Ask The Pilot

[ChrisGibbs]

Just landed here at DFW from IAH (Friday evening 5th August). It's 38C at the moment. During the transfer from terminal A around to terminal D I noticed the QF A380 NBW at gate D15 with the flaps extended and the cargo doors open. I thought this meant some form of intervention was taking place or is it more about trying to keep the aircraft cool while on the ground.

 

[jb747]

Just landed here at DFW from IAH (Friday evening 5th August). It's 38C at the moment. During the transfer from terminal A around to terminal D I noticed the QF A380 NBW at gate D15 with the flaps extended and the cargo doors open. I thought this meant some form of intervention was taking place or is it more about trying to keep the aircraft cool while on the ground.

Leaving the flaps selected to 1 allows some cooling of the bleed system. Once it's over about 30º you'll see them left out on many Airbus aircraft.

 

[joey1695]

Hi JB, Boris and others.. I have now read through this thread twice, so thanks for keeping the content as interesting and informative as ever! Have been jotting down some questions to ask you once caught up so here goes..
1. Does flying via the sidestick (regardless of lack of feel) feel more natural/comfortable/easier or harder vs flying with the Boeing Yoke?
2. In a previous post (a long way back) you alluded to the 777 as being a hard act to follow. It is my personal favourite. My question to you is what is it about the design or otherwise that makes you say it is a hard act to follow? (If this is still your view)..
3. Also along 777 lines.. Have you seen any of the design and features of the 777X? Do you think it is a viable replacement for QF's retiring 747 fleet? Do you think QF will purchase any 777x's or continue down the Airbus big twin line (A350)?
Thanks again and sorry for the long post!

 

[jb747]

1. Does flying via the sidestick (regardless of lack of feel) feel more natural/comfortable/easier or harder vs flying with the Boeing Yoke?

The biggest issue with the sidestick is the lack of feedback...especially of the other pilot's actions. This was directly implicated in the AF 330 accident. Beyond that, I'm ambivalent about it.

2. In a previous post (a long way back) you alluded to the 777 as being a hard act to follow. It is my personal favourite. My question to you is what is it about the design or otherwise that makes you say it is a hard act to follow? (If this is still your view)..

It was the right size. Fuel burn related to the number of seats proved to be a good match for the years with expensive fuel. It has proven to be very safe...with a hull that still amazes me with the strength it has shown in the three major landing accidents. It wasn't full of untried technology, so it never had the issues of the 787.

The 757/767 were also an excellent aircraft, that Boeing should have done more with. I think they've been guilty of lots of navel gazing.

3. Also along 777 lines.. Have you seen any of the design and features of the 777X? Do you think it is a viable replacement for QF's retiring 747 fleet? Do you think QF will purchase any 777x's or continue down the Airbus big twin line (A350)?

I haven't taken any notice of it at all. At this point it's a virtual aircraft, full of promises...many of which won't be fulfilled. QF will look at it, as will most airlines. Who can guess what they will do.

 

[RooFlyer]

A report in the Oz today about the benefit of internet in the (Qantas) coughpit. I'll quote it below as it may be behind a pay wall.

Leaving aside the specifics of it being deployed by Qantas, any comments on the claims of benefits made for aviation in general? Will it be of material benefit both in terms of access to ~real time data (eg weather) and the transmission of data back to base for real time analysis?

Qantas is looking at a range of new uses for its upcoming — and free — in-flight Wi-Fi service that it hopes will improve flying conditions, maintenance and reduce medical delays on the 100 domestic aircraft the service will be available on.


As part of trials for its Wi-Fi rollout, Qantas’s Flight Operations and Engineering teams are currently looking at how they can use in-flight connectivity to improve the flight experience for passengers.
This will include reducing the impact of turbulence by allowing pilots to download up-to-date weather maps that will be used to better track storms and avoid turbulence.

“Having internet in the coughpit takes this to the next level. Pilots can stream richer information on real-time weather conditions expected along the flight path. They can use this to dodge areas of turbulence and make better use of tailwinds to reduce flying time,” Qantas said.

The airline also plans to use its in-flight connectivity for real-time maintenance.

“Modern aircraft generate huge amounts of data. A single hour of flying can create several gigabytes of information from hundreds of sensors, particularly from the engines. Pilots are alerted to anything important, but a lot of other data can’t really be accessed until the aircraft is on the ground,” Qantas said.

“By streaming this information back to base via the internet, our engineers can closely monitor the technical performance of the aircraft in real-time and be ready if something needs attention.”
This means that if engineers detect a replacement part is needed (like a new fuel filter) they’ll get a head start on making sure it’s available when the aircraft lands.

The airline is also expecting in-flight connectivity will help to reduce medical diversions which average two or three a month across Qantas and causes massive disruptions for hundreds of passengers.
“We’ve trialled once device which scans a patient’s heart condition if they are experiencing chest pains. The heart data is sent by Wi-Fi to a medical officer on the ground, providing a better diagnosis of the passenger which then informs whether we may need to divert to another airport or if the passenger is stable enough to be treated when we land at the original destination,” Qantas said.

Qantas is betting on being the first airline in Australia to allow customers to download their favourite shows, stream live cricket and make video calls during flights as the carrier gets ready to launch its Wi-Fi service early next year.

The service will be trialled towards the end of this year, with plans for a commercial launch on all Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 domestic routes by early 2017. International routes will be trialled at a later date.

 

[jb747]

A report in the Oz today about the benefit of internet in the (Qantas) coughpit. I'll quote it below as it may be behind a pay wall.

Leaving aside the specifics of it being deployed by Qantas, any comments on the claims of benefits made for aviation in general? Will it be of material benefit both in terms of access to ~real time data (eg weather) and the transmission of data back to base for real time analysis?

