Ask The Pilot

[madrooster]

There can be more than one parking bay serviced by one gate. This also happens in Melbourne, so we always have to be careful that we pick up the correct guidance, and don't try to line up with something meant for another type.

I assume you are referring to the gate 9A/9B and 11A/11B etc. at Melbourne? I have noticed the two different guidances for the A380 gates.

 

[jb747]

What is the process at Qantas after an overseas incident like the recent Asiana 214?

Would there be an internal briefing / analysis provided by the Company Chief Pilot / Training Captain to the fleet captains / FOs once the official reports are published with all the facts known / analysed ?

Or, would it be a DIY process whereby you have to read the various reports yourself with no input from the hierarchy upstream ?

I'd like to think it is to be the former rather the later option but your confirmation would be appreciated.

Pertinent information will come from a number a channels. Once we get past the conjecture stage, there's likely to be some input from Fleet Captains. A little further down the road, aspects may well appear in sim exercises.

If was a basic inability to fly, then no amount of briefing will help.

 

[jb747]

Both had a crew member being checked/trained on board.

Does have a training captain on board add any more stress to the flight or should it be a non issue?

Any time there is a trainee, then he is always under stress. Additionally, any time there is a non standard crew, it also works against the normal CRM process. The job of the safety pilot, or SO, is important, and he should not just be along for the ride. I can think of way too many incidents which could have been avoided by a timely comment from the back seat.

 

[Mogul]

Another question to come out of the Asiana incident is there is a lot of talk of the Catains experience and hours on type. When a new aircraft such as the A380 comes along how do the flight crew build up their hours prior to delivery of the first aircraft. How many hours had you done on the A380 prior to your first flight as Capatin.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hi again JB

Forgive me if I'm asking something covered before (its a long thread ) When you do a 'sim' session, is it usually / always just a single person, or can there be a Pilot + FO combination in the same session? That is to train / refresh etc skills as working as a team?

If there are duo sims, might they throw in a rogue as the FO who will try to stuff things up (simulating a bad FO)?

 

[jb747]

Another question to come out of the Asiana incident is there is a lot of talk of the Catains experience and hours on type. When a new aircraft such as the A380 comes along how do the flight crew build up their hours prior to delivery of the first aircraft. How many hours had you done on the A380 prior to your first flight as Capatin.

The first time I flew on the 380 was a QF1 service out of Sydney. At that point I had about 70 hours in the sim. On that first sector I was the PNF, and my first hands on sector was the return. There was an extremely experienced senior check captain in the right hand seat, and we also carried both an FO and SO.

Our original bunch of FOs and Captains all came via the 330, and also flew short sectors and circuits on the Airbus test aircraft.

There is nothing basically wrong with the Asiana crew structure, though I would have expected all of the pilots to be in the coughpit for landing.

My bet is that the trainee's last aircraft was an Airbus...

 

[Fruitcake]

My bet is that the trainee's last aircraft was an Airbus...

..and you would be right. He was converting to the 777 after eight years on the A320, according to press reports.

 

[jb747]

Forgive me if I'm asking something covered before (its a long thread ) When you do a 'sim' session, is it usually / always just a single person, or can there be a Pilot + FO combination in the same session? That is to train / refresh etc skills as working as a team?

If there are duo sims, might they throw in a rogue as the FO who will try to stuff things up (simulating a bad FO)?

Almost all sims are flown with both Captain and FO, with both being assessed. If something occurs to force a change, they'll assign a sim support duty. Even though it isn't 'your' sim session, don't screw it up, as it's only non assessable if it's ok.

All mistakes are real. The only thing rogue about them is that one or the other of us sometimes drops dead at inconvenient times. Normally that's only for a few minutes, but there have been exercises that were completed single pilot.

 

[jb747]

..and you would be right. He was converting to the 777 after eight years on the A320, according to press reports.

My wife has just shown me a reference to the switch positions. The left hand flight director was off, whilst the right was on. In the 'bus there is only one switch, so they are both on or both off. Also in the 'bus, if the FDs are off, the auto thrust will go to speed mode.

Additionally, the Airbus is very destructive of the normal scan, in particular tending to remove the thrust levers from your mind, because they don't move automatically, nor do you generally move them, and because thrust control is almost always automatic, even when you have the autopilot disconnected. The normal Boeing method is a/p off, a/t off.

I can see him thinking FD off = speed mode on.

 

[RooFlyer]

Almost all sims are flown with both Captain and FO, with both being assessed. If something occurs to force a change, they'll assign a sim support duty. Even though it isn't 'your' sim session, don't screw it up, as it's only non assessable if it's ok.

All mistakes are real. The only thing rogue about them is that one or the other of us sometimes drops dead at inconvenient times. Normally that's only for a few minutes, but there have been exercises that were completed single pilot.

