Ask The Pilot

[straitman]

I don't know about you guys, but my goal is to finish my career with the least amount of hours I can do! This way I know I have been home with my family for the important birthdays, christmas', and watching the kids grow up.

This is one of the main reasons I elected to do what I did rather than go into airlines. Other than on rare occasions I got to go home every night.

My last 'professional' flight was just before my 58th birthday (I got Prostate cancer) and finished with just short of 17,000 hrs. (I didn't add the 10 min extra per flight for my 5,000 military hours)

 

[jb747]

With such winds, realistically, how many pilots would actually attempt (or accept) a take off from the 16L/R?

It's something to be aware of. The ATIS is telling you that the wind at sea level is southerly, but you you'd at least be suspicious of it being from the northwest a little above that. Be prepared for solid shear. It's suggesting you might want to consider no derate, and at least having shear on your mind.

 

[jb747]

This is one of the main reasons I elected to do what I did rather than go into airlines. Other than on rare occasions I got to go home every night.

My last 'professional' flight was just before my 58th birthday (I got Prostate cancer) and finished with just short of 17,000 hrs. (I didn't add the 10 min extra per flight for my military flights)

If I were really cheeky, I'd suggest that they subtract for helicopter hours. But I've tried to fly them, so I'll give you even more credit.

 

[jb747]

Mode14a operations at Sydney airport

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/LTOP_Mode14A.
http://www.airservicesaustralia.com...ways-at-Sydney-Airport-to-share-the-noise.pdf


Is XW20 and DW5 the maximum allowed wind conditions for dry runway as per airservices australia?
http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/12-139FAC_NCIS-Runway-selection_P2.pdf

Interestingly the ATIS does not suggest the wind conditions are gusty
What if the actual wind conditions are gusty, XW>20 DW>5. What happens then?

The crosswind/downwind apply to runway 07. My take on the conditions was that there may be a northeasterly at a couple of thousand feet ('cos that's where the TS was coming from), but southerly on the ground. That can be pretty difficult to fly an approach to, and a crosswind might be preferable.

Any tailwind is a PITA. Tailwind & crosswind is worse. Whilst the ATC manual may suggest these numbers, I expect they get plenty of knock backs from the pilots.

 

[AviatorInsight]

I guess this response to the camera is more pilots dont want to be filmed over operational reasons?

Yes absolutely. This was actually brought up during a human factors meeting I had where the company wanted to put cameras and microphones in to gather data about how and why pilots make errors and to manage threats. It was very quickly turned down because we found that pilots did not want to be subject as to why they made certain decisions, being criticised by people sitting in a nice comfy, quiet office sipping on tea.

 

[Ansett]

Yes absolutely. This was actually brought up during a human factors meeting I had where the company wanted to put cameras and microphones in to gather data about how and why pilots make errors and to manage threats. It was very quickly turned down because we found that pilots did not want to be subject as to why they made certain decisions, being criticised by people sitting in a nice comfy, quiet office sipping on tea.

I couldn't stand working under those conditions knowing every move was being scrutinised and criticised, surely that would add more anxiety and pressure, which I would think is the last thing you want to add more of to a coughpit.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes absolutely. This was actually brought up during a human factors meeting I had where the company wanted to put cameras and microphones in to gather data about how and why pilots make errors and to manage threats. It was very quickly turned down because we found that pilots did not want to be subject as to why they made certain decisions, being criticised by people sitting in a nice comfy, quiet office sipping on tea.

We have high fidelity simulators in my profession too. But we have colleagues watch the hot seat person in action. Invariably when you are in the hot seat your brains tends to go to mush than if you are just watching.

Do you watch other fellow pilots in the hotseat as an educational tool?

 

[AviatorInsight]

We have high fidelity simulators in my profession too. But we have colleagues watch the hot seat person in action. Invariably when you are in the hot seat your brains tends to go to mush than if you are just watching.

Do you watch other fellow pilots in the hotseat as an educational tool?

Yes we do. Known as a Line Operation Safety Audit. These auditors are there to only determine errors made (such as incorrect responses to standard calls, or an incorrect setting frequency dialled in) and potential threats from external sources (like ATC giving a last minute runway change causing an increase in workload), and basically from that we can determine if our procedures need tweaking, or extra training needing to be given to all crew about potential problems, if fatigue was an issue etc.

This audit is deidentified, no names are taken down or anything. It is just merely an observation. No ramifications for errors (within reason and if it was a deliberate breach of safety of course).

 

[docjames]

Roster time again.

Leftover from the current roster:
24/02 MEL-LAX 93
25/02 LAX-MEL 94

03/03 MEL-LAX 93
04/03 LAX-MEL 94

New roster:
17/03 MEL-LAX 93
18/03 LAX-MEL 94

27/03 MEL-LAX 93
28/03 LAX-MEL 94

09/04 MEL-DXB 9
13/04 DXB-LHR 1
15/04 LHR-DXB 10
17/04 DXB-MEL 10

24/04 MEL-DXB 9
28/04 DXB-LHR 1
30/04 LHR-DXB 10
05/05 DXB-MEL 10

That seems like a longer than usual stopover in DXB?

