Take a hypothetical situation. You are flying off to your holiday destination after a rough year, trying to relax on the suddenly jittery plane when an air hostess comes screaming down the aisle chanting ” Oh My God! Both of the pilots are dead! Is there anyone who knows how to fly a plane?”
So what do you do when faced with such life and death situation? In the midst of the screaming crowd and the nose-diving plane, would you like to be just one of the people uselessly crying while about to meet their eternal demise or a superhero who goes into the cockpit and flies the plane to safety?
What if I tell you that you can be later without ever needing an elaborate flying course? Just follow the instructions below as given byBruno Gilissen, who is an A330/350 pilot.
1. Don’t panic. The airplane usually flies on the autopilot, so you are not going to be crashing anytime soon. Follow the procedure as stated below without rushing onto conclusions.
2. Try and to find the radio. The push-to-talk button is usually located on the backside of the control stick, like a trigger. But caution must be taken as there’s also a similar button that disconnects the autopilot. So it’s absolutely vital that you make sure that it’s the radio button, because since if you disengage the autopilot, the plane control gets really complex. The autopilot disconnect button is a big red one and usually operated by the thumb.
A better option would be to find a handheld microphone hanging somewhere on the side, and also a button on the radio panel labeled VHF1 or 2. You can ask the flight attendants about the button, they probably have seen the pilots talk on the radio,
3. MAYDAY. Press the button and call “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY” so that everyone on the other side knows about the crisis. When the respond, explain the situation slowly in English.
4. Follow instructions: The attendants on the radio will surely guide you how to land to the nearest airport with autoland capability. If you closely follow their instructions, the plane will land itself there, and with auto brakes, it will even brake automatically. Just make sure you look awesome when you walk out of the cockpit and are ready to be a true superstar for the rest of your life.
