How to Land an Airplane, According to Bear Grylls

The TV host and author of How to Stay Alive: The Ultimate Survival Guide for Any Situation (HarperCollins) shares his strategies for landing an airliner.

STEP 1: Take a seat
The left one, specifically, for easier access to the controls you’ll need. If the pilot is slumped over the controls, move him or her out of the way. Your priority is controlling the plane, not tending to the pilot.

STEP 2: Fly level
Grab the yoke, or steering wheel, which will be right in front of you. If you are in a dive, pull back to level off. If you are ascending, push down. If you are in a steep turn, rotate left or right to straighten up. Then use the yoke to bring the wings in line with the artificial horizon on the altitude indicator.

How to Stay Alive is out September 25.

STEP 3: Call for help
Change the radio to 121.5 MHz, the international air-distress frequency; say, “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”; wait for an answer. Explain to air traffic control clearly, without attempting any kind of jargon, what has happened.

STEP 4: Don’t panic
Most modern airliners can virtually land themselves but still require pilot input. You will probably be talked through certain procedures as you are coming in to land, depending on the conditions.

Excerpted from How to Stay Alive: The Ultimate Survival Guide for Any Situation (William Morrow/HarperCollins), available September 25.