QI | How Do You Land A Plane?

7 August: On this day in 1917, the first pilot to successfully land on a moving ship died.
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This clip is from QI Series I, Episode 2, 'International' with Stephen Fry, Alan Davies, Bill Bailey, Jack Dee and David Mitchell.

[@Soupie62]

Every plane lands eventually. The tricky part is being able to walk away afterwards. Bonus points if the plane can be re-used.

[@mikewilliams258]

Alan Campbell I take your point but landing and crashing are not the same thing.

[@MichaelBlackOfficial]

@@mikewilliams258 It's a quote from a wonderful BBC Radio 4 comedy series, written by the genius John Finnemore, called Cabin Pressure. Check it out! It's really good :)

[@geoffreygriffin3015]

Most pilots pass around the variation of: " A good landing is one you walk away from, but a great landing is where you can fly the plane again...."

[@mavoc3094]

@@mikewilliams258 A Crash Landing is indeed a landing much the same way an Orca is a Dolphin. Just because it isn't what you think of when you hear the word doesn't mean it is incorrect.

[@2109917162]

Just to settle. Crashing means the passengers are unhappy. Landing means the passengers are still unhappy but only because someone with gloves just probed their ass going through customs.

[@Mjhavok]

They tried a flight simulator on Mythbusters and both of them crashed. They then tried with assistance from a former pilot and control tower guy and they both landed successfully while being spoken to via radio.

[@manningbartlett522]

A first lesson student in a private plane in Perth, Western Australia was successfully talked down to the ground in early September 2019 (after his instructor suffered some form of medical incident and passed out).

[@Levi-qb2uf]

www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-01/trainee-pilot-makes-emergency-landing-jandakot/11468580

[@mavoc3094]

It has happened multiple times with small private aircraft but Stephen kept specifying that it has never happened with large commercial aircraft. There is a big difference in the complexity of the controls.

[@mandywalkden-brown7250]

Manning Bartlett - he wasn’t a total novice. Had flown in a different aircraft type before. Media just ignored that not so minor detail, as is their wont.

[@TallSilentGuy]

I would have just parachuted straight the fuck out!

[@devononair]

@@mavoc3094 Commercial aircraft are so complex that they won't even let you fly one in the game, Grand Theft Auto. Hahaha

[@richardjoyce848]

I could deffinetly get it to the ground, landing would be a bit of an exageration.

[@kkseph98]

I was fortunate enough to do an aircrat simulator as part of a uni course. I crashed while in cruise, and again while trying to land. Even with someone sitting next to you and talking you through it, it's pretty difficult!

[@theclockworkcadaver7025]

It's spelled 'definitely.'

[@pumpkingamebox]

Richard Joyce A crash is landing a plane in a way from which it can’t fly again. So if you land safely and you have no fuel left, oops that’s a crash. Lol

[@hharvey6492]

a good landing is a landing u can walk away from, a great landings one where u can reuse the plane

[@DreTheChronic]

If, if it's on the ground, it's landed. Alive is a different matter

[@Goggins12347]

"Why do I say lunches?" "Because there's more than one?..." haha

[@chriskaprys]

my chest is in real pain from laughing so hard. that has to be one of my favourite moments from all of QI.

[@diabl2master]

Man I love Bill. He's so effortlessly hilarious. Nothing ever appears planned.

[@anshuldinger1425]

I kept telling myself "It's such a stupid answer to give!" And yet I'm dying!!!!

[@ssabykoops]

It was perfect comic delivery -

[@AJ_Evo]

Davy Ker, so true. His humour destroys me every time. Check out his appearance on the QI episode titled "J Places". First question Stephen asked was something like "where do chariots of fire come from?". Bill just pointed to the displayed picture that goes with every question and, in the blandest voice, just goes "it's something to do with this. . .". There was a slight delay but when everyone realised how dry his response was, they all lost it. Personally, I laughed so much I thought I was going to need an ambulance.

[@Ramboost007]

2:56 Bill Bailey is partially right, the flight attendants (and any crew who has to enter the cockpit) enters a numerical code in a keypad next to the door.

[@Pastronomer69]

Only partially true. The code is just to set the alarm, the flight crew still have to let them in.

[@exscape]

@AnPanda Only partially true :-) At least on Airbus planes. It also starts a timer. If the pilots don't deny, the door is opened after a certain time. So *IF* both pilots were unconscious, you could still enter the cockpit. See: "Q&A: How do you open a cockpit door from the outside?" on LA Times' webpage. I don't dare link since KZbin almost always deletes/hides my comments with links in them.

[@Trockenshampooleopard]

If you could open cockpit doors from the outside, the 150 passengers of the Germanwings flight 9525 would still be alive.

[@Zebacha]

​@Trockenshampooleopard The difference is that the Germanwings pilot had the door set on lock, whereas it is normally set on closed. The difference is that, when set to closed, entry from the cabin is as described by the other person. This is to give the cabin crew a chance in case the pilots become incapacitated. However, when set to locked, entry from the cabin is not possible. This is used in situations where passengers may attempt a hijack. The pilot set it to locked to prevent anyone getting in, in order for him to very deliberately kill himself and everyone else on board.

