Secrets pilots won't tell you

[Gail]

Quote:

Secrets pilots won't tell you

By A. Pawlowski, CNN

(CNN) -- You hear their voices over the airplane speakers and you sometimes catch a glimpse of them as they inspect a plane before departure, but for the most part airline pilots remain a mystery.

Regal in their uniforms, locked in the cockpit, you know your life is in their hands -- but what are their lives really like these days?

Not so glamorous and often grueling, it turns out. Reader's Digest asked 17 pilots from major airlines and regional carriers to divulge some of the realities of their jobs, and many of the comments are chilling.

"The truth is, we're exhausted. Our work rules allow us to be on duty 16 hours without a break. That's many more hours than a truck driver. And unlike a truck driver, who can pull over at the next rest stop, we can't pull over at the next cloud," a captain at a major airline told the magazine.

Another pilot said bad accommodations also make it hard to get enough sleep.

"When you get on that airplane at 7 a.m., you want your pilot to be rested and ready. But the hotels they put us in now are so bad that there are many nights when I toss and turn. They're in bad neighborhoods, they're loud, they've got bedbugs, and there have been stabbings in the parking lot," said Jack Stephan, a US Airways captain.

Reader's Digest: 50 secrets your pilot won't tell you

Pilots also spoke out about some of the cost-cutting measures airlines have implemented in recent years. One of the comments that most surprised Peggy Northrop, editor-in-chief of Reader's Digest, dealt with fuel.

"I'm constantly under pressure to carry less fuel than I'm comfortable with. Airlines are always looking at the bottom line, and you burn fuel carrying fuel. Sometimes if you carry just enough fuel and you hit thunderstorms or delays, then suddenly you're running out of gas and you have to go to an alternate airport," a captain at a major airline told Reader's Digest.

Pilots are really playing that margin very, very close, Northrop told CNN, a revelation that may make lots of fliers queasy.

And if you're afraid of those bumps that shake your coffee cup during a flight, take note that pilots avoid turbulence because it's annoying rather than dangerous. But pay attention to the signals on board.

"It's one thing if the pilot puts the seat belt sign on for the passengers. But if he tells the flight attendants to sit down, you'd better listen. That means there's some serious turbulence ahead," said John Greaves an airline accident lawyer and former airline captain, according to Reader's Digest.

There are also some secrets pilots want you to know, like the best time to give them a compliment.

"Most of the time, how you land is a good indicator of a pilot's skill. So if you want to say something nice to a pilot as you're getting off the plane, say 'Nice landing.' We do appreciate that," Joe D'Eon, a pilot at a major airline, told the magazine.

[Liz]

AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!! They are called "secrets" for a reason, sometimes we just don't need to know. Seriously though, I wish they would bring back passenger trains and have them go to more places.

[GreatLakesGramma]

So do I. I won't fly commercially, but I would take a train.

[Dottie]

A personal story:

One time, after boarding a flight and getting settled in, avter the flight attendants had done their thing, there was a special announcement. The pilot came on and said, "We want to extend a special welcome to [me] on our flight tonight, and may you all have a good flight."

I thought that must be something new, that perhaps they did some kind of lottery and just picked one of the passengers to give a welcome to, as an little publicity thingee. When we got off the plane, I said "Thank you for the welcome."

He said, "Call your husband." Then I began to wonder. . .

So when I called my husband, he told me the rest of the story.

Seems after he left me at the airport, he had to make a little stop, and chose to go into one of the hotels on the way home. He asked the doorman where the restroom was. On the way out, he saw the doorman and realized that he was a flight captain, not a doorman, and profusely apologized. They talked for a while, and he asked what airline, then told the captain that I was flying that airline. The captain asked what flight, and then asked my name, and so on. . .

I think it was a very nice gesture.