Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

On long haul flights, are you able to get much sleep during your rest periods?

Varies a lot. Generally more a doze than a decent sleep. I generally hear every power change.

Also do the crew rests have similar levels of comfort as the rest of the pax experience (eg AVOD, etc...)

Again, it varies dramatically. The pilot crew rest on our 380s is excellent, but on the jumbo less so. 380 has video, although I very much doubt that any screen that fails will ever be replaced. 767, when it had a crew rest, was horrible. Any form of crew rest in the cabin is a joke, and simply falls in line with this quote "CASA say we have to give you a crew rest, but nothing says you have to be able to sleep in it".

Also if for example you fly a 14 hour flight, which you had 7 hours of rest in the middle, how does the affect your total number of allowed flying hours per month? For example would it be considered that you've been flying for 7 hours as that was all you where at the control for, or does your flight hours include every hour you are captain of the flight even if you are on a rest period.

I'm Captain for the whole time....all of the time counts. Crew rest time is also the time that is used to talk to the passengers too.

The break isn't necessarily a (say) 6 hour break either. It may be a series, one, then two, then three, or perhaps two * three hour, or any other permutations. The more tired the crew is, and the more you need a really decent break, the more likely you are to HAVE to use shorter breaks. It's much worse for the guy trying to have a sleep, but you have to use the breaks in such a way that the blokes on duty aren't dozing off.

Does deadheading eat into your total number of flight hours allowed per month as well or are they not counted towards your total for the month?

Deadheading is just paxing and does not affect your hours, with one exception. If you are paxing at the start of a duty, then the elapsed time counts as part of the duty period. If at the end, then it doesn't. For what it's worth, a very major airline, was, until not long ago, paxing crews into Oz, and then immediately turning them around to operate out....they'd be rested and safe, wouldn't they?

 

[harvyk]

How does the crew decide how the breaks will be allocated during the flight? Does the captain simply state at the start of the shift where breaks will come into play, or is it via mutual discussion, or does the airline simply state "you will rest at these times"

 

[casanovawa]

And i suppose are you ever surprised by how tired someone may be when they are supposed to have come in i guess 'relatively' rested... Its not like a breath analyzer that you can just blow in prior to shift to prove your ok or even know yourself, people can even have been in bed for a decent amount of time prior to flight and yet not got much rest for any number of reasons internally or externally...

I suppose at some point it is the responsibility of that flight deck crew member to put their hand up and say they just aren't ready or capable...

 

[jb747]

How does the crew decide how the breaks will be allocated during the flight? Does the captain simply state at the start of the shift where breaks will come into play, or is it via mutual discussion, or does the airline simply state "you will rest at these times"

It's the Captain's decision. I've heard of people who run rigid rosters, which I consider silly. I just find out who has had a sleep, and who hasn't and adjust the roster to suit. Sometimes I leave it fluid, so the guy on duty can decide when he has had enough.

 

[jb747]

And i suppose are you ever surprised by how tired someone may be when they are supposed to have come in i guess 'relatively' rested... Its not like a breath analyzer that you can just blow in prior to shift to prove your ok or even know yourself, people can even have been in bed for a decent amount of time prior to flight and yet not got much rest for any number of reasons internally or externally...

I suppose at some point it is the responsibility of that flight deck crew member to put their hand up and say they just aren't ready or capable...

Effectively, its shift work, on which you change shifts every day. Unless you are departing your home base in the middle of the day, I'd say it's a rare thing for a crew to be rested. Midnight departures...never.

 

[Noob]

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your fantastic contribution to the site, this thread and the effort you put into replies is great.

My question is a bit silly but, what is the standard of the food and beverage offering for pilots on international long haul like yourself? Is it most comparable to Y, Y+, J, or F? Hope this hasn't already been asked :/

 

[jb747]

My question is a bit silly but, what is the standard of the food and beverage offering for pilots on international long haul like yourself? Is it most comparable to Y, Y+, J, or F? Hope this hasn't already been asked :/

Like the passenger meals, they vary a bit depending upon the departure point.

