Ask The Pilot

[whatmeworry]

The recent modifications at Melbourne, in which at least one bay was sacrificed so that they could fit more shops in (and also make the walk to the aircraft appreciably longer) was pretty typical...

That enhancement at MEL is very annoying to say the least. Most of those shops are not that great to say the least.

 

[RooFlyer]

Is there a temperature probe/sensor inside the aircraft fuel pipes or the fuel temperature to calculate density is provided only by the fuel supplier? I imagine that in places like Dubai or Uluru the fuel stored in trucks would go through quite a volume expansion and change in density between night and day?

Homework. Thermal Expansion of Solids and Liquids. See example 2 especially.

 

[markis10]

Homework. Thermal Expansion of Solids and Liquids. See example 2 especially.

Probably worth pointing out that the fuel is not stored in fuel trucks in most cases, they are just big pumps on wheels, and once pumped in the fuel is not long on the ground to see much change in temp.

 

[mjt57]

The recent modifications at Melbourne, in which at least one bay was sacrificed so that they could fit more shops in (and also make the walk to the aircraft appreciably longer) was pretty typical...

That I noticed when we departed for London last month. It was my first visit to the international departures of MEL since 96. A lot has changed.

It's amazing how coincidental it is that all pax are forced to walk THROUGH the shops on their way to the gates, isn't it...?

Oh, yesterday's arrival was into MEL where we were bussed into the arrivals area...

As for DXB, yes, damned huge. I found this out when we were stuck at gate A5 and the missus wanted another Latte. Only shop serving said latte was at Starbucks which I think was near the other end...

Still, the walk did me good, I s'pose...

 

[RooFlyer]

Another airport/shops story, if the mods will indulge.

Again, when I was part of investment bank team advising a potential purchaser of Australian airports in late '90s, we were discussing Darwin airport, which had (IIRC) a relatively new terminal building.

Client's rep went burko about the terminal, saying it was useless, would have to be substantially re-built, lots of capex, low current value to them etc.

I was puzzled, as I had recently lived in Darwin and thought the terminal was great - you checked in, up the escalator straight to the departure lounges or airline lounges etc. very clean, easy to navigate.

Some-one asked the 'dumb' question as to why Darwin was a bad terminal.

"No bloody shops! We own 5 airports in UK and Europe. No-where can you board a plane in those without passing by, or preferably through, about 50 shops. We'll have to re-design the entire passenger flow to put retail in and push the great unwashed through the retail."

Ah. Of course.

 

[RooFlyer]

JB

You're no doubt aware of the recent BA incident where both engine fan cowl doors separated from the engine on take-off Accident: British Airways A319 near London on May 24th 2013, unlatched doors on both engines separated, fuel leak, engine on fire shut down

Do you have a view on the issue of 'dual engine maintenance' (I gather having both engines of a 2 engine craft undergoing maintenance at the same time is considered a risk by some.)

If such engine 'doors' are un-latched, either in an A319, or say an A380 which you are probably more familiar with, should it show up as a coughpit indicator; and/or would a pre-flight 'walk-around' be expected to detect the un-latched state?

BTW, do FOs/SOs still do pre-flight 'walk arounds on A380s & 747s?

 

[jb747]

You're no doubt aware of the recent BA incident where both engine fan cowl doors separated from the engine on take-off Accident: British Airways A319 near London on May 24th 2013, unlatched doors on both engines separated, fuel leak, engine on fire shut down

Do you have a view on the issue of 'dual engine maintenance' (I gather having both engines of a 2 engine craft undergoing maintenance at the same time is considered a risk by some.)

Not something I've ever considered. We regularly fly aircraft that have just come out of the hangar, and literally everything has been looked at by the engineers...which means we look at it twice.

If such engine 'doors' are un-latched, either in an A319, or say an A380 which you are probably more familiar with, should it show up as a coughpit indicator; and/or would a pre-flight 'walk-around' be expected to detect the un-latched state?

Obviously, I've never done a preflight on any of the 320 family, but I read a comment earlier today which said the bottom of the cowl was only 27 inches from the ground. I guess you have to get down low to look at the latches. I don't know whether it is part of their preflight or not. On the 767/747/380 the lowest engine is quite a way off the ground, and looking at the latches is easy.

BTW, do FOs/SOs still do pre-flight 'walk arounds on A380s & 747s?

Most definitely. In fact, we all get a go, depending upon the sector, and how heavily it's raining.

I'm not sure that the call for a technical solution is the best way to go. Having now flown various electric jets for over 20 years, the electronics have provided many more false warnings than real ones. Perhaps a bigger part of the problem is airlines that no longer have an 'aircraft ethic', and just think they are like any other business....which means you can't cut the time for preflights to fit your budget or timings. Aircraft tend to bite...paperwork doesn't.

