Ask The Pilot

[Awesom Andy]

Didn't know AY takes the 747 to HKG. The A340 is the default equipment everyday for AY69/70 though, which also has 4 engines. It arrives HKG in the early afternoon, and departs around midnight. I would imagine it to be towed out to a remote parking area during this time to free up the gate (apart from being hideously expensive sitting at the gate for that long).

 

[mannej]

Does AY even have the 747?

 

[Skyring]

Does AY even have the 747?

They have been a very Boeing-challenged airline. Only ever operated five: a 727 in a subsidiary, and currently they have four 757s used for charter. Very likely the Finnair jet in HKG was an A340, a sweet four-engined derivative of the A330. Apart from a rare handful of Russian types, the A340 is the only single-deck four engined big jet in current service. HKG has a few remote parking areas for airliners, much like the few big jets that stand across from T1 in SYD towards the old control tower. Except HKG does it on a far grander scale. There's always airliners being shuffled around there. Marvelous for planespotters, apart from the dreadful air quality.

 

[ginnypooch]

Hi JB.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about your amazing job!
I'm a fan of your videos on youtube. There is one which is a birdseye view on the A380. I posted a comment, but I'm not sure if you have seen it. It's fine if you don't want to answer, but I was wondering why you put your hand over the first officer's hand just as take off was about to start. You said something, but I couldn't make it out. I was intrigued as to what could be happening.

Do you ever get colleagues that don't want to be on video?
Thank you and I look forward to more videos!

 

[jb747]

I'm transitting in HK at the moment. I just saw a Finnair 747 being towed, fairly rapidly, by a tug in a forward direction. Is the aircraft being towed to the runway or merely being re-located away from the main terminal?

There is no reason in normal operation to tow an aircraft to the runway.... At many places gate space is precious, so aircraft that don't need to be there are towed away, and then returned to a gate a couple of hours before their planned departure.

 

[jb747]

There is one which is a birdseye view on the A380. I posted a comment, but I'm not sure if you have seen it. It's fine if you don't want to answer, but I was wondering why you put your hand over the first officer's hand just as take off was about to start. You said something, but I couldn't make it out. I was intrigued as to what could be happening.

I noticed the comment, but didn't answer. YT is a rather different place than a moderated forum.... The engine wind up was slightly asymmetric. The hand motion was the first step in taking the aircraft back, something which a second or so later I decided I didn't need to do.

Do you ever get colleagues that don't want to be on video.

Yes. But I'm also not inclined towards putting up videos with more than a fleeting image of any of the other crew anyway.

 

[markis10]

This is probably confirmation that Airbus often overlooks things in their automation process, and pilots are human, interesting read and an example of why backups come in handy:

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...11/aair/ao-2011-151.aspx#.UCG79SzVmzg.twitter
[h=2]What happened[/h] On 8 October 2011, the flight crew of an Airbus A380-800, registered VH-OQE, was preparing for departure from Los Angeles International Airport, United States of America.
Prior to takeoff, the captain changed the departure runway that was entered in the aircraft's flight management system. The procedure for completing that task was not followed exactly, resulting in the take-off speeds not being displayed on the flight instruments.
During the take-off roll, the flight crew, becoming aware that the take-off speeds were not displayed, called out the speeds from their notes instead and proceeded with the takeoff.
[h=2]What the ATSB found[/h] The ATSB found that the captain was distracted from initially updating the runway change in the aircraft's navigation systems prior to the aircraft taxiing for the runway. Twice prior to takeoff the aircraft's systems displayed a message to check take-off data. The first officer cleared the first message on the understanding that the take-off data would be checked and in the second instance, believing that it had been checked. There were no other warnings in place to alert the crew that they were commencing the takeoff without the take-off speeds in the aircraft's navigation systems.
[h=2]What has been done as a result[/h] Qantas has advised that the aircraft manufacturer has updated the aircraft's warning systems as part of a planned upgrade program. This upgrade will issue a warning if takeoff is commenced without the take-off speeds having been entered into the aircraft's systems. They also advised that their standard operating procedures have been updated to avoid any misinterpretation regarding the required actions in the case of a runway change.
[h=2]Safety message[/h] This incident highlights the problem of distraction during critical stages of flight preparation. It also highlights the importance of good flight crew communication to ensure a shared understanding of the aircraft's systems status.

