Memes

If someone has 600 hrs of flying in a 1:1 representation of an aircraft type, they could be successful flying it in real life assuming the plane is 100% okay and it was only the pilots who were incapacitated somehow. After all, Every airline pilot gets certified to fly in a jet without ever actually setting foot on the real thing.

It would depend on the person, but having flying fundamentals is the most important knowledge in that situation, not knowing every little thing about a "737-700". The radio guidance can tell you where to find all the buttons you need for a landing where you will be guided step by step and going to a super long safe runway.

I should know, I have 100 hrs in Cessna 172s and 1 hour in 747-400s.

I worked for a training facility who had 747-4 sims when I was a student pilot and one of our instructors took me "up" in it. Never had been in the fuckin thing in my life, but I was hand flying a 747 400 in a 6 axis full motion simulator while possessing a current medical and accompanied by a current 747 instructor. So, that hour could go in my log book. (I wish I had him put it in there honestly)

I was easily able to fly the aircraft. The controls are the same as any aircraft, it's just bigger and heavier. Slow and steady, minor adjustments to learn and get a feel for how much input = how much output.

The way harder part for me was taxiing that monster around the airport. Iirc the cockpit was positioned 26ft off the ground, and you sit in front of the nose gear, so just imagine trying to eyeball when to turn when you sit in front of the wheels that do the turning.

The things we can't account for are the most dangerous. The weather on the day this happens will be the biggest factor in determining if the flight simmer is successful in saving the plane. Heavy winds, low visibility, runway conditions, etc are going to affect the outcome way more than anything else.

Bottom line is If my relative was on a plane where they needed a hero to land it safely, I would trust a 600 hr flight simmer's chances waayyyyyyy before most other people. Especially since they have radio pilot guiding them, they can declare an emergency, fly to a safe extra long runway, etc, all to maximize the ease of the landing.

I want to say mythbusters did this in a sim. They had ATC walk them through it. I want to say they landed, but maybe not in the first attempt. It's been a while and it might not have been myth busters.

As an avid player of flight sims, probably not too well on a fully loaded plane like a 747 or whatever. They are heavy, react slowly, and the controls are electronic so you can't "feel" any resistance from the plane. Also the jet turbines take a while to spool up and down so you have to be pretty deliberate with your inputs.

Now if it were something like a smaller GA airplane, as long as it has tricycle gear and you aren't landing into a crosswind, I feel like it would be fairly successful, and even if you get 10 ft from the ground and stall, or miss the touchdown point by 1000ft or so, you are only going 45-50mph tops at that point so the chances of you surviving are pretty good.

Compare that to a 747 where you'd be going much faster and the margin between landing and stalling is pretty thin, there's a good chance you'd overshoot the landing point, come down hard, then crash into something at the end of the runway.

Now if it's a taildragger and you don't have any real training, there's a good chance you'll tail loop and crash once you touch down. You'd probably survive, but it would be ugly.

Edit: that is assuming you don't smash the brakes and prop strike first.

Here's exactly what you've asked for

https://youtu.be/AbTDzPUDxqY?si=2_LbhhJ-vsEJcJkx