#KlookInsider: Airline Pilot Answers Questions That We Have Been Dying To Ask

Malcolm Koh

Last updated 9 Apr 2020

1. Pilots don’t have to fly the aircraft now that aircraft have autopilot right?

A: Autopilot is just a tool to help pilots fly the aircraft, and it can only do what the pilot commands it to do. This helps to reduce the workload, allowing the pilot to expand their attention to broader aspects of operations such as monitoring the weather, onboard systems, and navigation.

2. Do Pilots actually have more rest days than workdays in a month?

A: Pilots are given a mandatory of 8 days rest a month, but it depends on how busy the airline is. There are peak and lull seasons, so it varies month to month, but on average a pilot gets 8 days of undisturbed off days, and around 2-6 days on standby.

3. We heard that Pilots and Copilots eat different meals. Is that true?

A: Well, to prevent both Pilots from being incapacitated with gastrointestinal problems, meals catered for Pilots on a flight are different. We are also encouraged not to eat the same meals if we are bringing in our own food.

4. We’ve been reading that airplanes are actually very dirty. Really?!

A: This varies from airline to airline on how often they do cleaning on their aircraft.

5. Do Pilots fall asleep at the cockpit?

A: This varies airline to airline, depending on their policies. My airline allows Pilots to take controlled rest of not more than a certain amount of time to prevent sleep inertia. Also, there are a lot of restrictions on when controlled rest can be taken (only during periods of low workload) and the other Pilot must be even more vigilant in monitoring the aircraft systems.

6. Can you watch a movie or play music in the cockpit just like the passengers?

A: No.

7. Do Pilots really have the authority to throw someone off the flight?

A: If a passenger misbehaves, the Captain has the authority to remove him/her from the flight to ensure the safety of other passengers and the crew. Usually, a verbal warning is given first, and if the passenger chooses to ignore the warning, he would be kindly invited to get off the plane, usually with police escorts.

8. How often do you invite someone into the cockpit to see you fly?

A: For the safety of everyone on board, and consequently the people on the ground as well, this is strictly not allowed.

9. In the event that both Pilots cannot fly the plane, can an Air Traffic Controller teach someone to land the plane?

A: There are many movies and videos online simulating a passenger being given instructions from Air Traffic Control to land a plane. In those videos, the person giving the instructions are usually Pilots who are very familiar with the controls and operations for that type of plane. In reality, unless the Air Traffic Controller has actually flown a commercial plane before, this is not possible. There are so many different types of aircraft in the air now and every type of aircraft is different in terms of operation and location of controls.

10. Using phones onboard the aircraft disrupts the transmissions/navigation of the aircraft. True?

A: Modern phones use a different bandwidth to aircraft radios and systems. Although they should not interfere, it cannot be proved yet and so it’s ultimately up to each country's aviation authority and the individual airline to decide if they allow the use of mobile phones. Take off and landings are the critical phases of flight, so better to be safe than sorry, follow the flight attendant's instructions on personal device usage.

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