“I’m going to play devil’s advocate here. Isn’t it much easier to fly a commercial jet nowadays than it was 50-60 years ago? Newer models, most of the flying is automated amyway?”
I’m totally unqualified to answer, but I have watched “Air Disasters”, so I’ll take a shot. :)
It’s all easy until something goes wrong, i.e. 777 max.
yep if the computer goes down, heaven help the pilot who may be affirmative actioned on manual flying.
I’m totally unqualified to answer, but I have watched “Air Disasters”, so I’ll take a shot. :)
It’s all easy until something goes wrong, i.e. 777 max. The airplanes actually fly (stick and rudder; actually yoke and rudder) the same as 50 years ago. The most of the airplanes flying haven't change flight characteristics since the 1960's. Hell, the Air Force still flies the Boeing 707, which was developed in the 1950's.
What has changed is the displays, automation, and safety systems e.g. TCAS, GPWS, EGPWS, PWS etc.
That being said, the largest part of flying safely is not the stick and rudder skills, its the decision making: the thinking part of the job.
The 737-max accidents would not have happened if the pilots had recognized what was going on with the trim and pulled the power back to idle. They didn't and the faster the airplane went, the worse the problem became.
Similarly with Air France out of Rio. They did not recognize they had stalled the airplane - for a very long time.
It was Sullenberger's decision to land in the Hudson that saved them, not the actual stick and rudder skills that got the airplane to the water.
That being said. Bad stick and rudder skill can kill you:
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/united-airlines/united-airlines-boeing-757-suffers-extreme-hard-landing-at-newark/
Recently some baggage handler who never flew a plane, out of I believe SEATAC, jumped into a twin engine turbo prop?, Horizon Air?, and took off and was doing aerial stunts until he deiced to commit suicide and nose dived into an island in Puget Sound.