Ask The Pilot

[QF WP]

Referring to this story: Bomber pilot helped in airline coughpit during emergency - CNN.com, I presume that the fighter pilot followed the instructions of the SO (who had become PIC). Would the fighter pilot have really been able to land the 737?? What are the differnce in controls etc...(given you'll have a fair idea given your background, jb747)

 

[jb747]

Referring to this story: Bomber pilot helped in airline coughpit during emergency - CNN.com, I presume that the fighter pilot followed the instructions of the SO (who had become PIC). Would the fighter pilot have really been able to land the 737?? What are the differnce in controls etc...(given you'll have a fair idea given your background, jb747)

He was actually a bomber pilot. The B1B is a much bigger aircraft than a 737, with a max take off weight of over 200,000 kgs.

The 'SO' was really an FO, and would have been more than capable of landing the aircraft without anyone in the other seat. We practice single pilot ops every now and then, and I'm sure United would too.

As to whether he would have been able to fly it (and lets remove the FO from the scene too)...I think you'd be surprised how little trouble he'd have once he'd had a chance to have a good look around. Plus he would have no issue operating the radio and getting guidance from any other 737 pilots around.

 

[anat0l]

Whilst on the issue of fuel...

• Who actually supplies (sells) the fuel to the planes at different airports? I know this will vary greatly from location to location... I'm guessing it could be any of the airline (i.e. they purchase the fuel and the supply vehicles, and on sell this to other carriers under contract), a fuel company which has the contract (they supply the vehicles, maintain the pumping systems etc. and have a permission to work at the airport), the airport company itself.......
  
  I guess what this comes down to, is if there are problems with fuel supply for any reason, who should be the organisation that needs a fire lit under them first? (Apart from possibly the airline if they haven't paid for the fuel...)
• Have you ever had problems with fuel supply, e.g. severe discrepancies in the paperwork supply vs actual fuel added (possible attempt to defraud the amount of fuel added), go-slow or refusal to refuel until certain (odd) conditions met, suspected bad quality fuel loaded (likely only to be discovered after leaving the airport)......

 

[jb747]

Whilst on the issue of fuel...

• Who actually supplies (sells) the fuel to the planes at different airports? I know this will vary greatly from location to location... I'm guessing it could be any of the airline (i.e. they purchase the fuel and the supply vehicles, and on sell this to other carriers under contract), a fuel company which has the contract (they supply the vehicles, maintain the pumping systems etc. and have a permission to work at the airport), the airport company itself.......
  
  I guess what this comes down to, is if there are problems with fuel supply for any reason, who should be the organisation that needs a fire lit under them first? (Apart from possibly the airline if they haven't paid for the fuel...)
• Have you ever had problems with fuel supply, e.g. severe discrepancies in the paperwork supply vs actual fuel added (possible attempt to defraud the amount of fuel added), go-slow or refusal to refuel until certain (odd) conditions met, suspected bad quality fuel loaded (likely only to be discovered after leaving the airport)......

Fuel is generally supplied by people like Mobil, Petronas, etc....i.e. fuel suppliers. You don't want to go through another airline (another middleman) for that sort of service. Whilst some services may be bought from airlines (i.e. tugs, or engineering support), a lot also comes from specialist airport service companies such as DNATA.

I've never had any issues. I've heard of people who have diverted to a place at which there is no account being asked to pay for fuel...I guess you'd use your Gold Mastercard for that, or perhaps that's the time to ask the local airline nicely.

 

[markis10]

Have you got your new hat yet JB747

 

[jb747]

Have you got your new hat yet JB747

Must be a management hat...

 

[petercr]

I notice they appear to be inflatable. Is that in case the airbags in the coughpit fail?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Whilst on the issue of fuel...

• Who actually supplies (sells) the fuel to the planes at different airports? I know this will vary greatly from location to location... I'm guessing it could be any of the airline (i.e. they purchase the fuel and the supply vehicles, and on sell this to other carriers under contract), a fuel company which has the contract (they supply the vehicles, maintain the pumping systems etc. and have a permission to work at the airport), the airport company itself.......
  
