Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

If you are not paxing, but purely a touristy passenger on QF flights, how often does anyone know of your status in the company ?

I'm not often a tourist passenger. In the last 30 years, I think I've taken 3 flights overseas on holidays, and one was a commercial ticket. On the 380 or 747, the CSM or cabin supervisor would probably recognise me, but beyond that, I'd be pretty much anonymous.

Would the captain recognize his colleague from the manifest ?

The captains would all know my name; it's not that big a group. But, they don't look at the manifest....not our part of ship.

CSM bumps you up to F on long haul ?

There are no CSM bumps, unless he's not interested in keeping his job. Upgrades are tightly controlled, and they are issued by the company. If the seat is there, I'd be issued it by the system.

Could the pilots learn off the Apollo astronauts something / anything ? (tongue in cheek)

Lots, I'm sure. What they did (do) was amazing, and it's sad that the world takes anything they do for granted. From Neil Armstrong, I've learnt to land with more than 30 seconds of fuel.

 

[jb747]

JB, do you get access to the Chairmans Lounge before a flight if you're working or when you are paxing?

I can visit any of the lounges to see my passengers on the flight I'm about to operate. I do that regularly in Melbourne. When paxing on duty, we can access the business lounge, but otherwise, none of them.

 

[legroom]

(... referring to astronauts & body functions ...) Lots, I'm sure. What they did (do) was amazing, and it's sad that the world takes anything they do for granted. From Neil Armstrong, I've learnt to land with more than 30 seconds of fuel.

JB

Thanks

If the followings were to be offered to pilots in lieu of "loo break", maybe some would think twice about becoming a pilot ?

I didn't quite follow what you meant by "more than 30 sec of fuel". Did you mean "less than" like... it can be done if need be ?

Or, you meant it is imperative to have at least 30 sec of fuel ?

 

[Himeno]

The real fix is to have the toilets behind the security door, but airlines haven't done this, as it removes one from the cabin. In some cases, the only business class toilet

Someone on another forum suggested making toilets for the flight crew part of their seats, so they don't even have to leave the aircraft controls.

 

[jb747]

If the followings were to be offered to pilots in lieu of "loo break", maybe some would think twice about becoming a pilot ?

When the people coming up with these ideas can sit in their seats for 8 hours, remaining awake and functional, I might be prepared to listen. Until then....

I didn't quite follow what you meant by "more than 30 sec of fuel". Did you mean "less than" like... it can be done if need be ?

Or, you meant it is imperative to have at least 30 sec of fuel ?

Apollo 11 landed with about 30 seconds of fuel remaining (to dry tanks)...I'd rather a lot more than that.

 

[mikenz]

JB, you've worked dometsic and international - which is harder on the body?

 

[jb747]

JB, you've worked dometsic and international - which is harder on the body?

They can both wear you down in their own ways.

Domestic days can long, are only two pilot, and literally offer no time for a break. The only time that it calms down for a few minutes may be in the 15 minutes of cruise. It drags you down, and after a while you don't even recall what feeling normal is like.

By contrast long haul is much quieter, and offers a chance of a long break in flight. But, the most complex part of any flight will happen after you have been at work for 15-20 hours, and had little sleep (a break and sleep are different animals). Because of the time zone changes, you'll often have difficulty sleeping even when you do get a chance. The effects add up, and after a while, even a week between flights won't reset your body clock to your home time. Going to work, with little more than a nap, in the previous 20 hours is closer to the norm than the exception.

The solar powered aircraft will be a great advance when it comes... Sun goes down. Land. Excellent.

 

[JohnM]

They can both wear you down in their own ways.

Domestic days can long, are only two pilot, and literally offer no time for a break. The only time that it calms down for a few minutes may be in the 15 minutes of cruise. It drags you down, and after a while you don't even recall what feeling normal is like.

Would that mean sectors from the E coast to PER are actually more pleasant work-wise compared with the 'rush' up and down the E coast?

I guess what I'm asking in broad terms is what flight duration is optimal?

 

[Boris spatsky]

I guess what I'm asking in broad terms is what flight duration is optimal?

I find any short haul sector under an hour (takeoff to landing) to be far less optimal than sectors over that length, as they are very busy due to minimal time in the cruise. Sectors over 1 hour are better.

Recent changes to the coughpit rules will also mean that longish sectors on narrow bodies are now harder to deal with and will undoubtedly lead to back problems. Our seats are rock hard, and i can't stretch my legs out straight when in the seat (no room to stand up either). I get a sore back if i sit in the seat for over about an hour and a half straight.

 

[jb747]

Would that mean sectors from the E coast to PER are actually more pleasant work-wise compared with the 'rush' up and down the E coast?

I guess what I'm asking in broad terms is what flight duration is optimal?

In many ways, it isn't so much the rush, but the fact that it doesn't necessarily let up at all. A 4 sector 767 domestic day would be something like around 6-8 hours of flying, and have a planned duration of 10-11 hours. The FO has virtually no chance to get out of the seat on the ground during the turnaround (and now probably little in flight). The day could actually start at any time. Those 6am first flights aren't necessarily crewed by people who have just had a good night of sleep. They could well have started with an overnight from Perth (or even further). When flying any domestic, I liked 2-3 hour sectors, but most of all, I liked some variation. After a while you can remember that landing clearance, but was it today, this morning, or yesterday.

