Ask The Pilot

[harvyk]

Is airport food better than airline food?

Depends where you go, I've had some pretty good meals at airports, and I can think of several items which wouldn't need refrigeration / heating.

What about drinks? I'm assuming that you can have things like coffees in the coughpit whilst still sitting at the gate and once you're in the air, but what about at more critical stages? Eg taxi / take-off / < 10,000ft / landing?

What made me wonder was the other morning whilst boarding my flight to MEL I was watching the pilots sitting in the coughpit each with a cup of coffee in hand, charts or procedures on lap discussing something (can't lip read). I know that this flight is the definition of routine, and I'm certainly not a nervous flyer, but there was also something extremely comforting in them looking so relaxed as they where getting ready to go.

 

[jb747]

Depends where you go, I've had some pretty good meals at airports, and I can think of several items which wouldn't need refrigeration / heating.

People occasionally take a sandwich on board, but I don't recall seeing anything beyond that. Unless you are going to eat it immediately, there simply isn't any reasonable place to store food that isn't already in use. Even then, it only happen in those places where the crew snacks are horrible.

What about drinks? I'm assuming that you can have things like coffees in the coughpit whilst still sitting at the gate and once you're in the air, but what about at more critical stages? Eg taxi / take-off / < 10,000ft / landing?

The whole world is starting to look like the USA, with people wandering around drinking from large paper cups of coffee. I guess I'm old school, as I prefer to sit at a table and have my coffee, generally whilst looking through the flight plan. On most occasions the cabin crew will make up a coffee or two before boarding starts...and given some of the times that we fly, that's more a need than a want.

The coughpit is cleared before pushback. All trays, cups etc are removed. Same thing happens on the way down, just after the 'prepare cabin' PA.

What made me wonder was the other morning whilst boarding my flight to MEL I was watching the pilots sitting in the coughpit each with a cup of coffee in hand, charts or procedures on lap discussing something (can't lip read). I know that this flight is the definition of routine, and I'm certainly not a nervous flyer, but there was also something extremely comforting in them looking so relaxed as they where getting ready to go.

Well, it's their office, and I'm sure they're at least as relaxed as the average office dweller.

 

[mjt57]

Is airport food better than airline food?

I was thinking more along the lines of bringing a sandwich or salad roll from home, perhaps. Obvioulsy for long haul crew it's not an option, but what about the fellows like Boris who may fly out of say, Melbourne, do a few trips to and from Sydney then are home for dinner?

 

[Dmac6345]

jb, I noticed during my travels today and previous days I guess, that some (although rare) aircraft are still taxiing with their strobes on. I might add, not when on or crossing the runway.
Is this just an oversight from the Pilot or is there a reason? Can ATC communicate with them and remind them that they are still flashing?

 

[jb747]

jb, I noticed during my travels today and previous days I guess, that some (although rare) aircraft are still taxiing with their strobes on. I might add, not when on or crossing the runway.
Is this just an oversight from the Pilot or is there a reason? Can ATC communicate with them and remind them that they are still flashing?

It's an error. They should be selected on as you enter the runway, and then off as you leave. Also as you cross a runway. Occasionally you hear someone (not me of course) being reminded.

 

[Boris spatsky]

I was thinking more along the lines of bringing a sandwich or salad roll from home, perhaps. Obvioulsy for long haul crew it's not an option, but what about the fellows like Boris who may fly out of say, Melbourne, do a few trips to and from Sydney then are home for dinner?

We have such limited space in both the flight deck and the galley that anything large would not fit. Some pilots bring things like muesli bars but that is about it.

The flight attendants seem to bring more, but their EBA has different food rules so they don't get the same food as us anyway.

 

[Boris spatsky]

It's an error. They should be selected on as you enter the runway, and then off as you leave. Also as you cross a runway. Occasionally you hear someone (not me of course) being reminded.

You will only ever do it once - the earbashing from the engineers, ground staff and other pilots is enough to warn most people from ever doing it again

 

[jb747]

Next few days...

12/9 QF1 SYD-DXB
15/9 QF1 DXB-LHR
17/9 QF10 LHR-DXB
18/9 QF10 DXB-MEL

 

[por930]

JB, I seem to recall you would be transferring to Melbourne as your 'base'. Does this mean you will have to give up 'your' QF1/2 routes, or will you still commute between SYD and MEL?

 

[jb747]

JB, I seem to recall you would be transferring to Melbourne as your 'base'. Does this mean you will have to give up 'your' QF1/2 routes, or will you still commute between SYD and MEL?

