Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Based on that, wouldn't it make sense to have the MEL based crew operating 9/10 now that there is a base, rather than just to LAX on 93/94.

The 93/94 patterns are stand alone. A change to them has no effect on Sydney crew, and they can easily mix the two together if needed. Cost savings exist in hotels and accommodation at both ends of the trip. As explained above (perhaps badly), there is less saving per trip on the Dubai flights. The basing will take most of them over at some point, but not initially.

Also, if you lived in Melbourne but part of the Sydney base, did you have to travel up to Sydney to report for duty, even if you were going to be on the 9 or 93 the next day (and then position back down to MEL on work time)?

No, if paxing you just arranged an 'alt pax', which would let you move the paxing flight to the other end of the trip (to get home), and you could then just turn up at the aircraft to operate.

 

[Himeno]

Re: Ask the pilot

][/SIZE]The Dubai sector from Australia is very long. Much longer than the previous BKK, SIN, or HKG sectors. That throws up flight time limits, rest, and crewing issues that never existed when the long sector was the second part of the trip.

Are the DXB-AU sectors anything like the LAX-AU sectors?

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Are the DXB-AU sectors anything like the LAX-AU sectors?

Well, they are long, if that is what you mean.

 

[Quickstatus]

JB, trivia pls:

can there be more than one QF1 or 2 or 9 or 10 in the air at the same time?

Eg QF 1 takes off from SYD before QF 1 lands in LHR?

 

[jb747]

can there be more than one QF1 or 2 or 9 or 10 in the air at the same time?
Eg QF 1 takes off from SYD before QF 1 lands in LHR?

That's pretty well the normal schedule. But, they're on the other side of the world from each other, so ATC aren't going to get confused.

If you end up with a delayed flight, so that the two are relatively near each other, they'll normally append a 'delta' to the callsign of the delayed flight. Again ATC understand that, and the issues that might arise if you used a totally different (and unfamiliar) callsign disappear.

 

[Quickstatus]

JB have you captained a flight which carried your family as pax?. How did u feel? Any restrictions with spending time with them while you are on a layover or as you call it a slip?

 

[jb747]

JB have you captained a flight which carried your family as pax?. How did u feel? Any restrictions with spending time with them while you are on a layover or as you call it a slip?

I've taken them away with me, but not for a long time now. Ever since they banned them being in the coughpit.....

Feel...no different to usual. I actually took my wife for a ride in the TA-4G. She wasn't too keen on that.

When you are in a slip port you are "free of duty". What you do is your business. But, your agenda and any family member's is likely to be quite different (i.e. I need a sleep before the flight, they don't).

Basically, when we go on trips we are working. There is no guarantee that you'll even do the trip you start out on. Slips are short, and tickets not necessarily all that cheap. Much better to wait for leave and go on a real trip. Actually, I'm not even very good at that. In 30 years in the company, I've taken 2 overseas holidays.

 

[kpc]

I've taken them away with me, but not for a long time now. Ever since they banned them being in the coughpit.....

Feel...no different to usual. I actually took my wife for a ride in the TA-4G. She wasn't too keen on that.

When you are in a slip port you are "free of duty". What you do is your business. But, your agenda and any family member's is likely to be quite different (i.e. I need a sleep before the flight, they don't).

Basically, when we go on trips we are working. There is no guarantee that you'll even do the trip you start out on. Slips are short, and tickets not necessarily all that cheap. Much better to wait for leave and go on a real trip. Actually, I'm not even very good at that. In 30 years in the company, I've taken 2 overseas holidays.

JB, your job suddenly became a lot less glamorous....given the difficulty in bringing your wife OS on the same flight as you! It sounds like you spend a lot of time OS by yourself I often bring my +1 on OS work trips with me, and we have a short hol after....that's what my frequent flyer miles are for 2 OS holidays in 30 years is just not acceptable for the average AFFer!!

 

[Skyring]

In 30 years in the company, I've taken 2 overseas holidays.

I remember my first big overseas trip. I was all excited at the places I'd go and the sights I'd see. I spoke to a steward who had a different view. He told me of all the fabulous places he'd been in the past month and said he had holidays coming up next week. "Oooh, where are you going to go?" I asked.

"I'm going to stay at home, catch up with friends, and sleep whenever I bloody want to."

Is it like that for you, JB?

 

[Quickstatus]

I can understand the sentiment above. Holidays are about doing something different. If you fly and travel for employment doing the same for holidays seem crazy and uninspiring. How I wish I could spend Dec/Jan in Sydney without an itinerary.

JB do you share the same ?

 

[flychrisfly]

Re: Ask the pilot

And poor performance in the current rank is a guaranteed way of not being allowed to take any promotional slots.

What does "poor performance" mean for a pilot of an airline? Does the interpretation of "poor perfornamce" vary between airlines?

