Just a few questions

[deep-blue-iris]

Hi there!

Have posted this in another forum but want to get as many answers as I can, so if anyone here can help, please do!

I've not ventured onto this part of the forums before, so hope someone can answer my questions.

These are little things that have been bothering me for years that I'd really like to know the answer to:

1. Auto-pilot, when does it kick in? I think I'm pretty naive in thinking it kicks in when we've hit cruise, so just how early does it kick in and how late does it kick-out, so to speak?

2. Is there such a thing as auto-landing? And, flying from MAN in the UK, will I ever have experienced one? The idea sort of scares me a little, but it's not something I routinely worry about. What does it do if it does exist, does it just get the plane on the ground or does it taxi too?

3. Are trans-Atlantic flights normally very bumpy? I flew to NYC with my school from Heathrow, and on the return leg the turbulence was really bad and I was quite scared Obviously my parents weren't with me, but even at 16 I was too scared to ask the flight attendants if all was normal. I think if I knew it was all OK, I wouldn't be so worried about any turbulence now, as even slight bumps get me worried, because I think it's going to be a repeat of my NYC flight.

4. I'm flying to France next summer, hopefully, with a friend who is a wheelchair user. She's flown the route before, but can you give me any advice on flying with a wheelchair user. My uncle is paralyzed and we used to fly with him but obviously, again my parents were there and dealt with everything. Will they seat us on an exit row (I HATE the idea of being there I think it'd make me panic), or somewhere else and will they offer us help getting on the plane if there's no jetway and only stairs? Anything else I should know?

5. Last one, I've only ever flown on Boeing and Airbus jets, I think. What are the smaller jets like to fly on? And what's it like to fly on any other kind of plane?

Well, hope someone can answer these for me, to anyone who does, thank you in advance

[Barb-SAN]

4. I'm flying to France next summer, hopefully, with a friend who is a wheelchair user. She's flown the route before, but can you give me any advice on flying with a wheelchair user. My uncle is paralyzed and we used to fly with him but obviously, again my parents were there and dealt with everything. Will they seat us on an exit row (I HATE the idea of being there I think it'd make me panic), or somewhere else and will they offer us help getting on the plane if there's no jetway and only stairs? Anything else I should know?

I feel fairly confident in assuring you that you & your friend will not be seated in an exit row. People seated there are supposed to be "able-bodied" and able to help other passengers evacuate the plane in an emergency.

I'd suggest contacting the airlines that you will be flying with directly and ask them what sort of assistance you can expect from them. I do know elderly people who have needed wheelchairs to get around the terminal (unable to walk very long distances). The wheelchairs were provided by the airlines for their use in the terminal. I don't know the answer to how they manage to get paralyzed(?) passengers up the stairs to the plane if there is no jetway. Please let us know what you find out (or perhaps Capt. Hutch or someone else here knows the answer).

[deep-blue-iris]

Thanks for the respons Barb, my friend has cerebral palsy and can walk, but I think the stairs would be a step too far! When my uncle flew, there was always a jetway so the issue never came up.

Good to know about the exit rows! I wonder if I can avoid them generally because I'm visually impaired??

[Barb-SAN]

Good to know about the exit rows! I wonder if I can avoid them generally because I'm visually impaired??
You have to be strong enough to open the exit window and set it aside, and then be willing to help other passengers exit the plane. I would THINK that any kind of a handicap would prevent you from being seated in those seats. Are you able to choose your seats ahead of time on that airline?

As far as your friend with cerebral palsy...have you found any Internet forums for people with that disability? I'd think others with the same problem would have many helpful travel tips.

[MathFox]

Thanks for the respons Barb, my friend has cerebral palsy and can walk, but I think the stairs would be a step too far! When my uncle flew, there was always a jetway so the issue never came up.

Good to know about the exit rows! I wonder if I can avoid them generally because I'm visually impaired??
Airlines do offer assistence, they have specialists dealing with disabled passengers and it is good to notify them well in advance. They will ask about what the wheelchair passenger can do and arrange appropriate assistence.

The rule for exit row passengers is "able bodied". (Being able to lift the exit hatch (~25 kg) and throw it out.) You don't need to have 20/20 eyesight, but being able to see without glasses (recognize whether there's fire outside) and being able to hear (and understand) instructions from the FA are requirements too. The FA should check with the people seated in the exit rows before take off.

[tusphotog]

1. Autopilot comes on whenever the pilots hit the inflate button, or whenever the flight attendant blows into the tube. :D (Go watch the movie Airplane, it'll make sense). His name is Otto (http://www.vagabondish.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/ottopilot.jpg)

Seriously though, pilots throw it on whenever they need it. Sometimes as low as 500 feet, or up to whatever. I normally sit in the front of the plane, and every now and then you can hear the autopilot disconnect horn. Usually we're a couple thousand feet up and flying the downwind leg (parallel to the runway, heading away from the airport)

2. Auto landing: you won't even notice.

4. Exit row: Do yourself a favor and don't sit there. Often on large planes it's a door and not the plug windows that Barb is talking about. Either way, if you're impaired (visually, physically) they'll reseat you. Often to a middle somewhere. I love the exit rows--except on long flights over water. It gets VERY cold by the doors. Very cold.

5. It's no different, except you can slam your head on the door frame. I'm on commuter planes all the time. I've flown everything from 4 seat float planes to a 777. I fly 70 seat props all the time. It's not the world's most glamorous ride, but certainly not bad either.