Whilst the company could still assign some Sydney flying, they would become responsible for any transport or accommodation required. Basically I expect to only fly the 9/10 and 93/94. The only visits to Sydney should be for sims.

 

[jb747]

New roster time. Biased in a strange direction (for me anyway).

27/9 QF11
28/9 QF12

8/10 QF93
9/10 QF94

16/10 QF7
18/10 QF8

6/11 QF9 MEL-DXB
10/11 QF1 DXB-LHR
12/11 QF2 LHR-DXB
14/11 QF2 DXB-SYD

 

[defurax]

Anything special about landing the 380 at DFW? Did you have to do specific simulation before operating there? (sorry if it has been asked before). I think DFW is known to be a pretty windy/stormy place, does that affect the 380 more than the 747?

 

[jb747]

Anything special about landing the 380 at DFW? Did you have to do specific simulation before operating there? (sorry if it has been asked before). I think DFW is known to be a pretty windy/stormy place, does that affect the 380 more than the 747?

I haven't looked at it yet. There is a briefing package which will contain pretty well everything I need to know. A sim exercise is based there, but it's really just another airport, with no particular training requirements.

Everywhere is stormy at the right time of year. The 380 handles it about as well as the 747.

 

[Himeno]

6/11 QF9
10/11 QF1
12/11 QF2
14/11 QF2

dang, looks like I just miss you. I'm on the DXB-LHR sector of QF1 the day before.
Why do you have longer in DXB between 9/1 then between the QF2 sectors? Longer rest requirements after a 14 hour flight then after a 7 hour flight?

 

[jb747]

dang, looks like I just miss you. I'm on the DXB-LHR sector of QF1 the day before.
Why do you have longer in DXB between 9/1 then between the QF2 sectors? Longer rest requirements after a 14 hour flight then after a 7 hour flight?

This particular pattern has an unusually long slip in DXB, and may be associated with some flights that the company cancelled. The sectors from DXB to LHR are normally planned two pilot, and after the long sector from Australia, a delayed flight could have issues for the subsequent sector. Building in the occasional longer slip also places a few extra people within reach should somebody become sick, etc. Once the current patterns settle down, and the Melbourne base comes on line, I expect that the difference in timing of the 1 and 9 will allow both slips to be reduced to around 36 hours, by having crews change flight numbers on the way north. Southbound you'll stick with the same flight, and a 24 hour slip.

 

[Solid]

Hi JB,

I of course am not suggesting you discuss specifics, but does the raising of the "terror" level by the government affect your operations in any way, or is that something more controlled by the company.

 

[jb747]

I of course am not suggesting you discuss specifics, but does the raising of the "terror" level by the government affect your operations in any way, or is that something more controlled by the company.

As a general rule, I don't discuss anything related to security. In this case, I've only read what passes for news online.

 

[por930]

New roster time. Biased in a strange direction (for me anyway).

27/9 QF11
28/9 QF12

8/10 QF93
9/10 QF94

16/10 QF7
18/10 QF8

6/11 QF9
10/11 QF1
12/11 QF2
14/11 QF2

JB, You look like your flights are all mixed up now, including a few to the USA. The flight 6/11 - QF9 and 14/11 - QF2, look like you will have to be 'flown' there for your flight? Do you fly up the front, or enjoy the passenger cabin and do not think about the actual flight?

 

[jb747]

JB, You look like your flights are all mixed up now, including a few to the USA. The flight 6/11 - QF9 and 14/11 - QF2, look like you will have to be 'flown' there for your flight? Do you fly up the front, or enjoy the passenger cabin and do not think about the actual flight?

All of the sectors are operating. The only paxing sectors, which I didn't mention, are between Sydney and Melbourne, and I won't be using them anyway.

The trip actually looks like this;
6/11 QF9 MEL-DXB
10/11 QF1 DXB-LHR
12/11 QF2 LHR-DXB
14/11 QF2 DXB-SYD

There is no reason for us to stick to one route group (i.e. 1/2, 9/10, 11/12, 93/94). The company could build the patterns to be 11/94 or 9/1/2/10. In fact that last grouping, along with 1/9/10/2, is likely to be a quite common variation on the London pattern, as it throws up reduced slip lengths in both Dubai and London.

 

[mjt57]

All of the sectors are operating. The only paxing sectors, which I didn't mention, are between Sydney and Melbourne, and I won't be using them anyway.

So, how will get to SYD?

The trip actually looks like this;
6/11 QF9 MEL-DXB
10/11 QF1 DXB-LHR

Does this mean that you're stuck in Dubai for 4 days???