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For requirement; 1. Will an average pilot have enough physical strength to turn the manual trim wheel in the cockpit Given half of pilots will be below average

For requirement; 1. Will an average pilot have enough physical strength to turn the manual trim wheel in the cockpit Given half of pilots will be below average... that doesn't sound great. Shouldn't it be all pilots have strength enough.

marcosdumay 7y ago
Average is a pretty meaningless word.
libria 7y ago
They mean `typical`: "Will a typical pilot have enough physical strength...". But like you, I'd still like margin for error (pilot with a cold, fatigued, under other stress, etc.)
mochomocha 7y ago
>Given half of pilots will be below average Average is different than median.
- gruez 7y ago
  True, although in this case it's an non-issue because most attributes for humans follow a normal distribution.
raverbashing 7y ago
"Average" is obviously not the mathematical average here, and pilots still have some required manual dexterity and health requirements It's about: is the required strength on par with the required dexterity and strength needed for other tasks the pilots need to do?
cmurf 7y ago
It's not just a matter of strength to operate the trim wheel, which can vary a lot depending on the mistrim forces. It's also fatigue from pulling back on the yoke. And it's also altitude. That means time is a factor that has to be taken into account. There are configurations where a mistrim flat out cannot happen at a certain altitude or it isn't recoverable in time before hitting the ground, regardless of strength.
Merrill 7y ago
Only about a third of new pilots in the US now come from a military background, and it is probably less globally. Commercially trained pilots probably have less stringent physical conditioning and experience. Female pilots and pilots from ethnic groups of smaller stature also need to be considered. The FAA First Class Medical requirements don't seem to have any requirements regarding physical strength.
FabHK 7y ago
That's why you have two pilots in the cockpit, reduces the probability of a crash all the way down to 1/4.

marcosdumay 7y ago

Average is a pretty meaningless word.

libria 7y ago

They mean `typical`: "Will a typical pilot have enough physical strength...". But like you, I'd still like margin for error (pilot with a cold, fatigued, under other stress, etc.)

mochomocha 7y ago

>Given half of pilots will be below average Average is different than median.

gruez 7y ago
True, although in this case it's an non-issue because most attributes for humans follow a normal distribution.

raverbashing 7y ago

"Average" is obviously not the mathematical average here, and pilots still have some required manual dexterity and health requirements It's about: is the required strength on par with the required dexterity and strength needed for other tasks the pilots need to do?

cmurf 7y ago

It's not just a matter of strength to operate the trim wheel, which can vary a lot depending on the mistrim forces. It's also fatigue from pulling back on the yoke. And it's also altitude. That means time is a factor that has to be taken into account. There are configurations where a mistrim flat out cannot happen at a certain altitude or it isn't recoverable in time before hitting the ground, regardless of strength.

Merrill 7y ago

Only about a third of new pilots in the US now come from a military background, and it is probably less globally. Commercially trained pilots probably have less stringent physical conditioning and experience. Female pilots and pilots from ethnic groups of smaller stature also need to be considered. The FAA First Class Medical requirements don't seem to have any requirements regarding physical strength.

FabHK 7y ago

That's why you have two pilots in the cockpit, reduces the probability of a crash all the way down to 1/4.