A while back, we began soliciting reader questions for Captain Steve, a captain with a major U.S. airline. He made his debut here, with his rather spirited take on the state of the modern pilot, and now is back with his first round of answers to reader questions. Thanks to him, and to you — and please leave new questions for Captain Steve in the comments section below.
Seriously, how does my keeping my iPod on affect flights taking off? It’s so annoying when they ask me to turn my iPod off; I’ve had it on (secretly, of course) and the flight has never really had a problem taking off. – Schmetterling
These rules are derived to the lowest common denominator. The F.A.A. can’t seem to screen every piece of hardware, so they go to the lowest, safest level: off.
How safe is it to fly regional jets compared to larger planes? How experienced (in general) are the pilots of the regional jets? Do pilots today begin their careers with regional airlines or other types of flying such as cargo planes, military, etc? — Alissa Murphy
See my previous post of a few weeks ago. I have very strong opinions about that.
I have been on too many flights to count where our flight path and altitude has the plane flying through clouds for many minutes at a time. I wonder why this happens, and wonder what is involved with a pilot getting permission to alter his/her path or altitude so that this annoyance can be avoided. Or is this such a minor thing to a pilot that he or she just doesn’t care? I’ve always been a fan of crew members who give updates from the cockpit as to why certain things are happening (turbulence, turning, circling, etc.) and wonder how you, Steve the pilot, feel about whether this is useful or not. — Doug Schoemer
I too like it smooth. My philosophy has been that if I do my job right, you never feel the airplane. But that is too simplistic. We avoid some clouds if we are able, but some are more rough than others. It is not a minor thing to us pilots. Turbulence is not enjoyed. It can upset folks and in some cases people get hurt. We never want that.
I remember hearing that landings are completely controlled by auto-pilot. Is this true? How much actual flying do pilots do? — Jeff
Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of landings are made with the pilots at the controls all the way until the wheels touch the ground. Rarely do we ever do automatic landings. Yes, the technology exists, but it is impractical in everyday airspace congestion.
How is it possible that a roundtrip ticket for the route DEN->PDX->EUG is cheaper than the roundtrip ticket for DEN->PDX? Same flights, planes, airline, and schedule. — H
Because the airlines like to fill the seats. Everyone wants a non-stop flight if they can get one. Filling seats into and out of a hub is easier. Getting the seats filled on the connecting flights is the goal.
During weather delays, do airlines serving their hub get preference in takeoff and landing order? If I’m going through Chicago, should I always fly United? — Sam Carter
No they don’t get preference, even if it seems that way. There is sequencing done in Washington Air Traffic Control Headquarters based on many variables.
Malcolm Gladwell once made the point that all aspects of travel, including ground transportation, airports, hotel/lodging, are all profitable businesses except for the air carrier business itself that feeds those businesses. David Einhorn wrote his senior thesis on how airline profitability is cyclical and inversely correlated with the level of regulation (when carriers become profitable, the government steps in and regulates the profitability away, when they see that this bankrupts them, they lower regulation, and the cycle continues). What are some ways traditional carriers can emerge from chronic unprofitability? Lower regulation? Lower pension benefits? — vimspot
You might get me into another of my pet peeves. Contrary to the regulation, the airline business has never really been able or allowed to operate under a truly free market environment. The government continues to meddle in the business. It doesn’t let airlines go out of business as a rule, even though several of the current airlines should have been allowed to die. Trust the market. Even if there were only a few airlines, the market, not the government, would set the fair price of air travel. But we shall never know what true free markets would allow to stabilize the cycles for all of us.
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They don’t want you listening to your iPod because then you are not listening to the safety briefing or paying attention at the time when most accidents happen, take-off and landing.
I’ve also heard that stowing your “portable electronic devices” is an attempt to reduce the number of hard plastic items flying around the cabin in the event (god forbid) of an accident on take-off or landing.
I’m surprise that you’re advocating for a “truly free market environment” in this post, given that in your last one, you closed on the thought that the “next shoe” is to allow “foreign investment” that is, more competition! Apparently you like some regulation!
I read your introductory piece, where you offered strong opinions about the regional airline pilots, working conditions, and the cause for the situation. Despite your assertation that I’m flying a regional airline because I want a cheap flight, actually my family lives 3 hours from a major airport, but 25 minutes from a regional airport. In your opinion piece, you didn’t offer a solution. Other than renting a car and driving the 3 hours, what solution do you have?
You have contradicted yourself. Today, you argue that the free market should guide the airline business and would lead to profitability. In your previous article, however, you claimed that free markets have led to unsafe practices and will eventually cause foreign governments to take over our airlines.
I am not sure where you stand on this issue.
Very interesting, Capt. Steve, thought-provoking. But how does your last point square with your previous post on regional airlines, cheap fares and quasi-qualified pilots? Isn’t the cheap fare the result of the market at work? People want $99 fares the regional airlines deliver. How will less governmental interference and a free market persuade people to spend $199 for that fare?
I don’t travel too often on business, maybe once a year, but when I do, it’s a long distance, usually to Europe or Asia from NYC.
I’ve been nervous flying since I was about 12 or so, though I think I manage to hide it pretty well, until there’s turbulence and the seat belt sign goes on.
That Air France crash has scared the bejesus out of me and I’m really dreading my next trans-oceanic flight.
Can you put to rest (or at least comment on) 2 major concerns that have really been brought to the fore since that awful crash:
1) all this talk of Airbus versus Boeing and the material that Airbus planes are made up of nowadays (but some say Boeing’s newer planes contain them too), plus the whole debate of the Airbus plane being locked in on autopilot, but Boeing still being able to steer using hydralics. How much of this is true?
2) turbulence
I’d always understood from pilots (especially those that run fear of flying courses) that turbulence, which uncomfortable for passengers, is not harmful to the plane at all. Now, after the AF crash, there were pilots in the media saying that they never like to fly through a storm and others commenting that turbulence may have caused the AF crash. How bad is it really, when the plane’s well being is concerned?
thank you.
“Trust the market.”
Okay, I’m confused. In his earlier rant he seemed pretty down on the market. The market is why prices are going down, regional carriers are going lowest-bid on pilots, and generally seems responsible for the state of affairs that comprises his pet peeve.
So…trust the market when it benefits the big carriers, not when it leads to $99 flights on regional carriers? I’m not sure this is at all consistent.
I think the captain answered why DEN->EUG->PDX is cheaper than DEN->PDX but not why DEN->PDX->EUG is cheaper. It’s the same first leg then more. I also wonder why a one way DEN->PDX is more expensive than a round trip.