Passenger lands plane when pilot incapacitated.

[Gabriel556]

I first thought great job when I read this and heard the audio. However now my BS flag is up at least half staff. He knew how to see his decent rate but had trouble with the comms. His lingo was close but not perfect so either he’s sat right seat for a good amount of time or he has some home sim time. If he truly had no experience whatsoever, he’s very lucky he was in a docile plane. The C208 is just about like flying a giant trainer. I don’t know, it’s not quite passing the sniff test to me.

[P2Vaircrewman]

https://avgeekery.com/that-time-a-na...s-the-country/

I crewed on P2V Neptunes.

[chuckman]

https://avgeekery.com/that-time-a-na...s-the-country/

I crewed on P2V Neptunes.

LOL.

Here's the A4 story: https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-...for-a-joyride/

Also, a PFC stealing UH-1: https://www.al.com/news/2014/10/40_y...tled_army.html

Airman steals C-130: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/y...o-return-home/

[SteyrAUG]

I first thought great job when I read this and heard the audio. However now my BS flag is up at least half staff. He knew how to see his decent rate but had trouble with the comms. His lingo was close but not perfect so either he’s sat right seat for a good amount of time or he has some home sim time. If he truly had no experience whatsoever, he’s very lucky he was in a docile plane. The C208 is just about like flying a giant trainer. I don’t know, it’s not quite passing the sniff test to me.

Who knows what the pilot might have said when he realized he was in trouble. If that was me and I thought "probably not gonna make it" I'd try and point out all the important stuff and give whatever info I could as long as I was able.

If the guy had sim training, I'm sure he'd have mentioned it. Will really come down to IF something actually happened to the pilot or not.

[bp7178]

Sim training is a big question mark as to what qualifies. Years ago I played Falcon 4.0 in which the ramp start procedure would take 20 min to complete. I'm familiar with the layout and function of a F-16 cockpit, but I don't think all of the nuances to be an actual pilot are there.

He was calm and receptive to instruction and there was a well qualified person giving instruction. That's what made it all work.

[1168]

There a few stories floating around about a Marine aviation mechanic 'stealing' an A4, and I think I read something about a C-130 once. Can't imagine.

When I was a flight medic one of the pilots showed me how to start the helo (BK-117); once, he told me to 'start 'er up' while he was finishing a dump or something. Hell, no. I was terrified to even think such a thing. I did not want to be responsible for that thing sliding off the roof of an 8-story bed tower and plummeting to the ground, much less actually achieving lift.

The Little Bird pilots used to take “familiarization” training to extremes and let us fly the things. I have no idea how I have lived this long.

Apparently back in the day that was kinda how they found future pilots.

[ABNAK]

The Little Bird pilots used to take “familiarization” training to extremes and let us fly the things. I have no idea how I have lived this long.

Apparently back in the day that was kinda how they found future pilots.

Friend of mine was a Ranger with a mustard stain from Torrijos Airport in Panama, then an RI at Dahlonega, then dropped his packet to go warrant. Retired from the 160th (although his last couple of years was as an instructor at SERE School at Ft. Rucker). IIRC he retired as a CW3 with 24 years service. Flew Little Birds early in the flyboy part of his career then went to MH-47's.