Cirrus Pilot Rick
McClanahan had the misfortune to use Commercial Aviation when we're
fairly sure he'd have been much more comfortable using his
Cirrus... and a recent run-in with some Air Marshals only drove
that point home in a most dramatic and worrisome way.
Here's Rick's narrative...
...On the way out to Vegas we were chatting and one of the
guys says his neighbor is a pilot for some airline and says these
planes can land themselves. I chime in and say they can but the
pilots land the plane unless it's extremely bad weather and then
they let the autopilot do it. He was pretty sure they always used
the autopilot to land so I said maybe I was wrong.
Well on the way back, I was sitting in 4C and 2 of my
friends were in 3C and 3F right in front of me. We were all sat and
the cockpit door was open so I asked the flight attendant if I
could ask the pilots a question. She asked them and told me to come
right on up. I walked in and said "hey, I'm a lowly single engine
pilot myself, I have a Cirrus." They knew what it was, asked me how
fast it cruised and the service ceiling. I answered and then said I
had a question. Asked if this was a "cat 3" autopilot and if it
could land the plane. They said yes and I explained my friends
thought they always used the autopilot to land and I heard only
under bad weather. They confirmed only if the RVR was under a
certain number (I think 1500). I said cool, that's what I thought!
I was all happy thinking I was "in the brethren" being a pilot
myself. They told me they had to lock up now so I bid farewell and
went to my seat. Little did I know that my question "caused them
concern" and they notified the air marshals on board.
Upon conversation with
the air marshals AFTER the flight, this is what they saw.
1) guy asking questions about the autopilot and how to land
the plane
2) group of muscular guys with aisle seats close to the
cockpit
3) my two friends in row 3 were leaning their heads into the
aisle to look into the cockpit
4) after the movie, another friend from row 8 came up and
him and I were standing in the aisle waiting for the bathroom at
row 3 talking to my two friends (obviously plotting our take over
of the cockpit)
5) one of my friends apparently came out of the bathroom and
tried to look into the peephole of the cockpit door
So my friend tells the air marshal to check us out and he
said "already did". I imagine they radioed or texted in our info
and asked for backgrounds on us.
(The) Air Marshal asked why they were looking in the cockpit
and my one friend said because there was some dude in a Hawaiian
shirt standing in there, was wondering what HE was doing there. (I
assume he was another pilot flying jumpseat)
Why were we all standing in a group by the cockpit? Because
we had to PI**!
Why were you asking
about landing the plane and approaches?
A) I didn't ask about approaches and
B) because I'm a pilot myself and I have an interest in
things related to aviation! He said I should have told the pilots I
was also a pilot... DUDE, I DID. I even told them what kind of
plane I had and they asked about it's service ceiling and cruise
speed! He said they did not tell him that. JEEZ!
I guess if you are paranoid or want a conspiracy, you can
fit any action into your pre-determined scenario...
I think pre 9-11, being a fellow pilot was cool and gave you
some bonding power with the captain and now, you are just a threat
to the plane by admitting you are a pilot.
Fortunately they didn't shoot us and ask questions
later.