Ask The Pilot

[petercr]

Apparently one of the windows in the coughpit could be opened (RdC, QF32) so coins could be given out.

Now, if it's $1-2 dollars for a car, what's the going rate for a 388 ?

Depends on whether it's QF or JQ ground-crew

 

[Milboo]

Once again - thanks for sharing all the info in this thread.

My question - how many A380s can Sydney Airport accommodate at a time? I spend my early Saturday morning right beside the runway (beach with dog) and this morning watched 3 QF ones, an SQ one and an EK one all come in.

 

[Awesom Andy]

My question - how many A380s can Sydney Airport accommodate at a time? I spend my early Saturday morning right beside the runway (beach with dog) and this morning watched 3 QF ones, an SQ one and an EK one all come in.

SYD's website claims 5x A380 gates in T1, although I guess this number can differ based on operational requirements.

 

[andmiz]

SYD's website claims 5x A380 gates in T1, although I guess this number can differ based on operational requirements.

Quick look at the charts show 8 parking positions, not all at the terminal.

 

[jb747]

Once again - thanks for sharing all the info in this thread.

My question - how many A380s can Sydney Airport accommodate at a time? I spend my early Saturday morning right beside the runway (beach with dog) and this morning watched 3 QF ones, an SQ one and an EK one all come in.

I've never looked to see how many bays there are in total. There's only four that we use, all next to each other (8,9,10,24).

Here's the complete list, though not all have bridges...
5a, 6, 8, 9, 10, 24, 58, 61, 72, 73a, 74a, 75a, 77a

 

[jb747]

In this particular incident the ATSB talks about "dry microbursts" I assume a wet microburst would show up on their radar.

Accident: Network Aviation Australia F100 at Nifty on Oct 19th 2012, hard landing

What is the difference between windshear and micobursts ?

There are two type of windshear warning systems. Older aircraft only have reactive systems, whereas the new will generally have both predictive and reactive.

Predictive windshear warnings are based upon the doppler shifts that are seen by the radar. But the radar does not see air...it has to have something to reflect from. So, if there's no water droplets, there's no paint, no doppler, no warning. But, in general the nastiest stuff is associated with rain from thunderstorms, so you will generally get a reaction from such a system if needed. Remember that the aircraft is not in a windshear encounter at this point, its a prediction, so whilst it will result in an abort if it activates during take off, and a go around on approach, it won't immediately push us into the 'in extremis' windshear recovery techniques.

Reactive windshear is based upon what the aircraft is actually encountering. If it goes off, you're already in trouble. The response should always be TOGA, and whatever pitch is necessary to keep the aircraft unstalled and away from the ground. Stick shaker activation is quite possible during this, and you won't change the configuration at all until the warning stops, and it's all back under control.

When shear is predicted, most flight manuals (after suggesting that you really should either go somewhere else, or hold for a while) will recommend that landing be done with less than full flap, and at a higher than normal approach speed. This morning in Melbourne, with the wind at 1,500' around 60 knots, and the wind on the ground 35 knots, we used flap 3 and Vref +10. The aircraft will have less drag, and so will respond better to power increases, but it does tend to give more speed excursions on the high side. There is a greater margin between the approach speed and the stall.

In the incident referenced, the crew initially seem to have done the right thing, with less flap, and more speed, but later took those corrections out. Of course hindsight is a great thing.

A microburst is really an extreme example of windshear. They are very localised, and basically there is a very strong downflow from a storm cloud, that reaches the ground, and moves away from the centre of the cell. An aircraft encountering one will hit the outflow, where it will have rapidly rising airspeed, to which the response will be a very large power reduction. It then gets to the centre with the down flow, and will encounter high sink rates, so lots of power, and then to the far side, where the speed will very rapidly wash off. A US Navy discussion of this, in relation to the extremely powerful F14, stated that power necessary to recover could well exceed the capabilities of that aircraft....so airliners don't stand much chance.

It really wasn't recognised until the DC10 crash in Dallas. I recall flying an emulation of that in the 767 sim, and it was eye opening to say the least.