[@franzfanz]

I read somewhere that standard procedure is that there must always be two people on the flight deck at once. If there are only two pilots and one has to depart the flight deck for whatever reason then a member of the cabin crew waits on the flight deck. Basically in case something happens to the pilot suddenly the member of the cabin crew can let the other pilot back in.

[@GroundHOG-2010]

Yep, that was standard procedure with a large number of airlines and was the regulation in the USA and China before Germanwings Flight 9525. After, it has become regulation in a large number of countries, as well as standard for pretty much all large airliners.

[@666Tomato666]

that's the extraordinary thing about air travel, _every_ accident is a new lesson they learn from and try to make it never happen again

[@GroundHOG-2010]

666Tomato666 Well, its the same with most other forms of travel.

[@666Tomato666]

GroundHOG20101 car travel definitely is not like this....

[@cebaines]

HI - It isn't regulation in the UK for two people in the cockpit and there are many arguments to suggest that the second person my not be any help and or a distraction. Not sure on other countries rules though

[@Raldazzar2]

Amazed that hasn't happened, when it's a key plot point/premise in so much media..

[@dsgreat3]

It has been done with a light aircraft and it has happen a few times that one pilot is seriously ill and a passenger has to co pliot.

[@sianchild]

Air Helios probably was an example, but as it crashed it's not possible to know for sure.

[@Raldazzar2]

There is a fair/good chance this could've been recorded pre 2005? can't recall how long QI has been going on, but it's a long time!!

[@sianchild]

That's a good point.

[@DontFeedTheGaben]

M A G A

[@millomweb]

Aim for the large rock below you, avoid the blue stuff and find a generally flat bit.

[@michaeldukes4108]

This is one of my favorite QI episodes of all time, and one of my favorite clips from within that episode. Everyone was on 🔥, especially Bill. Also, nice nod to my favorite actor of all time Robert Duvall at 0:35 by Alan!

[@comedyfish]

If I see David Mitchell laughing in the thumbnail you better believe I’m clicking

[@liamcampbellhaha]

He is human clickbait

[@liamcampbellhaha]

@PlebzOr Blapparapp and who asked you for your generic, uninteresting, unfunny, and inhuman input?

[@matthewhowes2978]

Why better? Are you threatening me?

[@lite4919]

I'd love to meet Stephen Fry and have a great conversation with him... I could listen to him for hours...

[@MCXL1140]

@Jeremy Grigson he also did all the audio books for the Harry Potter series among many many others

[@Iamrightyouarewrong]

So to answer the question, " How do you land a plane? Become a pilot?

[@simonwatts8338]

You fly the plane as low as physically possible and then stop flying.

[@nowandaround312]

+Simon Watts If you're going to do that, you might as well just nosedive out of the sky. It'll be over much quicker than attempting to slowly descend the plane down to earth prior to crashing it

[@almostfm]

@@nowandaround312 Actually, Simon isn't entirely wrong. In an idea situation, you want to touch down at just over stall speed, at which point the plane does stop flying.

[@nowandaround312]

almostfm "Fly as low as possible and then stop flying" isn't how you land a plane. I don't even have a pilot's license and I know you need to do basic things like adjust the angle of the plane and continue to control it after you make contact with the ground, slow down to an appropriate speed, get out the landing gear at the appropriate time, wind must be taken into account, and so on. The plane doesn't magically land itself once you get low enough. It's near impossible for someone with no experience to fly that low without crashing anyway.

[@rocketcon]

You must have missed the part where Stephen said that a light aircraft pilot turned off the autopilot on the simulator and the plane immediately crashed. Getting a big passenger plane low to the ground is almost impossible without proper training.

[@almostfm]

@@nowandaround312 Yes, I oversimplified it. I'm sorry that I didn't spell out for you every single thing a pilot must do when performing an approach and landing. The fact remains that when you're landing a plane, if you touch down at just above the stall speed (when the plane is configured properly for landing), the plane will stop flying, because it's now not going fast enough to fly. Touch down with too much airspeed and you go bouncing down the runway.

[@joyl7842]

I miss the pre-9/11 days. As a kid going on holiday I often visited the pilots. When my father worked for an airline as an executive I was even allowed to sit in the captain's seat mid-flight. It's a view like no other.

[@Elriuhilu]

Did the pilot ever ask you if you've seen a grown man naked? Whether you like movies about gladiators?

[@grease_monkey6078]

I love that David always reverts to laws and insurance answers "we are not covered for giving advice" etc, not only is it funny its also realistic. In the 21st century there are so many rules and regulations that jokes about them are funny

[@etmax1]

Love this show, hilarious and informative.

[@somegirl558]

Same. My favourite brit panel show. I learn how yo be more witty thanks to it somehow.

[@Ganters]

I... LOVE British humour... Greetings from Sweden.

[@neptunestardust]

Ganters Greetings from England

[@pathowgate2544]

Hej

[@Jungleland33]

All British humour will cease after October 2019.

[@GaleGummola]

@@Jungleland33 I dont think anything will cease british humour.

[@AdmiralBonetoPick]

Scandinavia seems to have a similar sense of humour to Britain: that's why Eurovision is always funniest when hosted by Sweden, Denmark or Norway.

