MooNoi Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 This is just a thought, and not meant to generalise Thai people in any way, shape or form, so please don't read it like that! But... How good are TG pilots in an emergency? I was wondering this as I was flying on my TG flight the other day. I know they are well-trained, well-educated, and more-than-likely from a very "westernised" part of Thai society, but in an emergency, in a high-pressure situation, would the Bhuddist traits, the "Thai-ness" and a feeling of "mai pen rai" and "its all part of the big plan" come into play??? My ex-girlfriend, a member of TG cabin-crew told me that when TG get a new aircraft, monks have to be brought to the airport before the first passenger flight to bless the plane and each flight deck has a small bhudda image for protection. (I laughed at that - remember the movie "Flying High" - the Australian name - or "Airplane" as is was known in the USA with the protective icon on the front dash?! Too funny!) Anyway, I know that human beings have a basic survival instinct, but I just wonder with Thais being quite fatalistic people, how much this would come into consideration in an emergency situation whilst airborne? Personally, give me an Aussie, Brit or European flight-deck crew and I'm a LOT more comfortable! Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 <<Personally, give me an Aussie, Brit or European flight-deck crew and I'm a LOT more comfortable!>> I'm happy to fly with a Thai pilot--a female Thai pilot I might think twice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samak Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 how can you raise that question! i am flying TG in average 3-4 times per month without having much alternative. probably you should not compare attitude, mentality and stressresistence of the TG pilots with your average BG Lek and Noy, Somsak from the noodle stall next door, your maid Nittaya and Montri "the whistle" Tokchai your guard sleeping all night at the entrance of your hotel/apartment etc. those guys (i have never seen any female pilot in TG) come most from priviledged families where they enjoyed a priviledged education in a different thinking environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbaron Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 I think they'd be as good as any. The strongest human instinct is the will, or desire to live - Thai or not. I doubt anyone would give up so easily. (Trying to convince myself here, 50/50 - I fly them all the time too!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 >How good are TG pilots in an emergency? I think a more relevant question is how good they are preventing emergencies well ahead of time when this requires the junior co-pilot to tell to his senior that he has made a mistake or even rudely to take over the controls. This basically requires them to go against all their cultural indoctrination about respecting the elders and avoiding loss of face and confrontations. Btw. I had one of my scariest landings last week when I returned from Siem Reap on Bangkok Airways: for a moment it seemed like we were going to start spinning down the runway... I suspect the landing speed was too high and the pilot started braking too hard. Wagner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pe7e Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 A few years ago a Thai pilot managed to land a large passenger jet with no loss of life, after a Chinese man intent on suicide dropped a handgrenade down the toilet. The resulting explosion blew a large hole in the fuselarge and severed hydraulic lines, all this at cruising altitude! The only injury was the man himself, who was scalded by the hot hydraulic fluid. I would fly with that pilot anytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp1 Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 FP, I do not know why you raised this question. Pilots of TG are 'checked out' and trained according to FAA standards of the US. There is no difference between a pilot from Thailand or any Western country. I use this airline quite often and I do feel absolutely safe on board of their flights. Let them have their Buddha images, that's ok and still better than flying with PK Pakistan Intl. that is) where the captain tells you on lets say a flight from Islamabad to Karachi that we're landing in Karachi in 1 and a half hours, inshallah. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 jp1, there is a point in Flypapillon's remark about seniorityproblems between captain and copilot. one of the 2 A300 crashes China Airlines was most probably due to the captain not listening to the first officer. This again probably originating from the fact that they are all ex army pilots and not prepared to criticize. They have a team from Lufthansa Consulting in place since 2001 which tries to deal with this indeed "Asian " speciality.. BuBi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 anyone ever flown with a female pilot(any nationality qualifies)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 ib13 said:anyone ever flown with a female pilot(any nationality qualifies)? Fairly common on US commuter airlines. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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