Ask The Pilot

[RooFlyer]

For Australia they are available online
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Thanks markis10. So as not to dilute this thread, I'll post a follow-up question on charges in general on a separate thread

 

[jb747]

Does QF7/8 have a non fuel payload handicap to enable consistent on time arrival?

I'm not sure what you're asking.

Would the A380 have to take a payload handicap as well if it were to do the same journey?

The 380 has about 500 nm more range than the 744, though any time you talk range with aircraft, you are asking about the length of a piece of string? I expect that it could do the same sectors with a full passenger load.

 

[Pvcmenace]

Hi JB do you have your roster for May? Am on QF9 on the 21st May and QF10 the 31st

 

[Quickstatus]

I'm not sure what you're asking.

Can the 747ER fly the QF7/8 route with maximum payload or does cargo typically have to be reduced assuming full passenger load

 

[jb747]

Can the 747ER fly the QF7/8 route with maximum payload or does cargo typically have to be reduced assuming full passenger load

I've never had anything to do with the Dallas operation. I'd expect it probably has no cargo capacity. 380 would probably also be limited, but any long haul operation always is. You can never have full passengers, and cargo, and fuel simultaneously. Pick any two.

 

[zainman]

I've never had anything to do with the Dallas operation. I'd expect it probably has no cargo capacity. 380 would probably also be limited, but any long haul operation always is. You can never have full passengers, and cargo, and fuel simultaneously. Pick any two.

Would a 77L be capable of such an operation at full capacity perhaps? No compromise?

 

[jb747]

Would a 77L be capable of such an operation at full capacity perhaps? No compromise?

Unlikely. The compromise is built in to every aircraft. The maximum zero fuel weight is the controlling factor for payload, and maximum take off weight the overall limit.

On an A380, max zero fuel is 360 tonnes. Max take off weight is 569 tonnes....so if you have maximum payload, the maximum fuel you could carry would be 209 tonnes. But the tanks will hold 250 tonnes. On various flights I've used each of those limits....

 

[petercr]

Looking at the specs of the 777-8X on Wikipedia, when that is built it might be able to do DFW-SYD full capacity (pax and cargo) - just depends on what a couple of TBA figures (operating empty weight and max fuel capacity) work out to be and how many kg's you can fit into 40x LD3 pallets. The above data seems to suggest a max range of 17,200km+ and SYD-DFW is 13,800+

(from my understanding and having heard plane delay reports on the radio, it's always the journey back to Oz that seems to be the issue and it mostly seems to involve doing a 'gas and go' a few hours from home)

 

[Quickstatus]

Thx JB,

On your last SYD-LAX sector how much fuel did your A380 consume?

Also what mass do you attribute to a qantas passenger for your calculations and does it differ between each class of passenger?

 

[straitman]

Looking at the specs of the 777-8X on Wikipedia, when that is built it might be able to do DFW-SYD full capacity (pax and cargo) - just depends on what a couple of TBA figures (operating empty weight and max fuel capacity) work out to be and how many kg's you can fit into 40x LD3 pallets. The above data seems to suggest a max range of 17,200km+ and SYD-DFW is 13,800+

(from my understanding and having heard plane delay reports on the radio, it's always the journey back to Oz that seems to be the issue and it mostly seems to involve doing a 'gas and go' a few hours from home)

I would actually look at the Boeing web site rather than Wikipedia for factual information. Whilst Boeing gives range and passenger numbers it does not give AUW or fuel load information. Also from the web site the B777-9X would also have the range. As jb747 states

You can never have full passengers, and cargo, and fuel simultaneously. Pick any two.

 

[mjt57]

Off the top of my head, there are 28 pumps. And all of the tanks, with two exceptions, will gravity feed as well.

You cannot reach destination. You are choosing the best airport to fly to, and then be unserviceable at. Go to HNL, and you will almost certainly have to wait a couple of days before you get the engineers, and parts, to go on your way again. Back to LA, and the expertise is there...

Inconvenient and annoying, but the best way to handle it.

And the media is at it again, and being sucked in by uninformed pax...

No Cookies | Herald Sun

What's that term that Patrick Smith used in his book, "coughpit Confidential"? Something like Passenger Ignorance Syndrome or something like that?

 

[Robbi]

On the turbulence theme - I was recently on an A380 out of LAX and was upstairs at the back. We encountered turbulence shortly after reaching the initial cruise altitude, and whilst it was never bad enough for the seatbelt sign to come on it certainly made the dinner service entertaining. This was mainly because the cabin was making a wagging motion. This meant that wine had to be held in one hand if you wanted to drink it rather than wear it.

Perhaps it is because I am normally seated over the wings that I have never experienced this phenomena, but does the sheer size of the A380 make the fuselage flex more obvious? Or is side-to-side turbulence less common than the vertical bumps I am used to?

Doubt it was flex, it's more the case that if you are over the wing you are very central, sitting right on the pivot points for yaw and pitch.

Sitting in the rear top deck you are behind and above the pivot points so any movement is magnified by the length of the fulcrum relative to the central wing position.