 

[jb747]

A very similar 'fault' exists in the Boeing glass jets. I forget the exact methods, but there are a couple of ways for the entered data to self delete. That then upsets the displays quite a bit.

The final backup was always to write the Vspeeds on piece of paper attached to the holder by your #2 window. Whilst paperless might be a tidy ideal, I've never yet seen a piece of paper delete itself, or an old style speed bug disappear.....

 

[mjt57]

This is probably confirmation that Airbus often overlooks things in their automation process, and pilots are human, interesting read and an example of why backups come in handy:

Why was this brought to the attention of ATSB in the first place?

Twice prior to takeoff the aircraft's systems displayed a message to check take-off data.

Qantas has advised that the aircraft manufacturer has updated the aircraft's warning systems as part of a planned upgrade program. This upgrade will issue a warning if takeoff is commenced without the take-off speeds having been entered into the aircraft's systems.

FO accepted an alert/alarm that he had to check the data. So, why does this upgrade need to be done if the alerts are already in place?

And what is this take off data? Required thrust, airspeed, etc.?

 

[oz_mark]

Why was this brought to the attention of ATSB in the first place?

Probably reported by the crew/operator as part of the reporting process.

 

[mjt57]

Probably reported by the crew/operator as part of the reporting process.

Obviously, but why? Do they have to log and report all "mistakes", however trivial?

And from what I can see, as a layperson who knows bugger all about such things, it seemed to be a trivial thing. Hence my question, so I can better understand such things.

 

[markis10]

Obviously, but why? Do they have to log and report all "mistakes", however trivial?

And from what I can see, as a layperson who knows bugger all about such things, it seemed to be a trivial thing. Hence my question, so I can better understand such things.

Takeoff speeds are far from a little thing, a quick read of the EK report for MEL shows that. When something goes wrong in Aviation, often it's a lot of little things that add up to one big problem, fixing the little things helps make the world safer, even if it is an extra item on a checklist.

 

[mannej]

I guess there would be a fair bit of self regulation in the industry as well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Obviously, but why? Do they have to log and report all "mistakes", however trivial?

And from what I can see, as a layperson who knows bugger all about such things, it seemed to be a trivial thing. Hence my question, so I can better understand such things.

I'm guessing that as major accidents are seldom caused by a single event, but rather a series of events, if you combined this 'minor' matter with say, an engine failure or runway incursion or something else and you could have had a serious situation?

 

[oz_mark]

Obviously, but why? Do they have to log and report all "mistakes", however trivial?

There is a legislated list of items that must be reported, and they are quite broad in the types of things that are required to be reported. The ATSB's monthly incident report is quite long!

 

[serfty]

...

The final backup was always to write the Vspeeds on piece of paper attached to the holder by your #2 window. Whilst paperless might be a tidy ideal, I've never yet seen a piece of paper delete itself, or an old style speed bug disappear.....

Nor do they require batteries (or other power source) to remain available.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Are there any airports that use the aircrafts right hand side doors as the main entry/exit for passengers and crew? (would give a new meaning to the "turn left upon boarding" directive)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Are there any airports that use the aircrafts right hand side doors as the main entry/exit for passengers and crew? (would give a new meaning to the "turn left upon boarding" directive)

none as far as I'm aware. I have seen pictures from the 70s with a 747 attached to the terminal via both front doors... one of the major American airports like dallas or something iirc.

aircraft layout is such that it's pretty much standard to have to board from the left... catering trucks pull up to service the forward right hand galley meaning you have to attach the aircraft to the other side...

edited... I take most of the above back... seems at Sal in cape verde islands they use the right doors!

 

[Major]

There is a report on AV Herald Accident: Hawaiian B763 near Pago Pago on Dec 2nd 2010, turbulence injures 4 about turbulence and it mentions "gravity waves"

Satellite images showed no convective activity in the area, meteorologists assessed the aircraft was climbing through a boundary defined by significant decrease in atmospheric pressure. These boundaries are conducive to gravity waves.

Are these gravity waves a common occurence ?

 

[ginnypooch]

There is a legislated list of items that must be reported, and they are quite broad in the types of things that are required to be reported. The ATSB's monthly incident report is quite long!

Does this sort of thing therefore result in major ticking off?