  I guess what this comes down to, is if there are problems with fuel supply for any reason, who should be the organisation that needs a fire lit under them first? (Apart from possibly the airline if they haven't paid for the fuel...)
• Have you ever had problems with fuel supply, e.g. severe discrepancies in the paperwork supply vs actual fuel added (possible attempt to defraud the amount of fuel added), go-slow or refusal to refuel until certain (odd) conditions met, suspected bad quality fuel loaded (likely only to be discovered after leaving the airport)......

In a previous life I used to fly to some pretty out of the place locations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific. The only way to get fuel in a lot of those places (Jet A) was using US Dollars in cash. We had a safe on the aircraft that we used to carry the cash in but there was always the risk of being held up. I have twice been held up after refuelling at such locations where they simply parked us in with trucks in front and behind the aircraft and forced us to pay more before they would move them. Both times they changed their mind about the price once the refuel was completed. That is just the way in some of those countries.

As for fuel supply, you have to be very careful when not operating out of a major airport. I remember asking for fuel in PNG and the guy said he would get his brother to get the truck - it arrived 2 hours later and looked like it was about to fall apart. Rust everywhere, dripping fuel on the tarmac etc. We fuelled up using that truck, then did our own checks of the fuel for contaminants and water. The saving grace is that turbine engines generally will operate on pretty much anything that can burn. We took as little as possible to get to Moresby so we could take better quality fuel for the way home.

I have also been the beneficiary of extremely cheap fuel in the Pacific - the fuel only has a 6 month shelf life I believe due to algae buildup. They hadn't had any large aircraft through in a few months and the fuel was about to go off. They couldn't pump it anywhere so almost gave us 20000 L free so that they could fill up the tank off the boat the next week. Good quality fuel, they just had no one to give it to!

 

[Himeno]

I've never had any issues. I've heard of people who have diverted to a place at which there is no account being asked to pay for fuel...I guess you'd use your Gold Mastercard for that, or perhaps that's the time to ask the local airline nicely.

In late September 2009, I was on an A380 operated QF32 when we had to land at KUL due to weather and ATC holds at SIN. After landing, we taxied to a remote stand near the MH maintenance area and were there for around 3 hours. They pulled up air stairs for some ground staff to board with a PA call asking that everyone remain in their cabins and only the captain was allowed off. While we there there, a few cars and a bus load of MH ground staff pulled up and started taking photos. It seemed like a lot of the time was spent completing "paperwork".

How long would it normally take to fuel enough to fly KUL-SIN?
Would QF have an account at KUL, or would they have used the JQ/3K account?
What sort of paperwork would you have after a fuel diversion to a port the company doesn't normally operate to?
Do local ground staff often come out to look when something "different" or "new" happens?

 

[Quickstatus]

JB is there an objective measure of aircraft weight in the field eg marks on the undercarriage?. The heavier the aircraft the lower it sits on it's undercarriage. Or maybe aircraft undercarriage suspension is different In that respect to say a car.

 

[Quickstatus]

I've never had any issues. I've heard of people who have diverted to a place at which there is no account being asked to pay for fuel...I guess you'd use your Gold Mastercard for that, or perhaps that's the time to ask the local airline nicely.

If you had a QF affiliated card you could rack up a lot of points very quickly. ???

 

[flychrisfly]

In the pic (Wagga Wagga airport), you can see white long objects that look a bit like elongated Monopoly hotels which are dotted around the perimeter of the runway.

does anyone know:
a) what are they and what are they called?
b) where they are usually found (just bordering the runways/along taxiways/around the whole field)?
c) are they just seen in Oz or is it an international standard?
d) what is their purpose?

cheers

 

[markis10]

In the pic (Wagga Wagga airport), you can see white long objects that look a bit like elongated Monopoly hotels which are dotted around the perimeter of the runway.

does anyone know:
a) what are they and what are they called?
b) where they are usually found (just bordering the runways/along taxiways/around the whole field)?
c) are they just seen in Oz or is it an international standard?
d) what is their purpose?

cheers

They are known as gable markers and are used to indicate where the runway is. They are an international standard, set by ICAO.

