Ask The Pilot

[Quickstatus]

When an aircraft crosses into a country's airspace, do the pilots have to checkin with the country's authorities via radio?.

 

[Simo]

New roster time again.

03/08 QF9 MEL-DXB
06/08 QF1 DXB-LHR
08/08 QF10 LHR-DXB
11/08 QF10 DXB-MEL


17/08 QF9 MEL-DXB
20/08 QF1 DXB-LHR
22/08 QF10 LHR-DXB
25/08 QF10 DXB-MEL


03/09 QF93 MEL-LAX
04/09 QF94 LAX-MEL


15/09 QF93 MEL-LAX
16/09 QF94 LAX-MEL

The second London trip (17 August) is likely to be swapped for an identical trip that's 2 days later.

Still nothing scheduled between now and the start of the roster. Getting well and truly sick of standby. Unusual that it's not produced any flying.

The MEL LAX trips are short turnarounds in LAX

About 10 days between trips are nice...

 

[Boris spatsky]

When an aircraft crosses into a country's airspace, do the pilots have to checkin with the country's authorities via radio?.

Yes. Each Flight Information Region (FIR) requires you to check in via radio (or i assume CPDLC but i have never flown with that). FIRs are normally aligned with a country but can be across a number of countries if they are small enough. From memory, Nadi covers Tonga and the Solomons as well as some others.

 

[jb747]

The MEL LAX trips are short turnarounds in LAX

About 10 days between trips are nice...

Don't forget that the date line is crossed. The slips are about 36 hours.

10 days is nice, but is invariably targeted for ground training or sims.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes. Each Flight Information Region (FIR) requires you to check in via radio (or i assume CPDLC but i have never flown with that). FIRs are normally aligned with a country but can be across a number of countries if they are small enough. From memory, Nadi covers Tonga and the Solomons as well as some others.

The approach into SIN from Australia require crossing the airspace of Indonesia then Malaysia then SIN. Who is responsible for the FIR in this region.

 

[Boris spatsky]

It has been a few years since i have flown that route, but from memory you transfer directly from Jakarta to Singapore.

 

[Himeno]

The approach into SIN from Australia require crossing the airspace of Indonesia then Malaysia then SIN. Who is responsible for the FIR in this region.

View attachment 74842

You can see the layouts of all FIRs here
ICAO FIR Viewer with Flex

 

[Boris spatsky]

Thanks, i didn't have a link or any enroute charts on me!

 

[cambriamarsh]

Hi JB,

This article was in yesterday's NZ Sunday Star Times

Air New Zealand 'shafted' elderly pilots over Airbus training | Stuff.co.nz.

I don't want to get into a discussion as to whether NZ is acting fairly or not. However I would appreciate your comments on the training that was provided when did you do your conversion from Boeing to Airbus and how long did it take for your instincts to be AB trained?

cheers

 

[mjt57]

but is invariably targeted for ground training or sims.

What other training do you get apart from sims?

 

[mjt57]

Hi JB,

This article was in yesterday's NZ Sunday Star Times

Air New Zealand 'shafted' elderly pilots over Airbus training | Stuff.co.nz.

I don't want to get into a discussion as to whether NZ is acting fairly or not. However I would appreciate your comments on the training that was provided when did you do your conversion from Boeing to Airbus and how long did it take for your instincts to be AB trained?

cheers

I like this bit:

"It's an issue that is confronting industries worldwide as baby boomers pass retirement age and companies struggle to get older employees to retire without discriminating against them."

When they're pushing the retirement age to 67 and beyond it makes it difficult for older workers to continue to work when they are discriminated against. Not that I'm saying that here, in the case of ANZ, but older workers when sacked, retrenched or whatever, rarely find more work.

 

[jb747]

What other training do you get apart from sims?

Security, emergency procedures (annual), and occasional one offs. You can also be hit with sim supports (additional sims) on those days.

 

[jb747]

Hi JB,

This article was in yesterday's NZ Sunday Star Times

Air New Zealand 'shafted' elderly pilots over Airbus training | Stuff.co.nz.

I don't want to get into a discussion as to whether NZ is acting fairly or not. However I would appreciate your comments on the training that was provided when did you do your conversion from Boeing to Airbus and how long did it take for your instincts to be AB trained?

There's no doubt that converting to Airbus from Boeing is a bit of a mind scrambler. Whilst most of the training people are fans, and cannot see anything wrong with it, overall it's neither as logical, nor as high tech, as you'd imagine. Eventually you learn the foibles of AB logic, but that doesn't mean it becomes logical.

I don't know what our failure rate has been but there's no doubt that some perfectly reasonable Boeing operators have had issues. Most have been fixed readily enough with a bit more training.

There are some quotes from the article that are interesting:

1. "Our A320 pilot training/conversion programme is world class, rigorous in its detail and approved by the CAA."

2. "It listed a number of "deficiencies" around manuals, teaching methodology and instructor skills and said the course footprint had been reduced by about 30 per cent from its original form, reducing it to a 'box ticking exercise'".

3. "...and the A320 courses were of a similar or greater length than overseas courses."

4. "...requiring only about 20 hours of actual flying compared to around 100 for his initial command training"

1. Our course is as rubbish as everyone elses'.

2. Airbus manuals are terrible. Reducing course length is simple bean counting.

3. See 1 above.

4. Initial command and a conversion aren't directly comparable, but nevertheless, 20 hours is nothing.

 

[cambriamarsh]

There's no doubt that converting to Airbus from Boeing is a bit of a mind scrambler. Whilst most of the training people are fans, and cannot see anything wrong with it, overall it's neither as logical, nor as high tech, as you'd imagine. Eventually you learn the foibles of AB logic, but that doesn't mean it becomes logical.