 

[Major]

Were you able to fly many low level exercises in the A-4G, such as this

Typhoon - a ride with the best: The Science Museum, London - YouTube

 

[jb747]

Were you able to fly many low level exercises in the A-4G, such as this

Typhoon - a ride with the best: The Science Museum, London - YouTube

50' over water and 200' over land were basically where we lived....although that particular video seems quite gentle, perhaps in deference to the photographer.

 

[mjt57]

JB, hope you guys are OK. If I recall, you live out Craigieburn way or in that general direction, don't you?

 

[straitman]

JB, hope you guys are OK. If I recall, you live out Craigieburn way or in that general direction, don't you?

mjt57,

I trust you were all OK in the LV.

 

[mjt57]

50' over water and 200' over land were basically where we lived....although that particular video seems quite gentle, perhaps in deference to the photographer.

If that's "gentle" I'd hate to experience anything rougher than that...

What's the thing on the left side of the dash? Looks like a mobile phone in a cradle...

 

[Robbi]

If that's "gentle" I'd hate to experience anything rougher than that...

What's the thing on the left side of the dash? Looks like a mobile phone in a cradle...

A hand hold? Or maybe you are referring to something else.

 

[jb747]

What's the thing on the left side of the dash? Looks like a mobile phone in a cradle...

Perhaps the keypad for entry to their version of an FMC.

Low level trips can be pretty harsh. There's some quite decent g being pulled at times (in particular the break back into the circuit), but overall it looks very smooth, and at times quite high...though of course that's relative. On a real strike, if you get above the trees you'd be in danger.

 

[legroom]

Hi JB,

All this talk about G force, tree top flying etc.... makes me wonder if you know of any Aussie (WW II) Ace ended up flying for Qantas after the war.

An inane question mainly for history buffs, no reverse thrust or flaps here

Thanks in advance

Perhaps the keypad for entry to their version of an FMC.

Low level trips can be pretty harsh. There's some quite decent g being pulled at times (in particular the break back into the circuit), but overall it looks very smooth, and at times quite high...though of course that's relative. On a real strike, if you get above the trees you'd be in danger.

 

[jb747]

Hi JB,

All this talk about G force, tree top flying etc.... makes me wonder if you know of any Aussie (WW II) Ace ended up flying for Qantas after the war.

An inane question mainly for history buffs, no reverse thrust or flaps here

To be honest I'd be surprised if any at all did. It was a place for ex transport and bomber pilots.

But, if you want to do some research, here's the list of aces List of World War II aces from Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Skyhigh777]

JB, what are those two red buttons/lights on the center window frame of the airbus coughpit for?

Thanks

 

[jb747]

JB, what are those two red buttons/lights on the center window frame of the airbus coughpit for?

That one confused me for a tick, as there aren't any red buttons our our window frames. But a look at some of the images on the net shows that they are on ours...but white. They are small balls that you line up with a 'target' to help get your head into exactly the same position each time you sit and adjust the seat.

 

[Skyhigh777]

That's interesting, thanks. They're red on the A380 coughpit panorama on the airbus site.

 

[harvyk]

Just reading a lovely story on no news about how every so often commercial airlines land at the wrong airport and I was wondering. Whilst I know that somewhere around the 97 to 98% of landings are done manually, but how many of them are purely visual, in other words the pilot does not rely on any of the navigation instruments to help guide them to the airport? (Talking commercial jets, not GA)

 

[jb747]

Just reading a lovely story on no news about how every so often commercial airlines land at the wrong airport and I was wondering. Whilst I know that somewhere around the 97 to 98% of landings are done manually, but how many of them are purely visual, in other words the pilot does not rely on any of the navigation instruments to help guide them to the airport? (Talking commercial jets, not GA)

Not many. Virtually everything is off some form of STAR or approach, if only to keep you tracking down a known path for ATC purposes. You might break it off at a few miles to join downwind for another runway.

From what I've read, many of these 'wrong airport' events come after the pilots suddenly see a runway, and come off the instruments, but not in clear conditions. The aircraft knows where it is, but the pilots aren't looking.