Introduction to Pilot Podcast

➤ How is flying during winters?
➤ Types of ILS Approach
➤ What do pilots do when they don’t have visual with the runway?
➤ What is minima / minimums?
➤ Pilot Flying and Pilot Monitoring
➤ Minima vs Minimums
➤ Can a pilot sleep while using auto-landing?
➤ Can a cockpit go pilotless?
➤ Our IR check
➤ Requirements for pilotless airplanes
➤ Why are old planes converted into cargo planes?
➤ Cargo operations
➤ Are cargo operations profitable?
➤ When will the Cadet Pilot Program start?
➤ What should you do while waiting for a Cadet Pilot Program?
➤ Pilot in India vs Abroad (Canada, USA, etc.)
➤ Can you become an Airline Pilot in the USA?
➤ Conclusion

Key Points

  • Pilotless Timeline

    15-30yrs min (AI data needs, infra gaps like ILS-out; current fleets 20-30yr life need pilots).

  • Winter Low-Vis Ops

    Cat I (800m+), Cat II (300m), Cat IIIB (<100m autoland); minima (vis/DH ban), minimums (RA callout).

  • PF/PM Roles

    Pilot Flying handles flight; PM monitors, radios, calls "minimums" (US) or minima.

  • Autoland Reality

    No sleep—Singapore veered off (ground intrusion); practice every 30 days select airports.

  • Old Plane Cargo Shift

    Higher maint cycles, stringent passenger regs; fewer souls/risk, night slots profitable (e.g., Kolkata-Dhaka 30min/3hr ground).

  • Cargo Pilot Life

    Short domestic low flight hrs/long duty (10hr/1.5hr air); intl viable; pilots load small ops.

Summary

Winter flying challenges: fog reduces vis→Cat I-III ILS (Cat IIIB India max, autoland no visual ref <100m RVR); hood training→minima (vis/DH ban), minimums (RA "approaching minima" call); PF flies, PM monitors/calls. Autoland vigilant (Singapore off-runway post-land intrusion)—no sleep below 10kft, 30-day recency select airports. Pilotless myth: passengers trust? 737 Max MCAS fail; AI needs decades data/infra (visual/ILS-out airports); current fleets 20-30yrs + 1000s orders ensure jobs. Old passenger jets→cargo: maint surges, less stringent regs/fewer souls; night slots cheap (Kolkata-Dhaka: 30min air/3hr ground loading fish/garments); profitable intl, domestic short-duty heavy. Cadet wait? Train now—US/India viable; IR checks pivot (Hyderabad ILS→Vijayawada drive).

Conclusion

Human pilots irreplaceable near-term: AI autonomous taxis/lands limited (infra gaps, malfunction overrides like 737 Max, trust factor); winters demand Cat III mastery amid diversions. Cargo sustains old fleets profitably (night intl slots, pilot loading), bridging to airline booms. Aspiring: ignore hype—start DGCA/US training; persistent transitions (IR checks, cadet gaps) yield cockpits for decades amid massive orders/infra builds.



FAQ

  • When will cockpits go pilotless?

    15-30yrs min: AI lacks visual/ILS-out handling, needs vast data/infra; current fleets + orders ensure pilot demand.

  • Winter fog landing minima?

    Cat I >800m vis, Cat II ~300m, Cat IIIB <100m RVR autoland (no visual ref if

  • Minima vs minimums callouts?

    Minima: vis/DH approach ban; minimums: RA height alert ("approaching minimums") by PM

  • Can pilots sleep on autoland?

    No—post-land vigilance (Singapore veered from intrusion); disconnect if off-centerline, no reverse go-around.

  • Why convert old planes to cargo?

    Maint/pressurization cycles rise; passenger regs stricter—fewer souls/risk, viable night ops

  • Cargo pilot duty vs flight time?

    F