FROM FLIGHT SCHOOL TO THE A380 By Claude Lelaie, Test Pilot Airbus A380. Young pilots landing their single engine airplane imagine themselves doing the same thing from the left seat of an A380. Is it as easy? The answer is yes. with a few small differences due the aircraft's inertia, and to the fact that the pilot sits more than 30 feet above the ground before initiating the flare. On the other hand, an airliner's take off procedures are different from a light plane's because an engine failure must, on no account, lead to an accident. With safety as a common thread, from flying to flight preparation, from training to aircraft design.
