Latest news with #cockpit
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Pilots should be filmed during flights to monitor actions, says former BA chief
Pilots should be filmed in the cockpit so their actions can be monitored, the former CEO of British Airways has suggested, as questions mount over the Air India disaster that killed 260 people. Willie Walsh, who now heads the International Air Transport Association (Iata), said cockpit video could be a valuable tool for investigators trying to piece together the cause of the Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad. 'Based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording, would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation,' Mr Walsh said in Singapore. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing whether one of the pilots cut fuel to both engines seconds after take-off, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. The crash has reignited debate over cockpit cameras, long resisted by pilot unions who argue they threaten privacy and could be misused. But advocates say that video recordings would complement voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. Video footage has already helped solve crashes elsewhere. Investigators in Australia recently used footage from a fatal 2023 helicopter crash to determine the pilot was distracted by his phone and food before the aircraft broke up mid-air. The idea is not new, either. After the EgyptAir Flight 990 disaster in 1999, where the co-pilot deliberately crashed a Boeing 767 killing 217, Jim Hall, the then-chairman of the US national transportation safety board, urged mandatory cockpit cameras. 'In the balance between privacy and safety, the scale tips toward safety, unequivocally,' argued air safety expert and former commercial pilot John Nance. Anthony Brickhouse, another expert, said footage from Air India flight 171 'would have answered lots of questions' but acknowledged that commercial pilots have real concerns, particularly about privacy. Pilots' unions, including the Air Line Pilots Association (Alpa) and the Allied Pilots Association (Apa), have argued cameras would add little value and could be misused. Calls for cameras are an understandable reaction to 'the stress of not knowing what happened immediately after an accident,' said Apa spokesman Dennis Tajer, who is also an American airlines pilot. 'I can understand the initial reaction of 'the more information, the better,' he said, adding that investigators already have enough data that comes from a black box. John Cox, a safety expert and former Alpa official, warned videos could be leaked or even misused by airlines. A pilot's death being broadcast on 'the 6 o'clock news is not something that the pilot's family should ever have to go through,' he said. It comes after a preliminary report into the deadly Air India crash found there were no mechanical or maintenance faults on board the plane. Campbell Wilson, chief executive of Air India, said it was unwise to jump to any conclusions after the initial report found fuel to the engines of the plane appeared to have been cut off shortly after take-off. Investigators have been looking into the medical records of the pilot whose plane crashed in Ahmedabad amid claims that he suffered from depression and mental health problems. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was 56, was months from retirement but had been considering leaving the airline to look after his elderly father following the death of his mother in 2022, The Telegraph previously revealed. The pilot, who had more than 15,000 flying hours, last undertook a Class I medical exam on Sept 5 last year. His records have been handed to investigators, whose initial report said their focus was on the actions of the pilots rather than a technical fault with the plane. The Airline Pilots' Association of India said it rejected the 'tone and direction' of the inquiry.
Zawya
6 days ago
- General
- Zawya
Strong argument to be made for cockpit video recordings to assist with investigations, IATA says
SINGAPORE: International Air Transport Association Director-General Willie Walsh said there is a strong argument to be made for having video recordings in the cockpit to assist in investigations, adding he also understood the reluctance from pilots for such a measure. "Based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation," he said of the Air India investigation at a media roundtable in Singapore on Wednesday. (Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- General
- Wall Street Journal
The Truth About the Air India Crash
On the assumption that India's official crash investigators aren't playing games with the global public, all that was left out of last week's preliminary report on the June crash of an Air India 787 was left out deliberately. No detailed timeline of relevant actions and indicators. No verbatim cockpit transcript. Instead, their seeming intention was to focus a global audience on two facts. The fuel supply switches for the plane's two engines were manually turned off about one second apart, just seconds after the plane left the runway. As the report states without identifying the speakers: 'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.'
