Ask The Pilot

[mjt57]

It's just some thin mist. Turned into a nice day once the sun had put some heat into it.

I don't s'pose that you would've seen much of it, though.

GoPro high on the #2 window. Their suction cap attachment is amazingly strong.

Yes, so I've been told (and chatted about here earlier on).

Quick question; cataracts. If you develop them and need surgery (they replace the lens) does that affect your medical?

 

[jb747]

Quick question; cataracts. If you develop them and need surgery (they replace the lens) does that affect your medical?

Everything affects your medical.

My presumption would be that if your eyesight could be corrected back to 'normal', then you may be able to continue flying. But, I'd also expect CASA would examine these on a case by case basis. I have no idea of the effectiveness of this sort of surgery.

Hopefully, by the time it's a personal issue, I'll only be worried about not being able to see the caravan......

 

[medhead]

Here's a question based on recent Facebook readings. There is a group who are opposed to wifi in schools. They claim that 2 AS pilots have fainted while in flight and they are blaming the wifi on the aircraft.

Have you heard about such incidents? As in did 2 pilots collapse? Was a realistic cause for their collapse given?

There is also an alleged dr of "aviation risk management" who claims such incidents are not reportable in relation to wifi. That sounds like a load of BS to me. Any comments?

 

[Flying Fox]

I'm just reading this article about QF considering buying up to 4x 747-400Fs.

Qantas mulls buying 747 freighters

I'm wondering if a current 747-400 captain with QF can simply switch to flying a 747-400F without any additional training or are there special requirements to flying a freighter?

 

[jb747]

I'm just reading this article about QF considering buying up to 4x 747-400Fs.

Qantas mulls buying 747 freighters

I'm wondering if a current 747-400 captain with QF can simply switch to flying a 747-400F without any additional training or are there special requirements to flying a freighter?

Going on the days when we had the combis...there was just some additional firefighting training. The conversion to the aircraft would take, oh, about 30 seconds. Won't be relevant though, as going on past events, no current QF pilot is likely to fly them.

 

[jb747]

Here's a question based on recent Facebook readings. There is a group who are opposed to wifi in schools. They claim that 2 AS pilots have fainted while in flight and they are blaming the wifi on the aircraft.

Have you heard about such incidents? As in did 2 pilots collapse? Was a realistic cause for their collapse given?

There is also an alleged dr of "aviation risk management" who claims such incidents are not reportable in relation to wifi. That sounds like a load of BS to me. Any comments?

What are AS pilots?

Total gibberish in any event. And a collapse, from any cause, would most definitely be a reportable event.

 

[mjt57]

Everything affects your medical.

My presumption would be that if your eyesight could be corrected back to 'normal', then you may be able to continue flying. But, I'd also expect CASA would examine these on a case by case basis. I have no idea of the effectiveness of this sort of surgery.

I had my right eye done on Monday. I have really bad vision, astigmatism and myopia. The surgeon implanted a "toric" lens to correct all of this. Vision is slowly coming good but takes a while. In your case where you could see inbound SA-10s from 100 miles away, you wouldn't notice much difference, other than clearer vision if the cataracts were bad.

Hopefully, by the time it's a personal issue, I'll only be worried about not being able to see the caravan......

They can present themselves in people over 50. Both my wife and I need/ed the surgery and we're about a couple of years younger than you. I would've assumed that some of your colleagues would have had experienced it by now.

 

[jb747]

They can present themselves in people over 50. Both my wife and I need/ed the surgery and we're about a couple of years younger than you. I would've assumed that some of your colleagues would have had experienced it by now.

I've never heard it mentioned. There's always a trickle of people leaving on medical grounds, and for obvious reasons, we don't normally hear the details....

 

[simongr]

What are AS pilots?

Alaska Airlines (AS)

 

[mjt57]

I've never heard it mentioned. There's always a trickle of people leaving on medical grounds, and for obvious reasons, we don't normally hear the details....

Yep, fair enough.

With regards to retirement (if over 55) on medical grounds, how does this go with the super? With ours, depending on circumstances there are different levels of payout. If retired and couldn't work again I'd get a payout equivalent of working to 65. How does this work with you guys?

Finally, one more question; what's the social life like within the organisation? Do you have an active social club, for example? I know that whilst we have an active social club, not many of the shift workers actually socialise with each other outside of work.

 

[jb747]

With regards to retirement (if over 55) on medical grounds, how does this go with the super? With ours, depending on circumstances there are different levels of payout. If retired and couldn't work again I'd get a payout equivalent of working to 65. How does this work with you guys?

There is a loss of licence insurance scheme, which is separate to superannuation. It washes out to zero by age 60. I think the peak is for a Captain under 50. It has effectively been ruined by the taxation department deciding that they'd like half...

Super is locked up as per normal rules until 60. There are multiple different schemes.

Finally, one more question; what's the social life like within the organisation? Do you have an active social club, for example? I know that whilst we have an active social club, not many of the shift workers actually socialise with each other outside of work.

Who knows? Which I guess answers your question.

Outside of work, I don't socialise with anyone from the company. Those of my friends who do fly, I knew from military days.

