Does the Boeing 747-400 require more skill to fly than other wide bodied 4 engine jets?

Question

Or does it require the same skill level of other aircraft such as Boeing 777 or 737, A 330 oor A 340?

Answer 1

A multi engine plane will share a lot of characteristics with other multi engine planes...

The planes I would not want pilot;

1.) Computer controlled Airbus...

2.) McDonnell Douglas.. rain affects landing stability..

3.) Mitsubishi overhead wing.. too many experienced pilots have died while piloting these.

Does this help any?

Answer 2

A Boeing 747 would be able to stay in the air with no engines, however it would start a gradual decent as it would have no thrust and the wings generate lift. So a Boeing 747 with one engine working could generate some thrust and stay in the air most definitely. If you want more proof that a jumbo jet can still perform with 1 of 4 engines working, in 2010 a Qantas airbus a380 lost 3/4 engines and had to perform an emerngency landing in Singapore. That got down on one engine. So YES a Boeing 747 can fly and perform well on one engine.

Answer 3

You do need a type rating in the -400 but then again you need a type rating in any aircraft over 12,500lbs. The 747 series aircraft are not any more demanding to fly than other types. The -400 flies the same as the generic 747, the big difference is in avionics and some differences in aircraft systems.
Once you have experience in transport aircraft, especially heavy wide body aircraft, all that is needed is the training and transition time to get used to the different systems, avionics and in the case of going from a small plane to a larger plane, the different reference point of view of sitting that much higher. 25 hrs of Initial Operating Experience after coming out of ground school and the simulator is sufficient. It is a very easy airplane to fly.
The A330 and the A340 have very similar avionics, and systems (similar to the A320 also) so the transition from one to the other would be relatively easy. At our airline the transition from the A320, narrow body, to the A330, wide body, is a very short period of time. To go from a small narrow body like the 737 to the triple 7, with vastly different systems, is more demanding but not all that challenging. It's more a matter of being exposed and trained to the differences in the airplane systems than an increase in difficulty.
One other writer was critical of the Airbus, because it is "computer controlled" but then again so is the 777, C-17 and F16 and many other contemporary airplanes. The Airbus has a very good safety record.
He also mentioned McDonnell-Douglas and "stability in the rain." Well, McDonnell-Douglas is a company not a plane, so which airplane is he refering to?
I have no idea where that idea came from, I have flown their products from the DC9, MD-80 through the DC-10. And there is no difference that I ever detected from the Boeing and Airbus aircraft I also flew. Sounds like an old wives tale to me.
The Mitsubishi problem was, from what I remember, ( I never flew any of them) not with the high wing but with their particular flight control system that caught inexperienced pilots by surprise when they lost and engine.
Perhaps there is some MU-2 drivers out there that know more about it?

Answer 4

Big jets react slower, so things don't go wrong as fast but if you don't notice you can be in more trouble when they do.

All modern jets are largely computerized, there hasn't been a cable connection to the controls or engines since the 60s or so. Even if you think you are controlling an engine directly you are still only talking to its computer(s) which actually run the engine.

There's currently nothing directly comparable to the 747-400 in commercial service, when the A380 is in service it will be very similar to the 747 but with more modern control systems which will make it a bit easier to operate. Performance is very close, same field length for takeoff and landing, similar speed, just nearly twice the weight. The C5-B is a bit of a pig compared to the 747 but it does have some nice features to compensate.

Answer 5

I think you cant go past Sul's answer for correctness.
Except,...well Sul Im a Boeing fan and I work for an airline that was All boeing till about 7years ago...they will also soon be one of the larger A380 customers...old prejudices are hard to break and
I just dont like Boeing having to compete with a govt propped up aircraft manufacturer! : )

Answer 6

yes very different. you can be an expert at flying a boeing737 and then go fly a 747. you would know how to fly a 4 engines plane. and everything.

it would be very hard. that is whyu most of these pilots are old. they are more experienced. people that fly boeig 737's can be in the late 20's.... see the difference. go aska pilot at an airport or something. research it.

Answer 7

well if I had a dc-8 a 707 and a 747 the 747 would be much More different because of its size instruments and what not

Answer 8

The skills involved would be the same. You would, however, need a type rating in the aircraft.

Answer 9

all multi engines are almost the same in normal flying procedures, but the problems is emergency procedures, in emergency cases bigger heavier aircrafts are harder to control.