Ask The Pilot

[HW]

FWIW here is the track for AC 033, as reported by flightaware.com

 

[Wannabee]

Do such emergency beacons have the ability to transmit their current GPS coordinates? That would make it pretty easy to located.

Of the newer generation (406) beacons there are both GPS and non GPS varieties. The GPS equipped beacon has the ability to transmit the actual beacon position to both the satellite system (GEOSAR/LEOSAR) and to any suitably equipped aircraft. Aircraft ELT and marine EPIRB's may not have an integral GPS in the unit, but may receive a position feed from the aircraft or ship. Obviously this will be the position at the time of incident and will not be updated due drift etc Non GPS equipped beacons rely on doppler processing to determine position. This can take many hours and more than one pass of a satellite to determine

The Becker SAR DF 517 is one such pice of equipment that is used in SAR aircraft and helicopters. This can show not only bearing, but signal strength, hex ID and GPS position if beacon is equipped. Hex ID is important in the case of multiple beacons ie Sydney to Hobart

Advertised accuracy is 5km for a non GPS and 120m for GPS equipped beacon

The majority of beacon searched that I have done are for the older 121.5 beacons, typically found in the tip as people don't disconnect the battery prior to disposal. They may last days/weeks in the tip before they get driven over and activated. Unregistered 406 beacons are still quite common. A registered 406 GPS enabled beacon is the ducks guts for the rescuer. The position is very accurate, we know who and what the beacon is registered to, we have a contact number that is either unanswered or a relative at home knows where and what the beacon owner is doing. Usually not required to 'home' the beacon as the position is that accurate. Even 406 beacons still transmit a continuous tone on 121.5 (albeit at a reduced power compared to the old 121.5 beacons) for this purpose. If you are still in the dark ages and have a 121.5 beacon then these are no longer monitored by satellite and you have to rely on the likes of JB747 in a commercial aircraft to detect it.

 

[markis10]

This can take many hours and more than one pass of a satellite to determine.

5 hours is the max SLA for the LEOs (orbiting sats - The NOAA LEO satellites orbit the Earth every 100 minutes. COSPAS satellites complete an orbit every 105 minutes.) to lock onto the position in AMSAs area of responsibility, GEO sats provide full visibility and alerting (but not geo locating) generally instantly in AMSAs area unless its significantly south of 70 degrees!

 

[Simo]

Hi JB747,

Does this seem a bit over the top for the incident.
Laser light grounds Qantas jet | Mackay Daily Mercury

 

[anat0l]

Hi JB747,

Does this seem a bit over the top for the incident.
Laser light grounds Qantas jet | Mackay Daily Mercury

Over the top that they find and castrate the idiot who shone the light? Not in my opinion. :evil:

Of course the article is all we have to go by, but that said if that's all I have to work with then I'd trust the pilot's judgement that his vision was impaired, which (I think jb747 has commented on lasers before) is quite a feasible harm.

 

[flychrisfly]

Hi JB747,

Does this seem a bit over the top for the incident.
Laser light grounds Qantas jet | Mackay Daily Mercury

Wht makes me wonder is why they went all the way to Mackay when presumably the laser incident was at a low altitude - ie. Brisbane.

 

[jb747]

Wht makes me wonder is why they went all the way to Mackay when presumably the laser incident was at a low altitude - ie. Brisbane.

Read the last line of the article....

 

[simongr]

I don't get it - the aircraft was flying BNE-CNS. It was landing at Mackay because the pilot was unfit to fly and then was "injured" on approach into Mackay - so was there another incident that made the pilot unfit to fly and required the landing at Mackay?

 

[markis10]

I don't get it - the aircraft was flying BNE-CNS. It was landing at Mackay because the pilot was unfit to fly and then was "injured" on approach into Mackay - so was there another incident that made the pilot unfit to fly and required the landing at Mackay?

Its the Milk run up the coast, starts in Brisbane, stops at GLT, ROK, MKY and TSV on the way to CNS, same flight number all the way.

 

[harvyk]

I don't get it - the aircraft was flying BNE-CNS. It was landing at Mackay because the pilot was unfit to fly and then was "injured" on approach into Mackay - so was there another incident that made the pilot unfit to fly and required the landing at Mackay?

