Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Why Sydney? Although it sounds like it's the only place where ops rooms are readily available?

The domestic blokes have briefing rooms in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne (that I know of). International, were, historically, only based in Sydney and so that was the only place that we had management pilots, crew room etc. I could use the domestic room in Melbourne if I felt like it, but the advent of iPads has meant that there is simply no need to go to any form of briefing room prior to a flight. Everything I need is available as part of the package for the flight, or as permanent data on the pad.

Basically most us would rather read the flight plan in a coffee shop, or on the aircraft.

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

When you get your briefing notes for the forthcoming trip, does it include brief details of your flight crew per leg, eg, flight experience on type etc, or is it a case of you asking these questions so you can gauge flight duties of each member, or maybe your airline has set duties per crew member,depending upon pilot flying/pilot monitoring and they have worked this out?

I can get the names of the crew off the roster. I don't really care what experience they have. The fact that they are there means that they've kept the training and checking people happy, and so they'll be more than up to the job. If people are very new to the type they normally volunteer the information themselves...but it still makes little difference. They don't get cleared to the line if there are any doubts about their performance.

Many pax complain of 'jet lag' after a long trip. The 'body clock' of an international pilot must either be exceptionally well conditioned over the years, or thoroughly 'stuffed', due to the zig zagging back and forth between time zones on a never ending cycle where you have to be 100% awake and compus. The few days off between flights would barely prepare your clock for the next onslaught. While we as passengers snuggle up for the night (well those in J and F), you have to meter your sleep pattern depending on crew numbers and flight duration. When I first saw the hours you 'worked", I too thought great job. Then I thought of the before mentioned issues, before flight preps, sitting in hotel rooms, different foods, training, sims, administration, sickness, vacations. Your duty hours are quite long.

You end up permanently knackered. You don't really realise how bad it is until you take a long period of leave...and just as you start to feel normal, it's time to go back to work.

After a particular grueling month, do you ever think....enough....domestic here I come, or are you a long haul pilot until retirement?

Domestic is every bit as tiring, though in different ways. Don't forget there's plenty of back of the clock flying, and people have this nasty habit of wanting to go flying both early in the morning and late at night. You probably can't imagine some of the patterns that are constructed..but, just because you're just starting your day, doesn't mean that the crew haven't already been up all night flying in the red eye from Perth.

I realise there would be financial implications of such a 'reverse' move, do senior long haul pilots such as your self ever opt for the domestic option, especially nearing retirement? What is the current age policy of your airline for retirement from flight duties, and can you become some thing else within the airline after flying age....if you wanted to that is?

You cannot remain an international Captain after your 65th birthday. At that point your options are to move to a domestic aircraft, or to take a demotion and continue as an FO. There's only dozen or so who have taken the first option, and a couple the later. I couldn't imagine anything worse. Domestic is not easier, and the flying can actually be a lot more demanding.

 

[mjt57]

Re: Hot days and performance

You cannot remain an international Captain after your 65th birthday. At that point your options are to move to a domestic aircraft, or to take a demotion and continue as an FO. There's only dozen or so who have taken the first option, and a couple the later. I couldn't imagine anything worse.

Would it be like a top AFL footballer returning to play country footy or Mark Webber going back to racing V8s?

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Would it be like a top AFL footballer returning to play country footy or Mark Webber going back to racing V8s?

Not at all. Your question seems based on the assumption that domestic ops are somehow lower level. The aircraft may be smaller, but the job is extremely demanding, with days consisting of many sectors and no rest, compared to the relative peace of long haul ops. It certainly isn't a restful place for an old guy.

 

[mjt57]

Re: Ask the pilot

Not at all. Your question seems based on the assumption that domestic ops are somehow lower level. .

Sorry, yeah, I s'pose that it did come across a bit like that. Didn't mean to trivialise what the domestic guys do. After all, they would have a busy time of it, particularly those who do SYD-MEL-SYD shuttle runs on a daily basis.

Speaking of which and maybe a domestic operator could tell us, those who fly for Virgin, QF Domestic and so on, how many flights would they get through in a day? The crew which flies from MEL to SYD, would they turn around and fly back or would they head off to another airport, do they get any sort of breaks in between other than the usual time that it takes to refuel and prep the A/C?

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Speaking of which and maybe a domestic operator could tell us, those who fly for Virgin, QF Domestic and so on, how many flights would they get through in a day? The crew which flies from MEL to SYD, would they turn around and fly back or would they head off to another airport, do they get any sort of breaks in between other than the usual time that it takes to refuel and prep the A/C?