I'd place them around the Y+ area. Certainly not as good as F or J.

You'd probably be surprised at how often the crew meals go untouched. Not just because we are sometimes offered alternatives, but simply because many of us prefer something light, like a sandwich or cup of soup, instead of a meal.

 

[JohnM]

In a post back on 7 Dec, JB, you said very little time can be made up by flying faster.

Often after a delayed departure the Captain will come on saying they'll try to make up as much lost time as possible. How is that achieved without putting the foot down?


Sent from my iPad using AustFreqFly app

 

[Awesom Andy]

In a post back on 7 Dec, JB, you said very little time can be made up by flying faster.

Often after a delayed departure the Captain will come on saying they'll try to make up as much lost time as possible. How is that achieved without putting the foot down?


Sent from my iPad using AustFreqFly app

I think they say it just to make pax feel a bit better. Besides, most schedules are somewhat padded up so simply flying at the normal speed would appear that you've made a little bit of time. Also, sometimes, the inbound is delayed due to strong headwinds, which would become a strong tailwind outbound.

 

[markis10]

I think they say it just to make pax feel a bit better. Besides, most schedules are somewhat padded up so simply flying at the normal speed would appear that you've made a little bit of time. Also, sometimes, the inbound is delayed due to strong headwinds, which would become a strong tailwind outbound.

I will leave it to JB to answer from a pilots perspective, however there are ways to make up time including requests for track shortening/direct to destination etc that can help.

 

[oz_mark]

I will leave it to JB to answer from a pilots perspective, however there are ways to make up time including requests for track shortening/direct to destination etc that can help.

Pretty sure I've heard a pilot say that ATC helped them make up time before, and if I heard him properly a fast descent?

 

[markis10]

Pretty sure I've heard a pilot say that ATC helped them make up time before, and if I heard him properly a fast descent?

In the case of Brisbane, a direct track to GLENN or VERRY which are the reporting points on the extended centerline of the main runway saving quite a few minutes compared to the normal inbound routing.

 

[smit0847]

Hi JB

Many thanks for taking the time to thoroughly answer our questions - very much appreciated.

My question relates to what you do during your downtime in between flights overseas (I'm not sure what the term is - layovers?). You hear stories and see TV shows about the antics the cabin crew get up to - partying etc and they seem to see every trip as a holiday. I assume the more senior pilots grew tired of this years ago and have a more productive time in the 12/24/36/48 hours they have in SIN, BKK, LHR, FRA, LAX etc. While you must get sick of going to the same place over and over what do you do during this time? Obviously sleep, eating properly and some form of exercise may be priorities but are there certain cities where you head out for sightseeing, or catch up with friends, and others where you just stay in the hotel room watching dvds?

Do you spend time with the cabin crew or are they out partying the entire down time?

Are there any cities you don't like layovers in?

Thanks!

 

[jb747]

You can't make up much time. But....flight plans are generated using a 'cost index'. If the cost index used is low (60 in the A380), which will be because the flight will experience more favourable winds than average, then you can go back to a cost index of 130 (which is what we normally use), with the result that you'll save about a minute an hour at minimal extra fuel burn. On shorter legs, where total fuel available is less of a consideration, you might consider using lower altitudes for the entire flight, which if associate with cruising at a high mach number can save a few minutes per hour, but at the cost of extremely high fuel burn.

Before speed controlled descents became so popular with ATC, you could also plan a descent that was much later, at a higher speed, and using the speed brakes for the entire descent. Another 5 minutes could be saved there, but at the expense of a very uncomfortable cabin during the descent. As mentioned track shortening can save a bit, but we generally try to get that whether late or not.

The upshot though, is that when we say we're going to try to get some of the lost time back, it won't be much. It is very easy to lose time, and (for instance) at a stroke ATC can throw away any time that you've worked for hours to save.

