Pilot says plane engines cut out on most flights
If you’re a nervous flyer, odds are you’ve already has visions that have revolved around your airplane’s engines cutting out mid-flight followed by some nightmarish descent.
But what if we were to tell you engines cut out on most routine flights?
The prospect of sitting in an airplane that’s 30,000 feet in the air and doesn’t have its engines on is one that’s daunting to consider (especially if you don’t have a degree in civil aviation) but most modern aircraft are designed to glide.
Even mega-jumbo jets can glide for extreme distances. If you’re sitting in the cabin and it sounds as though the engines have been turned off, it’s because they have.
Aviation expert Patrick Smith told News.com.au, “It’s not the least bit uncommon for jets to descend at what a pilot calls ‘flight idle,’ with the engines run back to a zero-thrust condition,” he wrote.
“They’re still operating and powering crucial systems, but providing no push. You’ve been gliding many times without knowing it. It happens on just about every flight.
“Obviously an idle-thrust glide is different from the engines quitting outright, but even then, the glide itself would be no different.”
Were you aware of this? Are you a nervous flyer?