Is flying an airliner easy?

[skipro101]

This is not a troll. I must premise this by saying that I have no experiance flying an airliner or working for an airline. I am not making any implications other than what my perceptions are, and am actually asking for someone with real experiance to comment on them--im not asserting them.

That said,

My question is -- Is flying an airliner easy?


All ive flown are the various cessna and piper trainers and a DHC-6 Twin Otter.

I have a percpetion, probly mostly wrong but maybe a hint of truth in it, that being an airline pilot (that is, flying an RJ and above in some airline) is

A- A lot easier than 30 years ago
B- Easier than flying less prestigous jobs such as flying some twin radial POS cargo plane to different short strips in the bush.
C- less fun than B

When I think of an airline pilot, I think of SOPs, Approved airports (only fly in to certain ones, time and time again), a network of dispatchers and your captain (or FO), and generally a lot of supervision, flying on predetermined routes and altitudes, autothrottles, autoappraoches, etc.

almost like you dont make a move that isnt written down and directed. It seems so much less "free" than other types of flying.


I guess what im saying is, my perception is shaping my career goals and I want to make sure I get all the information I can.

Is airline flying boring in comparison to business or freight?
Do you airline pilots out there feel like you cant take a piss without consulting a SOP or dispatcher or captin/fo or whatever? Is your entire flight profile preplanned and determined by the company,...

I know corporate does that too... but it just seems like the corporate pilot or freight pilot is alittle more.... i dunno...the job looks more varied. more fun.

I know there is a lot more to a job than this factor (QOL, pay, equipment, travel, etc).... but im just addressing this factor.


thoughts?

 

[banned username 1]

Neurosurgery is easy if you know what you're doing. Why shouldn't flying be the same? That said, it's not to say that there aren't challenges too.

Your question, although simple, is a little hard to answer.

Let's start out by saying that it's generally easier to fly the latest generation equipment because of automation and advances in the entire aviation picture.

Is it easier to fly to destinations that are visited every week vs. those you've never been to in a corporate aircraft- sure. Does an air carrier operate in places that may be better equipped than bush pilots or many corporate aircraft? Sure.

I should say that operating ANY aircraft is difficult and challenging when the entire picture is viewed. There's a lot of stuff to consider no matter what you're flying or where. It's just somewhat different depending upon the operation.

If you're trying to decide career paths, you have as much information in your common sense "bin" to answer the question yourself.

The rest of your questions rely on perspectives and comparing apples to oranges. There are some people who wouldn't trade flying freight, flying corporate, flying charter, flight instructing, flying airliners for anything because it suits their situation and personality.

The best advice I can give you is get your butt into the ballgame and start learning for yourself. That's the only way you can really find out what works for you. The next step (and the most difficult) is figuring out how to attain what you want.

Short answer- Is flying an airliner easy? Sometimes, yes. The more important question to be asked: Was it easy to get to where you were flying an airliner and got the experience to where you thought it was easy? That would be a NO.

 

[fastbird]

It's easy in the same vein that a skilled eye doctor can perform LASIK.

He might have learned how using a scalpel and doing RK. In pilot terms, just like instrument flying on airways using just an ADF.

Now, we have FMS systems, computer guidance, etc. and the old eye doc has hung up his scalpel and uses a computerized LASIK machine.

Does he still have to know what the heck he's doing? Can he really ruin someone's day if he screws up? Sounds like he's got similar responsibility to the smucks in the front of the plane. But, we can ruin far more folks lives in sitting.

What's the difference? Years of college and medical school or college and years of paying your dues. Is one person better than the other? I say no because most of the folks I've flown with could have gone to med, law, vet, or biz schools if they had wanted that. Instead, they chose to be professional aviators in an industry segment that is whipsawing and degrading the profession. Some of them have left the airlines or completely abandonded commercial aviation because of it. But, back to the point...

The doc gets "to practice" his professional craft and the computer makes his job safer for the customer...meanwhile we get this spiral of declining job stature because our customers perception is that "we don't have work as hard" because of that computer.

 

[mrnolmts]

All ive flown are the various cessna and piper trainers and a DHC-6 Twin Otter.

I remember going from a C-152 to a C-172 thinking the C-172 was HUGE! Same thing flying the PA-31 for the first time. Didn't take long to realize this, though: An airplane is an airplane is an airplane... So, the simple answer is "yes".

 

[NW_Pilot]

I remember going from a C-152 to a C-172 thinking the C-172 was HUGE! Same thing flying the PA-31 for the first time. Didn't take long to realize this, though: An airplane is an airplane is an airplane... So, the simple answer is "yes".

I learned that, during my private training & apply it today ferrying airplanes.

"once you get airborne, you set the autopilot if it has one, or trim for hands off flight, get out the manual to see how the airplane works."

 

[mrnolmts]

"once you get airborne, you set the autopilot if it has one, or trim for hands off flight, get out the manual to see how the airplane works."

In no way, shape or form did I advocate going solo in any airplane without reading the manual first...

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Airliners are very hard to fly if you're a business class passenger in the back. If you're someone whose spend a tremendous amount of time flying various aircraft in various weather and read a lot about stuff you enjoyed reading and learning about, and have passed numerous test and checkrides along with interviews and ground school to fly that airliner, it is easy. Second nature.

I remember in college after taking an exam and thinking, wow that test was sooo easy and got like high 90's. When I saw many other students fail or get barely passing marks you realize that if you're prepared anything is easy.

Prepare and get experience and anything in life will be a no-brainer.

Do something you like and have a passion for and it will be remarkably easy.

 

[pilotyip]

I find the bigger the airplane the easier it is too fly, stable stays where you put it, but they are more complicated and harder to learn.

 

[Draginass]

Easy . . . when? Flying into a crowded airport where the braking action is poor, the turbulence bad, and the visibility barely a half mile with blowing snow? Taking off at 1 am in the morning flying a max gross weight 747 Freighter in Quito, Equador with an airport altitude of 9300' and mountainous terrain all around, then flying to Guayaquil, then back to Miami, getting back at in the afternoon after not getting any sleep all night?

 

[mrnolmts]

Easy . . . when? Flying into a crowded airport where the braking action is poor, the turbulence bad, and the visibility barely a half mile with blowing snow? Taking off at 1 am in the morning flying a max gross weight 747 Freighter in Quito, Equador with an airport altitude of 9300' and mountainous terrain all around, then flying to Guayaquil, then back to Miami, getting back at in the afternoon after not getting any sleep all night?

Question was: "Is flying an airliner easy?"
Your scenario would suck no matter what airplane you're in. Actually, it'd probably suck *more* in a "lesser" airplane...