Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

[Burns11]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

I wouldn't have an issue with it had they not overshot their destination by what 130 miles?

You wouldn't? I would, I'm not excusing things, but this isn't as horrendous as people are making it out. 130 miles sounds like a lot, but at cruising speed that's 13 minutes extra on an hour and 47 minute flight.

There's not "nothing to do". The pilots still must set the routes for the autopilots, follow in the in-air routes and make corrections to maintain proper distance from other airplanes, make announcements, monitor the radio, fill out paperwork, and most importantly, make sure nothing goes wrong. It's not as intensive as driving, obviously, but there's a reason why pilots are not supposed to be on a laptop while flying. Autopilot is not much different than getting on the interstate, setting the cruise control, and cruising along in your car.

Paperwork? Come on now. Most of those are, guess what, sitting back and watching. The interstate comment is asinine, for one you still have to steer a car and the odds of hitting something in a car vs a jet are astronomically higher when the jet is in open skies at cruising altitude.

Like I said, I'm not saying these guys shouldn't be fired, they should, but let's not make this into a bigger incident than it was.

IMO, these pilots aren't whats important, it's the lack of regulations keeping something like this from happening, whether they fell asleep or used a laptop it doesn't matter. There's really no excuse for there to be a jet losing radio contact with the ground and there's really no excuse for not having something in place to insure that pilots aren't asleep or completely disconnected with what is happening with the flight.

[Burns11]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

missing a landing is unacceptable, they need a big punishment. I think firing would be kinda harsh though

Being a pilot is one of those jobs where you must be as close to 100% mistake free as possible. Letting something small go is one thing, this was a major distraction and either ignoring or not realizing the radio was out. 9,999 times out of 10,000 nothing is going to go wrong, so falling asleep at the wheel (so to speak) isn't a crisis of humongous proportion, but it's still a risk I'm not willing to take with my life.

[kehlis]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

You wouldn't? I would, I'm not excusing things, but this isn't as horrendous as people are making it out. 130 miles sounds like a lot, but at cruising speed that's 13 minutes extra on an hour and 47 minute flight.

You would what?

I said I wouldn't have a problem with this had they not missed their destination.

You said "You wouldn't? I would." Then go on to say how them missing this isn't a big deal, what am I missing?

[Burns11]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

You would what?

I said I wouldn't have a problem with this had they not missed their destination.

You said "You wouldn't? I would." Then go on to say how them missing this isn't a big deal, what am I missing?

I would have an issue with this even if they hadn't overshot the destination. My point later is that the 130 mile overshoot wasn't a big deal, the issue is more the pilots not listening to radio traffic and not paying any attention to the actual flying of the plane.

If these guys turned off their radio and took a nap/got completely distracted by their laptops, you would be fine with that as long as they had looked up at the right moment to land on time?

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

it's not much different than texting and driving so...

Actually it is, because planes have auto-pilot and on long flights that is what is going to be flying the plane most of the time.

---

With internet on planes now, there needs to be video surveillance hidden through the cockpit and cabin. You can stream it right to wherever it needs to go.

[superjames1992]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

I talked to my dad (who is a pilot). Anyways, he said that sleeping is an offense which will not only get you fired, but is also against FAA regulations. Thus, the two pilots would lose their pilot license and probably be fined in addition to being fired. However, there is no FAA regulation against using a laptop over 10,000 ft. It is in violation of Northwest policy, so the offense will get them fired, but they won't lose their license or get fined if they were using their laptop.

[DocHolliday]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

My buddy is a pilot, and he plays games on his Iphone while flyin g allllll the time. he is a master.

That said, I'm pretty sure he only does it when the other pilot is keeping an eye out.

From how he explains it, all he has to do really is take off and land, plane does the rest.

[superjames1992]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

From how he explains it, all he has to do really is take off and land, plane does the rest.

Well, while the pilot is not manually on the controls during this time, he's not particularly sitting there idly. Here's an article written by a pilot, who explains it better than I could myself.

Autopilot by no means liberates the pilots of essential flight duties. As a commercial airline pilot, I know this first hand. The common misconception about autopilot is that once we flip the magic switch, we can do whatever we want in the cockpit because the plane is flying itself. This is partly our fault as pilots for allowing this myth to become so popular. Hopefully I can offer a good explanation of what actually goes on in the cockpit during a flight.

The autopilot is not just a single function. It's actually an entire system in itself with numerous settings and abilities. It is normally referred to as the autoflight system. Here's a photo of a 757 cockpit - http://www.airliners.net/.../ The controls for the autoflight system are located in the very center below the windshield, directly above the two screens with little guages on them. All of those buttons and white dials control the autopilots.

