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I think finding the microphone button without messing anything up would indeed be the main challenge. AFAIK on some planes it is unmarked, and has a similar-loo

I think finding the microphone button without messing anything up would indeed be the main challenge. AFAIK on some planes it is unmarked, and has a similar-looking button, also unmarked, on the other side of the yoke. That other button is the autopilot disconnect aka "everyone is going to die" button. Also, if you kick the yoke while trying to get into the seat, the autopilot will disconnect... Once you find the radio and manage to reach anyone, I'd assume they can get someone to relay information to you on that frequency. At that point it becomes a matter of them being able to give sufficiently idiot-proof instructions and you following them, i.e. as long as whatever bad thing happened with at least a couple hours of flight time remaining and you don't mentally shut down, I'd say it should be recoverable. It'd definitely help if whoever is in the cockpit has played some flight sim before, because "gear down" is a lot faster to convey than describing what the gear lever looks like and making sure they actually found that one instead of something completely different that will crash the plane.

aaronmdjones 6y ago
Mhm. In some planes there's VOX capability (so you can speak and it will transmit for you), in others there's a microphone button on the yoke, and in yet others (like the Boeing 777, which is what I have the most experience with) it's a button on the console in front of you [1]. And assuming you figure out how to use the radio at all, that's still of no help whatsoever unless you happen to know how to tune to 121.5 MHz (the international aircraft emergency frequency) or are still in range of the previous controllers! [1] https://live.staticflickr.com/7443/27038444724_18cc73d82c_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/7443/27038444724_18cc73d82c_b.... In the right of this image, there is an empty pencil holder on the far right pillar (like the A-pillar in your car). Immediately to the left of that is a set of 2 black buttons and a white dial. The microphone button is the left black one. It only has "MIC" written above it. The unmarked single button on the yoke is indeed the autopilot disconnect. EDIT: I should also add that the microphone button doesn't mean you'll necessarily be talking on the radio either. The headset also serves as a PA system and an interphone, and it can use the satphone too. This is all controlled on the radio panel next to your leg.

aaronmdjones 6y ago

Mhm. In some planes there's VOX capability (so you can speak and it will transmit for you), in others there's a microphone button on the yoke, and in yet others (like the Boeing 777, which is what I have the most experience with) it's a button on the console in front of you [1]. And assuming you figure out how to use the radio at all, that's still of no help whatsoever unless you happen to know how to tune to 121.5 MHz (the international aircraft emergency frequency) or are still in range of the previous controllers! [1] https://live.staticflickr.com/7443/27038444724_18cc73d82c_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/7443/27038444724_18cc73d82c_b.... In the right of this image, there is an empty pencil holder on the far right pillar (like the A-pillar in your car). Immediately to the left of that is a set of 2 black buttons and a white dial. The microphone button is the left black one. It only has "MIC" written above it. The unmarked single button on the yoke is indeed the autopilot disconnect. EDIT: I should also add that the microphone button doesn't mean you'll necessarily be talking on the radio either. The headset also serves as a PA system and an interphone, and it can use the satphone too. This is all controlled on the radio panel next to your leg.