I'm sure Boris can add to this, but I did domestic in the 767. A day could look like SYD-MEL-SYD-MEL-SYD (or any permutation that you can think of). That will have a planned flight time of around 6 hours, with a planned duty time of about 10:30 (with the limit being 11:00). There are a couple of different contracts, so the sectors won't be the same for everyone. The breaks mostly happen in flight. Turnaround time is totally occupied with getting the aircraft set up for the next sector. In some ways, FOs have the hardest time with this, as the Captain at least gets to go for a walk and count the engines.

 

[clazman]

Re: Ask the pilot

Do they provide the Ipad for you?

What Apps do you use?

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Do they provide the Ipad for you?

What Apps do you use?

Yes.

Jeppesen gives us all of the charts, a QF app provides all of the company manuals, standing orders, and flight plans, plus an Airbus app that gives the manuals and performance programs.

 

[CaviAck]

Re: Ask the pilot

Yes.

Jeppesen gives us all of the charts, a QF app provides all of the company manuals, standing orders, and flight plans, plus an Airbus app that gives the manuals and performance programs.

Now where can we get all these apps?

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Now where can we get all these apps?

You can download the Airbus and Jepp apps, but sadly you can't get the data files. Unless you have $ to spare.

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Ask the pilot

Jb, is the A380 weight limited on the DFW flights relative to say the LAX route in order to reliably fly DFW-SYD?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Re: Ask the pilot

You can download the Airbus and Jepp apps, but sadly you can't get the data files. Unless you have $ to spare.

I think Jepps goes for about $300 for a 12 month subscription. Feel free to add to the Jeppesen beer fund

 

[Boris spatsky]

Re: Ask the pilot

I'm sure Boris can add to this, but I did domestic in the 767. A day could look like SYD-MEL-SYD-MEL-SYD (or any permutation that you can think of). That will have a planned flight time of around 6 hours, with a planned duty time of about 10:30 (with the limit being 11:00). There are a couple of different contracts, so the sectors won't be the same for everyone. The breaks mostly happen in flight. Turnaround time is totally occupied with getting the aircraft set up for the next sector. In some ways, FOs have the hardest time with this, as the Captain at least gets to go for a walk and count the engines.

A normal day for us is 4 sectors, although 2 is not uncommon. Some of our 4 sector days are to the same destination twice, and some are out and back through an intermediate port. Sometimes you get 1 or 3 sectors in a day with an overnight, although a 1 sector day generally means first flight out in the morning with earlier sign on. I have done the odd 5 sector day, but normally they can't fit 5 sectors in in a duty day (including pre flight, turnaround times, flight times and post flight).

We can do up to 6 days in a row but need 1 off every 7. This is a CASA requirement. I just came off a 6 day block and managed 20 sectors. A lot of our sectors are an hour or less flight time, which are actually much less desirable than longer sectors as you don't get a break at all. You can't eat during the cruise portion as cruise might only be 10-15 minutes long and during that time you are setting up and briefing the arrival portion of the flight. On the longer sectors, at least you get some time in the cruise to have a small break.

Most of the turnarounds between flights are minimum turnaround as well. So basically there is no time to do anything other than go to the bathroom, grab a drink or a snack to eat and start preparing the aircraft for the next departure. It can be pretty fatiguing doing multiple days back to back of 4 sectors with minimum turnarounds. Couple to that an aircraft change (minimum turnaround between flights, but on different aircraft, requiring transit time to a different gate, reading the new aircraft documentation, setting it up sometimes from a state of no power on etc) and it can be fairly busy.

Sometimes we have a scheduled long turnaround where we can grab a coffee - normally 1.5 hours but can be longer. I do have one coming up with over 5 hours on the ground between flights but that is abnormal and due to an operational change.

 

[Tortuga]

Re: Ask the pilot

Morning JB, just wanted to say how good a flight I had on QF10 from DXB>MEL... Love the A380, so quiet compared to the 777. Day and night compared to my previous Emirates flight from BUE>DXB.. The crew of QF were more professional and well trained, punctuality and timing of meals was spot on, food was great as well, really made Emirates look second rate. Best 12.5 hour flight I have had in years - I'm sure the exit row to myself helped. The captain introduced the FO and told us he would be doing the landing as well as being one of the smoothest landers of the plane in the fleet - do you know who he was referring to? The first thing that popped into my head was your post about a smooth landing not necessarily being a good thing depending on conditions.

