Can airline pilots see the engines?

Depends on the aircraft, but more often than not, on airliners the answer is no. Although they are thoroughly inspected by ground crews (and sometimes flight crews) prior to flight, once in the cockpit, the flight crew will not need to see the wings or engines.



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Tires, engines, hatches and lights all come under close scrutiny before we will accept the aircraft for the flight. After all, when your own life depends on it, you have a vested interest in ensuring that it is safe.

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If you ever gazed at the window during a night flight, you'll be welcomed by pitch black darkness. That's why most passengers wonder– how do pilots see at night? The answer is quite simple, no, they don't actually see anything at night.

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But most of them flash into view 80 to 110 km above the ground, so they'll be hardly any brighter due to closeness alone. You'll be above some haze and ground-based light pollution and see right down to the horizon, but these advantages may be offset by glare from the plane's instrument and running lights.

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Airline pilots take turns using the bathroom nearest the cockpit during a flight. There are no bathrooms installed in the cockpit. For airplanes with a single pilot, diapers, catheters, or collection devices are used if they are unable to land to use the airport bathroom.

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More often than not a pilot will not know the other pilot he will be flying with. Of course this will greatly depend upon the size of the airline's domicile.

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Some crews talk a lot with each other, while others remain quiet for much of the flight. If pilots share a lot in common and enjoy discussing mutual topics of interest, an entire multi-day trip can be filled with conversation.

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Among other things, this means descending to a lower altitude and, potentially, reducing the airplane's speed. If all of an airplane's engines fail simultaneously, the pilot will perform an emergency landing.

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While pilots can't actually see turbulence, they often know what is coming up, thanks to reports from other planes, weather reports, and radar equipment. However, clear air turbulence (severe turbulence occurring in cloudless areas) can sometimes catch pilots off guard.

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Severe turbulence can cause a plane to drop so suddenly that pilots temporarily lose control. But, again, that's not enough to crash the plane. That's not to say it's never happened. In 1966, human error and turbulence combined to bring a plane down over Mount Fuji.

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Do pilots hear the flight attendant announcements? Yes… any announcements made to the passenger cabin, are also heard in the cockpit, and vice-versa. If the cabin crew wishes to speak to the cockpit crew only, they use the phones by the jumpseats or in the galley.

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Keypad. The cockpit door automatically locks, but a keypad outside allows a flight attendant to insert a security code to gain access. A buzzer sounds, and the pilots must switch the door control inside the cockpit to “unlock” to release the door after verifying the crew member through a peephole or video surveillance.

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This really depends on the type of aircraft and the seating position of the pilot. In smaller aircraft, you will have a good view of the area around you, depending on the canopy. In larger aircraft, the instrument panel and cockpit design can restrict your outside view a bit more.

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Needless to say, at least one pilot must always be awake and at the controls at all times. Controlled or bunk rest is more common on long haul flights that are scheduled to operate overnight, particularly when operating within the window of circadian low (around 4am to the time you are acclimatised to).

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Many airlines provide crew rest areas on their aircraft, where pilots can sleep during long-haul flights. These areas are usually located in the tail, cargo area or above the cabin of the plane and are designed to be as quiet and comfortable as possible. Other crew members prefer to use business class seats to rest.

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Fatigue is particularly prevalent among pilots because of unpredictable work hours, long duty periods, circadian disruption, and insufficient sleep. These factors can occur together to produce a combination of sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm effects, and 'time-on task' fatigue.

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Airline pilots don't necessarily get paid a traditional salary. Instead, commercial pilots are paid per flight hour. Meaning a pilot is only paid while their airplane is running. A pilot's salary is calculated by multiplying the number of flight hours by their hourly rate.

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The answer is mostly no. Indeed, some professional pilots don't wear watches at all. It comes down to personal preference. Times have changed, said Mark Vanhoenacker, British Airways 787 pilot and author of Skyfaring and How to Land a Plane.

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