 

[mjt57]

They are known as gable markers and are used to indicate where the runway is.

I'm guessing that this is to aid ground traffic (taxying aircraft, road vehicles, etc) to locate the runway? It'd be fairly obvious to approaching aircraft (landing) as to where it is, wouldn't it?

Thing is, why are they needed? Doesn't the taxiway system show the pilots where to go?

 

[markis10]

I'm guessing that this is to aid ground traffic (taxying aircraft, road vehicles, etc) to locate the runway? It'd be fairly obvious to approaching aircraft (landing) as to where it is, wouldn't it?

Thing is, why are they needed? Doesn't the taxiway system show the pilots where to go?

The runway is not just the sealed area, but also the unsealed area on the inside of the gable markers. While the markers are handy for runways without a sealed component such as dirt or grass strips, the markers also serve to define the boundary or traffic not confined to marked taxiways, such as mowers, safety cars and the like.

 

[bass_ke]

They're things that I always try to stay on the non runway side of when driving!

 

[OzEire]

Question for the pilots and perhaps ATC folks. I was recently on a delayed QF 717 departing CBR. We taxiied well behind a VA 737 who was 'ready' at the A intersection at the end of RWY35 as we approached intersection B.

I thought, since the 737 was there first, we would hold and wait for them to depart then follow them. But to my surprise we entered 35 then backtracked down the runway and turned around right in front of the VA aircraft, then took off. Must have been frustrating for them to wait as we skipped the line.

Isn't it usual for aircraft who need the whole runway to line up behind each other on the taxiway? What reason might a later aircraft be cleared to go first? Does ATC decide or respective pilots agree by radio? I can understand company aircraft giving way for operational reasons but not competitors. Any ideas?

 

[markis10]

Question for the pilots and perhaps ATC folks. I was recently on a delayed QF 717 departing CBR. We taxiied well behind a VA 737 who was 'ready' at the A intersection at the end of RWY35 as we approached intersection B.

I thought, since the 737 was there first, we would hold and wait for them to depart then follow them. But to my surprise we entered 35 then backtracked down the runway and turned around right in front of the VA aircraft, then took off. Must have been frustrating for them to wait as we skipped the line.

Isn't it usual for aircraft who need the whole runway to line up behind each other on the taxiway? What reason might a later aircraft be cleared to go first? Does ATC decide or respective pilots agree by radio? I can understand company aircraft giving way for operational reasons but not competitors. Any ideas?

CBR SYD is very much a slot based setup, and those slots are known before engine start. First to the runway holding point does not mean first to go, its also possible VA had a problem and may have missed an earlier slot. At controlled airports, priority is decided by ATC, at uncontrolled airports it may be a pilot agreement, as was the recent case with diversions into Mildura of of both VA and QF.

 

[CaviAck]

Apparently QF is opening up an A380 pilot base in MEL.
Qantas in drive to improve scheduling

Have you heard anything about this JB? I assume you're happy about it considering you're based out of MEL and would mean no more commute to SYD.

 

[jb747]

Apparently QF is opening up an A380 pilot base in MEL.
Qantas in drive to improve scheduling

Have you heard anything about this JB? I assume you're happy about it considering you're based out of MEL and would mean no more commute to SYD.

They opened it around the start of the year. Sadly, they only had a few takers in the Captain rank, so the end result was that it's only for FOs and SOs.

Actually, I'll have to stand corrected there. This time around they've advertised for a basing, whereas the previous was for a posting. The difference is that for a posting you have to be already qualified on type, whereas for a basing, it includes the conversion.

As there are only about 10 Captain slots advertised, I expect they will all be taken by people from the 747, so I have my doubts about whether I'll get a look in at all.