 

[por930]

Re: Ask the pilot

JB, now you have had lots of time to compare side stick on the A380 compared with central column on the 747, do you have a preference? The side stick brings up ergonomic issues with only the left hand or right hand can be used. The side stick also has the benefit of allowing the central space for a table and key board. Did you find the central column allowed you to monitor the pilot flying easier? and in an emergency maneuver, the central column was more intuitive?

 

[jpk]

Re: Ask the pilot

Last week for the first time in 8 years of very frequent flying from MEL, I was very surprised when we landed on runway 09 (from the west). I'd never done that before, never seen it happen before, and so presumed it never happened at all. I am guessing this is down to winds at the time? Any other reasons 09 is rarely used, for takeoff or landings?

Thanks!

 

[Boris spatsky]

Re: Ask the pilot

Last week for the first time in 8 years of very frequent flying from MEL, I was very surprised when we landed on runway 09 (from the west). I'd never done that before, never seen it happen before, and so presumed it never happened at all. I am guessing this is down to winds at the time? Any other reasons 09 is rarely used, for takeoff or landings?

Thanks!

09 is only used when the wind is a strong easterly (>30-35 knots which rules out 16/34 due crosswind), and 27 due tailwind). I believe that it is not used due to noise abatement reasons (built up areas to the east of the airport). 27 is normally used as aircraft are on final approach over the built up areas (i.e. low power setting, less noise) and takeoffs are to the west over the mainly open farm land.

I have personally never used 09 (likewise 07 at Sydney, although they were using it last week but we were switched to 16R when we were issued the STAR).

 

[jpk]

Re: Ask the pilot

I have personally never used 09 (likewise 07 at Sydney, although they were using it last week but we were switched to 16R when we were issued the STAR).

Thanks for the reply. I've only landed on SYD 07 once also, a few years back after a go around on 16 in strong winds, the pilot said he had subsequently requested that runway.

 

[D747]

Re: Ask the pilot

I have personally never used 09 (likewise 07 at Sydney, although they were using it last week but we were switched to 16R when we were issued the STAR).

About Jan 2000 was the one and only time I have ever landed on 09 at MEL. I was on an Ansett A320, on the flight deck, when ATC announced that the flight was issued with that approach and runway. Both pilots looked at each other with raised eyebrows! Then there was a bit of reaching for charts etc. They even asked me what the bumps were going to like as you approach over the "broken" terrain west of MEL! It was all routine in the end, of course. That was back in the good old days pre 9/11. As an aside, the Captain's name was Kirk!

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

What does "poor performance" mean for a pilot of an airline? Does the interpretation of "poor perfornamce" vary between airlines?

You are assessed on every sim, and once a year in the aircraft (and every ride during any training). Plus some people end up having to 'talk' to management a lot more than others. Over the years a very good picture of your performance relative to others appears.

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

Last week for the first time in 8 years of very frequent flying from MEL, I was very surprised when we landed on runway 09 (from the west). I'd never done that before, never seen it happen before, and so presumed it never happened at all. I am guessing this is down to winds at the time? Any other reasons 09 is rarely used, for takeoff or landings?

It doesn't have any approach aids, so it's useless when there is low cloud. Basically though, the wind is rarely strong enough from the east to force its use. I've landed on it twice.

 

[jb747]

Re: Ask the pilot

JB, now you have had lots of time to compare side stick on the A380 compared with central column on the 747, do you have a preference? The side stick brings up ergonomic issues with only the left hand or right hand can be used. The side stick also has the benefit of allowing the central space for a table and key board. Did you find the central column allowed you to monitor the pilot flying easier? and in an emergency maneuver, the central column was more intuitive?

I guess there are positives and negatives to both. The biggest positive of the Boeing control columns is that you can always tell what inputs are being made by the other pilot. Handedness is neither here nor there. You don't generally use either hand with a control column...the (Captain's) right hand should be on the thrust levers.

The sidesticks could have been given feedback, if Airbus had wanted to, but it doesn't fit with their belief that tactile feedback is valueless (ergo the more or less fixed thrust levers). They are wrong of course, but aren't likely to change now.

I probably prefer the sidestick, but I'd like the control laws to be different. If I had the power though, I would change the thrust levers to a 'driven' system.

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Ask the pilot

I guess there are positives and negatives to both. The biggest positive of the Boeing control columns is that you can always tell what inputs are being made by the other pilot. Handedness is neither here nor there. You don't generally use either hand with a control column...the (Captain's) right hand should be on the thrust levers.

The sidesticks could have been given feedback, if Airbus had wanted to, but it doesn't fit with their belief that tactile feedback is valueless (ergo the more or less fixed thrust levers). They are wrong of course, but aren't likely to change now.

I probably prefer the sidestick, but I'd like the control laws to be different. If I had the power though, I would change the thrust levers to a 'driven' system.

Would AF447's outcome have been different if each pilot knew what the others input was.