[@scavengertag]

They just did this in Florida!!! Someone landed it who had never flown before while being talked down

[@thevillageidiot70]

You read James May's How To Land An Airbus A330

[@Firecul]

If I was on a plane in this scenario I would absolutely rather be attempting to fly an Airbus. But if I was to be taught how to fly I would rather be in a Boeing. That's my own personal preference anyway.

[@etiennenaude345]

The Star of China Oh no we are going to crash. Let me just read this book.

[@AutomaticDuck300]

I would fall asleep reading that

[@NonsensicalSpudz]

problem with the book is it starts mentioned something then James trails off into the history of the throttle lever

[@plugs313]

LoL!

[@JackDManheim]

They did this on Mythbusters. Adam & Jaime went into the simulator without any assistance and tried to land, failing miserably. Then they did it again with the same assistance they'd receive from a control tower. I think Jaime was able to do it. I can't remember.

[@TheAkashicTraveller]

Ideally "all" you'ed have to do is set up the auto land system.

[@fetzie23]

@@TheAkashicTraveller Would at least require getting on the ILS glide slope, though wouldn't it?

[@muskatDR]

Remember when i was a kid they would sometimes let me into the cockpit just to talk with the pilots and look around Edit: It was mid-flight

[@BattleCarrot]

I'm 18 and I remember this happening to me when I was maybe 5 (so 2003-ish). It was literally 2 minutes of standing in the cabin asking questions about what everything does. The plane had landed and people were getting off so there was very little risk.

[@georgehurst4344]

muskatDR I did this on a flight from London to Florida. I think it was in 2001. I was about 8.

[@BattleCarrot]

Mine was Spain to London and definitey post 9/11

[@Afalstein]

Do you like movies about... gladiators?

[@JMimsey]

Afalstein Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

[@molletts]

Dammit, you didn't tell me! Now we've got nearly 5 minutes less fuel than we had when I started watching this and I'm none the wiser! :) (That looks suspiciously like a DC-6 flight deck in the background...)

[@BrendanTheGent]

Hahaha!

[@janadamczyk8911]

You could be right. The front windscreen panels are very like MD. Also four engines and large cockpit.

[@TheWalz15]

Two white, two red and slow down. You'll be fine.

[@eugene__eugene]

That means you are 5 minutes closer to a solution, you're welcome.

[@malis61]

QI has predicted the future here. This happened recently in Florida on May 13, 2022. Apparently he was wearing shorts and flip flops.

[@Adam-nk6ty]

This appeared in my recommended on september 11

[@scottyj6226]

Oh dear.

[@tabletoparcade4203]

There was an movie myths special of Mythbusters, and they tested whether it was actually possible to talk someone through landing a plane. Oddly, not only did they prove that it was possible, but so easily, that anyone able to follow simple instructions over a radio can safely land an airliner without any movie-worthy excitement

[@almostfm]

It's one thing to do it in a simulator. It's another when your ass is quite literally on the line.

[@lohphat]

The first problem is that it's completely non-obvious how to use the radio. You MUST be able to use the radio and switch frequencies as you move out of range of each station and into another area.

[@lohphat]

The concept is simple but the execution is another kettle of fish during the heat of battle. e.g. The violin had 4 strings, what's the problem?

[@lohphat]

To operate the radio -- which is not like any radio they've used before -- is a big leap. You have to know 1) where it is 2) how to change frequencies (each model has different options involving a keypad and/or multiple dials) and 3) find and use the flip/flop button. It is not a single input device.

[@lohphat]

www.b737.org.uk/images/electronicpanel.jpg Which is the active radio? There are 5 (7 if you consider the dual transponders) Which one is the right one to use?

[@lohphat]

If you don't now that you're doing you will cut yourself off from your current controller. Would you know where to find the push to talk switch? Assuming things are trivial when you've not been exposed to them before -- in addition to the the heat of a tense situation -- is a huge leap of faith. Even private pilots -- who should know better -- have problems.

[@gunnar6674]

If a passenger has to land the plane, they would either just do the whole thing on 121.5 or use the frequency which the plane was on when the emergency started, I think. Likely they'd also send up a flight of fighters to escort it.

[@montieluckett7036]

I do remember a B-1B pilot being called to the flight deck once to assist due to the plane captain being incapacitated. But he just ran the comms and called out the landing checklist for the acting pilot. It was a commercial flight, with his wife on board also.

[@philippenachtergal6077]

Actually, there has been a crash where almost everyone on-board passed out by lack of oxygen (it's way to easy on some plane to f*** that up apparently). One flight attendant who had just started taking a few lessons to become pilot stayed awake and took commands of the plane from some time before crashing. Military planes escorted the plane after a while and tried to communicate every way they could think off but the attendant never managed to actually use the radio... (And there isn't much you can do through sign language between 2 cockpits...)

[@PurtyPurple]

The Helios Airways flight 522 in 2005, I believe you're talking about. The flight attendant managed to turn the plane away from the city of Athens, but it still crashed into the mountain and unfortunately everyone died.

[@jmalmsten]

Yeah, heard of that one too. It is a bit of a pity that the only example we have is one where everyone were basically dying. Including the audience surrogate hero. Even before the... Rapid unscheduled disassembly.

