Ask The Pilot

[horseman]

In all of the times that I've flown over, I've never seen any military aircraft, other than the occasional transport up in the airways with us. You don't get 'escorts'.

How sure is she that it was actually military? You do see other aircraft travelling along with you.

Well she described it as black and looked like a "fighter jet". She said she "looked out the window and there it was beside them, only for a few seconds then it tipped to one side and was gone in a flash"
It was then that she looked to see where they were as they were a bit concerned after seeing that

 

[medhead]

I remember the standing 400m some TV show did with a Lambo vs fighter jet. Naturally the jet lumber off the line and the Lambo took off leaving the fighter way behind. The fighter won it by a nose, but only by using the afterburners during the take off roll.

It was a Veyron vs a Euro flighter typhoon.

Pointless comparisons anyway. Try it with a climb to 20k included.


Well, on a visual approach he'd need to avoid all clouds....and it isn't that much fun.

2 mile vertical climb.

Bugatti Veyron vs Euro Fighter - Top Gear - BBC - YouTube

 

[Tortuga]

Great videos JB !! Loved the one with the FO taking the controls, good to see some on the job training. How often do you decide to let the FO do the departure or landings - is it based on confidence levels in the FO or is there a timetable to ensure the FO gets enough practice? I noticed you said that there is a button on the joystick that can take control, if the Captain's side is activated I guess it has priority over the FOs side if he ever tried to take control? One other thing I noticed is the grey buttons at the top that get a lot of attention, from what I could see one had something to do with altitude and the other was changing the zoom/display that sits in front of you. Appreciate the videos.

 

[jb747]

Except near airport areas, and possibly when flying on the busiest routes, I thought this would be rather rare, especially in cruise. Mainly because it seems to imply you may be too close to the other aircraft!

Well, you're within 1,000 feet of aircraft going the other way, and 2,000 the same way (and sometimes for hours) lots of times during any journey. You don't see much traffic across the Pacific, but everywhere else is pretty busy.

Although it's going to always be very speculative until the briefings are finalised, and there are several factors to be considered, can you hypothesise on the flying route for the new A380 SYD-DXB-LHR that is coming next year (subject to approval)? For such a long sector (14 hours or so between SYD and DXB), how will this drastically change (if any) the consideration dynamics related to considering diversion airports for weather/fuel/medical etc. compared to a shorter sector to SIN (followed by a longer one to LHR there after)?

The dynamics of the crew structuring, and the slips is likely to change. 'Heavy' crews are needed on the leg from Oz to Dubai, but less so beyond, so it will be interesting to see how that is managed.

Dubai was already one of the prime alternates. The great circle routing is further south than previously used. I expect that there will be multiple routes, chosen based upon the winds on the day. Some of the flights to/from London already pass over the top of Dubai, so that's already a route we use. Alternates along the long leg remain thin on the ground, but not much different to the Pacific. Early in the flight Perth is more likely to be used (vice Darwin now). Later on Hyderbad is the best of the options along the way....you'll just be south of it instead of north as we are now.

Also, since QF is reconfiguring the A380 to carry more passengers, will this have any significant effect on how you fly the A380?

Not unless it changes the weights appreciably. Some extra pax on, some heavy seats out. The overall weight change will be small.

 

[jb747]

It was a Veyron vs a Euro flighter typhoon.



2 mile vertical climb.

Bugatti Veyron vs Euro Fighter - Top Gear - BBC - YouTube

I meant a climb for the car...I know the aircraft can do it....

 

[medhead]

I meant a climb for the car...I know the aircraft can do it....

I did sort of get that. Probably should have included a

 

[jb747]

Loved the one with the FO taking the controls, good to see some on the job training. How often do you decide to let the FO do the departure or landings - is it based on confidence levels in the FO or is there a timetable to ensure the FO gets enough practice? I noticed you said that there is a button on the joystick that can take control, if the Captain's side is activated I guess it has priority over the FOs side if he ever tried to take control? One other thing I noticed is the grey buttons at the top that get a lot of attention, from what I could see one had something to do with altitude and the other was changing the zoom/display that sits in front of you. Appreciate the videos.

It's not really 'on the job training', I just can't break the QFI habits from many years ago (i.e. I talk too much). My FOs do half of all the flying. Most, but not all, captains share it that way. FOs are restricted by the company in some weather conditions (basically strong crosswinds), and they cannot do autolands, or low vis operations.

The override button on the joystick gives control to whomever presses it last. It can also be used to lock a joystick out. Why? Well consider what could happen with some form of subtle incapacitation, or perhaps a heart attack.

 

[SenZubEanS]

In that video landing onto MEL-34, did you say "stop playing with the buttons and fly the plane" or something to that affect?
Was that a fairly new FO on the 380 or just friendly banter?

 

[jb747]

In that video landing onto MEL-34, did you say "stop playing with the buttons and fly the plane" or something to that affect?
Was that a fairly new FO on the 380 or just friendly banter?