 

[jb747]

Hi JB do you have your roster for May? Am on QF9 on the 21st May and QF10 the 31st

Annual leave then.

 

[jb747]

On the turbulence theme - I was recently on an A380 out of LAX and was upstairs at the back. We encountered turbulence shortly after reaching the initial cruise altitude, and whilst it was never bad enough for the seatbelt sign to come on it certainly made the dinner service entertaining. This was mainly because the cabin was making a wagging motion. This meant that wine had to be held in one hand if you wanted to drink it rather than wear it.

Perhaps it is because I am normally seated over the wings that I have never experienced this phenomena, but does the sheer size of the A380 make the fuselage flex more obvious? Or is side-to-side turbulence less common than the vertical bumps I am used to?

Actually the fuselage feels very rigid. You could feel some flex in the 747, but the 380 feels much more like a 767.

Sitting at the back you are a long way from the centre of the aircraft, and it magnifies any motion. You're also right under the tail, and the yaw damper (rudder) can be quite active at times.

 

[jb747]

And the media is at it again, and being sucked in by uninformed pax...

No Cookies | Herald Sun

What's that term that Patrick Smith used in his book, "coughpit Confidential"? Something like Passenger Ignorance Syndrome or something like that?

And the media goes looking for them.

2 pumps out of 28. Big deal. It would have had to have been from one of the inner tanks, as they are the only ones that won't gravity feed. In the worst case you'd lose access to about 25 tonnes. The usage sequence is such that you'd find out early in the flight, so they've still have at least 85% of the fuel load available.

Normally the fuel pumps are turned on and off by the management system numerous times during a flight. Only the feed pumps remain on constantly, but even with the loss of two of them, the fuel will gravity feed to an engine, or you can provide it under pressure from any other engine's feeds.

i've only ever seen a double failure once. It was on a London to Singapore flight, and both pumps from the tail tank failed. Put the switches into an eye pleasing arrangement, and it slowly gravity fed its contents to the wing tanks. Most of these failures aren't mechanical either, but involve some form of computer logic, or lack thereof.

 

[Melburnian1]

This question is addressed to AFF member A330 driver or others who pilot those birds.

From discussions with other flight (and/ or cabin) crew, what is the ranking of international destinations to which the QF A330s flies in terms of popularity among the flight (and perhaps the cabin) crew? i.e. PVG 1 - SIN 2 - MNL 3 etc. I realise that sometimes you will just be looking for a bed, and turnaround times on your rotations may vary, but just a general indication if you would be so kind.

 

[Himeno]

For international flights, how long do you normally layover at a port between flights? Is the layover length the same for cabin crew?
Would they ever have a pilot do eg; QF21 and QF22 with only the ~15 hr rest between flights?

In the case of the 2 sector flights (JFK/LHR), do you ever return to JFK/LHR after a stop in DXB/LAX, or do you always head back to AU after a rest? (eg, ever do MEL-DXB/DXB-LHR/LHR-DXB/DXB-LHR/LHR-DXB/DXB-SYD, or would it always be more like SYD-DXB/DXB-LHR/LHR-DXB/DXB-MEL?)

 

[mjt57]

JB, tonight, discussing heavy aircraft overflying Gippsland, a mate took a couple of photos of what we think is an A380, inbound from NZ.

He thinks that the aircraft is bound for Dubai, heads inland over Gippsland then alters heading to fly NW, presumably to SIN for its first stop.

Does that sound right to you?

Here's a link to a photo that he took of the aircraft in question. Location, about 20 km from Bairnsdale in east Gippsland.

http://www.hornet.net.au/pics/misc/img_2930.jpg

The only aircraft that I ever spot are usually twin engined jobs, presumably B737s or similar.

 

[day-heg]

My gut is saying that the above photo is of a 747... can't quite put my finger on why, I looked a few pics online, I think it looks too long to be an A380, especially aft of the wings. Anyway, happy to be corrected...

On an entirely separate note JB - I was wondering if you keep an 'old fashioned' log book for all your flights, or if you had a digital solution of some sort? Or both? Are there any CASA regs that mandate you to keep paper records? Apologies if this has been asked already... I did a quick search but nothing came up.

 

[markis10]

JB, tonight, discussing heavy aircraft overflying Gippsland, a mate took a couple of photos of what we think is an A380, inbound from NZ.

He thinks that the aircraft is bound for Dubai, heads inland over Gippsland then alters heading to fly NW, presumably to SIN for its first stop.

Does that sound right to you?

Here's a link to a photo that he took of the aircraft in question. Location, about 20 km from Bairnsdale in east Gippsland.

http://www.hornet.net.au/pics/misc/img_2930.jpg

The only aircraft that I ever spot are usually twin engined jobs, presumably B737s or similar.

Every Sunday QF7586 does AKL MEL, it's an Atlas Air 744F. All the A380s go to DXB after AKL via MEL/SYD and BNE.

http://www.airplane-pictures.net/images/uploaded-images/2011-12/17/172674.jpg