I'm pretty sure QFLink does BNE-MKY-(TSV maybe?)-CNS, so there is every chance the flight was scheduled to land there and the pilot was blinded on landing.

 

[simongr]

Ah ok thanks - it was a pretty poorly worded article overall (mind you I won't get into the Jet vs. Prop debate).

 

[simonpenny408]

I use the Plane Finder app on my iPhone and iPad for idle curiosity (what plane is that and where is it going, etc). I showed it to a mate of mine who is ex ground crew for UA and QF. He was amazed at the details it provided especially the fact that it gave Squawk details. He thought this could be pretty dangerous in the hands of someone with an evil mind. Is there anything to this?

 

[straitman]

I use the Plane Finder app on my iPhone and iPad for idle curiosity (what plane is that and where is it going, etc). I showed it to a mate of mine who is ex ground crew for UA and QF. He was amazed at the details it provided especially the fact that it gave Squawk details. He thought this could be pretty dangerous in the hands of someone with an evil mind. Is there anything to this?

I would not think so. It is relatively easy information to work out in any case.

 

[jb747]

I use the Plane Finder app on my iPhone and iPad for idle curiosity (what plane is that and where is it going, etc). I showed it to a mate of mine who is ex ground crew for UA and QF. He was amazed at the details it provided especially the fact that it gave Squawk details. He thought this could be pretty dangerous in the hands of someone with an evil mind. Is there anything to this?

I've got an evil mind and I can't think of anything I could do with that info. The squawk codes are available to anyone listening in on the radio, or decoding ACARs too.

 

[simongr]

If you are trying to assassinate someone then knowing exactly where the flight is would be useful. If however you have the resources to assassinate someone in flight you probably wont be using an iPhone app to track them.

 

[Sprucegoose]

If you are trying to assassinate someone then knowing exactly where the flight is would be useful. If however you have the resources to assassinate someone in flight you probably wont be using an iPhone app to track them.

I think that's a long bow......

 

[simongr]

That is an appropriate comment on Agincourt Day...

More seriously I think that was my point.

 

[mjt57]

JB, could you explain what the right 'PFD' display is telling you?

For example, there's the symbol of the aircraft and presumably the straight line to the runway. Off of that there is a blue "intercept" line. What does that tell you? And there are two arrow symbols and lines which move around a bit, but pointing towards "34", for example?

And the green, yellow and red "splotches", are they cloud?

Thanks

 

[jb747]

JB, could you explain what the right 'PFD' display is telling you?

Lots of stuff....

For example, there's the symbol of the aircraft and presumably the straight line to the runway. Off of that there is a blue "intercept" line. What does that tell you? And there are two arrow symbols and lines which move around a bit, but pointing towards "34", for example?

You probably need to tell me which video and time you're looking at.

The green line is the programmed track. It ends in a runway symbol. Beyond that is a blue track, which is the go around track (and which would become green if we were to go around). The aircraft is actually at the 'coughpit' of the aircraft symbol. The yellow hashed line that appears in the 'double time' video is also a track, but it hasn't been inserted yet...so it's in the process of being programmed on the FMC.

The blue hashed line is either a radius or a bearing from a fix. In the Singapore case we use it as a reminder of speed control at a certain distance (we can make it happen automatically, but rarely stay on the programmed track during arrivals).

There are a number of arrows on the display. Two big ones in white are the VOR bearings. The system is automatically tuning them, so they jump around as it changes stations. The tuned stations are shown on both sides on the PFD. The small arrow at the top left is the inertial wind.

And the green, yellow and red "splotches", are they cloud?

Weather. In fact thunderstorms.

 

[mjt57]

Lots of stuff....



You probably need to tell me which video and time you're looking at.

Sorry, the one where you have the camera focused on the PFD, latest video, probably.

There are a number of arrows on the display. Two big ones in white are the VOR bearings.

What do the VOR bearings tell you, or what do you do with that information?

On another note, do you guys know how this new alliance with Emirates will work, particularly from our perspective?