 

[mjt57]

Something different in London the other day....I was interviewed by the BBC (in a 380's coughpit) for an upcoming show called "Airport Live". Hopefully I didn't make a prat of myself.

Just catching up after getting home.

How did this go? Did you get back to London?

When's the show due to air? Haven't seen it on FTA or Foxtel, might have to check Network BT...

 

[jb747]

How did this go? Did you get back to London?

No, I didn't get back.

When's the show due to air? Haven't seen it on FTA or Foxtel, might have to check Network BT...

Don't know the time frame. I'd expect some time in July. It didn't strike me as something that had much relevance outside of the UK.

 

[mjt57]

It didn't strike me as something that had much relevance outside of the UK.

You never know. Lifestyle or Discovery may pick it up. Certainly, lots of shows on there which focus on UK building rennos and buying real estate (Sarah Beany shows or Phil and Kirsty home buying) don't really mean that much to us, but are interesting all the same.

Now that I've "lived" in LHR I'd like to see a bit more about it...

 

[harvyk]

You never know. Lifestyle or Discovery may pick it up. Certainly, lots of shows on there which focus on UK building rennos and buying real estate (Sarah Beany shows or Phil and Kirsty home buying) don't really mean that much to us, but are interesting all the same.

Now that I've "lived" in LHR I'd like to see a bit more about it...

SBS also picks up quite a few of these shows as well. So far I've seen them pick up doco's about building a 747-8, doing a major check on a 747-400, and pulling apart a 747 (unknown sub type). So I can't see it outside the realms of possibility that they would want a show about actually flying large aircraft.

 

[simongr]

Dan Snow to front BBC Two's week-long Heathrow series 'Airport Live' - British TV News - Digital Spy

I am guessing this is the show. It has already aired as I think it was live.

I asked a friend who has access to something called "torrent sites" (whatever they are) and it wasn't available in either a public or private group.

 

[jb747]

Dan Snow to front BBC Two's week-long Heathrow series 'Airport Live' - British TV News - Digital Spy

I am guessing this is the show. It has already aired as I think it was live.

I asked a friend who has access to something called "torrent sites" (whatever they are) and it wasn't available in either a public or private group.

It hasn't happened yet. Parts of it will be live, but the section I filmed was background, so not live. Sure hope not anyway....

 

[Must...Fly!]

It has not aired just yet. Sometime this month.

 

[petercr]

Bit of a de-lurk here but has made for very interesting reading...

JB, from a pilot's perspective is there any reason why you wouldn't land before a snow-storm was due to hit even if was a number of hours before (back story is that we were due to fly QF107 LAX-JFK in Feb on the day that 'Nemo' was due to dump snow on the east coast)? Or in the case was it just Q playing it safe and not wanting to have a plane stuck on the ground for 24hrs?

Thanks in advance...

 

[jb747]

JB, from a pilot's perspective is there any reason why you wouldn't land before a snow-storm was due to hit even if was a number of hours before (back story is that we were due to fly QF107 LAX-JFK in Feb on the day that 'Nemo' was due to dump snow on the east coast)? Or in the case was it just Q playing it safe and not wanting to have a plane stuck on the ground for 24hrs?

I don't know how the timing of this particular storm worked...

QF107 arrives in NYC late afternoon/early evening. JFK becomes a real choke point if anything starts happening with the weather. It can take hours to get from the landing runway to a bay, and even longer to get out again. It has minimal deicing facilities. Basically you deice at the terminal, and then have to get away before the 'hold over time' from the deicing runs out. If it's snowing at any real rate the deicing can literally expire before it's completed. It's really a place to avoid if it's getting a bit nasty.

 

[petercr]

Thanks JB - that makes sense although we must have been lucky flying in to JFK the next day as we were at the gate within minutes of landing (extra excitement for the kids seeing snow for the first time) and then we taxyed out and took off fairly promptly when leaving a few weeks later.

 

[CaviAck]

Hey JB,

Do you have your roster for June and July yet?

 

[jb747]

Thanks JB - that makes sense although we must have been lucky flying in to JFK the next day as we were at the gate within minutes of landing (extra excitement for the kids seeing snow for the first time) and then we taxyed out and took off fairly promptly when leaving a few weeks later.

JFK was always impossible to predict. The first time I went there, one of the other pilots suggested I carry a fair bit of extra fuel. I put on 8,000 kgs, and burnt all of that plus a fair bit of the variable. Next time I put on 15,000 kgs, and burnt all of that too. Third time, another 15 k, and used none of it. On one departure, I was about #87 in the queue, which Disney style, went all the way around the airport....

 

[jb747]

Hey JB,

Do you have your roster for June and July yet?

June is still a blank line (part of the May roster). All that I know about at the moment is a sim on Thursday.

July/August will come out in about 3 weeks.