Now to answer the question, what do we do when autopilot is on? The autoflight is enabled in stages, not necessarily all at once. Some functions are activated immediately after takeoff. For instance, at 500 ft pilots will often switch on the TO/GA function which turns on a portion of the autopilot that automatically manages engine thrust. In order for this function to know what to do, the correct headings, speeds, altitudes, and course directions must already be programmed into the autoflight panel and into the flight management computer. (the flight management computer is the little green screen and keypad located on each side of the center console)

Now, during climb to cruise, some pilots hand fly the entire way. Most of the time, the autoflight is completely functioning by the time you cross 10,000 feet and hear the little ding in the cabin. In order for this to function, the course waypoints must have been already programmed while on the ground. At this point, the navigational autoflight is enabled. Remember, the autopilot doesn't know what to do without the pilots. You have to input the headings, altitudes, speeds, and course directions in order for it to function. It simply steers the aircraft according to what you tell it to do. The purpose is not to do the pilots job for him but instead to make it easier. As a pilot, my training qualifies me to operate the aircraft in any flight stage. An entire flight could be hand flown if need be. However, the computer can operate the flight more efficiently than humanly possible. It can make tiny adjustments and stabilizations that save more fuel than if the pilots were to steer the plane themselves, even though they can at ANY time.

While autopilot avoids having to steer the aircraft manually, it must be constantly monitored. A typical flight may involve over a hundred inputs to the autoflight panel between the captain and first officer. Every turn, climb, and descent involves dialing something into the autopilot. In the meantime, pilots are also responsible for all of the other settings of the aircraft, such as airflow regulation, fuel monitoring and transferring, hydraulic monitoring, and constant communication with ATC and ARTCC for instruction. Oh, and there's also setting the flaps and slats according to speed and altitude. In the meantime, there is an enormous amount of paperwork involved.

I compare the function to management. Between the captain and first officer, they must manage the flight. Actually steering the aircraft is the easy part. It's the communication, setting and programming, and paperwork half of it that takes a lot of time, training, and effort. When the weather acts up and suddenly you find you have to perform a go-around in zero visibility in congested airspace and reset all of your systems, it's not so easy. Inputting tons of information from ATC, manuevering in bad weather, setting flaps, slats, landing gear, and reprogramming the flight management computer, you feel like you need an extra hand or twenty. Try setting the aircraft up for an automatic landing, it's not so automatic anymore.

So in short, while we may not have our hands on the controls, we are not sitting there idle and bored.

[kehlis]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

I would have an issue with this even if they hadn't overshot the destination. My point later is that the 130 mile overshoot wasn't a big deal, the issue is more the pilots not listening to radio traffic and not paying any attention to the actual flying of the plane.

If these guys turned off their radio and took a nap/got completely distracted by their laptops, you would be fine with that as long as they had looked up at the right moment to land on time?

I guess that is why I am confused?

Your posts have mentioned how people are overreacting and making a bigger deal of it then it is.

Where am I confused?

edit: Nevermind, saw your response to Superjames and I think I understand where you are coming from, still don't really understand why you were defending to a degree what happened while disagreeing as a whole, but I get your perspective.

[dickey1331]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

the big deal here is that they werent paying attention. and its alot different when your life is in the hands of someone else then yourself. they should get fired IMO

[Buckeyes_Doc]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

I think every one makes mistakes, and I'm sure they got complacent and bored on this flight they have probably made hundreds of times before. Every one makes mistakes.

But these guys literally hold 100 plus lives in their hands, when I fly I put my full trust in those pilots that they are doing their job professionally and paying attention.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

"Folks, we are approaching our destination of Chi.....wait a minute...it appears we are flying over Milwaukee?"

[GAMEC0CK2002]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

it's not much different than texting and driving so...

Except that you're way up in the air and potentially 200+ people on board. Othe than that, pretty much the same thing.

[Knight165]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

Except that you're way up in the air and potentially 200+ people on board. Othe than that, pretty much the same thing.

Right....so you should get t-boned and pinned in your car because it's way down here...and heck...it's only you and the kids in the car.

M.K.
Knight165

[yankeesgiants]

Re: Why in the world are pilots allowed to tinker with laptops while flying?

It's bad either way you put it. I've seen questionable behavior on flights by the pilots myself. The worst being about 2 years ago. I was flying from Chicago to Boston on American Airlines. I always sit in the back of the plane because nobody else wants too and I have full view of whats going on in front of me just encase somebody wants to act a fool on the plane and I gotta got to go Bernard Hopkins on a fool. I had my mp3 player on but I kept noticing the cockpit door was wide open. Not for a minute or two, I'm talking 15-20 minutes at a time. I'm basically looking out the windshield of the plane for almost the entire flight. Meanwhile the captain is walking around the plane, chillin, eating and trying to get digits from some chick. Not to mention once back at the controls, they missed the airport twice.