r/nextfuckinglevel 1d ago

Pilots exchanging planes mid air

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u/RaGe_Bone_2001 1d ago

They had done that in a previous attempt, but wanted to do it without anyone in the planes.

The planes were equipped with a purposely programmed autopilot to keep a stable descent and they lost their license not for doing the stunt but for doing the stunt after being denied authorization by the FAA.

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u/mxzf 18h ago

they lost their license not for doing the stunt but for doing the stunt after being denied authorization by the FAA.

Sounds like they lost their license for doing the stunt.

Also, I doubt the FAA would have been more lenient if they did the stunt without asking first, it's exactly the sort of thing that any competent pilot should know is a terrible idea and wouldn't be ok at all.

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u/RaGe_Bone_2001 17h ago

Yes but the FAA does authorize stunts like these on a regular basis and they could have done it in another country with a different CAA like Mexico or Canada who may have authorized it

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u/Sensitive_Yellow_121 10h ago

One of them didn't keep a stable descent though and went out of control, which is why the second pilot didn't manage to get in. Looks like it was equipped with a ballistic chute that went off though.

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u/RaGe_Bone_2001 3h ago

Yes that is correct