 

[harvyk]

Re: Ask the pilot

Now where can we get all these apps?

Mobile FliteDeck and FliteDeck Pro | EFB Charts & Apps | Jeppesen

There are ones there specifically for GA as well as Business / Commercial / Military....
(now running and hiding before I incur the wrath of the mods )


Just out of interest JB / Boris, would there be much difference between the GA / Business / Commerical / Military charts?

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Morning JB, just wanted to say how good a flight I had on QF10 from DXB>MEL... Love the A380, so quiet compared to the 777. Day and night compared to my previous Emirates flight from BUE>DXB.. The crew of QF were more professional and well trained, punctuality and timing of meals was spot on, food was great as well, really made Emirates look second rate. Best 12.5 hour flight I have had in years - I'm sure the exit row to myself helped.

I'm glad you enjoyed the flight. Always nice to get positive feedback.

The captain introduced the FO and told us he would be doing the landing as well as being one of the smoothest landers of the plane in the fleet - do you know who he was referring to? The first thing that popped into my head was your post about a smooth landing not necessarily being a good thing depending on conditions.

He's not talking about anyone in particular. He's actually putting the pressure on the FO to do a decent landing...he's winding him up.

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Mobile FliteDeck and FliteDeck Pro | EFB Charts & Apps | Jeppesen

There are ones there specifically for GA as well as Business / Commercial / Military....
(now running and hiding before I incur the wrath of the mods )


Just out of interest JB / Boris, would there be much difference between the GA / Business / Commerical / Military charts?

The charts are even more tailored than that. There are specific selections for individual airlines. They may not hold charts that aren't appropriate to us. Minima can be tailored to suit our operations (they can't go lower than the state limits, but they can be higher). The military might include things like GCA, that aren't normally used by civilians.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Re: Ask the pilot

The charts are even more tailored than that. There are specific selections for individual airlines. They may not hold charts that aren't appropriate to us. Minima can be tailored to suit our operations (they can't go lower than the state limits, but they can be higher). The military might include things like GCA, that aren't normally used by civilians.

The RAAF makes their own charts which are surveyed by their own guys and meet their own objectives. The fast jet bases now have their own charts for use by fast jets that suit their ops. For example, they have HI TACAN charts (translated to high level non-precision approach) that start at altitudes above 10,000 feet (normally the initial approach starts around 3-5000 feet).

Civilian charts like OzRunways, AVPLAN and normal AirServices paper charts include VFR charts for visual flying - these are essentially topo maps overlaid with airspace and other pertinent info like reporting points such as lakes and towns. We don't carry these visual charts in the RPT world any longer.

Jeppesen is essentially a US company that reproduces worldwide aviation charts that are provided by a host nation civil aviation authority. They don't survey and design charts themselves as far as I know. AirServices produce their own charts for Australia that are a different chart design but to the same standard. They look different and have info in different areas but have essentially the same info. Some companies use AirServices, but most now use Jeppesen.

 

[JohnM]

Re: Ask the pilot

You cannot remain an international Captain after your 65th birthday. At that point your options are to move to a domestic aircraft, or to take a demotion and continue as an FO.

Well, that would have cut me out a week ago .

Is it universal or uniquely Australian?

Has anyone ever challenged it on age discrimination grounds? It seems contrary to the general principle of skill and health defining whether one is up to the task.

Would I be right in guessing that the basis for it is that if a sudden health issue hit (the probability of which would be greater with age) on long-haul, you're a much longer way from anywhere than you would be domestically and so it becomes a much more serious matter (in all respects)?

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Well, that would have cut me out a week ago .

Is it universal or uniquely Australian?

Has anyone ever challenged it on age discrimination grounds? It seems contrary to the general principle of skill and health defining whether one is up to the task.

Would I be right in guessing that the basis for it is that if a sudden health issue hit (the probability of which would be greater with age) on long-haul, you're a much longer way from anywhere than you would be domestically and so it becomes a much more serious matter (in all respects)?

It wouldn't matter if you fought it in an Australian court. There is already no age limit here. But, you'd have to go for it in just about every other jurisdiction. Quite honestly, it's a job that you can't be allowed to grow old in. Some people are more capable at 65 than others, but everybody slows down. Sadly the jets and the situations don't.

Additionally, the if one of the Captain or FO is over 60, the other can't be....