 

[Elbobbo]

Wow, what a labour of love this has grown to be for you JB et al. Thanks for taking the time to answer so many questions - I'm only a few dozen pages in but its a fascinating thread

 

[straitman]

Quick question; cataracts. If you develop them and need surgery (they replace the lens) does that affect your medical?

Everything affects your medical.

My presumption would be that if your eyesight could be corrected back to 'normal', then you may be able to continue flying. But, I'd also expect CASA would examine these on a case by case basis. I have no idea of the effectiveness of this sort of surgery.

Hopefully, by the time it's a personal issue, I'll only be worried about not being able to see the caravan......

I have known of a few pilots (both military and civil) who have had cataract surgery and even laser eye surgery. As jb747 says, with anything like this it is all done on a case by case basis.

The military are, from my experience, reasonably efficient at sorting out the issues but CASA are diabolically slow in reassessing ANY medical condition.

 

[mjt57]

CASA are diabolically slow in reassessing ANY medical condition.

A guy I know had to have a heart operation. It fixed whatever problems he had. CASA had cancelled or suspended his PPL. Following the op he got medical approval etc. to get his licence back. CASA has steadfastly refused to grant the application, despite overwhelming medical evidence to say that he's right to fly.

JB may be familar with a long running thread on the aus.aviation newsgroup some time ago. A fellow there had a long running campaign against the people who make up CASA and how its obstructionist policies do nothing for Australian civil aviation, particularly GA.

As you get older it must become a bit of a nerve wracking exercise when it comes to medical time, I would imagine, particularly at JB's level where a hard-to-get-into industry career is at stake.

 

[jb747]

JB may be familar with a long running thread on the aus.aviation newsgroup some time ago. A fellow there had a long running campaign against the people who make up CASA and how its obstructionist policies do nothing for Australian civil aviation, particularly GA.

If I remember correctly, that particular bloke had a bit of an agenda......

As you get older it must become a bit of a nerve wracking exercise when it comes to medical time, I would imagine, particularly at JB's level where a hard-to-get-into industry career is at stake.

It would be nice to make it to the point at which you go by choice, but, realistically, I've already had a wonderful career. I feel for the young blokes that miss out for various reasons.

 

[Major]

Runway marking...Is there a standard that applies to runway marks. Do the runway numbers need to be a certain size and are the touchdown stipes a particular length, size and position on the runway ?

Depending on the weather, do you aim for a certain mark and are they helpful ?

 

[medhead]

What are AS pilots?

Total gibberish in any event. And a collapse, from any cause, would most definitely be a reportable event.

Whoops sorry.

Alaskan airlines pilots. I just couldn't image how or why collapsing mid-flight wouldn't be reportable. Thanks for confirming.

 

[jb747]

Runway marking...Is there a standard that applies to runway marks. Do the runway numbers need to be a certain size and are the touchdown stipes a particular length, size and position on the runway ?

Whilst there are a couple of different standards in use for runway markings, they are very well defined. Basically the USA and the rest of the world....

Everything is defined by one or the other of the standards. The lines are at specific distances from the threshold. The width, length and spacing is all laid down.

A rough description has the big lines every 500 feet (on most runways you'll see a set of markings at 500, 1000 and 1500 feet). An ICAO runway changes the spacing, but not dramatically.

Depending on the weather, do you aim for a certain mark and are they helpful ?

Visually we aim at around the far end of the second set of lines...that's about 1,200 feet into the runway. The aim point doesn't change with the weather...as long as you can see that far of course.

They're very helpful, and help us to keep to correct perspective. On most approaches we use a combination of aids, perhaps an ILS first, then the PAPI, and finally just the visual slot.

 

[D747]

Hi jb, with the QF 32 Singapore incident, I believe the number 1 engine was unable to be shut down after it had landed. Do you know what percentage of thrust was being provided by this engine? Did it make braking and steering an issue on the landing roll? I remember reading that they used all but a few hundred feet of runway, and was wondering if the number one engine was a factor in this. Once again, I appreciate your reply.

 

[jb747]

Hi jb, with the QF 32 Singapore incident, I believe the number 1 engine was unable to be shut down after it had landed. Do you know what percentage of thrust was being provided by this engine? Did it make braking and steering an issue on the landing roll? I remember reading that they used all but a few hundred feet of runway, and was wondering if the number one engine was a factor in this. Once again, I appreciate your reply.

I think the QF32 incident report must be very close to final, so keep an eye out for that on the ATSB site.

My understanding:
The #1 engine behaved normally in flight (it was in degraded mode, but that's about the same mode the 767-200 engines were in all the time). IN FLIGHT, it was doing was it was told to do, so it had no effect upon the landing. Rumours from shortly after the event had it that this engine was operating at climb power...it would have been impossible to fly the approach in that case. Ops were basically normal until they tried to shut it down.

As it turns out, Airbus had thought about this, and ran the electronics that control the thrust setting through one end of the pylon, and the wiring to shut it down through the other. So, you'd likely have control of the engine but not be able to shut it down, or, no control, but be able to get rid of it. Not a bad solution, especially given the designers were playing with contingency events that they hoped would never happen.

Landing distance. Well, from what I recall now, there was degraded braking, no slats (so high approach speed), partial spoilers, heavy (over) weight, partial reverse. And probably a bunch of other things I don't recall. Using all of the runway in those circumstances is more than acceptable.