when airpnate taxis from the gate the little car pushes it right ? and then it lets it go and pilots drives it or w/e so i been on 747 cockpit before and its almoust impossible to see anything in frong up close how do they taxi so perfect on the line that leads them to the runway or from the runway to the gate ?
2006-08-27 09:01:54 · 8 answers · asked by snickers 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
It's called training and experience. The pilots practice for many hours on simulators before they even get in the cockpit, and to fly the big jets they have already flown thousands of hours in progressively larger aircraft.
On the way into the gate there is a line attendant giving the pilot hand signals to guide the aircraft into proper position, where to turn and when to brake, etc.
2006-08-27 09:06:16 · answer #1 · answered by Jerry L 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
in all honesty I dont know about the big planes but when I was flying cessnas I would try and follow the yellow line by putting it between my legs. you might not be perfectly on the line but you will be close enough.
as far as the pushing of the plane out onto the centerline there are about four people working in concert to do that. the Captain, the pushback operator (or tug operator) and two Wingwalkers. when the Jetbridge is retracted from the plane the ground crew gets into position, the two wingwalkers go to the tips of the wings to make sure that the aircraft has an onobstructed path to the centerline. the pushback operator gets into the tug (or pushback) and puts on a headset that is connected to the cockpit. Then the Captain gets clearence from the tower (ground control). Once the clearence for taxi has been received the captain calls down over the headset to the pushback operator and gives him clearence to begin pushing the plane back. The ground crew then starts to push the aircraft backwards toward the centerline. once the aircraft is clear of the jetbridge the pushback operator calls the captain and gives him permission to start the aircraft engines. about thirty seconds later the ground crew has the aircraft on the centerline. (or reasonably close) the pushback operator then calls back to the captain for him to set the brakes on the aircraft at which point the two wingwalkers come in from their positions at the wings and one of them disconnects the pushback and the communications headset from the aircraft (also a "remove before flight" pin is removed. this pin enables the ground crew to steer the aircaft while also disableing the captains ability to steer the aircraft) while one wingwalker is diconecting everthing the other wingwalker is signaling the pilot to hold his brakes until the ground personal are clear of the aircraft. once the pushback and one wingwalker are clear of the aircraft the final wingwalker
shows the captain that the "remove before flight" pin has been removed. the final wingwalker then salutes the pilot and runs away from the aircraft while in view of the captain. all of this only takes a couple of minutes.
2006-08-30 23:22:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I train those pilots. They use a visual reference point on the windshield where the taxiway centre line cuts thru. This is demonstrated to the the pilot on his first flight. To reinforce this, the instructor can taxi the aircraft nosewheel along the centre line, feel the bumps of those centreline lights.
2006-08-28 02:31:26 · answer #3 · answered by winterspring 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's like when you drive a car, you don't see the lines right beside your car. You look ahead to the vanishing point and you automatically stay between them.
Also, since the flight deck is so high up, and the captain (the only one with the tiller to steer the plane) is only 2 feet left of center, there is almost no paralax. So he puts the line straight right in front of him.
2006-08-28 00:14:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the little car is called a tractor or tug probly a TA-75 series. As far as following the lines it's just like driving down a road you look ahead at where your going not where your at. As far as being so perfect every time...That's why we get paid the big bucks...
2006-08-27 16:12:35 · answer #5 · answered by jim h 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That little car, called a tug in the USAF, steers the airplane going a way from the gate.
2006-08-28 07:39:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't look directly in front of the nose when they are taxiing down the taxiway; they focus a little bit further down where they can see the white line.
2006-08-27 16:05:31 · answer #7 · answered by rita_alabama 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Airpnate? WTF is an airpnate?
The pilots follow those little lines painted on the ground, and the taxiway & runway signs. Plus, they are a lot smarter than you are.
2006-08-27 16:07:20 · answer #8 · answered by Mr Smarty Pants 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