Ask The Pilot

[serfty]

Fairly rare for an aircraft to be using ground power, usually only when overnighting or when an APU is not available/not operational. The flicker is indicative of a transfer from APU to engine IDG via the transfer bus, with load shedding often occurring prior to engine start to minimise current draw which is why cabin lighting will be diminished in the case of the personal reading lights etc.

Sweet - certainly a switching of power source ...

 

[jb747]

Tight as in short runways, access to terminals, ramps, etc.?

As for not taking the A380 there, not what I wanted to hear.

Our Big Trip next year will possibly take in New York as well as London. We're still working out logistics. ie. whether to fly MEL-LHR, then after the cruise, LHR-JFK, then JFK-LAX-MEL. Or, fly to New York first, then grab a flight over to London.

It will depend on what No. 2 daughter is doing during that period, and whether she has time off or not.

Whatever, I'm not looking forward to being squished inside a 744 if that's all is available to us if we do fly to the US first. And flying domestic US over that continent is about as pleasant as wading through a marsh and your waders fill up....

The runways are fine but the taxiways are marginal, and the turns unfilleted, so not a good place to taxy. Buildings and other obstructions all over the place. Just catch a 380 across the ocean, and use the 744 across the USA.

 

[jb747]

If the FO is flying, what do you need to do to take control?

Generally just say taking over, he relinquishes control, and that's it. If there is some urgency to the change, I'll press the priority button on my joystick, which will lock out his inputs.

Also, with respect to standby duties, does this affect your pay if you're not flying for extended periods? Or, to ask it differently, does your pay go up and down whether or not you're flying?

Yes.

 

[jb747]

I went to the Pan McMillan site after reading about it. I viewed the details of the book and saw that it had an ebook link. However, I had to register. After I did that and navigated back to find the book, all searches come up empty.

You gotta love Australian book publisher websites (it's not on Amazon either, otherwise I'd get it to my Kindle).

I'll pass that comment on to Richard.

 

[jb747]

I believe that switching the aircraft's source of power (e.g. from APU?) to another source of electricity - i.e. the aircraft is 'unplugged' on departure and 'plugged in' on arrival at the gate.

As already said, it's power supply switching. Prior to pushback, it will be from ground power to the APU, and after start from the APU to the engine driven generators.

Where possible, the aircraft are run on external power when at the gate. That allows the APU to be either shut down, or operated under a reduced load, which gives substantial overall fuel savings.

 

[markis10]

Where possible, the aircraft are run on external power when at the gate. That allows the APU to be either shut down, or operated under a reduced load, which gives substantial overall fuel savings.

Is that mainly for wide bodies, I note ground power seems to be rarely used domestically?

 

[tuppaware]

I went to the Pan McMillan site after reading about it. I viewed the details of the book and saw that it had an ebook link. However, I had to register. After I did that and navigated back to find the book, all searches come up empty.

You gotta love Australian book publisher websites (it's not on Amazon either, otherwise I'd get it to my Kindle).

It is on Amazon - But I had issues with the download of the ebook - http://www.amazon.com/QF32-ebook/dp/B007KTLQ5W

 

[JohnM]

It is on Amazon - But I had issues with the download of the ebook - http://www.amazon.com/QF32-ebook/dp/B007KTLQ5W

I just bought the Kindle edition and it downloaded OK as far as I can see.

 

[JohnM]

I went to the Pan McMillan site after reading about it. I viewed the details of the book and saw that it had an ebook link. However, I had to register. After I did that and navigated back to find the book, all searches come up empty.

You gotta love Australian book publisher websites (it's not on Amazon either, otherwise I'd get it to my Kindle).

As just advised, it is available for Kindle at Amazon.

BookDepository has it listed but as currently unavailable for the hard copy. You can't advance purchase but you can select 'Notify me' on their site for when it arrives.

 

[docjames]

Is that mainly for wide bodies, I note ground power seems to be rarely used domestically?

Would the saving not be much greater with International / widebody and the ground time / turnaround is typically longer (A380 preparing for SYD-SIN say vs 738/767 operating SYD-MEL) hence why international may use it, whereas the saving is more marginal domestically.

 

[mjt57]

Thanks for the link to the QF32 book, folks. Maybe it was nightshift or something but it never came up in any searches. Lots of other totally irrelevant stuff did, though.

