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.

FMI: www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=265