Originally Posted by qaluunat
For you pilots who fly these large planes, when you are taking off, or coming in to land, how do you feel?
I have flown 172's for the majority of my flying career. I am like you in that I feel exhilirated anytime I lift off the ground, or I start my flare over the runway. I was lucky enough to fly a full motion 747-400 simulator. It is a small box suspended on a 6 axis motion system in a gymnasium size room. Costs $14 million dollars, every single switch in the cockpit is an exact replica on the 747, and it feels the exact same as if u were flying a real airplane. To me, it was the same exhilirating feeling I get when flying a 172. The differences were:
1. Things happened a lot faster. The man working the sim for us secretly put an airplane on a collission course with us. I looked at two lights coming up from the water (thinking it was a boat), then suddenly it was an airliner, and I had to dive the 747 to miss it. Much faster rate of closure than in a 172.
2. There is a lot of mass behind you. Make small corrections. Once you turn a 747, the inertia wants to keep it there. Kind of a cool feeling the first time.
3. Lots more switches and displays. Good in the fact that you have A LOT more situational awareness. Bad because you have a lot more going on.
Originally Posted by HeavyDriver
It didn't look fast because the cockpit sits 20 feet high
4. Haha. When I touched the 747 down the first time, I commented that I would exit at the next tawiway. Then my buddy told me we were still at 100kts. I could have sworn we were going 20kts. Sitting 44ft above the ground really affects your perception.
Overall, it is very similar in terms of flying qualities. Personally, I thought landing a 747 with autothrottles was easier than landing a 182. Just pitch the airplane to get it over the runway. Cut the power. Touch down.
Flying is flying.