Could a Fighter Pilot fly a huge Airbus?

Answer 1

Fly it, yes. Fly it well without some serious cross-training, no. I suppose I could fly anything with a set of wings on it, if push came to shove. Probably fly it safely, too. But not proficiently until I got some stick time with a pilot who was familiar with the plane. Example: Long after leaving the Air Force, and being proficient in the Aero Commander 680, when it came time to fly the Piper Navajo, the first thing I did was sit in the left seat and read the Pilot's Operating Handbook. Then I had an instructor in the right seat the first time I flew it. Flying is all about safety. Always do it by the book.

Answer 2

if u're suggesting that for some reason, the pilots are incapable of flying the airbus and a passenger just happens to b a fighter pilot, then maybe.. it's all about adapting

there'll b a ton of switches and displays on a jetliner a fighter pilot won't be used to and it'll seem like he's flying a rock at first. but with help from the ground, yes.
and when he brings down the plane, he has to remember that the cockpit is higher on a airliner then his fighter, so landing will be kinda awkward =P omgggg, i would know b/c when i switch from a Learjet 45A to a 747 in flight sim 2000, i land too hard and sometimes crash b/c i forget the cockpit is higher... pft

Answer 3

With the skills and qualifications required to be a fighter pilot and the the training they recieve, flying the 'bus should be a walk in the park. And many of the airline pilots are from airforce after stints with the fighters.

They might find the 'bus a bit sluggish and very boring!

Add On: I just implied fly the Airbus, take off-loiter-land and leaving the 'bus in usable condition, not about legal flying or flying as well as the regular commercial pilot.

Answer 4

Sure, after the conversion course a fighter pilot would do fine, what do you think they do when they stop flying combat aircraft? On the other hand there's often a real problem for pilots converting from the single seat world to the team work world of a big jet.

Answer 5

I'm a former F-14A RIO. I know many pilots who transitioned from fighters to commercial airliners, and some who fly both (com air as their careers, and fighters in the military reserves).

Flying a plane, flying a plane proficiently, and landing a plane are three seperate things.

Quite literally, a monkey could be taught to move the stick, throttles, and rudders in such a way so as to make a plane not crash into the ground. Technically, that's flying.

A person with 10 hours in a Cessna could be taken to a 747 simulator and taught how to fly it around and, given enough time, taught every switch, circuit breaker, and system in the airplane. He could fly it, and be proficient in its operation.

But, it takes a pilot with both the natural gifts of air sense and situational awareness, as well as a large amount of experience, to make a varsity landing in bad weather in a heavy airliner. Navy pilots, who devote a high percentage of their flight hours practicing to land at the boat, and all other fighter pilots, who also make plenty of trips around the pattern, are skilled at precise landings, the most difficult phase of commercial flying.

Military pilots are also used to multi-tasking, whereby they operate their aircraft not only to fly it but also to use it to deliver weapons, while at the same time being targeted by SAMs, AAA, and enemy aircraft. They also fly at high "g", in unusual attitudes, and at all the edges of their aircrafts' performance envelopes.

To answer your question, a fighter pilot could easily fly a heavy jet. It would take him some cross training to learn the systems. And, he'd have to practice a while to land it well.

But, there's not much better training for any kind of flying than in the cockpit of a fighter.

Answer 6

Depends - what's his rating. and he needs to be checked out on the airbus. He may not even be able to find the switch for the flaps and landing gear without being told where they are. The basic controls rudder, elevator, ailerons and throttles are pretty much standard but everthing else is different - especially from a fighter.

Answer 7

There'd be a bit of a learning curve, as the AIrbus wouldn't respond as fast as the fighter to input from the joystick or the throttles, but it wouldn't take much of a mental re-adjustment.

Answer 8

If they were put behind the stick and told to land it, they could... but as for really knowing the cockpit, a pilot must be type certified... you might be able to find every switch in the cockpit of a fighter with your eyes closed but that wont do you any good in any other airplane...

Answer 9

I'm not a fighter pilot yet(8th grade), but I've dreamed of it since 3 yrs old. I can't imagine it ever getting boring when you are shooting down planes in an F/A-18 Hornet. Or bombing stuff. Or going Mach1+.

Answer 10

Sure... any pilot can fly any aircraft, as long as they are type rated for the aircraft. A pilot must be rated for the type of aircraft they fly..