 

[jb747]

Thank you Doc.

Correcting an error from my first post of this.

Leftover from the current roster:
24/02 MEL-LAX 93
25/02 LAX-MEL 94

03/03 MEL-LAX 93
04/03 LAX-MEL 94

New roster:
17/03 MEL-LAX 93
18/03 LAX-MEL 94

27/03 MEL-LAX 93
28/03 LAX-MEL 94

09/04 MEL-DXB 9
13/04 DXB-LHR 1
15/04 LHR-DXB 10
17/04 DXB-MEL 10

24/04 MEL-DXB 9
28/04 DXB-LHR 1
30/04 LHR-DXB 10
02/05 DXB-MEL 10

The Dubai slips have been rejigged, but I don't know why. They're quite long on the first stop (63 hours), but 24 on the return journey. Previous patterns had them approximately equal.

 

[kpc]

Correcting an error from my first post of this....

28/04 DXB-LHR 1

I'm on this flight ....in 12 E

 

[jb747]

Not really airline related, but I'm amazed at how Space X is almost making the landings of their first stage boosters look easy.

The maths of the landings are impressive. When using a single engine (there are nine), the mimimum thrust exceeds the weight of the booster. The booster cannot hover. The landing only reaches zero sink rate as it hits the deck. Be wrong by an instant one way, and it will be a fireball, and if wrong the other way, it will climb away, and still end in a fireball.

But, on really fuel critical landings, they've been using three engines. Deceleration to the deck is in the order of 5g. It still has to be reach zero speed as it gets to the deck, but is accelerating at 5g to do so. The margin for error must be just about non existent.

 

[juddles]

Not really airline related, but I'm amazed at how Space X is almost making the landings of their first stage boosters look easy.

The maths of the landings are impressive. When using a single engine (there are nine), the mimimum thrust exceeds the weight of the booster. The booster cannot hover. The landing only reaches zero sink rate as it hits the deck. Be wrong by an instant one way, and it will be a fireball, and if wrong the other way, it will climb away, and still end in a fireball.

But, on really fuel critical landings, they've been using three engines. Deceleration to the deck is in the order of 5g. It still has to be reach zero speed as it gets to the deck, but is accelerating at 5g to do so. The margin for error must be just about non existent.

relax, pocket calculators (even smart phones) can work this all out

 

[clazman]

and the boys at NASA couldnt

 

[QF WP]

Not really airline related, but I'm amazed at how Space X is almost making the landings of their first stage boosters look easy.

The maths of the landings are impressive. When using a single engine (there are nine), the mimimum thrust exceeds the weight of the booster. The booster cannot hover. The landing only reaches zero sink rate as it hits the deck. Be wrong by an instant one way, and it will be a fireball, and if wrong the other way, it will climb away, and still end in a fireball.

But, on really fuel critical landings, they've been using three engines. Deceleration to the deck is in the order of 5g. It still has to be reach zero speed as it gets to the deck, but is accelerating at 5g to do so. The margin for error must be just about non existent.

SpaceX Launches 1st Private Rocket from Historic NASA Pad — Then Sticks a Landing

I'm in awe (without your level of technical knowledge)

 

[moa999]

and the boys at NASA couldnt

When the boys (and girls) at NASA were doing it the computer power was a lot less.

I'm more amazed that NASA has basically given SpaceX its historic pad at Florida.

And the best vid I've seen of the return.

https://youtu.be/glEvogjdEVY

 

[clazman]

They have leased it

 

[Melburnian1]

Interesting game. There isn't a web site that I know of, and in any event, we only record hours, not miles.

He would have to be an airline or heavy freight pilot. He'd have to fly jet aircraft on long routes. Long routes give higher average speed per flight hour. Using the maximum hours allowed, and using a 35 year career, you're looking at about 15,000,000 miles.

I have no idea how you'd work it out, (I couldn't even work it out accurately for myself), but yes, there must be someone...

The above was in relation to my question as to which worldwide pilot had done the most miles (in command.)

Here is a Wodonga resident and Regional Express pilot who is extremely unlikely to have done the most miles (or kilometres) but with 13800 flights under his belt, that strikes me as a lot!

Pilot on a high after big salute | The Border Mail

 

[Quickstatus]

Could a pilot please comment on QF107/108 SYD-PEK-SYD.
QF107 typically flies north then overland China to PEK. 108 on the other hand flies east taking care not the venture into North Korean airspace then turns south near Seoul then skirts the Japanese islands before heading south via TSV
What is the reason for the difference?

 

[jb747]

The above was in relation to my question as to which worldwide pilot had done the most miles (in command.)

Here is a Wodonga resident and Regional Express pilot who is extremely unlikely to have done the most miles (or kilometres) but with 13800 flights under his belt, that strikes me as a lot!

Pilot on a high after big salute | The Border Mail

That is a lot. I'd probably have about 3-4,000 flights, but very likely many more hours. There was a pilot in Scotland (that part of the world anyway) who retired with a huge number of flights...all of about 5 minutes.