the center console, slightly above where the copilot's knee should be. If you need to land on water, leave the landing gear in the up position.
   • Before landing, you will have to raise the nose of the plane and land on the so-called "pillow", touching the ground with the main wheels. The "cushion" is formed using a 5-7 degree angle in small aircraft, and in some larger aircraft it can mean an airplane nose rise of up to 15 degrees.
   • When flying a large commercial aircraft, activate reverse thrust, if available.Boeing-type planes have bars behind the throttle. Pull on them and the thrust is directed forward to help stop the aircraft. If all else fails, pull the throttle as fast as possible.
   • Reduce power to idle by pulling the throttle towards you until you see a sign that says "not working". This black lever is usually located between the pilot and co-pilot.
   • Press the brakes gently on the pedal above... Use enough pressure to stop the plane without skidding. The pedals themselves are used to steer the plane towards the ground, so you don't need to use them unless the plane is deviating from the runway.
6. 6 Congratulate yourself. Once the unconscious pilot has received first aid, you can finally relax. Go ahead, you deserve it! And if you can stop to look at another plane, let alone get back on one of them, you just might have the "right material" and consider taking courses with a certified instructor. On the other hand, maybe not. Just write a book about it.

Tips

• Make adjustments slowly and wait for the changes. With quick or abrupt actions, you can lose control.
• It is not easy to use general rules about the wheel, in particular to apply the correct pressure to it. All steering operations should be done slowly and gently. But this does not mean that you should not move it decisively if circumstances require it. Leave stick deflection to the fighter pilots.
• Before takeoff, ask the captain to tell you where the main controls are. These should include tools, steering wheel / steering wheel, throttle, transponders, radio and steering wheel / brake pedals. Attention! If you are on an airline, this approach can lead to anxiety among the crew. You can ultimately explain that you were asking just in case, but better consider getting the X-Plane, Flight Sim, or even Google Earth game software (under the Tools menu).
• Find a pilot who has an X-Plane or Flight Sim. Ask him to tune the plane you are likely to fly in straight horizontal motion, and then try to land the plane yourself. After reading the above, you will have a bite of your pie!
• Visit Pinch Hitter Aviation Security Courses for information developed by aviation security professionals on what to do if your pilot becomes incapacitated.

Warnings

• This is for emergencies only. Do not rely on these instructions for recreational flying, find a certified instructor.
• Pay attention to your choice of landing sites. Larger planes need a longer range. Also, make sure there are few or no obstructions around the seat (power lines, buildings, trees, etc.). You can also land the plane on a large highway, but also only if there are no obstacles.
• While all of the above tips are very good (and may seem complete), the most important thing to remember is that the plane must fly! Even experienced pilots, when faced with an emergency, focus their attention on one or two subjects, be it flight speed or landing site, or radio communication. But they completely forget that you just need to fly and this leads to disastrous results. Keep the plane in the air. While the plane is in the air, you can make time for everything else.