Ask The Pilot

[torks]

Massive changes. The overall amount of flying has reduced by 10%. Melbourne flying looks to be only about half of the 93/94 (so I guess Sydney has the rest) but 100% of the Melbourne/Singapore. No London at all, which is really sad. The roster build from that will be horrible. I’ll be looking at bidding to go back to Sydney, as will most of the others in Melbourne.

Would the rostering people change the way they structure the rosters in response to pilot feedback or response to pilots looking to move to Sydney? Or is it more of a case of suck it up and the pilots down the pecking order will get the less desirable base in Melbourne?

 

[mjt57]

Massive changes. The overall amount of flying has reduced by 10%. Melbourne flying looks to be only about half of the 93/94 (so I guess Sydney has the rest) but 100% of the Melbourne/Singapore. No London at all, which is really sad. The roster build from that will be horrible. I’ll be looking at bidding to go back to Sydney, as will most of the others in Melbourne.

Looks like we better get our butts into gear before you stop, then. There’s no way that we will fly to the UK via Perth, especially on a nightmareliner.

Whatever happens, good luck with the rostering. Maybe you need Peter Marshall to negotiate your next EB...

 

[jb747]

Would the rostering people change the way they structure the rosters in response to pilot feedback or response to pilots looking to move to Sydney? Or is it more of a case of suck it up and the pilots down the pecking order will get the less desirable base in Melbourne?

Rostering only fill squares, they don't care about the shape of the peg. This outcome will, in some way, give them a cost reduction.

Most of the people on the Melbourne 380 basing don't want to be there. I expect that the same can be said about the 787 Melbourne and Perth, and the 330 Perth. By only making the slots available in a place, pilots will either have to move (very unlikely), or become commuters, if they want a promotion. So, it's not a case of just saying you want to go back to Sydney, I'll need a Sydney 380 slot to open up. I'm sufficiently senior that I could probably get one if it happens though.

 

[Quickstatus]

Pavement failure Syd 16R?

 

[jb747]

Pavement failure Syd 16R?

I think that's a statement, not a question. In any event, I have no idea.

 

[Quickstatus]

I think that's a statement, not a question. In any event, I have no idea.

INFO F. PARL RWY OPS IN PROGRESS. INDEP DEPS IN PROGRESS. RWY 16R NOT AVBL FOR ARR DUE PAVEMENT FAILURE, DEP FROM INTERSECTION G AVBL, TORA 2849M. DOMESTIC JET DEPS VIA WOL EXP RWY 16L. RWY 16L&R FOR DEPS. 16L FOR ARR. SIGWX: SIGMET YMMM C02, VALID TILL 0 4 5 2. TMP: 24.

What’s the usual runway construction?

 

[AviatorInsight]

I just landed at 2130 and I thought my landing was ok so it couldn’t have been me.

Basically a bit of the runway (perhaps a sheet) has lifted up and broken off and now there’s debris North of taxiway G effectively closing 16R for arrivals.

 

[jb747]

I think it's mostly concrete, sometimes with asphalt overlay. I guess the ATIS means that whatever the surface is, it's breaking up. Jet blast can strip large chunks of a loose surface off a runway.

This is a pretty low powered aircraft ripping up the surface....

 

[Captain Halliday]

I just landed at 2130 and I thought my landing was ok so it couldn’t have been me.

Basically a bit of the runway (perhaps a sheet) has lifted up and broken off and now there’s debris North of taxiway G effectively closing 16R for arrivals.

You didn’t happen to have one ac pack out on that sector by chance? While I didn’t take exact note of the time, my landing tonight was on 16R at about 2130?

 

[AviatorInsight]

You didn’t happen to have one ac pack out on that sector by chance? While I didn’t take exact note of the time, my landing tonight was on 16R at about 2130?

Unfortunately no that wasn’t me. All packs operating on my one. Came from MEL, we got the high speed, track shortening treatment.

 

[Quickstatus]

I think it's mostly concrete, sometimes with asphalt overlay. I guess the ATIS means that whatever the surface is, it's breaking up. Jet blast can strip large chunks of a loose surface off a runway.

This is a pretty low powered aircraft ripping up the surface...

In this situation wouldn’t the departure be more problematic than arrival?. ATIS suggests departures on 16R allowed albeit south of G

 

[Quickstatus]

we got the high speed, track shortening treatment.

How do you get rid of energy in that scenario?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Unfortunately no that wasn’t me. All packs operating on my one. Came from MEL, we got the high speed, track shortening treatment.

I came from BNE. We got the delayed departure, engineers are working on it, now we need more fuel for the lower cruise treatment

 

[AviatorInsight]

In this situation wouldn’t the departure be more problematic than arrival?. ATIS suggests departures on 16R allowed albeit south of G

No, definitely arrivals would be more problematic. The touchdown markers are around B3 with the end of the zone at B4. If we haven’t landed by then, we execute a missed approach. The ILS brings us to 50ft over the threshold in which our performance calculations are predicated on. There’s also potentially dangerous debris that could be ingested on touchdown.

2849m is plenty for most aircraft to depart even with the 10kt headwind to help that was present tonight. We always use G for our take off figures on 16R in case we get it. If we end up at B3 for instance then those figures are still valid.

 

[AviatorInsight]

How do you get rid of energy in that scenario?

In tonight’s case we got high speed to 8000ft I drove it down at 250kts to 4000ft. This gets me in a level segment longer and the speed washes off quicker. Then I start pulling flap out as I come around the corner onto final. The B737 doesn’t like to go down and slow down at the same time, it’s one or the other.

 

[AviatorInsight]

I came from BNE. We got the delayed departure, engineers are working on it, now we need more fuel for the lower cruise treatment

Ahhh that’s always fun.

 

[Quickstatus]

No, definitely arrivals would be more problematic. The touchdown markers are around B3 with the end of the zone at B4. If we haven’t landed by then, we execute a missed approach...

Thanks for the explanation. I’m curious about the missed approach. 16R/34L is a very long runway. Even after the zebra lines isn’t there enough runway to safely land and/or a touch and go?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Thanks for the explanation. I’m curious about the missed approach. 16R/34L is a very long runway. Even after the zebra lines isn’t there enough runway to safely land and/or a touch and go?

If you haven’t touched down within the zone then something has gone wrong so it’s best to just give it away, come around and get stable again. If you have touched down you could still execute the missed approach, but once you touch those reversers, it’s all over and you’re stopping.

 

[Quickstatus]

In tonight’s case we got high speed to 8000ft I drove it down at 250kts to 4000ft. This gets me in a level segment longer and the speed washes off quicker. Then I start pulling flap out as I come around the corner onto final. The B737 doesn’t like to go down and slow down at the same time, it’s one or the other.

How did you know that when given a compressed approach like this that you could lose all the energy you need to and be stable on final?.

 

[AviatorInsight]

How did you know that when given a compressed approach like this that you could lose all the energy you need to and be stable on final?.

I have “gates” where I want to be in space. For example, regardless what ATC want, as an absolute maximum I’ll be 250kts at 5000ft (company requirement). At 14nm from the threshold I want to be at flap1 about 210kts. At 10nm I want to be 3000ft on glideslope at 185kts and flap 5. If it isn’t working I’ll dangle the Dunlops early. This creates the most drag and slows the aircraft up well.