Ask The Pilot

[FlyingPhotog]

Cost of the tugs and crew to operate them would a very significant number, and I'm sure would offset any fuel savings. Plus the effect on airport movements would be dramatic (i.e. bad).

I think the idea of using electric motors on the wheels is being explored, but it adds weight/complexity to the aircraft, and may not be cost effective.

Exactly, I'd hate to see how slow everything would become of every aircraft had to be towed to the gate via a tug everytime they landed.

 

[jb747]

And so another QF 744 heads to Victorville... but how do the pilots go home after dropping the plane off at the desert? They can't really fly out of there...

It's the USA....they have cars.

 

[QF WP]

My neighbour, a VA check captain, is doing his SIM renewal this week. He was boning up yesterday "on the books". jb747, is that something you (and other QF captains) do??

I wished him luck this morning, but don't believe it's luck he needs - just do what comes naturally...

 

[jb747]

My neighbour, a VA check captain, is doing his SIM renewal this week. He was boning up yesterday "on the books". jb747, is that something you (and other QF captains) do??

I wished him luck this morning, but don't believe it's luck he needs - just do what comes naturally...

You always put in some work for the sim. Sometimes it's just a few hours, but generally there's enough in one of the exercises to require a couple of hours over a few days.

Coming back from leave to a sim (as I'll be doing in a couple of weeks), I'll put in a couple of hours a day for the entire week beforehand...which sort of ruins the leave, but that's the way it is.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Coming back from leave to a sim (as I'll be doing in a couple of weeks), I'll put in a couple of hours a day for the entire week beforehand...which sort of ruins the leave, but that's the way it is.

I'd never thought about that, but now I know a pilot *can* take work home.

 

[QF WP]

Would the VA sim be materially different to the QF sim exercise? I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to post what he did (assuming he passes and tells me ). I remember the previous post of your sim exercise and found it really informative.

 

[Quickstatus]

JB, have you ferried an aircraft to VCV?. Did you /would you feel a bit of sadness/nostalgia etc leaving a perfectly functional aircraft there?. Additionally do you currently have a favourite A380?

 

[jb747]

Would the VA sim be materially different to the QF sim exercise? I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to post what he did (assuming he passes and tells me ). I remember the previous post of your sim exercise and found it really informative.

Other readers might find it interesting.... It's quite likely that their entire training methodology would differ from QF. They'd still have a CASA matrix of items to do, but would probably tackle it in a different manner.

 

[jb747]

JB, have you ferried an aircraft to VCV?. Did you /would you feel a bit of sadness/nostalgia etc leaving a perfectly functional aircraft there?. Additionally do you currently have a favourite A380?

No.

The 767-200s were the only things that I've been flying at the time they were retired, and one of those trips never came my way. In comparison with the -300s, I didn't really like the 200s (especially EAJ), so I might have been quite happy to chop them up myself.

I wasn't on the 747-400 when they started disappearing, but I'd have felt sorry about them, especially K. It was nice to see that it got yet another life.

Half the time, I don't even know which A380 I'm on...so no, no favourites there.

 

[Quickstatus]

Within an aircraft type eg 747-400 what would make a particular aircraft a favourite eg K over say L?. Performance, handling characteristics, quirks like pilot seat feel, connection with a particular life event?

 

[jb747]

Within an aircraft type eg 747-400 what would make a particular aircraft a favourite eg K over say L?. Performance, handling characteristics, quirks like pilot seat feel, connection with a particular life event?

All of the above. Some just had a bit of history with me, for better or worse. Some may have been the first of a type that you flew, or the aircraft you completed a promotion course in. In the case of the 767, EAQ was both the first, and last, that I flew.

Back in the A4G days, 876 was a dog compared to the rest of the fleet. It was always about 20 knots slower (no matter how many engine changes it had)...behaving as if it had a centreline drop tank on, even when clean.

Aircraft with mechanical controls don't always feel exactly the same. One may be lighter or heavier than the average. The digital aircraft all tend to feel exactly the same. Reliability seems to come and go in waves...with a different one being the pest of the fleet at any given time.

