Page 6 - Volume 15 Number 2

AirMail Letters to the Editor
Cockpit Learning
Several months ago, columnist David Miller (On Final) wrote that, after 9-11, pre-flight access by non- crewmembers to the cockpit on airlines is unavailable. With all due respect to Mr. Miller, have you tried?
I’ve had 100 percent success in visiting our pilot brethren (and sisteren) on major airline flights, as recently as the last week of 2010. Freya S., a cute redhead friend who is first officer on 757’s for a major carrier, said she wasn’t aware of any policy restriction on pre-flight cockpit visits, but of course it was at the discretion of the captain. There are cranky captains who might well refuse any visitors, but Freya welcomes visitors to the cockpit, especially children. In fact, it was a visit to the cockpit that led my wife, Pam, and me to become friends with Freya. Since that trip to Miami a year ago, I have flown my Citation Mustang with Freya in the right seat, and I benefited from her experience, expertise, and advice.
Which brings me to the best reason to visit with the flight crew on an airline trip: lessons from the experts. Most of us flying light to medium-size general aviation twins and turbines work in isolation. We don’t get the chance to learn from other professional pilots. Every time I enter the cockpit of an airliner, I say something to the crew like, “I’m a Citation pilot out of Houston. What things do you do or see in your flying that make the difference between pilots who are just OK and really good?” The responses have never been on the order of “I don’t know” or “Keep the oily side down.” Here are three “tips from the flight deck.”
• Use paper charts, or at least have them at hand. The “magenta line” generation should quit relying so much on computers, which are still “garbage in, garbage out.”
• Hand-fly the airplane whenever it is appropriate, such as in a terminal area in VFR conditions. “When I get a vector from approach, the autopilot comes off and I take the yoke. That keeps your skills sharp.”
• For precise flying: trim, trim, trim. You should be making only small corrections when hand-flying.
My favorite visit up front was on my honeymoon two years ago, Houston to Honolulu, non-stop. After finding our seats, I went forward and showed my pilot’s license to the flight attendant, who handed it to the captain. He waved me into his 767 office. Just then the ground crew advised the captain that a nose tire need replacement. I was the only one of 300 passengers who loved the delay. The three flight crewmembers and I told jokes and lies for the better part of an hour while my new bride brought me drinks from our seat. (Proof that I chose the right woman is that she didn’t mind me spending time hangar- flying with three strangers on our honeymoon. Further proof is that she likes flying in turbulence.)
At one point I even mentioned to the captain, “You might want to give a PA to the pax about what’s going on.” And he did. I had been accepted into the tribe. Finally, the ground crew chief brought a paper form into the cockpit and handed it to me. I looked at it for a few seconds and passed it to the First Officer. Then the ground chief asked, “Do you need anything else?” I turned casually to the crew. “We need anything else?” A shake of three heads. “Naw, we’re fine,” I told my new subordinate. “OK, have a good flight,” he said. I sure did.
You can, too. An airline crew is understandably cautious about a stranger stepping into their world. Dress well. A tie (or business attire for women) will get you more acceptance. When you’re in their cockpit, the guy or gal with the four stripes is Top Dog. Unless you’re Chuck Yeager or Neil Armstrong, they probably don’t want to hear your flying stories. Be polite, be pointed, and then be gone. You might well get a ground school lesson worth the price of the airfare.
Russell Thorstenberg Citation Mustang owner/pilot
Houston, Texas
4 • ­TWIN & TURBINE
FEBRUARY 2011