[@KingPhobia]

Doctor: "What was it we had for dinner tonight?" Flight attendant: "Well, we had a choice of steak or fish." Doctor: "Yes, yes, I remember, I had lasagna." 😂😂

[@almostfm]

Maybe my favorite movie of all time.

[@----.__]

Maybe? Maybe??? That's just going to make my drinking problem worse.

[@MisterBones223]

Depends on the plane. Depends on how long you've got. Depends on the quality of the control tower you get in contact with. Also depends on the landing zone, the airport, the time of day, the weather, the amount of fuel in the tanks, the number of passengers as well as the amount of cargo. There are a lot of variables that I can't find here

[@atomicexistentialism8428]

Was going to say. Best scenario is probably draining some form by flying in circles. The pilot could awaken. Or the copilot. And a plane without fuel wont suddenly burst into flames.

[@trevor108]

There was an incident around 2013 where a pilot was incapacitated but the first officer was fine. There was a USAF B-1 Bomber pilot on board as a passenger who was asked to step in as an acting first officer and helped land the plane. He did mostly radio calls and checklist support if I remember correctly...but he could have landed the plane if necessary.

[@loodaangel]

I knew the lunch question because of Cabin Pressure!

[@phthalojohan]

Martina Dott same here! Yay John Finnemore

[@aloysiuscredential4842]

Fun fact, but not true. Pilots eat the same meals all the time.

[@cdog252]

Well, we can't have them both eating Surprising Rice.

[@Einomar]

@@aloysiuscredential4842 Eeh no

[@gwishart]

​@@cdog252 It's OK, the alternative meal choice is Fizzy Yoghurt.

[@creutzwald1105]

2:37 Maybe I understand the sentence incorrectly, but I think he's right: The cabin manager or head steward(ess) in smaller planes is often also the purser.

[@jibeneyto91]

Actually what David says in 0:50 is not too far from reality. When flying in British airspace the controller likes to remind you that "you are responsible for your own terrain avoidance", they like you to acknowledge the type of service given, "basic service", "traffic service" etc. because it is, in effect, a legal contract over the radio.

[@matthewdeavitt9888]

Funnily enough it Has happened since this video posted.

[@ItsFriscoBaby]

Didn't mythbusters do this and prove that A) talking a complete novice down can be done successfully B) The autopilot can be programmed to land the plane fairly easily once you're talking to someone who knows how

[@John_Ridley]

Yes, a good air traffic controller was able to get both of them down on the ground (in a simulator) successfully. Neither of them had any flying experience whatsoever.

[@CalLadyQED]

At 4:11, Stephen says, "There is an autoland system."

[@caltha2720]

International flight, you have gained access to the cockpit: you manage to find the radio and know how to use it, and you can speak the language of the person on the other end: you have completed step one. Good luck.

[@John_Ridley]

Calum Thaxter That language is always English. All pilots and air traffic control in the world is required to do everything in English.

[@KarstenOkk]

Unless they're French. Even if your life depended on it, they would still speak French to you.

[@darthmarticusLFC]

I've had Bill's 'I've got your lunch' stuck in my head all day. Had to find the video to get it out!

[@PrimoX379]

I think he jolly well DOES look like a pilot Jack!

[@ForOrAgainstUs]

Jack knew he bombed and tried to make up for it by answering that meal question straight.

[@twistedpixel2558]

It has happened on a charter flight. Fortunately the man who had chartered the flight was a private pilot who had some flying experience from years ago but he still had to be talked down as he wasn't type rated and didn't know where anything was in the cockpit.

[@sianchild]

What about Air Helios? Doesn't that count?

[@danmack3173]

Well, if I'm correct as to the flight you're referencing...yes, but everyone was unconscious, so the "can anyone fly the plane" situation never occurred

[@sianchild]

One of the cabin crew managed to get in to the cockpit and tried to fly it.

[@danmack3173]

sianchild thats true

[@bobbyfa3]

+sianchild The cabin crew person tried to use the cockpit radio, but it was on the wrong frequency (from take off airport) and he didn't know he was supposed to change to a new one. So in a way you can argue QI is right. He never tried to fly the plane as he gave up when he couldn't get in contact with anyone. QI should have mentioned it though imo.

[@sianchild]

I think he did try to fly it, he just didn't make contact with the ground. The pilots sent by the military to intercept saw him at the controls. I'd say that counts.

[@bangalorestreetpatrol2994]

There was a Air Helios flight where both Pilots passed out and one guy was trying to land it. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to/what frequency to tune to call for help. So, communication protocol is equally, if not more important

[@varun009]

Rowan atkinson managed to do it as a complete novice albeit in a private plane.

[@jude_the_apostle]

Well actually on a United flight in the US, the co-pilot had to ask passenger whether anyone knew how to fly an aircraft and if so, to ring their call buttons. Captain had a heart attack. Luckily their was B1 pilot onboard who helped with radios and the checklists.

[@lutenantsweedpertasa]

When I was in secondary school I did work experience at Flybe as a mechanic. On a slow day our supervisor and an instructor took me and my colleague on the flight simulator. We managed to figure out by ourselves what most of the controls were and performed a takeoff and a rather hard landing. Both the supervisor and instructor were impressed.

