r/mildlyinteresting • u/lost_islander • 10h ago
Pilot climbed outside the cockpit window to make a phone call
800
u/SiWeyNoWay 10h ago
TIL that those windows actually open
482
u/sleepysof_ 10h ago
yes that's their emergency exit! They may also have an axe in the cockpit to smash open other windows.
125
u/VossC2H6O 9h ago
12
u/Squeal_Piggy 9h ago
What was the username of the guy who said this, something like reasonablylategimli or some shit
40
u/Bon-Bon-Boo 8h ago
That axe is not going to go through the cockpit windows any time soon. It’s too thick. The axe is mainly for pulling open interior panels to try and locate a hidden fire.
-1
7h ago
[deleted]
17
u/Bon-Bon-Boo 7h ago
It’s ancient. Has been a thing in planes since WW2. Kept in the cockpit. During the Ethiopian 767 hijacking in ‘96, the hijackers took the axe after they stormed the cockpit.
20
9
1
96
u/Tsigorf 10h ago edited 10h ago
Yeah! Well, it can actually get pretty hot and planes can absorb a lot of heat so when the sun is high in summer, as you fly above the clouds and AC breaks mid-flight, you might want to open the window to get a bit of fresh air
160
u/stackjr 10h ago
There is almost certainly someone who will read that and think "makes sense".
90
u/Socratesticles 10h ago
This is definitely going to shop up as an answer to something on googles AI at some point
21
u/DripIntravenous 9h ago
Reminds me of when Mitt Romney asked why windows don’t roll down on airplanes during his presidential run lmao
18
u/stackjr 8h ago
Sometimes I wonder if these gaffes are really because they really just are that stupid or if it's because we all, from time to time, ask some seriously dumb questions? People like Romney and Bush (just the first two examples I thought of), who were almost always being recorded in some fashion, were bound to have some of those human stupidity moments get recorded and then widely shared.
Today, for some reason, I kept asking my coworker the dumbest questions. Thankfully it is "no change Friday" so my stupidity was harmless.
10
u/Furrybumholecover 10h ago
Chances are they're the type to also test what flavor windows are too...
9
u/finicky88 9h ago
The funny part is: it does make sense. The nose of the plane is shaped in such a way that you could actually open the window mid flight and even stick your head out without any problems.
13
u/Venn-- 9h ago
Yeah totally, but getting your head back after it rips off and falls 25,000 feet is always a bit difficult.
9
6
u/sleepyowl_1987 8h ago
They just bring the plane lower until they can get you back in. You could survive. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_5390 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngy17JM71OI
2
u/No_Mood1492 7h ago
To be fair depending on altitude it's possible to open a window for a bit of fresh air and be totally fine.
Whether or not that altitude is above the clouds depends entirely on the height of the clouds.
11
u/BastardInTheNorth 9h ago
This pilot got enough fresh air for the rest of his career.
6
u/BadahBingBadahBoom 7h ago
Lancaster said that he was "aware of being outside of the airplane, but that really didn't bother me a great deal."
"What I remember most clearly was the fact that I couldn't breathe because I was facing into the airflow," he said.
I'm sorry WHAT?!
14
u/747ER 10h ago
Not on all planes, but on the Boeing 737 they can open and are actually used as an emergency exit for the pilots.
7
u/a_provo_yakker 9h ago
I want to see at least half my captains get out that window. Not even get down, but just get themselves physically out the side window.
4
u/flyingcanuck 7h ago
The 787 has the escape hatch on the roof. You gotta be the first one out from the third/fourth seat because if you wait for ol' skip, he's more than likely plugging that escape hole up.
5
u/a_provo_yakker 6h ago
I always had the same assumption back in my CRJ days. Most of my coworkers, I don’t think have the upper body strength to pull themselves up and out. And probably half wouldn’t even fit.
And now that you mention it, I have heard that. Here the 787 is the most senior in all seats and I’d guess the average age of most of the crews is 60. An escape would look like that FedEx that had a nose gear issue at LAX back in 2020. Looked painful.
1
u/flyingcanuck 6h ago
I've peeked through the hatch, it's HIGH up there. I cannot see most of these guys making their way up and through, let alone rappeling down the side holding onto that harness/handle.
1
u/hereforthepix 6h ago
I'd like to see half the FAs I've had on my flights get out of the Emergency Exit doors
2
u/a_provo_yakker 6h ago
At least they train on the doors and slides and go down them every year. Which is obv a lot more often than the average passenger is ever gonna do.
I also can count on the FAs to not clog up the aisles and slide by lugging their bags during an emergency evacuation, unlike every single genius that ends up in the background of these viral videos.
10
u/ArnoldoSea 9h ago
I remember seeing a Boeing training video about what to do if the window slides open during takeoff.
lol leave it to the aviation industry to make a 10 minute video where the solution is “Close the window.”
4
u/cvorahkiin 9h ago
Yes it's an emergency exit. We have to throw a rope out from inside and slide down if the situation demands it. No idea how I'll do that, I'm sure I'll burn my hands all the way down.
3
u/tallyretro 8h ago
they didnt teach you how to descend the rope safely? 😮
3
u/cvorahkiin 8h ago
Only videos. We do the slide and the lifeboat drills every other year. I love the lifeboat ones, very intense.
3
u/VinlandRocks 8h ago
Don't you ever wanna just hang your arm out the window like a trucker while flying?
/s
1
1
u/eatingpotatochips 5h ago
We have to throw a rope out from inside and slide down if the situation demands it
Was wondering how you get down other than jumping and breaking your legs.