 

[harvyk]

In The 747's, what is the typical cost index which a pilot would use on an average flight?

 

[jb747]

My question relates to what you do during your downtime in between flights overseas (I'm not sure what the term is - layovers?). You hear stories and see TV shows about the antics the cabin crew get up to - partying etc and they seem to see every trip as a holiday. I assume the more senior pilots grew tired of this years ago and have a more productive time in the 12/24/36/48 hours they have in SIN, BKK, LHR, FRA, LAX etc. While you must get sick of going to the same place over and over what do you do during this time? Obviously sleep, eating properly and some form of exercise may be priorities but are there certain cities where you head out for sightseeing, or catch up with friends, and others where you just stay in the hotel room watching dvds?

The upshot is that you are not there to holiday. From the company point of view, you're available for any changes for most of any slip.

Singapore, northbound, you get in late at night, and go to bed. Normally wake up very early the next day. Go for a walk..see if there is any computer gear I can't live without. Try to get some more sleep in the afternoon. Leave around midnight.

Singapore, southbound, you normally have a bit more time. Yesterday afternoon I hiked around Marina Bay, looking for some spots to take pictures of the skyline that night...and last night, hiked it again to get said pictures.

London arrive early morning. Generally totally knackered, so try to get a couple of hours sleep. Often meet up with crew(s) and find a pub. You always wake up at 2am, no matter what time you got to bed. The internet is a great time waster, but that's also a good time to knock over an hour or so of study (and who knows, it might bore you back to sleep). When the city eventually comes to life, London is a good for long hikes. A day trip to Bath or perhaps to Portsmouth sometimes happens (generally when there is someone new to the area on the crew). Many of the crew have friends or family there to catch up with. Of course that only really applies for half of the year...when it's cold and wet, not much happens, other than waiting to leave.

LA. Try not to go there.

HK. There are sights to see, but of course, I've seen them. You just have to drag yourself out, just to get out. Hotel gyms get a lot of use, no matter where you are.

A very large part of it is trying to manage your sleep so that you eventually go to work in as good a state as possible.

Do you spend time with the cabin crew or are they out partying the entire down time?

Don't know what the cabin crew do. We never see them.

Are there any cities you don't like layovers in?

Not much choice on the 380..Singapore, London, LA, and soon Hong Kong. I like Singapore and London, avoid LA. HK is ok occasionally.

I did greatly like NYC when the jumbo went there.

 

[jb747]

In The 747's, what is the typical cost index which a pilot would use on an average flight?

I think it was 100, but the speed that actually gave you had changed over the years. When I was originally on the -400, that cost index would give a cruise that would be at .87 slowly reducing to .85, then climbing. When I came back the second time, the speed was .85 back to .83. The cost of fuel had become much more of a factor.

 

[awilcockson]

To give you an idea what a simulator session can look like...

Thanks jb, one of the most interesting posts I've read in this thread. My heart was beating a little faster by the end of that ...

 

[awilcockson]

A selfish question .. how far out do you get your rosters? I've got a SYD-HKG flight in 3A on the A380 on the 9th of March and I'd love to meet you if you're on that flight.

 

[jb747]

A selfish question .. how far out do you get your rosters? I've got a SYD-HKG flight in 3A on the A380 on the 9th of March and I'd love to meet you if you're on that flight.

Rosters are nominally for 56 days, with new ones being issued about a week before the old one ends. But, the way our allocations system works, not everybody gets one. So, right now, we've got four days before the end of this roster, but my next one will consist solely of ad hoc standby and any flights I happen to jag. Sadly the result of the seniority system, coupled with a 5 year increase in the retiring age, will result in my being a 'rotator' until the day I go. Unlike domestic, where they use a "squirrel cage", which means that over the course of a year, everyone will be both senior and junior, there is no sharing whatsoever on long haul.

March is the roster after next, so your flight won't be crewed for a couple of months yet. The HK services both start and finish in Sydney, and so will be at the bottom of my preferences.