 

[docjames]

What was it about the 767-200s you didn't like?

 

[jb747]

What was it about the 767-200s you didn't like?

Firstly the engines were nowhere near as nice (or powerful) as the GEs on most of the 300s.

Main reason though, was that they had less 'tail volume' (tail area * moment arm) compared to the 300s. The 300s had exactly the same tail, but were about 20 feet longer...which basically meant that they were much more responsive in pitch (and yaw). End result was that they felt a lot nicer.

 

[mjt57]

Coming back from leave to a sim (as I'll be doing in a couple of weeks), I'll put in a couple of hours a day for the entire week beforehand...which sort of ruins the leave, but that's the way it is.

JB, for the benefit of your readers, could you give us a couple of examples of what you'll be studying up on?

I take it, too, that you have a study or library full of text books related to the job or do you need to "go into work" to do this?

 

[JohnM]

No.

The 767-200s were the only things that I've been flying at the time they were retired, and one of those trips never came my way. In comparison with the -300s, I didn't really like the 200s (especially EAJ), so I might have been quite happy to chop them up myself.

I wasn't on the 747-400 when they started disappearing, but I'd have felt sorry about them, especially K. It was nice to see that it got yet another life.

Half the time, I don't even know which A380 I'm on...so no, no favourites there.

Would a QF crew take an aircraft being retired all the way to Victorville? If so, would they then pax back to Australia or crew a scheduled flight back?

Also, why are the logos painted out? That must be quite costly and it seems unnecessary because if the aircraft were to go back into service with another airline it would presumably need a complete re-paint.

 

[jb747]

JB, for the benefit of your readers, could you give us a couple of examples of what you'll be studying up on?

I take it, too, that you have a study or library full of text books related to the job or do you need to "go into work" to do this?

My study contains exactly zero books. A sad indictment of the age perhaps, but everything I'll be looking at is now on my (company) iPad (and my laptop).

Basically I'll read those parts of the company Flight Administration Manual that relate to operations. I'll read all of the systems and procedures sections of the 380, and I'll have a quick look at the cabin safety/procedures manual. As an intro each day, I'll go through the limitations and memory items. And I'll eventually have a look at the actual contents of the sim, and look at anything specific that it covers.

Some of the flying procedures I'll mentally fly by closing my eyes and going through all of the steps (i.e. every part of a circuit)...flying your armchair.

And then I'll get into the sim and forget the lot....

 

[Quickstatus]

JB did you ever fly the Skyhawks from Hmas MEL?

 

[Major]

JB did you ever fly the Skyhawks from Hmas MEL?

Answered a long time ago at post 40
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/open-discussion/ask-the-pilot-30478.html

 

[smeacs]

JB when fuel is loaded into the aircraft it has been discussed that it goes on by the tonne. Does the tonnage get counted by the fuel truck or by some fuel gauge in the aircraft and is there any way that these two figures are forced to match?

 

[jb747]

JB when fuel is loaded into the aircraft it has been discussed that it goes on by the tonne. Does the tonnage get counted by the fuel truck or by some fuel gauge in the aircraft and is there any way that these two figures are forced to match?

We order fuel in 100s of kilos. I'm sure the people loading it measure it to the exact litre...as that's what they're going to charge the airlines. The aircraft themselves generally control the onload, pushing it to the correct tanks, and shutting the flow down at the predetermined cutoff point.

When complete, the refueler brings the paperwork to the coughpit, and his figures are compared to our fuel synoptic. The amount actually loaded is compared to the previous sector final fuel, and with a chart that shows us the maximum differential allowed. Anything outside the allowed has to be explained...perhaps by an engine run, or longer than usual APU use.

In flight we have two ways of looking at the fuel. We are shown the amount in each tank and the total, as well as the fuel used since engine start. Subract the fuel used from the load, and it should be close to the totaliser. If it diverges too much, the aircraft will eventually issue a warning, and you'll need to decide which of the two numbers you're going to use. Again, you need to find an explanation for any difference...this comparison is a good first indication of a fuel leak.