Interesting discussion, and there is no doubt that aviation will change as the amount of data available...in both directions... increases.

The weather scenario is tenuous. Anything I can't see and avoid on the radar is likely to be out of my range (i.e. having started on a route, there is a limit to how many miles I can add to it). I can't see that a dispatcher on the ground is likely to be better able to read a radar than me.

The medical side is important. I've had to make decisions about the aircraft based on medical issues. My knowledge is anything but medical.

 

[mjt57]

Interesting discussion, and there is no doubt that aviation will change as the amount of data available...in both directions... increases.

Could they stream all performance data such as what the engines are doing, altitude, attitude (both yours and the 'plane's) and so on, like what F1 racecars do for example?

What about weather radar? Obviously you're familiar with what the BoM serves up publically. How does that compare with what you can see in the air?

 

[petercr]

Could they stream all performance data such as what the engines are doing, altitude, attitude (both yours and the 'plane's) and so on, like what F1 racecars do for example
?

Don't they do that already to some extent? I think JB mentioned it did here and there was a mention in the Air Crash Investigations ep on QF32 that the engineering centre in SYD received reports of the failures on board via computer

 

[RooFlyer]

Don't they do that already to some extent? I think JB mentioned it did here and there was a mention in the Air Crash Investigations ep on QF32 that the engineering centre in SYD received reports of the failures on board via computer

That's correct (I've just been re-reading QF32). The article quoted above refers to domestic services, with older aircraft. I don't think they can stream data back to base at the moment.

 

[jb747]

Could they stream all performance data such as what the engines are doing, altitude, attitude (both yours and the 'plane's) and so on, like what F1 racecars do for example?

This sort of data is already monitored by both Rolls Royce, and by airline maintenance. Not necessarily continuously, but certainly enough to have an eye out for upcoming issues. And probably also to send extra bills every time you select extra power...

ACARS also sends out any messages generated by the ECAM or EICAS.

What about weather radar? Obviously you're familiar with what the BoM serves up publically. How does that compare with what you can see in the air?

The BoM stuff is just about useless to me. It is generally satellite data, looking down on the clouds. The radar gives me a 3 dimensional display that I can use to choose the best route through the weather.

 

[jb747]

That's correct (I've just been re-reading QF32). The article quoted above refers to domestic services, with older aircraft. I don't think they can stream data back to base at the moment.

In the case of QF32 (and 30 for that matter), the ACARS messages were sent back to base immediately they were generated. It doesn't stream the data, and I don't see any reason for it to do so. The systems report anomalies.

 

[D747]

In the case of QF32 (and 30 for that matter), the ACARS messages were sent back to base immediately they were generated. It doesn't stream the data, and I don't see any reason for it to do so. The systems report anomalies.

Do they report position data when they transmit?

 

[jb747]

Do they report position data when they transmit?

I don't think the ACARS or engine monitoring does, though I'm not sure of that. The ADSB data link does though, and that system is slowly spreading.

 

[Saab34]

Do you come across many Aussie ATC abroad (eg UK/US?)

What about Dubai? Or is it all Emirati locals?

 

[jb747]

Do you come across many Aussie ATC abroad (eg UK/US?)

What about Dubai? Or is it all Emirati locals?

There used to be quite a few Australian and UK accents in HK. Haven't been there lately, so I don't know what it's like now. Dubai is a mix of many accents. UK and US you only hear locals.

 

[Boca68]

Do you come across many Aussie ATC abroad (eg UK/US?)

What about Dubai? Or is it all Emirati locals?

There used to be quite a few Australian and UK accents in HK. Haven't been there lately, so I don't know what it's like now. Dubai is a mix of many accents. UK and US you only hear locals.

My brother is an ATC. He was until recently in MEL. But did a stint in HKG quite few years ago. Around the time of the handover.

Now working in remote NW WA.....

pffft! retirement and $$$ coming his way

 

[Awesom Andy]

There used to be quite a few Australian and UK accents in HK. Haven't been there lately, so I don't know what it's like now. Dubai is a mix of many accents. UK and US you only hear locals.

Last I was on the HKG ATC stream a year or so ago, I didn't think there was any Australian accents, although some of the better educated locals can have an UK accent as well so I would expect it to be around occasionally.

 

[Dmac6345]

A few questions if I may.
Why is it that, as soon as the descent starts, it gets bumpy? All of a sudden it is a nice smooth cruise, and then the bumps appear.
Also, I flew MEL-HOB this morning and I could feel and see the aircraft swaying side to side
for a couple of minutes. It wasn't bad but felt like I was
on a boat. Is that just the wind that the aircraft has to contend with?
One for JB- Would you happen to know your October roster yet? Oct 29 to LAX if your roster manager takes special requests. .
Safe travels.

 

[Boris spatsky]

A few questions if I may.
Why is it that, as soon as the descent starts, it gets bumpy? All of a sudden it is a nice smooth cruise, and then the bumps appear.
Also, I flew MEL-HOB this morning and I could feel and see the aircraft swaying side to side
for a couple of minutes. It wasn't bad but felt like I was
on a boat. Is that just the wind that the aircraft has to contend with?
One for JB- Would you happen to know your October roster yet? Oct 29 to LAX if your roster manager takes special requests. .
Safe travels.

We try to pick a smooth cruise level based on forecasts and pilot reports - but there may be turbulence above or below us. So when you leave the cruise on descent, it is not uncommon to hit some turbulence below.

I wouldn't say it always happens; it's random at best.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Under what circumstances would a commercial pilot puts the plane into a steep-ish dive on final when he/she is too high? Had a flight on the weekend where that happened for about 5 seconds before common sense prevailed and went around.