[@jujitsuphill]

*His mate is a fighter pilot for the RAF and he owes him a favour*

[@zeberast]

And then everyone clapped

[@mads4387]

Stephen Fry is the best thing to ever happen to TV and I miss him.

[@mockturtlesuppe]

Mads I mean, he’s not dead!! Lol.

[@wbbartlett]

He was QI.

[@AgglomeratiProduzioni]

4:10 "There is no way of flying it remotely, off the ground?" Oh my god he's a genius, why don't they do it?!?

[@gdoubleu8045]

I was just thinking about this too. My first thought was the plane would have a risk of being hacked.

[@RJrules64]

They should just fly every plane like this by default so that the pilots don't need to stay in different countries and can go home to their wife and kids :)

[@logix8969]

@@gdoubleu8045 I would think it technically IS possible to have planes pre-programmed to fly a set path, and give them subroutines to be able to make emergency landings at various airports if necessary... and just not have pilots altogether. No pilots, no steering mechanism, no way for anyone with poor intentions to control the plane, and of course then you don't have the risk of pilots falling ill or whatnot and nobody being able to fly the plane... that would remove the problem entirely. BUT then you run into issues with unexpected variables and there being potentially no-one on board who can take over if the guidance computer malfunctioned for any reason, and it'd be susceptible to EMPs (if those actually exist). Suppose a bird hits one of the turbines... I guess a well-programmed plane could probably counter that with incredible efficiency but it'd all depend on how much trust people would be willing to put into a system like that. I mean we do have computers controlling our rockets to a large degree, so it's not as far-fetched as one might think, and they already play a huge role in air traffic control as it it. Lots to consider, it certainly is an interesting thought experiment.

[@marccolten9801]

I'm sure many 9/11 conspiracy theories involve this.

[@marvinkitfox3386]

Why not allow remote control of plane from the ground? Scenario.. Little Johnny is a computer whizz. he hacks into the remote system, starts "playing". Or maybe it's not little johnny, but big Abdullah?

[@Sarah-ev1gj]

Now I want to watch the "flying a light aeroplane with..." sketch from a bit of fry and laurie

[@brantlambermont1657]

Poor lovely Jack, so embarrassed.

[@John-1984]

This didn't happen in commercial aviation but a man in a small plane over England had to be talked down after the pilot had an emergency and passed out. It was on an episode of Mayday that you can watch on KZbin. Search The passenger who landed a plane.

[@BedsitBob]

Valerie Singleton, on Blue Peter, did a talk down experiment, in a Cessna. She had an hour's instruction, then the pilot pretended to be incapacitated, and the tower guided her in.

[@Hammer_Of_Olympia]

Bill Bailey is always hilarious 😂😂😂

[@laurathornton1456]

Recently they did have to ask if passengers had flying knowledge on a US flight. There was a retired Air Force (I think) pilot who did go up and assist.

[@HEROfrozt]

There has been incidents where the co pilot have asked for help. I saw one of those "near crash" or whatever they are called, programs on history channel, where the captain on an airbus a320 suddenly became very ill, so the co pilot asked the passengers if anyone had experience flying that kind of airplane, luckily there was an off duty pilot on the plane.

[@johndean4998]

This is nonsense. A qualified commercial airline co-pilot is trained to operate the aircraft on their own, without assistance.

[@nezzie]

John Dean edition.cnn.com/2014/06/03/travel/737-emergency-pilot/index.html

[@RidgewayInMedia]

This happened recently on a Jet2 flight when one of the flight crew fainted. Luckily there was another pilot flying as a passenger, “deadhead” as it’s known. But yes, one flight crew could fly and land a plane although, by definition, not as safely as two.

[@santiagoferrari1973]

Alex you are right, read about United Airlines Flight 232 in 1989

[@glennjharvey]

Helios Airways flight 522 in Greece in 2005 had problems with it's cabin pressurisation system meaning there wasn't enough oxygen in the cabin and everyone, including the pilots basically just went to sleep mid air. One of the cabin crew with an oxygen tank tried to fly the plane after unsuccessfully trying to revive the pilots but wasn't able to figure it out and it crashed into the side of a hill/mountain, killing all onboard. He was seen in the cockpit by the air force that was called to fly alongside when they weren't responding, but they couldn't communicate with him.

[@sylviaelse5086]

Judging by the apparent age of that aircraft, I think I'd just ask the flight engineer to land it.

[@dosvidanyagaming4123]

Or navigator, or radioman.

[@dshack4689]

Fascinating, loved it! Except I wish for a show as cerebral as QI I wish they had closed-captions enabled

[@MrChaes]

landing.. arriving on the ground safely or hitting the softest, cheapest thing in the area as slowly as possible..

[@MaskHysteria]

There was an American show where they took people with zero experience, put them in a small airplane simulator and had them land at a moderately difficult airport (surrounded by trees, short runway, etc.) while "talked in" via their headset by an experienced instructor outside the simulator. Surprisingly, the majority did well on their first try. I would love to see the same with a commercial aircraft.