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I'm a flight attendant — marrying me is a ‘bad idea' and not as sexy as you think
Saying 'I do' to a member of the cabin crew could be a flight risk — warns one wingwoman. Although the idea of landing a hot flight attendant as your husband or wife might sound enticing, an expert of the friendly skies is issuing a word-to-the-wise against getting hitched to folks in her field. 'I hate to be the one to burst your bubble. But I owe it to you to be honest,' Sil, a flight attendant and first responder, captioned a trending Instagram clip titled: '5 Reasons dating/marrying a flight attendant-first responder is a bad idea.' 'The old sexist stereotype about flight attendants is simply not true,' she wrote, dismantling longstanding fantasies of malleable, mile-high hotties who live solely to fulfill the needs of others. 'There are some traits that flight attendant – first responders have that don't exactly make us the [ideal] partner.' And her rundown of their less-than-ideal ways might have a few potential suitors looking for the emergency exits. Sil's list is gaining viral acclaim just days after Cierra Mistt, a commercial and charter flight attendant, revealed that flight attendants and pilots routinely have sex in the cockpit during long hauls. 'No. 1,' began Sil, 'We don't exactly wear our hearts on our sleeves. We are good at empathizing, but our first responder life has taught us to keep our emotions under wraps.' 'No matter how hurt, angry, disappointed or sad we are, you'll rarely see us cry or show much of any emotion but being happy,' she continued. 'If you see anything else, you're lucky. We don't share our feelings easily.' Secondly, Sil said, 'We can put a smile on our face through anything. We know how to pull it together no matter how much we are falling apart. It makes us hard to read.' The in-flight insider went on to reveal that she and her coworkers aren't clingers. 'We are fiercely independent/self-reliant,' Sil noted as the third reason getting in a relationship with her ilk is ill-advised. 'The old adage, 'The only one you can depend on is yourself,' comes into play a lot,' she explained. 'This also means we have zero problem doing things by ourselves. We won't wait for you. Don't wanna get on board, it's ok. You do you & we'll do us.' And when it comes to keeping in constant communication, a flight attendant's inamorato can forget it. 'Definitely do not expect us to call you numerous times a day giving you updates about who we're with & what we're doing,' Sil asserted. 'Might sound appealing, but most people can't handle that amount of independence.' The free-spirit's fourth red flag is all about the thrill of takeoff.'We will jump at an opportunity for an adventure. Give us flight [benefits] & we're off! That might mean with you, friends or on our own!.' Last, but certainly not least, Sil forewarned wannabe lovebirds that flight attendants often have a plethora of pals — guys and gals — all over the world. Thus, their partner would have to be mentally and emotionally secure enough to handle the heat. 'We make friends wherever we go & have both female & male friends — we are flight attendants because we are able to make people feel at ease,' she said at her fifth and final point. 'We can be charming even when we are enforcing FAA rules. People tend to talk to us easily & we're easygoing enough to not be bothered by 'odd' things about other people' Still, all hope isn't lost for hopeless romantics who just so happen to work in the clouds. But the key might be marrying a fellow frequent flyer. Alexander and Kita Valur, both flight attendants for Icelandic airline Play, tied the knot at 30,000 feet on Valentine's Day this February. 'During these two years, we have traveled a lot together, both to France and other countries, as well as within Iceland,' the groom said in a statement shared with The Post by PLAY. 'When we heard about the idea that it was possible to get married on board … we thought, why not? It just fit perfectly with all of our adventures.' 'We love traveling.'
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Pilot reveals how they go to the bathroom on long-haul flights
Being a pilot comes with many well-known perks - a generous salary, endless travel opportunities and breathtaking views from above the clouds. But one aspect of the job has long remained a mystery: what happens when pilots need to use the bathroom mid-flight? Sam Remcho, from California, is a pilot, rancher, and real estate investor, who regularly shares his experiences 'in the skies and on the land' on various social media channels. In a TikTok video posted to his page, @samremcho, the 'Flying Cowboy' candidly explained how pilots relieve themselves during long flights - including the use of a little-known device. Appearing in a cowboy hat and t-shirt inside a cockpit, Remcho recorded his response to a question posed by one his followers, who had asked: 'How do you use the bathroom on long flights?' His short answer was a simple, 'No,' adding: 'You don't. Manage your bladder. Don't go to the bathroom.' However, he revealed that when leaving the flight deck isn't an option, pilots turn to a device known as a 'relief tube.' Panning the camera towards the bottom of the centre console, Remcho pulled open a compartment that contained a black, cone-shaped plastic cup attached to a long tube. He explained: 'You go to the bathroom in this thing and push the lever that releases all fluids out the bottom of the aircraft and onto everyone below - although usually it evaporates prior to touching down.' However, the pilot stressed he has 'never used and would not want to use' the device as it would result in having to do an extra job of cleaning the 'entire' underbelly of the plane upon landing. While commercial airline pilots on large jets typically have access to onboard restrooms and can rotate with co-pilots to take short breaks, smaller aircraft and military planes don't always have that luxury - especially during long-haul flights. In comes as another pilot has revealed how much he makes - and it might make a lot of people dream of taking to the skies. YouTuber and pilot Garrett Ray (@flywithgarrett) has shared a video explaining how much he earns flying for a major airline in the USA. Garrett is a first officer, sometimes known as a co-pilot, which means he acts as second-in-command to the captain on the plane. He explains that he makes $213.97/£157.24 per hour as a first officer. But then it starts to get a little more complicated. Garrett reveals that he aims to 'maximise my time at home' and 'maximise my pay when I'm away from home'. The pilot explains that although he really likes flying from JFK Airport in New York to Phoenix in Arizona and back, with a 24 hour layover in Phoenix, the route won't earn him the 'best bang for the buck'. This is because Garrett will end up spending around 40 hours away from home, but earn money for just over 10 hours of flying.
