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Airline pilots have a very high workload when landing and it requires intense focus starting about 30 minute before. They are not allowed to talk about anything

by dagurp 5y ago

Airline pilots have a very high workload when landing and it requires intense focus starting about 30 minute before. They are not allowed to talk about anything unrelated in that period.

easygenes 5y ago
Yup, and you can be very grateful for their decisions in that period as well. The most hairy flight I’ve been on involved trying to land in Kampala in the midst of a terrible thunderstorm. Turbulence like I’d never felt before (after hundreds of flights). A hushed stillness in the cabin, people grabbing their loved ones. From the amount of time you’ve been descending and the feeling of the flight you know you’re on final approach. Then wham, it feels like the plane fell out of the sky, and it’s still black out the window. A moment more calm. You look around; you thought what you felt before was the worst turbulence ever but now you’re surprised the plane is in one piece still. Then the pilot aborts approach at full throttle and you’re pushed back in your seat with unusual force. A couple of minutes pass. You’re still ascending. The pilot announces you’ll circle for another 20 minutes waiting for the storm to pass, and if not they will have to return to the port of departure.
- thr0w__4w4y 5y ago
  Yes I've been in that situation (as a passenger, not a pilot!) Incredible how much power the aircraft has at full throttle. A lot of people freak out or panic in that situation, because it's so abrupt, but it's a sign that the pilot(s) are trying to go from a very dangerous/tricky situation to a much safer scenario. For me, the situation was a horrific and violent summer thunderstorm in Dallas. But the pilots handled it and we landed safely the 2nd time.
sokoloff 5y ago
That’s the so-called “sterile cockpit rule” and it exists, is generally for ground operations and flight ops (other than level cruise) at/below 10K feet, which isn’t 30 minutes before landing, but rather a third to half of that, typically.

by dagurp 5y ago

Airline pilots have a very high workload when landing and it requires intense focus starting about 30 minute before. They are not allowed to talk about anything unrelated in that period.

easygenes 5y ago

Yup, and you can be very grateful for their decisions in that period as well. The most hairy flight I’ve been on involved trying to land in Kampala in the midst of a terrible thunderstorm. Turbulence like I’d never felt before (after hundreds of flights). A hushed stillness in the cabin, people grabbing their loved ones. From the amount of time you’ve been descending and the feeling of the flight you know you’re on final approach. Then wham, it feels like the plane fell out of the sky, and it’s still black out the window. A moment more calm. You look around; you thought what you felt before was the worst turbulence ever but now you’re surprised the plane is in one piece still. Then the pilot aborts approach at full throttle and you’re pushed back in your seat with unusual force. A couple of minutes pass. You’re still ascending. The pilot announces you’ll circle for another 20 minutes waiting for the storm to pass, and if not they will have to return to the port of departure.

thr0w__4w4y 5y ago
Yes I've been in that situation (as a passenger, not a pilot!) Incredible how much power the aircraft has at full throttle. A lot of people freak out or panic in that situation, because it's so abrupt, but it's a sign that the pilot(s) are trying to go from a very dangerous/tricky situation to a much safer scenario. For me, the situation was a horrific and violent summer thunderstorm in Dallas. But the pilots handled it and we landed safely the 2nd time.

sokoloff 5y ago

That’s the so-called “sterile cockpit rule” and it exists, is generally for ground operations and flight ops (other than level cruise) at/below 10K feet, which isn’t 30 minutes before landing, but rather a third to half of that, typically.