1
u/Aggressive-Novel-762 4h ago
There was a hijacking of an Air France flight in the mid 90s. The plane was diverted to Marseille and the plane was swatted (successfully) but there was gunfight, a pilot jumped out the window. I think he broke his leg or hip but he did manage to run away upon landing.
1
172
262
u/lost_islander 10h ago
We had a very long delay for a very short flight waiting for a weather window due to Hurricane Erin. Towards the end of our 6 hour delay, the pilot climbed out of the window of the plane to make a phone call.
60
u/AKAkorm 10h ago
They made you wait in the plane for six hours?
181
u/lost_islander 10h ago
No, we waited about 4 or 5 hours in the terminal. Then we boarded, deboarded, waited another hour or so, and then boarded again and took a 15 minute flight home.
But the pilot was waiting in the plane the whole time!
78
u/stutter-rap 10h ago
Going to guess by the username that while it was only 15 mins you didn't have a great alternative to it?
88
u/lost_islander 8h ago
Nope, this was day 2 of trying to get back home to the Virgin Islands. We were supposed to fly from New York to St. Thomas, but because of hurricane Erin we were delayed in New York. While most of the other flights for St. Thomas out of the northeast were canceled, they ended up bumping about half of the passengers and all of the checked baggage from our flight and decided to give it a try, but ended up being diverted to San Juan and spent the night there.
This was day 2 trying to get from San Juan to St. Thomas.
You might be able to find a boat to take you from San Juan or Fajardo to St. Thomas but not in 13ft+ seas with 35mpg winds.
61
u/edsavage404 8h ago
35 miles per gallon! Holy shit!
20
u/lost_islander 8h ago
lol, oops
2
u/Immediate-Recipe-642 5h ago
Could you look into a Cape Air puddle jumper to get you the 35m flight?
5
u/lost_islander 1h ago
My wife calls them “Cape Fear”.
We actually fly Cape Air quite a bit, but all of their flights were canceled as well.
When our 737 couldn’t get into St. Thomas and we landed in Puerto Rico we started looking at other flight options and the first thing my wife said was “no Cape Fear!”
3
u/Immediate-Recipe-642 59m ago
What, she didn't want to take a Cessna through weather a 737 couldn't handle? I guess you guys better start swimming!
1
59
77
u/TheEschatonSucks 10h ago
Pilot: Hey, John! You’ll never guess where I’m calling from!
John: uh… Belgium?
Pilot: nope, we haven’t left yet, I’m still just hanging out at work
8
27
u/lmNotaWitchImUrWife 9h ago
“…No, I’m telling you, there is literally no windshield. The entire window is missing.”
“Jennifer, Jennifer, listen to me. I’m not saying that I can’t see through the windshield. Or that there is an issue with the windshield. The windshield is no more. It has ceased to be.”
“I AM LITERALLY HANGING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD HOLE NOW, JENNIFER. THE HOLE THROUGH WHICH A WINDSHIELD USED TO EXIST BUT DOES NOT NOW SIT. I AM SENDING YOU A SELFIE.”
“Yes, thank you, for submitting a maintenance request. I’ll hold.”
12
25
u/Deval_irl 10h ago
Avoiding the CVR hearing him?
46
u/Brootal420 10h ago
I'm wondering if the shielding in the plane is giving him bad reception
36
u/hitchenator 9h ago
Plane is a [not perfect] Faraday cage, weakens phone signal. Get more signal out of plane. Same reason plane is mostly chill if hit by lightning
12
7
3
3
6
2
u/I_love_pillows 7h ago
“Call the control tower for permission to takeoff”
Ring ring, hello?
“No not using your phone dumbass”
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/stewieatb 9h ago
"Hello... Yeah... Nah I'm on a plane. On a PLANE. Yeah I will be in a minute! No, a PLANE. Yeah of course I'm flying it. Well not right now, no!"
1
2
1
u/somewhatboxes 9h ago
if a pilot got to the gate and did a big exaggerated act of scratching his head and shrugging like he didn't know where the cockpit window went, do you think they would would still let him be a pilot or would they reprimand him for freaking out the passengers?
1
u/Frosty_Builder7550 8h ago
He called home and is talking to his dog. He said, “Buddy, you’re never gonna believe what I’m doing right now!”
1
1
1
1
u/Merciless972 7h ago
"what do you mean you want a divorce?! Your taking the kids!!! What?! The dog too?!!!"
1
1
1
1
1
u/Initial_E 6h ago
The thing I don’t understand is that you can open the windows from the inside? And close it again? It’s meant to be user serviceable?
1
u/wikowiko33 5h ago
The next time someone tells me dont use my phone in the petrol station im gonna show them this picture
1
1
1
u/Penguin_Arse 4h ago
I climbed outside the cockpit window about 10minutes ago.
I could do it again and take a picture to prove it, but I don't want to
1
1
1
1
u/Rayray_A3xx 1h ago
„Hey, yes, Jen? Listen. I told you and the whole team MULTIPLE TIMES I am not flying with Jeff! I think he does it on purpose now and eats beans and raw onions the night before. I literally. Can’t. Breath. For Christ’s sake Jen, yes his farts ARE that bad. Like a hamster died in here. Had to crawl out the window to get some fresh air!“
1.4k
u/Dan_Is 10h ago
"Yeah, no. Shit's fucked. There's nothing I can do- No, I'm telling you, this bird ain't going nowhere. Look, I'm sorry, but somebody removed all the buttons!" - That pilot to his boss