In an engaging YouTube Q&A session, Pete the Irish Pilot, and a former Virgin Atlantic captain, shared his vast expertise on various aviation-related concerns expressed by viewers.
Pete addressed myths and shared experiences from his extensive flying career spanning over four decades, Mail Online reported.
Pete embarked on his YouTube journey to demystify flying-related anxieties and questions from flying enthusiasts and nervous passengers alike. Over the years, he has amassed a wealth of knowledge, thanks to his 40 years in aviation, primarily with Virgin Atlantic. During this digital event, he touched upon several key aspects of flying that are often subjects of passenger concern.
The conversation started with a discussion on turbulence—a common fear among flyers. Pete explained the sophisticated design and rigorous testing that aircraft undergo. They are built to withstand forces much stronger than those encountered during extreme turbulence, ensuring passenger safety.
Pete shared an anecdote from his piloting days that highlights the resilience of modern aircraft. He recounted a flight where lightning struck the Airbus A340-600 he was piloting from Heathrow not once, but 45 times. This incident resulted in significant instrumentation failure on the first officer’s side of the craft.
Despite the dramatic electrical disruptions, the flight's successful return to Heathrow was facilitated by the aircraft’s built-in redundancy systems. “We subsequently found out we had been hit 45 times. It took out all of the instrumentation - this was on an Airbus A340-600 - on the first officer's side. So, all I had were my primary displays on the left, but the aircraft's redundancy meant that we could still dump fuel off the Welsh coast and return to Heathrow, dodging the clouds like a Cessna 150,” Pete recounted.
He vividly described the challenges and the surprising enjoyment of navigating the aircraft back to safety amidst such chaos. “It’s amazing what you can do on an emergency squawk with air traffic - we were like kids in a sweet shop, having a great time, albeit with only 50 percent of the flight deck working,” Pete added.
Another important aspect that Pete cleared up was the misconception about pilot training for emergency water landings. Contrary to popular belief, pilots do undergo specific training for such scenarios as part of their initial training and recurring proficiency checks. “It's not true [that pilots don't train for water landings]. It's something that you do in your initial training. We do wet drills with the cabin crew... and in my day, every three years, you had to demonstrate that you could carry out a ditching procedure with the aircraft, obviously in the simulator, following an all-engine failure, where there was no airport to land at. So it is trained and checked,” Pete clarified.
When discussing the everyday misconceptions about flight operations, Pete dispelled myths surrounding cellphone usage during flights and noises that passengers might hear during the journey. He explained that turning off mobile phones or putting them in airplane mode, while not technically necessary from a technological perspective, remains a universal aviation regulation.
About the noises heard during a flight, Pete reassured me that these sounds are typically normal operations of the aircraft such as adjustments in the air conditioning system, and not indicative of any mechanical failure. “I can assure you, you're not about to conk. It could have been a rush in the air conditioning system and that surge has backed off and you've perceived that incorrectly as the engines reducing or stopping,” he stated confidently.
Pete also discussed where the safest place to sit on an aircraft might be. “Every seat is safe. Sitting by an exit? Probably better than being far away from an exit. In terms of comfort for minimizing the effect of turbulence or aircraft movement - sit right by the center of gravity, which is where the wings are. So overwing exits is the answer to your question,” Pete elucidated. He reinforced that the structural integrity of planes ensures safety throughout the cabin, regardless of seating position.
Lastly, Pete tackled a common sensation that many flyers have experienced—the feeling of dropping during take-off. He explained that this sensation is due to the thrust reduction necessary for the airplane’s climb phase. “Your question I think refers to the thrust reduction after take-off... you're just going up less steeply,” he stated, demystifying another element of air travel.
In conclusion, Pete the Irish Pilot utilized his extensive flying experience to address common questions and concerns related to aviation safety, pilot training, and the operational capabilities of aircraft. From discussing turbulence and emergency procedures to explaining in-flight sounds and sensations, Pete provided comprehensive insights to reassure and educate the aviation community and the general public. His candid recounting of personal experiences, like the powerful lightning storm incident, underscores the resilience and capability of modern aircraft to handle unexpected challenges smoothly, ensuring passenger safety at every step of their journey.
