Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

Is this different for a jet fighter? That is, is all that stuff on Top Gun type films (thrust being jammed forwards and backwards) just BS?

Well, I wouldn't describe Top Gun as a documentary, though fighters were the sort of aircraft that I've flown that use a throttle friction adjustment. Thrust lever movement was deliberate, not a slam in either direction. From memory it could still be pretty quick, but not necessarily at Tom Cruise speeds. Remember, that the generation that I flew were well before the days of fancy digital control, and it was quite simple to compressor stall them by mishandling. in particular, the A4G engine did not like having the lever slapped shut at high IAS..that could give what was called an idle undershoot, where it would go to sub idle, still running, but no longer following the thrust lever movement. If I recall correctly, that cost us one TA4G in the circuit at Nowra.

Whilst on the subject of Tog Gun, wingmen in a dogfight don't hang in there in close formation either. They will generally be manoeuvering out of the plane of the fight, in the opposite direction, which gives them the maximum number of opportunities to turn in and stop the fight. On the other hand, the aggressor A4s looked good.

 

[Tortuga]

Hey JB !

A bit of a weird question, but in your opinion would it be possible/likely for two people who have never flown an aircraft to land an A380 with instructions only from the ground?

Another weird question - Some people are questioning how the hijackers of 9/11 manager to control the planes and crash them into their targets with quite a high degree of precision - sceptics are saying it would be very difficult given their limited training. Do you have an opinion on this?

Thanks

 

[jb747]

Hey JB !

A bit of a weird question, but in your opinion would it be possible/likely for two people who have never flown an aircraft to land an A380 with instructions only from the ground?

I think we've already discussed this. Not impossible. But not too likely either. First problem is the simple one of getting those instructions..how does the radio work? If the autopilot disconnected, that would be the end of the game. The complexity of even simple things, like having to enter the FMC to get the aircraft to tune an ILS would make it unlikely. To fly it manually...not a chance.

Another weird question - Some people are questioning how the hijackers of 9/11 manager to control the planes and crash them into their targets with quite a high degree of precision - sceptics are saying it would be very difficult given their limited training. Do you have an opinion on this?

Not really. They didn't have to coordinate anything. Just descend to a relatively low altitude and fly towards something fairly large.

 

[Tortuga]

Thanks for the answers. Do you experience any problems with your ears from flying so much? Have any studies been done on the effect of long term flying and do you think it has had any effect on your overall health?

You must have seen a lot of the world, do you have any favourite overseas destinations for your time off - or do you still consider Australia one of the best?

 

[jb747]

Thanks for the answers. Do you experience any problems with your ears from flying so much? Have any studies been done on the effect of long term flying and do you think it has had any effect on your overall health?

From the pressurisation changes no, but the constant noise doesn't do your hearing any good.

You must have seen a lot of the world, do you have any favourite overseas destinations for your time off - or do you still consider Australia one of the best?

I quite liked New York. London is always good. Countries...Canada and New Zealand...most people just don't realise just how spectacular NZ is, and it's only a couple of hours away.

My own holidays...in 26 years in the airline business, I've holidayed overseas 3 times (Florida once, NZ once, and round the world London/Paris/NYC/Washington)...I much prefer driving from Melbourne to Darwin. Most Australians have no idea of what lies beyond the boundaries of the main cities. Next year, we'll have a look at the Oodnadatta track and the Flinders Ranges.

 

[meloz]

Not really. They didn't have to coordinate anything. Just descend to a relatively low altitude and fly towards something fairly large.

Would it be much harder or even possible to do a 270 degree turn and hit a building 20 feet above ground level at near 400 knots "given their limited training"?

 

[jb747]

Would it be much harder or even possible to do a 270 degree turn and hit a building 20 feet above ground level at near 400 knots "given their limited training"?

This sounds terrribly like "conspiracy theory" theory.

Of course it would. No individual part of that is particularly difficult.

 

[OverrideServlet]

This sounds terrribly like "conspiracy theory" theory.

It does have the tin-foil hat glow emanating from it, doesn't it.

I've read this entire thread and I keep checking it regularly, thanks for participating jb747.

My question goes like this:

Do the airlines specify how much & how often you must train in the simulator? Or is this direction passed down from the airline manufacturer?

I don't work in the industry but I've been thinking a lot about using pilot training/practise as a model for training people in my team to handle emergency situations (non life threatening obviously - but based around business continuity). How easy is it to find out some details about the methods you guys use, how performance is measured and what the expected outcomes are? I am looking for ways to improve digestion of inputs from multiple systems and time to diagnose & respond to system failure.