Great to hear! Re-assuring (I think) that its not only engines karking it that's simulated

Thanks again.

 

[mjt57]

My wife has just shown me a reference to the switch positions. The left hand flight director was off, whilst the right was on. In the 'bus there is only one switch, so they are both on or both off. Also in the 'bus, if the FDs are off, the auto thrust will go to speed mode.

I can see him thinking FD off = speed mode on.

I wonder why the training captain didn't pick up on this...

They say that there were four pilots on the flight deck. Capt (in training), Training Capt, FO and SO?

 

[Awesom Andy]

I can see him thinking FD off = speed mode on.

Wouldn't the type conversion program wiped that off from his memory? Not wanting to speculate as such, but it does sound like training (or the issues with such) may be a contributing factor?

 

[chrisb]

..and you would be right. He was converting to the 777 after eight years on the A320, according to press reports.

Just to add some context, he'd also done time on the 747 and 737 so it's not like he was 100% raised on airbus.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Wouldn't the type conversion program wiped that off from his memory? Not wanting to speculate as such, but it does sound like training (or the issues with such) may be a contributing factor?

It's amazing what the memory retains over time in 'muscle memory'. I once had a senior pilot commence a missed approach in the simulator by reducing power and lowering the nose - why? He was used to sitting in the left seat, but had just done his check and training upgrade so he could sit in the right and monitor captains. Normal response from left seat was left hand pulls back yoke, right pushes up power. Swap seats and it is now backwards. All muscle memory from years of doing it that way.

 

[jb747]

I wonder why the training captain didn't pick up on this...

They say that there were four pilots on the flight deck. Capt (in training), Training Capt, FO and SO?

The crew would have actually had three captains. Trainee, instructor, relief capt, and FO. Their normal long haul structure is two of each.

Training can be an extremely difficult task. Not only are you doing the normal PNF duties, but you're also trying to instruct. When it starts going wrong for the trainee, it loads up the trainer dramatically. That's why a safety pilot in the back seat is so important.

Wouldn't the type conversion program wiped that off from his memory? Not wanting to speculate as such, but it does sound like training (or the issues with such) may be a contributing factor?

Not at all. When we learn to fly new types, we really want to create habit patterns. We don't want to be thinking about everything we do, but want much of it to be automatic 'muscle memory'. It takes a surprisingly long time to lose some of these learnt paths once they've been burnt in.

As an example, on the 767 and 747, when you initiate a go around, you push the thrust levers forward, and you then almost always have to PUSH the control column. Not because you actually want a nose down input, but because the act of applying GA power kicks the nose up quite dramatically...and generally quite enough for the procedure. In the FBW Airbus (and I presume the 777/787), that nose up response to power will be removed by the FBW system, so you have to ensure that you actually remember to PULL UP.

Just to add some context, he'd also done time on the 747 and 737 so it's not like he was 100% raised on airbus.

Yes, but quite a way in the past, and most likely as an FO, so I wonder how much flying he actually got. In any event, it's the last aircraft that you'll remember best (although for some obscure reason I can still remember a Macchi checklist).

 

[Boris spatsky]

In any event, it's the last aircraft that you'll remember best (although for some obscure reason I can still remember a Macchi checklist)

Because getting the PTVA's wrong was an automatic 0

 

[JohnM]

Love this thread - but I'd also love to see the acronyms spelled out - or could admin or the mods create a hyperlinked library?

 

[mjt57]

As an example, on the 767 and 747, when you initiate a go around, you push the thrust levers forward, and you then almost always have to PUSH the control column. Not because you actually want a nose down input, but because the act of applying GA power kicks the nose up quite dramatically...and generally quite enough for the procedure. In the FBW Airbus (and I presume the 777/787), that nose up response to power will be removed by the FBW system, so you have to ensure that you actually remember to PULL UP.

This surprises me.

I would've thought that your reaction to a nose up or down attitude would've been reflexive. Similar to how you'd react to say, a car starting to slide. That, when you feel the aircraft go into a nose up attitude that you want to correct that you'd do it manually. But if the FBW control system is doing it for you then your manual input would be less than say, on the 744.

I find all this stuff about actually flying a large aircraft fascinating, particularly from a controls systems point of view.

Finally, getting back to your earlier statement regarding QF's sourcing of its A380 crew from 330s, I'm still surprised that you aren't senior to these guys given your background. ie. weren't 744 drivers senior to the 330's?

 

[chrisb]

Does the training captain in the right seat have the legal/command authority to take over the aircraft?

(I assume a normal FO wouldn't have the right to take over from a captain but a captain could demand control from
FO)

 

[jb747]

Does the training captain in the right seat have the legal/command authority to take over the aircraft? (I assume a normal FO wouldn't have the right to take over from a captain but a captain could demand control fromFO)

The training captain IS the aircraft captain, no matter what seat he's sitting in.