Not quite the words but close enough.

There is always a tendency on the electric jets to try to get the system to do everything. He actually made it do so quite nicely. But, it was a nice day, and I would have just looked out the window and flown it like a Cessna.

Two equally valid ways of skinning the cat.

 

[Awesom Andy]

flown it like a Cessna.

Not literally, I hope.

 

[jb747]

Not literally, I hope.

Well, I've never flown a Cessna, but the basics are exactly the same. Get rid of the automatics, and look outside.....

 

[markis10]

Novel concept for some pilots to look outside, especially in some GA circuits like Bankstown!

 

[straitman]

Novel concept for some pilots to look outside, especially in some GA circuits like Bankstown!

.... and one of the hardest things to get people to do when they are learning. :shock:

 

[mjt57]

Well, I've never flown a Cessna, but the basics are exactly the same. Get rid of the automatics, and look outside.....

I recall a discussion in aus.aviation years ago about exercises between the RAAF and RNZAF. Apparently our F18s went up against their (formerly our) A4s. Supposedly some of the A4 drivers gave our guys a bit of a hiding because the claim was that the F18 is so full of gadgetry that they tended to try and drive the combat from their screens rather than actually looking out and around at what the A4s were doing.

What are your views on that?

 

[jb747]

I recall a discussion in aus.aviation years ago about exercises between the RAAF and RNZAF. Apparently our F18s went up against their (formerly our) A4s. Supposedly some of the A4 drivers gave our guys a bit of a hiding because the claim was that the F18 is so full of gadgetry that they tended to try and drive the combat from their screens rather than actually looking out and around at what the A4s were doing.

With equal quality pilots, the A4 shouldn't have chance.

It didn't do badly against the Mirage because there wasn't as big performance difference as you might imagine, and the Mirage didn't really have much of a 'system' (and the A4 had none). The A4 could outturn the Mirage, but the Mirage had the speed advantage. And of course, the Mirage had to use the burner to even match the power to weight of the A4.

The only facet in which I can see an A4 being superior to an F18 would be in ease of parking.

 

[richie9x]

I recall a discussion in aus.aviation years ago about exercises between the RAAF and RNZAF. Apparently our F18s went up against their (formerly our) A4s. Supposedly some of the A4 drivers gave our guys a bit of a hiding because the claim was that the F18 is so full of gadgetry that they tended to try and drive the combat from their screens rather than actually looking out and around at what the A4s were doing.

I can recall hearing the A4s had an advantage in that their heat signature was a lot less than that of the F18. So during war games it was easier for the A4s to get lock on the F18s than the other way around.

 

[jb747]

I can recall hearing the A4s had an advantage in that their heat signature was a lot less than that of the F18. So during war games it was easier for the A4s to get lock on the F18s than the other way around.

Sounds like a Kiwi talking it up. The AIM9L would have no trouble with the heat signature of either aircraft. Obviously any burner will give a wonderful target, but that still requires you to have managed to manoeuvre your aircraft to a winning aspect. I'm sure A4s got kills on 18s, but that doesn't make them a likely outcome. I got two kills on F16s in one exercise that we did, but I was killed by one of them, and I lost every encounter with the USN aggressor A4s. Being able to come back from the dead tends to help...

 

[ReLoad]

I've just finished reading QF32, a very interesting book. - I look forward to your book to JB747. - I hope you are well progressed in writing it

One question remains, at the very end of the book, he states that Dave failed him, What in all of that whole saga of getting that plane on the ground was the trigger for that failure? Was it the desire to climb to 10,000? or was it a series of other actions?

 

[jb747]

I've just finished reading QF32, a very interesting book. - I look forward to your book to JB747. - I hope you are well progressed in writing it .

I, most definitely, will not be writing a book about QF30. It was an interesting day in the office, and makes for a good bar story, but that's about it. RdC is much more the entrepreneur than I am, as evidenced by the quite successful IT business that he owns.

One question remains, at the very end of the book, he states that Dave failed him, What in all of that whole saga of getting that plane on the ground was the trigger for that failure? Was it the desire to climb to 10,000? or was it a series of other actions?

I must ask Harry/Dave what they think about that comment. The reality is that he didn't fail. But, because the checkers made some input, that invalidates the check. If it had been a normal operation, and input was needed, then yes, that would most likely be a fail, but in this instance it was anything but normal, and making use of the extra pilots simply good management.

I recall, that about a decade ago, someone was being checked out of Cairns in a classic. They took multiple bird strikes after take off, had to shut down an engine, and very quickly landed. Apparently it was an absolutely text book example of how to do it, but the flight time was less than the minimum required, so it too, couldn't be signed off.

 

[ReLoad]

Thanks JB747, makes perfect sense.

So to take that to the next step, because it was considered a Fail (due to input from the checkers) what are the ramifications for a pilot? Does it mean that its totally game over? or going back to a certain level then retraining? Only working for Aeroflot? whats the next steps from there?

Also does it happen often in the Australian aviation industry?