 

[harvyk]

Don't forget that the hi-jackers actually had proper flight training before getting behind the controls of 757's \ 767's... (It wasn't all microsoft flight sim), so whilst they where complete novices when it came to the planes systems, they at least had the basics of how to control the plane (although not how to switch off transponders or work the radios)

Whilst obviously it was in nothing as large as a commercial passanger jet (I believe it was a cesssna) they had at least flown planes for real prior to that day, infact one of the things which helped the feds investigation was the fact that according to the flying school they went through these guys are very interested in how to control the planes mid flight, but didn't really seem interested in learning how to land.

 

[jb747]

Do the airlines specify how much & how often you must train in the simulator? Or is this direction passed down from the airline manufacturer?

The national regulator has a lot to do with it. In our case, a training matrix is agreed with CASA, which covers everything that they want us to look at over a two/three year period. The matrix would most likely come from a combination of sources, the manufacturer, our head torturer, recent aircraft events. So, every time that you set foot in the sim, there is a very tight program of items that you need to look at.

 

[harvyk]

How is the fuel requirements determined for flights where the total length of the flight time is not known eg search and rescue?

 

[markis10]

How is the fuel requirements determined for flights where the total length of the flight time is not known eg search and rescue?

SAR ops are a little bit different, generally the flight is basically calculated as transit + TOS (time on station) then transit back + reserves AFAIK. As a Search Master I often asked what TOS an aircraft could do in determining the divert suitability to cover a search area. TOS for a fresh P3 is an eye opener regardless of which coast in OZ it may be required - awesome aircraft, and often when we asked RAAF HQ they would not tell us where it was coming from, only what time it would be in the search area, and when it did come up it took over and ran everything!

 

[straitman]

How is the fuel requirements determined for flights where the total length of the flight time is not known eg search and rescue?

In these situations the fuel is worked backwards.

ie On departure the maximum (or most appropriate) fuel is carried. The fuel required to return to base, plus reserves, is continually revised. The search is continued until that minimum fuel is reached at which point you head off toward your base.

 

[harvyk]

Say the TOS was far less than expected, is there typically any sort of max landing weights which need to be accounted for, or can SAR aircraft land almost as soon as they take off?

 

[jb747]

How is the fuel requirements determined for flights where the total length of the flight time is not known eg search and rescue?

Subtract whatever reserves you need (30 minutes, approach, holding), and whatever you have left over is 110% of what you can burn.

 

[straitman]

Say the TOS was far less than expected, is there typically any sort of max landing weights which need to be accounted for, or can SAR aircraft land almost as soon as they take off?

This will vary with aircraft type.

I'll give a P3 driver friend a ring tonight and ask re that aircraft.

 

[jb747]

Say the TOS was far less than expected, is there typically any sort of max landing weights which need to be accounted for, or can SAR aircraft land almost as soon as they take off?

Max landing weights will need to be allowed for in most aircraft. Of the aircraft that I've flown, only the trainers (CT4 and Macchi) could be landed at max t/o weight.

Looking at our friend google, shows that a P3 has a max weight of 64,000kgs, and a max landing weight of 47,000 kgs. With an empty weight of about 28,000 kgs, and a fuel capacity of about 27,000 kgs. So, an empty aircraft, with max fuel would weigh about 55,000 kgs....8,000 kgs above max landing. Fuel dump systems are fairly normal fitments.

 

[Flying Fox]

Following on from this article -

Passenger tried to open door mid-flight

Could this turkey actually have opened a door mid-flight? Is it possible?

 

[mannej]

Following on from this article -

Passenger tried to open door mid-flight

Could this turkey actually have opened a door mid-flight? Is it possible?

The answer should be no, as the door is physically bigger than the hole it sits in. I think they are called plug doors, and if they do become open as such, it is pressure that holds them into place.

 

[markis10]

The answer should be no, as the door is physically bigger than the hole it sits in. I think they are called plug doors, and if they do become open as such, it is pressure that holds them into place.

Not always, plug doors are in operation on some aircraft, given the type of aircraft is not known (from what I can tell) and Thomson operate A320/321 B733/738, 757 and 767, it might be difficult to say, for instance the A319 is not a plug door and has issues, and there is documented incidents involving the A330, both of course are not part of the fleet in question.