Long haul, on the other hand, is simply guaranteed all night operations. A nice long haul duration is around 8-9 hours...in daylight. A trip from Oz to HK is much easier than the return...one is all day...and the other all night. Rosters don't necessarily account for any of this, generally only looking at each trip in isolation. If the fatigue management ever gets off the ground, that might change.

 

[jb747]

Recent changes to the coughpit rules will also mean that longish sectors on narrow bodies are now harder to deal with and will undoubtedly lead to back problems. Our seats are rock hard, and i can't stretch my legs out straight when in the seat (no room to stand up either). I get a sore back if i sit in the seat for over about an hour and a half straight.

My longest time ever in an ejection seat (which was really rock hard), was just on 5 hours. No toilet either. Must have been a lot younger then.

Even with extra crew, it is common for people to be on duty for 5-6 hours.....and in the seat the whole time, if your bladder is up to it.

 

[QF029]

I can visit any of the lounges to see my passengers on the flight I'm about to operate. I do that regularly in Melbourne. When paxing on duty, we can access the business lounge, but otherwise, none of them.

I'm interested in this, probably because I've never seen it in action. Do you just walk around and introduce yourself? I assume it would be difficult to differentiate who will be on your flight?

 

[jb747]

I'm interested in this, probably because I've never seen it in action. Do you just walk around and introduce yourself? I assume it would be difficult to differentiate who will be on your flight?

At the time I do this, there's normally only passengers from a couple of flights in the lounge...so most, but not all, will be coming with me. Basically I just start at the left hand side as you walk in, and work my way to the other end. Most are very surprised. I only do it in the 1st class lounge in Melbourne. The business lounge is too big, and I don't have that much time.

 

[JohnM]

At the time I do this, there's normally only passengers from a couple of flights in the lounge...so most, but not all, will be coming with me. Basically I just start at the left hand side as you walk in, and work my way to the other end. Most are very surprised. I only do it in the 1st class lounge in Melbourne. The business lounge is too big, and I don't have that much time.

Several years ago (probably 10 or more) I was on a QF747 MEL-LAX that was fully boarded when the Captain came on and said there was a technical problem that would take some time to resolve and the aircraft was disembarked.

I recall the Captain coming into the F lounge to talk with the pax, which I thought was a nice thing. IIRC, he said the problem was quite unusual and he had not previously experienced it. In simple terms, it seemed that a reboot of all the systems was required. Maybe it was you, jb?

The process didn't seem to take as long as originally indicated and we were soon on our way.

 

[drross]

At the time I do this, there's normally only passengers from a couple of flights in the lounge...so most, but not all, will be coming with me. Basically I just start at the left hand side as you walk in, and work my way to the other end. Most are very surprised. I only do it in the 1st class lounge in Melbourne. The business lounge is too big, and I don't have that much time.

look forward to maybe meeting you there jb747. have a couple of o/s flights via Melb this year.

 

[SFSC]

My longest time ever in an ejection seat (which was really rock hard), was just on 5 hours. No toilet either. Must have been a lot younger then.

Even with extra crew, it is common for people to be on duty for 5-6 hours.....and in the seat the whole time, if your bladder is up to it.

I have heard stories of improvised arrangements using rubber hose and a funnel being fitted to aircraft during WWII. The pipe was said to lead outside the aircraft but I have taken the tales as being urban legend sort of stuff because of the venturi effect.

Apart from a few ferry pilots, most military aircrew were male in those days so perhaps these sort of arrangements may well have existed.

 

[jb747]

I have heard stories of improvised arrangements using rubber hose and a funnel being fitted to aircraft during WWII. The pipe was said to lead outside the aircraft but I have taken the tales as being urban legend sort of stuff because of the venturi effect.

Apart from a few ferry pilots, most military aircrew were male in those days so perhaps these sort of arrangements may well have existed.

They existed, and I expect they still do. I've seen the one that was in the Sea King, though refrained from using in. Various stories exist of other things being used in an emergency too, though whether just good tales or true, who knows?

 

[legroom]

At the time I do this, there's normally only passengers from a couple of flights in the lounge...so most, but not all, will be coming with me. Basically I just start at the left hand side as you walk in, and work my way to the other end. Most are very surprised. I only do it in the 1st class lounge in Melbourne. The business lounge is too big, and I don't have that much time.

A safer bet would be to walk around the F cabin before takeoff (like Captain Carl did to my QF12) ?

Not everyone does that walk apparently. He was the only one I had come across.

 

[por930]

I have heard stories of improvised arrangements using rubber hose and a funnel being fitted to aircraft during WWII. The pipe was said to lead outside the aircraft but I have taken the tales as being urban legend sort of stuff because of the venturi effect.

Apart from a few ferry pilots, most military aircrew were male in those days so perhaps these sort of arrangements may well have existed.

When ferrying Cessna size aircraft for service, and on trips when intermediate stops not planned, we (all males) used to carry a funnel and a few bottles. We had no option as no toilets in these little guys.

 

[jb747]

A safer bet would be to walk around the F cabin before takeoff (like Captain Carl did to my QF12) ?

Not everyone does that walk apparently. He was the only one I had come across.

It's all about time. When the passengers are boarding you're generally pretty busy.