Edit: just discovered why I couldn't find it on Amazon. It's restricted to Australian customers only. I have a US based Kindle account. Oh well, looks like it's back to paper book for me...

 

[jb747]

Is that mainly for wide bodies, I note ground power seems to be rarely used domestically?

Time on the ground has a lot to do with it. Domestics are normally only at the gate for about 40 minutes, so it's not worthwhile. Especially so in summer, when you need the APU for air anyway.

Plus, I don't think the domestic gates have power. I seem to recall that when needed an external cart was always used.

 

[juddles]

Totally different question: what´s the go with the multiple layer passenger windows? Why is there a little hole in one of the layers? This question is triggered by a recent flight I did where I saw a dead moth inside the layers. How did it get there??

 

[harvyk]

Would the saving not be much greater with International / widebody and the ground time / turnaround is typically longer (A380 preparing for SYD-SIN say vs 738/767 operating SYD-MEL) hence why international may use it, whereas the saving is more marginal domestically.

On that note, is there a reason why it seems international flights sit at gates longer than domestic flights? It just seems the aircraft at dom gates come in, let people off, let new people on and go in a very short time frame, and yet I've noticed for international the plane may sit at a gate (and frequently there seems to be people in the coughpit) for hours before the flight actually departs.

(* This is my own perception, and may not have any bearing on reality)

 

[tuppaware]

Totally different question: what´s the go with the multiple layer passenger windows? Why is there a little hole in one of the layers? This question is triggered by a recent flight I did where I saw a dead moth inside the layers. How did it get there??

I know that the little hole is for movement of air between the inner-glass and perspex with the change in temperature and air pressure. unsure about the moth though.

 

[jb747]

Totally different question: what´s the go with the multiple layer passenger windows? Why is there a little hole in one of the layers? This question is triggered by a recent flight I did where I saw a dead moth inside the layers. How did it get there??

The inner layer is just cosmetic. I think the middle layer exists to provide thermal protection. If you could just touch the outer pain I'd expect your hand to become frozen to it...

 

[jb747]

On that note, is there a reason why it seems international flights sit at gates longer than domestic flights? It just seems the aircraft at dom gates come in, let people off, let new people on and go in a very short time frame, and yet I've noticed for international the plane may sit at a gate (and frequently there seems to be people in the coughpit) for hours before the flight actually departs.

The airlines try not to have aircraft just sitting around, but they are often very constrained by curfews and other timing issues, that may exist thousands of miles away. Have a think about the London - Singapore route. The usable times are quite constrained...given that you'd actually like to depart at times when people are prepared to travel, and there are curfews at both ends. Intermediate slots (i.e. at places along the way) can be an issue too.

The downtime is also used for maintenance...the sort of thing that's done on the domestic fleet on the overnight stops.

 

[smit0847]

The airlines try not to have aircraft just sitting around, but they are often very constrained by curfews and other timing issues, that may exist thousands of miles away. Have a think about the London - Singapore route. The usable times are quite constrained...given that you'd actually like to depart at times when people are prepared to travel, and there are curfews at both ends. Intermediate slots (i.e. at places along the way) can be an issue too.

The downtime is also used for maintenance...the sort of thing that's done on the domestic fleet on the overnight stops.

Planes are usually cleaned before intl flights whereas they are only cleaned for domestic flights at the end of the day arent they?

 

[mjt57]

Just catch a 380 across the ocean, and use the 744 across the USA.

Which airline(s) do that?

The problem is, if QF still operates B744s MEL-LAX then what's the chance that I'd end up on one of them rather than the A380?

Whatever we do we still have a few months before we can book, or to take advantage of any specials. We'll be travelling in around May 13.

As for Richard's book and passing comments to him, thanks. Amazon did say that it will be available "globally" from 2th Jul, I think it said. If it's not, then I'll lash out and buy the paper version. Or I might buy both ebook and paper one. Despite going ebook, I do still love the idea of a well stocked library. Only problem is finding room for all the books...

 

[mjt57]

Generally just say taking over, he relinquishes control, and that's it. If there is some urgency to the change, I'll press the priority button on my joystick, which will lock out his inputs.

So, operation of either stick will control the aircraft despite who's flying it? What happens if you bank left and he banks right, for example?

Other than, of course, he getting a flick under the ear and a stern talking to....