Just had a pilot ask if the black box was actually black

It's funny how often I get basic questions from flight crew about avionics gear. Made for an awkward pause while I tried not to laugh.

4 comments

4 Comments

kevinh481mo ago

Had a copilot ask if the radar dish actually spins.

tyler_bailey891mo ago

Last year a first officer asked me why the passenger oxygen masks don't inflate. I had to bite my cheek hard. The training says they're chemical generators, so they just look limp, but in that moment you realize how many small things we take for granted. I just gave the straight technical answer without smiling. You get used to those questions after a while.

simon_carr1mo ago

Hey @tyler_bailey89, don't the masks have a little bag that puffs up? Tbh, I thought they did, but maybe your training says different.

young.michael1mo ago

Our training captain in Atlanta always said those questions show someone's actually paying attention... better than silent confusion.