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Titled "Bro wtf my pilot doing?" from r/WrongAnswersOnly

So I saw a meme featuring this photo on Reddit (although the text makes me think its from TikTok) and I was wondering what the aircraft was. It has a yoke, so its not Airbus, and the show the pilot is watching is Eromanga Sensei, which means this photo was taken in April 9, 2017 or later, although it does appear to have a somewhat old cockpit. It also appears to have what looks like eyebrow windows, although I'm probably wrong about that. I also have a higher quality but slightly photoshopped image.

Titled "Bro wtf my pilot doing" from r/2007scape

I also noticed that the pilot is wearing what looks like an oxygen mask, and the nose of the aircraft seems to be abruptly cut off, so could this be a simulator? Thanks!

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    $\begingroup$ FWIW, the background appears to include a dumpster, the back of a semi trailer, and a jetway. Not to mention that if it were a sim with a cockpit that has windows, there'd be a wrap-around display screen outside. So seems very unlikely this is a simulator. $\endgroup$
    – Peter Duniho
    Jul 18, 2021 at 3:21
  • $\begingroup$ The watermark says @ma.tter so maybe you can try and hit them up on any of the socials? $\endgroup$
    – Sanchises
    Jul 18, 2021 at 7:02
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    $\begingroup$ As for pilot apparently playing or watching something on a tablet, my guess would be he just learned they'll be an hour delayed due to flow control or just sent out for a mechanic to fix something that didn't pass the pre-flight checks and has therefore a lot of time to kill right now. $\endgroup$
    – Jan Hudec
    Jul 18, 2021 at 13:01
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    $\begingroup$ How certain are you the content on the iPad is not edited in? If it is (which is my guess) then it has no bearing on the date of the original photo. By the way, this image has been circulating on Reddit (and other sites) since before TikTok was a thing... and the text is from Snapchat anyway, not TikTok $\endgroup$
    – randomhead
    Jul 18, 2021 at 19:16
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    $\begingroup$ @randomhead I agree... I would expect the lower quality image to be the photoshopped version, if for no other reason than this makes it harder to detect the alterations. $\endgroup$
    – Michael
    Jul 19, 2021 at 18:25

2 Answers 2

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That is a McDonnell Douglas MD-80. You can clearly see the characteristic engine fire handle for the left engine in your second picture (red circle, the one for the right engine is hidden behind the oxygen tube):

Cockpit

The picture also shows the first officer's Primary Flight Display (blue circle). These were still analog instruments in the Douglas DC-9 and earlier MD-80 variants. Here is a view of an MD-80 cockpit for reference:

MD-80
(source: YouTube: MD80 Cockpit Takeoff Part 2 FULL HD)

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    $\begingroup$ Any comment on why the pilot appears to be using an oxygen mask? $\endgroup$
    – Michael MacAskill
    Jul 18, 2021 at 21:38
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    $\begingroup$ @MichaelMacAskill I think that is just an optical illusion. Unlike more modern airliners, where the oxygen masks are hidden in the side panels, the MD-80 has them hanging from the ceiling next to the pilots (see e.g. this YouTube video). If the pilot would wear the oxygen mask, the straps would be around the ear. $\endgroup$
    – Bianfable
    Jul 19, 2021 at 8:55
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    $\begingroup$ @MichaelMacAskill If this photo was taken in the last year and a half or so, I'd think it's pretty obvious why the pilot is wearing a mask... $\endgroup$
    – Darrel Hoffman
    Jul 19, 2021 at 19:07
  • $\begingroup$ @DarrelHoffman Yes, but the meme already existed in 2018, so the picture is pre-COVID. $\endgroup$
    – Bianfable
    Jul 20, 2021 at 8:06
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It looks like a DC9, or an MD 80 by the cockpit windows.

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