[@variousnumber891]

Very Carefully, would've been my advice.

[@unclecreepy4073]

While many airlines advise pilots not to have the same meal, there is no FAA regulations that they MUST eat different meals. In fact, while food poisoning is rare for airline food to begin with, there have been times when both pilots got sick at the same time.

[@AwesomeSuaceable]

Well hey, call me up if you ever need a plane landed with a Wii remote.

[@Milamberinx]

Have you been hoarding Wii remotes for just this reason?

[@Asguard82]

It has happened now, there was a light aircraft recently where the instructor collapsed and the person left was brand new on his first flying lesson and air traffic control DID talk them down and they landed successfully

[@JaniceinOR]

Stephen stated that he was speaking specifically about large commercial airplanes.

[@LordBaktor]

Wild guess, but I suppose the biggest issue to overcome if they wanted to have remote control of airplanes is the risk of remote hijacking.

[@HartyBiker]

Lord Baktor I'd say that's not such a wild guess and you're pretty much spot on. Anything that can be completely controlled remotely is a target, especially of that thing is a plane

[@krashd]

I've thought about this and I would simply have a mechanical device that connects or disconnects the remote control system. You can't hack a lever, you would need someone on the aircraft to engage the system physically and if you could already get a terrorist onto the flight deck to engage the RC system then there would be no need for using the system, he or she could just crash the plane manually. But such a system would be ideal in cases of pilot incapacitation because instructing a passenger to remove a panel at the rear of the flight deck and flip the lever inside to connect the RC system to the aircraft would be a lot simpler than trying to teach that passenger how to land a plane within 20 minutes. Devices like this are used in some sensitive military installations whereby control of the site can be given over to a remote site in certain situations only if someone at the site operates a mechanical relay.

[@seanclough7810]

Well in the US it has been done (greatly I might add) repeatedly, as there are lands called the Great Planes.

[@troublebreathing8648]

If the flight attndent said "can anybody fly aa plane?" I'd give it a bash

[@petesmith9472]

It's happened with commercial flights just not a major airline. There was a commercial flight from Lord Howe Island: a King Air. It has also happened in the USA and luckily there was a US military large transport pilot,who went to the cockpit and assisted the co pilot land.

[@darrend.4835]

I personally think I'd land it very poorly.

[@jamesmccann531]

Darren D. Well, a landing is just a controlled crash, isn't it?

[@ArginArgin]

wrong choice of words. You'd crash it very amazingly.

[@Jeagles]

As they say, any landing you can walk away from is a good one, any landing after which the plane can be reused is an excellent one!

[@EnoVarma]

But Can Stephen Fly? I'll get my coat.

[@1TakoyakiStore]

"Why yes I am Stephen. And don't call me Fly."

[@2000globetrotter]

Many years ago, when I was in the RAF and fresh out of engineering college, I met a guy who told me a tale of being on an airliner where both pilots were incapacitated and he became the hero who landed the plane and saved all the lives, He absolutely swore the story was true, despite the incredulity of his audience who, to a man, walked away in disgust. Subsequently, I relayed this conversation to someone who had been on the base much longer than me and he replied "Oh him! Yeah, he keeps telling that story. He's an ambulance driver and we have nicknamed him The Flying Doctor!"

[@Influx27]

They actually tested the idea of a pilot on the ground talking a passenger through landing a plane on myth busters and found that it's quite possible.

[@marvinkitfox3386]

Possible: yes. Safe or a good idea: good grief NO better than auguring into the ground..... yah, likely.

[@jimmehjimmson8876]

And as we all know TV shows created for entertainment with production costs and deadlines have the scientific method at their heart which will ensure accuracy and reproducability.

[@photobackflip]

Doug White is proof it is possible.

[@Pewling]

It did happen once, everyone but one steward passed out and the fighter jets that came to check on the plane saw him try to work the plane before it slammed into a mountain if I recall correctly?

[@bruceblake9942]

I used to go on flights regularly, with Ansett Airlines, on aircraft which had been overhauled in the hangars. I was an aircraft mechanic apprentice. I would always visit the flight deck, and sometimes sit and watch. There were no americans around, to interfere with my freedoms. [Aussie in BC]

[@LeatherCladVegan]

Lol. Too true.

[@connorglaze538]

Best panel ever

[@EstParum]

What has happened though is pilots getting knocked out and everyone died. but no landings. that is correct.

[@memofromessex]

It has happened, but everyone died on board, Helios Airways Flight 522. Its a really tragic tale. As everyone but an air steward asphyxiated due to engineer and pilot error (pilot chose to ignore warning signs as a result of engineers mistake) and the fella (he had a commercial pilots licence, but not sufficient for the aircraft) was seen in the pilots seat, even waved at an aircraft, but by then the plane had runout of fuel, it crashed killing everyone on board. That poor air steward couldn't do a thing. Must have been terrifying.

[@oddjobkia]

Technically the plane would land itself.... or to be correct Gravity would land the plane.

