I ran across an interesting article on detective Kevin Coffey’s website which lists specific information regarding your flight in which the pilot must provide. For instance, you can ask:
- Are you licensed, rated and current for this flight?
- Have you checked the weight and balance of the aircraft?
- Have you obtained a weather forecast?
- Have you filed a flight plan?
- Should I make alternative arrangements or reschedule due to bad weather?
This seems more like stuff you’d ask the pilot of a smaller, private aircraft, but I wonder if this applies commercial pilots as well? Also included in the article are things you can’t ask a pilot:
- To carry a payload beyond the weight and balance limitations of the aircraft
- To takeoff or land at an airstrip which is less than the length required by the aircraft
- To fly below 500 feet, except for takeoff or landing
- To fly into weather he or she considers unsafe or against regulations
- To fly beyond allowable duty time limits
- To take risks by continuing a flight for the sake of meeting one of your prior commitments
I can think of some other things you can’t ask a pilot, like “Will you fly this thing upside-down?” or “Can I open the window?” If they say no, I’ll just whip out my printed list from Kevin Coffey’s website and say, “Yeah, well too bad. You have to.”