![Photo by Jim Mumaw](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/737aa.jpg)
Dr. Rumack: “Can you fly this plane, and land it?”
Ted Striker: “Surely you can’t be serious.”
Dr. Rumack: “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.”
Props to you, Dear Reader, if you’re familiar with this classic cockpit hilarity from the 1980 spoof “Airplane!” (If you haven’t seen it, we here at Avgeekery strongly suggest you put it on your “must see” list.)
The movie pokes fun at mid-air disaster movies. In this case, all three crew members have taken ill. Striker, a former military pilot whose flying nerves are shot, is asked by a passenger (the brilliant Leslie Nielsen), who happens to be a doctor, if Striker can take over and save the day.
But enough of that frivolity. If you’re a frequent flier, perhaps during some long flight your mind has wandered to the scenario of “What happens if the pilot and co-pilot become unconscious?” If your thoughts then take you into Hero Mode, here’s a great virtual video on How To Land A 737. (Pro tip: Even with computers and an auto pilot, it is not nearly as simple as you might think.)
Here’s hoping this fantasy never becomes a reality.