[@-_James_-]

The tricky part with landing is doing it so that a) the plane still broadly looks like a plane and b) can be reused as a plane again in the future. ;)

[@iWhacko]

@@-_James_- I'd say those options aren't completely necessary, the only real option would be arriving with the passengers alive :)

[@-_James_-]

@@iWhacko heh I guess at some point you have to decide what constitutes a landing. I imaging flying would be considerably more expensive if planes were single use items. :)

[@douglasreeves9938]

@@-_James_- Back in the mid-70's my brother worked for a helicopter flying service that did crop dusting, private flights, etc. They had a Korean War vintage helicopter that they ysed for crop dusting. One day, the pilot lost control of the tail rotor thru mechanical failure, crashed the helicopter, rotors snapped, destroyed the landing skids and bubble, etc. The pilot, a Korean War veteran helicopter pilot, climbed out of the wreckage walked by everyone running up to the crash site and said "Any landing you can walk away from is a good one."

[@tamannachandel6663]

But not the way we want it to.

[@jake2355]

Bill Bailey is an extraordinary human being

[@robertclyne8484]

And yet the partially trained 9/11 pilot/terrorists managed to pull off flying into buildings effortlessly but had never flown large jet aircraft.

[@alexspear2145]

They were trained, they didn’t have to land, they only steered the planes in the right direction towards the tallest buildings in the world and the worlds largest office by floor area. You don’t have to fuck with flaps, engine speed, landing gear, winds direction, ANYTHING, just turn them. God fuck you...

[@jeztickles4361]

Alex Spear calm down 😂

[@KesselRunner606]

And where exactly did they safely land?

[@robertclyne8484]

Alex Spear obviously you know fuck all about flight controls it’s not a fucking steering wheel it’s speed direction elevation controlled on three axis that’s why they don’t ask just anyone to fly the aircraft and just get a pilot to land the fucking thing you fucking hardon.

[@santiagoferrari1973]

They had all Israel helping them...

[@OhhSoSophie]

in secondary school I was good friends with a guy who lived next to an older gentleman that had his own little plane and he would fly it as a hobby. i believe he suffered a stroke mid flight and went totally blind, and I believe they sent up a military jet and had the military aid him down and he landed perfectly safely. amazing story.

[@avian7971]

I feel like this story isn't true just based on the fact that most military jets stall at a speed higher than most smaller piston engine propeller planes cruise at. sure, they could just keep blowing past him and then looping back around, but then wake turbulence becomes an issue. if it did happen, that's a once in a lifetime occurrence for the record books

[@avian7971]

update: I looked it up, and it did happen. Pretty amazing

[@zanussidish8144]

He did but killed 7 people on the freeway. Only joking, glad that it finished well.

[@figjam9530]

BURSAR!

[@figjam9530]

rip, terry

[@funbergrundberg8494]

I had a rugby coach that told us to enter rucks like a plane taking off, and asked us what that looks like, so I answered: The same as a plane landing, nobody lands a plane nose down. That got me extra fitness work for a while. I ran the drills for forwards and told them to enter with their hips below their shoulders, like a plane that is landing. Don't know why he looked so annoyed when he had to give me awards.

[@parkeradelaide4579]

i thought that passengers overtook one of the planes involved in 9/11? like they got control of the plane from the terrorists then it crashed?

[@stephensmithed5413]

Passengers attempted to gain control and when they were about to the terrorists intentionally crashed it. Hope that helped

[@danmack3173]

At no point were they trying to land, if anything, they helped crash it into that field

[@sukonmiskunk5696]

thats the plane donald rumsfeld said.. id say mistakenly.. they shot out of the sky... as per witness statements...

[@John_Ridley]

It's only after 9/11 that cockpits have ALL been reinforced. Theoretically the doors can't be forced anymore, so hijackers shouldn't be in there at all.

[@John_Ridley]

Right, they were able to make phone calls and found out that the planes were being used as weapons to kill thousands, so the passengers elected to either regain control or at least crash the plane into the ground without hurting anyone outside. That's the best reconstruction anyway.

[@LordClarkson]

The cockpit isn't even locked, depending on your flight. I was once on a delayed flight where both captains entered from the rear, past all the passengers, to the cockpit

[@LordClarkson]

Us passengers had already been boarded for nearly an hour

[@jonmobrien]

It is absolutely false that this has never happened! e.g.: Helios Airways Flight 522. The flight crew passed out from hypoxia. A flight attendant using a portable oxygen mask went to that cockpit and yet, despite actually having a commercial pilot license himself! due to not being qualified on the Boeing 737, was not experienced enough to be able to do anything, couldn't work the radio, couldn't bring the plane down in altitude. The first two obvious things to do in a pressurisation emergency. This wasn't a random passenger, this wasn't just a flight attendant, this wasn't just a Cessna pilot. This was a licensed commercial pilot with access to the cockpit, and he was unable to do anything with the fully working undamaged plane to bring it down let alone land it. So many of these episodes contain blatantly false information. This has happened, and when it does, you're doomed.

[@BeastlyBogan]

I think you'll find this season was filmed before the accident occurred in 2005.

[@ch2263]

BeastlyBogan This episode was first aired in 2011. It is series I not series 1.

[@BeastlyBogan]

I'm aware. I investigated and I stand by my statement

[@ch2263]

Not sure why? Are you suggesting it was filmed before 2005 but not aired until 6 years later?

