Things passengers say.
 

Sometimes they know far more information about aviation than any simple airline pilot. Share your stories.

When I was a regional FO flying from YYZ to EWR, there was a pretty decent snow storm at departure. We were in a long line awaiting deice and inflight called us to say a younger female was having some anxiety issues. Captain was older and furloughed ATA CA and asked to speak with her on the inter phone. She explained she was supposed to be flying private but couldn’t at the last minute because of weather. She also said she was on the phone with her boyfriend who flies private and listed the reasons why he said our flight was a risk and a no go for any sane pilot. She was wound up that regionals weren’t safe and that the crew was inexperienced and that the go decision was putting everyone at risk. The weather was standard snow with winds below 20 knots, something like 500 over and 1/2 mile or so. Certainly something we could depart in. Captain finally calmed her down and let her know his experience felt the situation was well within acceptable limits on all accounts. He was a great guy, retired AF and last flew left seat on AF2 before a good stint at ATA. Never once mentioned any of that to her, just did his best to assure her she was in good hands. At the end of the conversation we pull from her she usually flies private with her boyfriend in control (we assumed 91 corporate) but in actuality private pilot, in a high wing Cessna.

Commuting in a little 50 seat regional to work in late afternoon in August into DFW. You know the kind of weather, it's always gonna be bumpy down low on these days and there was nothing unusual about this day. On final approach, I hear a woman in the row in front of me say to whoever was next to her in an elevated and VERY angry tone "THIS IS JUST RIDICULOUS. HE'S HITTING EVERY SINGLE AIR POCKET!!!" as though she thought the pilot was doing it on purpose. Then said, in same elevated angry tone "THIS LANDING IS GONNA BE TERRIBLE!!!" It wasn't.

With uncanny accuracy, my 11 year old nephew always asks his mother "are we there yet?" ten minutes before landing.

This is the same kid who hates mustard, saying "it looks disgusting, it tastes disgusting, it IS disgusting."

So, who knows if there is a correlation. :)

“They’re lying! I just talked to my muddha in New York it’s not even raining! She lives right by the airport.”

DH back home a few weeks ago on a 73 and the landing was a bit rough... it did bounce heh.

As we were deplaning this 80-90 something year old codger comments to the Cpt on his way out the door "you could have counted that as two landings"


It took everything I had not to laugh out loud

Cabin crew calls us on interphone:

“A gentlemen back here says he’s been flying for decades and wants to know why we’re flying so low. Says we shouldn’t be flying this low so I told him I would ask you guys about it.”

“Ok...you can let him know we’re at 36000 feet”

Had an old lady stick her head in the cockpit after the skipper “arrived” saying to me “you better go out there and see what’s left of it. This reminded me of my first time landing a B-24, and I read the manual on the way because none of us had flown one before!”

She was a WASP during WWII.

"Where is baggage claim?"

"Am I going to make my connection"
"You look so young, are you even able to drive"
"Do you always fly the same route"
"So you're a copilot, when will you get to fly the airplane."
"Do pilots have many wives"*
"I just looked at the weather on my phone and it looks like it's sunny, are you sure it's weather what's causing out delay?"
After late arrival at gate due to min rest, "About time you showed up for work"

I'm sure I have a few more in my diskette.