As a passenger, you often ask yourself what is actually going on in the cockpit.
A pilot has now answered some questions from curious people online.
Many people imagine being a pilot to be exciting and varied - but at the same time it is also a job with a lot of responsibility.
Travelers are always surprised by what actually happens behind the scenes on board.
That's why curiosity was huge when a woman, under the username
Sammyx320
, offered to talk about her everyday work on the Reddit discussion platform a few months ago.
According to her own statements, she works as a pilot in an Airbus 320 and is a former flight attendant.
However, the source has not been verified, so the information should be treated with some caution.
Pilot reveals the worst that can happen during a flight
An intriguing question on the minds of Reddit users revolves around the likelihood of a plane crash.
This happens all too often in movies, and real-life cases can quickly create uncertainty.
As a result, one user wrote: "I have an irrational fear that the plane might crash.
How dangerous is turbulence really?”
+
Pilots wear four stripes on their uniform.
©Panthermedia/Imago
The answer to this should reassure some air travelers: "Turbulence often feels uncomfortable, but is not dangerous for the aircraft," reports the pilot.
“We keep getting asked about the partially shaking wings and I have to admit that the sight can be really frightening.
However, the swinging of the wings is a factor that makes them so safe: They are elastic and can therefore balance out winds much better than rigid surfaces.” In addition, aircraft are put through their paces before they take off.
If you want a little protection from the vibrations caused by turbulence, you can choose a seat in the middle above the wings - the plane feels quieter there than in the back.
The user also inquires about the worst that could happen during a flight.
According to the pilot, that would be a fire or a failure of both engines.
However, the latter is extremely unlikely and an airplane would not simply fall to the ground like a stone.
"We're basically gliding towards the ground like a glider, but of course we can't gain any more altitude." With only one functioning engine, on the other hand, an airplane is able to continue flying normally: "For safety reasons, an engine failure always results in a landing ( After all, we have to plan for the worst case and could still lose the second engine)."
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Reddit users are curious: What does a pilot actually earn?
Many people imagine the salary of a pilot to be very generous.
Reddit users also wanted to know from
Sammyx320 whether there
was any truth to that: "What's left over net in the month?" asked one user.
However, there is no clear answer: "It depends very much on the airline you work for," writes the pilot.
Overtime and expenses also play a role and vary depending on the season.
"As a guideline, you can calculate a gross basic salary of around 4,500 to 6,000 euros for a co-pilot, depending on the airline," says the pilot.
Deductible or paying more because of age: mistakes in trip cancellation insurance
Deductible or paying more because of age: mistakes in trip cancellation insurance
Prejudices against women: Female pilot reports on her experiences in the cockpit
The Reddit user is also curious about the fact that the pilot works as a woman in a male domain – and whether there are problems because of that.
In fact, according to
Sammyx320
only around five percent of cockpit staff are female.
Among her colleagues, however, it is not an issue that she is a woman in the cockpit: "After all, we all completed exactly the same training with the same exams and are also subject to the same conditions in professional life." Often the guests are more irritated when they would see a female pilot.
"Sometimes there are even very funny situations when I'm standing in the kitchen and the guests order drinks from me because they automatically assume that I'm also a cabin crew member," says the pilot.
But there would also be unpleasant situations: For example, if, after a somewhat hard landing, she had to listen to comments from passengers like 'It was definitely her and not the colleague next to her'”.
List of rubrics: © Panthermedia/Imago