# 747 Pilot Simulator

How a Boeing 747\-400 flight deck works, from the four engine levers and landing gear to the autopilot, take\-off and landing\.

By PETE\!

Topic: Machines

[Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/RWhGWqToAwXW)

## Transcript

### 1. Welcome to the flight deck

This is the flight deck of a Boeing 747\-400, the jumbo jet\. It sits high on the plane's upper deck, in the hump behind the nose\. Two pilots fly it side by side: the captain on the left and the first officer on the right\. Drag anywhere to look around\.

The 747\-400 is about 70\.6 metres long, nearly as long as six city buses in a row\.

### 2. Screens that tell the story

Each pilot has two main screens\. The primary flight display shows a picture of the sky and ground that tilts with the plane, with speed on the left and height on the right\. The screens in the middle show all four engines\.

This cockpit has about 365 lights, gauges and switches, only about a third as many as the first 747s\.

### 3. Four engines, four levers

A 747 has four jet engines, and each one has its own thrust lever\. Pushing them forward gives more power\. Press Take off, or drag the cream levers forward yourself, and watch the runway rush past\.

A fully loaded 747\-400 can weigh up to 412,770 kg at take\-off\.

### 4. Wheels up

Once the plane is climbing, the pilots raise the landing gear so the wheels tuck away and the air slips past more easily\. The lever's knob is shaped like a little wheel, so a pilot can find it by touch\. The green lights go out when the gear is up\.

### 5. Fly it yourself

The yoke is the pilot's steering wheel\. Drag the captain's yoke left or right to bank and turn, and drag it toward you to raise the nose\. Watch the horizon on the screen tilt as the plane moves\.

A 747 has a yoke, not a joystick\. Pull back and the nose goes up; push forward and it goes down\.

### 6. The autopilot takes over

For most of a long trip a computer called the autopilot flies the plane, while the pilots watch, plan and talk to air traffic control\. Switch it on to climb to cruising height, about 35,000 feet, high above the clouds\.

At cruise a 747\-400 flies at about 85 percent of the speed of sound, around 900 km per hour\.

### 7. Coming in to land

To land, the pilots slow down, lower the flaps to give the wings extra lift at low speed, and put the wheels down\. The plane glides gently toward the runway, touches down and slows to a stop\. Press Land to bring it home\.

The time here is sped up: a real approach from this height takes a few minutes\.