Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

Are we all talking about cars now ? I just luuuurvvv my eg….

Only if you like the same ones I do.

Hand up … ….Can I please ask a supplementary question that was overlooked in the previous answer to my questions ?

Given the limited time frame available .. is the acquisition of sufficient hands on control and useable attitudinal information ...challenging , (a) in sim exercises , (b) in real flight ?
AND ...do the sim exercises, in general, truly replicate the environment of extreme upsets that appear to have/ may have happened of late ?

It wasn't overlooked. I thought Boris had answered it.

The sim exercises are as good as you want them to be. I've had the 767/747 and 380 well and truly out of shape in the sim. Far more than I'd ever want to see in the aircraft. The recoveries are realistic, as far as I can tell.

The trouble is that we haven't really seen a recent history of extreme upsets. What we have seen is reasonably mild events being extremely mishandled. 2.5º nose up, and normal cruise power. Set that and in most cases things like pitot icing will simply go away. As straitman said earlier, some people are perhaps in the wrong job...

 

[Captain Halliday]

I like the FMC Jetline 1000. It handles beautifully, has great torque thanks to the Catapillar Diesel engine. Even Santa likes them.

 

[Quickstatus]

I'm very partial to the VW stable of cars. The Golf is an extremely practical car, with a tardis like ability to hold more stuff than you'd imagine.

They have had real issues with the dual charged cars, but the new Polo is using a version of the GTi engine, and should make a great fun little car. I've considered the GTi a couple of times. I came close back in 2007, but opted for an R32 instead. Next time I looked at an R, but went for an Audi Q5 (the boss's car at the time). Last time I looked at what is the current model, but I was more interested in the new R. And again I went Audi, but for an S3.

JB747,

Now some of these cars have Park Assist version 1and 2. Version 2 will now park your car reverse or parallel. And Audis/Vw now have adaptive cruise control which keeps the vehicle at a certain distance from the car ahead and matches its speed.

Given your coughpit is a smart "i-plane", if your car had Park Assist would you relinquish steering wheel control to the autopark function?

Actually the real question should be: Are you a Manual or Automatic Guy? (Granted the DSG is a dual clutch but is automated, though the steering wheel paddles makes it FBW "manual" clutch control)

 

[jb747]

Now some of these cars have Park Assist version 1and 2. Version 2 will now park your car reverse or parallel. And Audis/Vw now have adaptive cruise control which keeps the vehicle at a certain distance from the car ahead and matches its speed.

Given your coughpit is a smart "i-plane", if your car had Park Assist would you relinquish steering wheel control to the autopark function?

Actually the real question should be: Are you a Manual or Automatic Guy? (Granted the DSG is a dual clutch but is automated, though the steering wheel paddles makes it FBW "manual" clutch control)

Car technology is very interesting, because it tends to be more advanced than what you find in aircraft. You can't just roll to a halt by the side of the road, so that pushes the aircraft makers to use reasonably stable devices...though having said that they aren't all that stable. If anything the automation in the cars is more advanced, more friendly, and more sensibly designed. I guess the fact that you have to cater for varied buyers, and can't just send them off to a few months school every time you reinvent the wheel moderates the changes that they make. Can you imagine the driving world if the car makers behaved like the aircraft makers, and all came up with their own form of driving control.

In any event, the automatic parking is a good trick, but as I can do it myself, it's not something I make much use of. I doubt that the aircraft makers will feel the need to put it on aircraft any time soon. The all around cameras that some cars have would be useful...as would cameras at the wing tips.

And I'm on my third DSG car. Wonderful system. On a Polo GTi I might be tempted the other way though.

 

[opusman]

The all around cameras that some cars have would be useful...as would cameras at the wing tips.

Cameras that let you see the whole aircraft (not just the area around it) would have to be useful as well, if not just for being able to see which engine has smoke coming from it.

 

[RobYg]

JB, at what point in an autoland do you take hands-on control, that is, close the throttles, deploy reverse thrust, maintain the runway centre line, etc, etc. Thanks once again for your clear and knowledgeable answers.

 

[jb747]

Cameras that let you see the whole aircraft (not just the area around it) would have to be useful as well, if not just for being able to see which engine has smoke coming from it.

I'm not that interested in seeing the entire aircraft...if an engine has issues, if they aren't important enough to show on the gauges, then they aren't going to be acted on. The biggest danger the aircraft face comes from obstructions, when on the ground, so I was just thinking of cameras that would delineate the wing span clearly. I guess the temptation then would be overuse of the camera...which is how another operator managed to run an engine into an aerobridge in Sydney a year or so ago.

 

[jb747]

JB, at what point in an autoland do you take hands-on control, that is, close the throttles, deploy reverse thrust, maintain the runway centre line, etc, etc. Thanks once again for your clear and knowledgeable answers.

Roll out is part of the auto land. The aircraft should automatically come to a halt, on the centreline. The only manual input is to close the thrust levers at the 'retard' call, and to select reverse. Boeings close the levers themselves, but you still need to pull in the reverse. In practice, you disconnect the autopilot when you can see enough, and you want to take a taxiway.

