Ever wondered what it’s like to be in the cockpit of an aircraft, navigating through the skies and ensuring the safety of hundreds of passengers?
When we are going on holiday, most of us don’t think much about what it takes to get there; flying can be a pleasant experience. We get on a plane, enjoy some refreshements and land in a new destination ready for some fun. Whereas pilots have a big responsibility on their shoulders for every journey they take.
Becoming a pilot takes years of dedication and those have the role need to have a lot of dedication, strong spatial awareness and the ability to deal with high stress situations. A commercial pilot, who is also a former US army veteran, has been sharing his experiences on TikTok, offering a glimpse into the life of a pilot. Recently, one curious fan asked if airplanes have gas pedals like cars do.
The pilot, known as @PerchPoint on the app, explained: “We do have pedals on both the captain and officer side. We have two pedals – right and left foot. But they control the rudder which is for directional control.”
He further clarified that the pedals also pivot forward to control the brakes, allowing pilots to step on the left pedal for left brakes or the right pedal for right brakes, which is essential for directional control and slowing down during landing. “There’s lots of switches and buttons but no gas pedals,” he said.
Explaining how pilots get the aircraft to go forward, he said that two or four thrust levers are used by hand. “We take them both and push them forward – one for the left engine and one for the right,” he detailed.
For aircraft with more than two engines, the number of levers corresponds accordingly. Moreover, he described how airplane windshields differ from those in cars, noting that they are split, allowing the pilot and co-pilot to use independent wiper systems for their respective sides.
The pilot further clarified that while there’s no major operational difference between a captain and a first officer, the captain ultimately makes the final decisions.
In another enlightening video, the pilot addressed his interactions with passengers at airports, saying: “The general population overstimulates what pilots and aircrew actually know. If anyone stops and asks me for directions to their gate or maybe just information about their flight, I am more than happy to help because obviously we are more familiar with the system.”
He pointed out that despite being more accustomed to airport environments, pilots don’t possess specialized access or additional knowledge about flights other than their own. He admits if passengers ask about a flight he is not piloting, he often uses Google to find out.