I don't know what our failure rate has been but there's no doubt that some perfectly reasonable Boeing operators have had issues. Most have been fixed readily enough with a bit more training.

There are some quotes from the article that are interesting:


1. Our course is as rubbish as everyone elses'.

2. Airbus manuals are terrible. Reducing course length is simple bean counting.

3. See 1 above.

4. Initial command and a conversion aren't directly comparable, but nevertheless, 20 hours is nothing.

Thanks JB, I appreciate your comments and the time you put into this thread. As a beancounter myself I do wish some of my profession would take a broader view, although unfortunately the conclusions change driven by instructions to find a way to reduce costs today and leave tomorrow to look after itself.

 

[flyingfan]

Security, emergency procedures (annual), and occasional one offs. You can also be hit with sim supports (additional sims) on those days.

Leads me to wonder - have you tried out the emergency slides yourselves and, more importantly, what is the decision going to be like to evacuate using slides ASAP as opposed to trying to make it to a gate? I expect it would be a strong suspicion of serious/imminent disaster to use the slides given the risk of injury using them. I recall QF32 seemed to include a thought that inside the aircraft was the safest place for the passengers to be for a while.

 

[Tortuga]

Hi JB, can you explain why on the seat displays at cruising altitude the vertical speed constantly fluctuates up and down around 0 (can't remember the exact values) while the altitude stays the same? When descending it was clear the vertical speed showed negative.

My other question relates to navigating - on most ATC audio I hear references to heading. I work on a vessel and I'm assuming heading and course over ground also apply to aircraft if the wind is causing the airplane to crab whereby your heading and course can vary enough to effect your route on a long enough vector? Do you have a course input that compensates for 'crab' or is the difference negligible in an aircraft?

Thanks

 

[jb747]

Thanks JB, I appreciate your comments and the time you put into this thread. As a beancounter myself I do wish some of my profession would take a broader view, although unfortunately the conclusions change driven by instructions to find a way to reduce costs today and leave tomorrow to look after itself.

Are you a bean counter, or an accountant? In my view of the world, one isn't necessarily the other.

Being described as a bean counter within the aviation world is an insult, basically because it describes someone whose actions make our life harder or less safe, without any responsibility for that outcome. It's not about trying to save money.

 

[jb747]

Leads me to wonder - have you tried out the emergency slides yourselves and, more importantly, what is the decision going to be like to evacuate using slides ASAP as opposed to trying to make it to a gate? I expect it would be a strong suspicion of serious/imminent disaster to use the slides given the risk of injury using them.

I've been down the 747 slides in initial EP training.

You will almost certainly have at least a few minor injuries. With older people perhaps even some more serious. That's the assumption you start with (on big aircraft anyway).

Trying to 'make it' to the gate is a very bad idea. If you have something going on that's making you consider evacuation, being near the terminal is a negative. There are obstructions all around you, so not all slides will be available. The bridges take substantial time to attach.

Come to a halt, preferably where the fire vehicles have good all around access. If there is external fire try to position the aircraft so that the flame/smoke isn't being blown on to the fuselage. MAKE A DECISION. If there is smoke, you can stay for a while, but once there's fire, any time spent doing nothing could well be time you'll regret.

I recall QF32 seemed to include a thought that inside the aircraft was the safest place for the passengers to be for a while.

QF32 was not on fire. And even then, not everyone agrees with the decision to stay. Once there was some foam laid down, even the potential need was gone.

 

[jb747]

Hi JB, can you explain why on the seat displays at cruising altitude the vertical speed constantly fluctuates up and down around 0 (can't remember the exact values) while the altitude stays the same? When descending it was clear the vertical speed showed negative.

I've never taken any notice of it. The IVSI does show some minor vertical movement when in the cruise, but it's not sustained for long enough for the aircraft to go anywhere, and is just as likely instrument error.

My other question relates to navigating - on most ATC audio I hear references to heading. I work on a vessel and I'm assuming heading and course over ground also apply to aircraft if the wind is causing the airplane to crab whereby your heading and course can vary enough to effect your route on a long enough vector? Do you have a course input that compensates for 'crab' or is the difference negligible in an aircraft?

We can readily fly HEADING or TRACK. ATC don't necessarily know the wind, so if they're giving all aircraft the same heading, they'll end up with approximately the same track. ATC headings are very short term affairs, generally being in use for only a few minutes. They are often mixed with track instructions...so a heading for a while, followed by an instruction to track to a point. They don't normally mix numerical tracks and headings.

 

[cambriamarsh]

Are you a bean counter, or an accountant? In my view of the world, one isn't necessarily the other.

Being described as a bean counter within the aviation world is an insult, basically because it describes someone whose actions make our life harder or less safe, without any responsibility for that outcome. It's not about trying to save money.

I'm an accountant, primarily a CFO but also with a small number of independent clients. In my world beancounter, or beanie, is a generic description for an accountant, sometimes mildly affectionate, other times mildly abusive generally depending on whether I thought a proposal stacked up in cost / benefit terms. In other words it's not about saving money as such, that's far too narrow. It's much more about ensuring there's likely to be an acceptable return on investments made (that's what the shareholders want) and ensuring the controls that protect the businesses assets are effective. In both cases responsibility follows actions and decisions.

So in your world I'm an accountant, not a beanie.

Cheers