 

[day-heg]

My progress was 747 SO, 747 FO, 747-4 FO, 767 Capt, 747-4 Capt, 380 Capt.

You discussed your Boeing training and type ratings in a post, but how was it moving to the 380 after all those years of Boeing experience? I guess there was a degree of commonality between the Boeing products that helped the transition (maybe?), but when you moved to the Airbus, was it a case of trying to wipe the slate clean, in terms of systems knowledge etc? What was the most difficult part for you?

Between the two manufacturers, the throttles, flaps and gear handle look to be in a reasonably consistent position; side stick/control column apart, what's the biggest difference in flight deck design?

Cheers as always JB!

 

[jb747]

You discussed your Boeing training and type ratings in a post, but how was it moving to the 380 after all those years of Boeing experience? I guess there was a degree of commonality between the Boeing products that helped the transition (maybe?), but when you moved to the Airbus, was it a case of trying to wipe the slate clean, in terms of systems knowledge etc? What was the most difficult part for you?

There is a lot of commonality amongst the Boeings. They make no attempt to keep them all the same, but the family design is pervasive. Moving across them is quite straightforward.

Airbus systems are generally well thought out, and quite logical. But...

Between the two manufacturers, the throttles, flaps and gear handle look to be in a reasonably consistent position; side stick/control column apart, what's the biggest difference in flight deck design?

For me the biggest issue is the thrust levers. Joystick, yoke, sidestick, makes little difference, as long as they behave the same way. Non moving thrust levers are quite different, and require a different train of thought. (They do move, but they are not driven by the auto thrust, and sit in 'gates'). I originally thought they were a dumb idea. I don't think I was wrong....

 

[mikenz]

When a new plane is ready to be delivered does the manufacturer fly it to the buyer, or does the buyer collect it?

 

[jb747]

When a new plane is ready to be delivered does the manufacturer fly it to the buyer, or does the buyer collect it?

The buyer collects it. There is a very extensive list of items that must be checked, and they are flown a number of times by the new owner. Every system will be tested in flight. Engines shut down and restarted....if the system is there, it will be exercised.

 

[VulpesVulpes]

The buyer collects it. There is a very extensive list of items that must be checked, and they are flown a number of times by the new owner. Every system will be tested in flight. Engines shut down and restarted....if the system is there, it will be exercised.

Have you ever done a delivery flight? Picked her up from the dealership, broken her in, done the equivalent of doing a burnout as you leave the dealership etc etc

Also on the subject of deliveries, what were your thoughts on that EY plane that they put into a wall a few years ago during delivery? Did you read that and go "....really?"

Do they tend to send senior pilots to go and collect them (is it prestigious?) or do they send whoever has time in the schedule to fill at that point in time?

 

[jb747]

Have you ever done a delivery flight?

No.

Picked her up from the dealership, broken her in, done the equivalent of doing a burnout as you leave the dealership etc etc

Why not just gently fly away...

Do they tend to send senior pilots to go and collect them (is it prestigious?) or do they send whoever has time in the schedule to fill at that point in time?

Delivery test flights are done by a very small and specific group of pilots. It isn't handed to the line pilots.

Also on the subject of deliveries, what were your thoughts on that EY plane that they put into a wall a few years ago during delivery? Did you read that and go "....really?"

I think there's a lot of mythology about that incident.

 

[HW]

Have you ever done a delivery flight? Picked her up from the dealership, broken her in, done the equivalent of doing a burnout as you leave the dealership etc etc

Here's a link to a story about the 'dealership'.

 

[Himeno]

Originally Posted by VulpesVulpes
Have you ever done a delivery flight?

No.

Have you ever taken something to the boneyards?

 

[jb747]

Have you ever taken something to the boneyards?

No, I haven't. That is something that comes to the line pilots sometimes. Just a case of being in the right place at the right time.

 

[por930]

jb,
On the Boeing aircraft, they have a vnav deviation scale on the right side of the Navigation Display when in vnav descent, as well as assisted by the 'green banana' over the flight route. How does the Airbus A380 indicate to you the vnav descent is as planned and not deviating?

 

[jb747]

On the Boeing aircraft, they have a vnav deviation scale on the right side of the Navigation Display when in vnav descent, as well as assisted by the 'green banana' over the flight route. How does the Airbus A380 indicate to you the vnav descent is as planned and not deviating?

There is a very similar display on the altitude scale of the PFD. It shows the flight path deviation when within 400 feet of the plan. The actual deviation (in feet) is shown on the FMC/performance/descent page.

There is no equivalent to the Boeing dynamic arc on the nav display, though the AB does have a couple of markers that have a similar function. Both versions work well enough.

 

[Quickstatus]

JB747,

have you ever requested the CSM move passengers forward to help adjust the trim or CG toward the latter stages of the flight or just before commencing landing configuration?