Ask The Pilot

[Himeno]

JB, given the probable finite future of QF's 744 fleet, will Those Who Make the Big Decisions look at using the 380s to fly into JFK?

I think it would come down to what the loads/yields are like on the LAX-JFK sector. There was a period where the LAX-JFK flight used an A330 because "the 747 was too large".
Isn't the available space at JFK for A380 movements even more limited then other airports?
By the time the last 747s are gone, we might have 789s running to JFK.

 

[mikenz]

How much interaction do pilots have with their bosses? Do you have team meetings, briefings from above? Or is everything done via email?

 

[jb747]

How much interaction do pilots have with their bosses? Do you have team meetings, briefings from above? Or is everything done via email?

Management like CEOs, etc. None.

Pilot management (Chief Pilot, Fleet Managers, etc)..virtually none.

We're very much a remote workforce. There is no need for us ever to visit an office, all the paperwork we need to operate comes over the iPad. I'd hazard a guess that the vast majority of the junior pilots have only ever interacted with management when they happen to fly with them.

The level of remoteness has increased over the last couple of years. The management pilots used to have offices near the briefing room. But, they are now miles (literally) apart.

 

[clazman]

If AJ was on your flight would he be allowed in the coughpit and would he come up and say g'day

 

[jb747]

If AJ was on your flight would he be allowed in the coughpit and would he come up and say g'day

Not really a question relevant to the thread....but I see no reason to be rude to any passenger.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Not really a question relevant to the thread....but I see no reason to be rude to any passenger.

A perhaps less political question but following the theme. Do the in-flight the restrictions on entering the flight deck apply, regardless of seniority in the company? In other words, would AJ be permitted to say hello in-flight or would he have to say "thank you" at the end like the rest of us?

 

[jb747]

A perhaps less political question but following the theme. Do the in-flight the restrictions on entering the flight deck apply, regardless of seniority in the company? In other words, would AJ be permitted to say hello in-flight or would he have to say "thank you" at the end like the rest of us?

If you are not listed on the crew list, then you are a passenger, and the same rules apply to all passengers. Same as they apply to me, if I'm not operating.

 

[clazman]

Sorry JB for putting you on the spot.

In the context of access to the coughpit, would a Air Marshal be allowed in

 

[jb747]

In the context of access to the coughpit, would a Air Marshal be allowed in

Discussion of air marshals, and security in general, is also a subject I won't touch.

 

[bryanjones]

No need to JB, this is definitely covered in this documentary : Non-Stop (2014) - IMDb

*joking*

 

[clazman]

Discussion of air marshals, and security in general, is also a subject I won't touch.

I am doing well

 

[petercr]

JB, I see Fairfax have done their own 'ask the pilot' article with someone you may have had past experience with;

Emirates airline pilot answers the questions you always wanted to ask

Seems to have asked some common questions that you've probably answered here...

 

[Major]

Most of my domestic flying is from OOL which does not have ILS. On the descent, at what distance do you need to see the runway before continuing the landing and at what stage of an IFR descent do you decide to divert if the weather is still cough at non ILS airports ?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Most of my domestic flying is from OOL which does not have ILS. On the descent, at what distance do you need to see the runway before continuing the landing and at what stage of an IFR descent do you decide to divert if the weather is still cough at non ILS airports ?

The standard RNAV approach (which in simple terms, means using GPS) only gets you down to around 750-800 feet above the runway at OOL, and requires just over 4kms visibility. So low cloud or heavy rain can mean a missed approach quite easily in this case. Most aircraft nowadays have the appropriate technology to fly these approaches. Compare these limits to a Cat 1 ILS of 200 ft cloud base and 800m vis and you can see the benefits of installing one.

Some approved operators can fly the RNP-AR approaches (lets call them Advanced RNAV approaches for simplicity) which gets you down lower with reduced vis requirements, but at present those are mainly only for 737 and A320.

Diversion decisions have so many variables that there is not one size that fits all. Fuel remaining, performance, weather at destination and diverts all come into play. Sometimes the decision is made before descent, sometimes you might fly a few approaches and then divert. It is very variable.

 

[mjt57]

The standard RNAV approach (which in simple terms, means using GPS)

[Chomp...]

Some approved operators can fly the RNP-AR approaches (lets call them Advanced RNAV approaches for simplicity)

Thanks for the simplified terminology, Boris.

Whilst we all appreciate JB's contributions, often his posts has me scrambling for the Google Machine to decypher a lot of what he says (or writes).

But then, maybe that's a good thing as I'm tending to educate myself in a manner speaking.

 

[jb747]

For what it's worth, in some places (it requires some ground equipment), the A380 can do GPS based auto lands.

 

[knasty]

Why is advanced Rnav only available for 737 and A320? I guess for OOL they want a system which can be used by the long haul operators ie. 777 and A330.

 

[jb747]

Why is advanced Rnav only available for 737 and A320? I guess for OOL they want a system which can be used by the long haul operators ie. 777 and A330.

These approaches all require aircraft equipment (remember, everything is an option), specific initial, and then ongoing training, and appropriate authorisation. If 99% of the places an airline goes are equipped with ILS, they may well make the decision that the ongoing costs of any new system aren't worthwhile.

 

[LuxInterior]

hi jb,
I'm new here and have read a lot of this thread but not all 736 pages so forgive me if this question has already been posed?

I was wondering do various qualifications for airline pilots have to be renewed and if so, how often?
e.g. medical examination and instrument rating
,

thanks

 

[straitman]

These approaches all require aircraft equipment (remember, everything is an option), specific initial, and then ongoing training, and appropriate authorisation. If 99% of the places an airline goes are equipped with ILS, they may well make the decision that the ongoing costs of any new system aren't worthwhile.

As things evolve it is possible that the approaches used will change. Like everything else in life there are positives and negatives involved.

For pilots the ILS has a 35 days recency where as the RNAV has a 90 day recency requirement and the ILS can be quite expensive to maintain. Once upon a time I payed the bills for the ILS at East Sale and that frequently went beyond $5000 per month. When balance against the other requirements the ILS became the expensive option.