[@solank7620]

Jonathan O'Brien Indeed, QI's claim is false. Though we don't know if that flight attendant was suffering from some hypoxia himself. Also the temperatures were supposedly very low. So these were far from ideal conditions the attendant was operating under. Perhaps if not for circumstance, he would have succeeded. We can only guess.

[@somegirl558]

I could fly a plain.. If I learned it as a kid. :P I was never scared of the air; the moment of plain starting is one of my favourite things on the planet. ❤✈

[@1TakoyakiStore]

Fun fact. It did happen on a private flight in the UK about 10 years ago. Hence why Fry is saying "commercial flight" so insistently.

[@BedsitBob]

I'm pretty sure a member of the cabin crew has the code for the door lock, so could access the flight deck, if the crew were incapacitated.

[@mitcho04]

There is no code for the door to open from the outside, there is however a procedure in place for access to the flight deck in a situation where no one is responsive inside.

[@armastat]

@@mitcho04 Is that the 'Teacup in the back of the cabinet is actually C4' procedure?

[@SeriousStrategyGamer]

Wait, what about Helios Airways Flight 522?

[@Phylaetra]

Taking off in a plane is very easy. I did it on my second lesson. Landing is very difficult - I had 6 previous lessons (over 7.4 hours) before I got to try my first one. Nearly double that time before I got to try one without any assistance from my instructor and four times that much time (with a total of 59 practice landings) before I did my solo-landings (no instructor on board). Even changing to a twin-engine (from the little single-engine) plane adds a large level of complexity. So too does having retractable landing gear. I would try if I had too, and there was literally no-one else who could, but I would not at all feel confident that I would be able to successfully land the plane without damage or injury.

[@Sigma1_969]

1982.. flying to be J.F.K. international airport from Manchester..I was 12 yrs old and was bored out of my tree so I started cleaning up the cups and glasses and plates to help the "stewardesses" and as a treat they let me into the cockpit and I sat on the captain's knee and flew the plane for about 5 minutes, it was the most incredible feeling in the world.

[@AndrewJJ-0114]

I don't mean to spoil your childhood memory but you were probably not actually flying the plane 😛

[@MartinHiggins1972]

I also had a similar experience, back in the eighties before the extra security measures. I was welcomed into the cockpit, and it was so exciting to see all the controls and look out of the window at the clouds in every direction, and to also be allowed to sit on the pilot's knee while he showed my wide eyes what the switches did. 28 years old I was, ladies and gentlemen, 28 years old ...

[@Sigma1_969]

@@AndrewJJ-0114 I know, lol...but what a completely thrilling experience it was...it's one of those memories that will never leave me..I was and still am so very grateful..

[@Sigma1_969]

@@MartinHiggins1972 well done to you sir..it was an incredible feeling seeing all those buttons and switches..and to be able to sit on the captain's knee and hold the control/steering was an experience that I'll never forget..thanks for sharing your story.

[@Szaam]

David's shirt is one of the finest pink shirts I've ever seen

[@arranbarnett4165]

Pilots becoming incapacitated does occur in private flying, I know Stephen exclusively said it has never happened in commercial flying, there is a brilliant live ATC (Air Traffic Controller) recording of a student whos instructor passes out on his first lesson. Its very interesting, I believe the instructor had suffered a stroke and did recover from it

[@LALFAST]

1:38 - it’s an entirely different kind of flying, all together!

[@audigex]

LALFAST it’s an entirely different kind of flying

[@grumpyoldman3458]

@LALFAST It’s an entirely different kind of flying .

[@garshdarnitibelieve8260]

These guys and gals are funny...it'd be great to have friends like this...never a dull moment...Peace!

[@MisterItchy]

I am a private pilot and I am fairly certain that I would be able to do it. Of course, many of the private pilots that tried and failed likely thought the same.

[@jamesevans938]

they have also done the similar tests on people with only flight slim experience and some were able to land I suspect the issue for the private pilots was that they were not familiar with the cockpit

[@hi14993]

As far as I am aware it has happened a few times on commercial flights just not on a large airliners. One example out of florida sticks out to me. A flight on a King Air went awry when the pilot had a stroke while climbing out of the airfield and the passenger jumped into the co pilot seat and had to take control. Thankfully, he already had a pilots license on smaller planes. In layman terms though, this was more equivalent to knowing how to drive a motorcycle and suddenly having to drive a large truck. This was because the plane he was on was a combination prop/jet engine.

[@Mithereaal]

Did you know, a commercial passenger plane can take off, land, and fly perfectly well with just one engine, and with 0 engines can glide for a 100 miles and then land safely. Also, once the buttons are pressed to establish on the ILS (Instrument Landing System, in sync with the runway laser), the plane can approach, and do an auto land on the runway.

[@ashman187]

1:40 I heard that after taking lessons on a cessna i CAN FLY A 747 into the world trade center on my first try. I guess he didn't need the seat adjusted correctly.

[@Monkeyboysdontknow]

You heard correctly, and it happened. www.911myths.com/Another_Expert.pdf

[@dogwalker666]

I have seen a flight attendant who had a ppl in a pilot training simulator successfully land a plane being talked down. However she did not succeed on the first few attempts.