Ask The Pilot

[Quickstatus]

Any aviators here have flight deck photos of hurricanes/typhoon/cyclones?
Im assuming that would be unusual to be able to fly over one?

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....Maybe a downgrade and pax didnt like the reallocated seat on reallocated BP....

 

[AviatorInsight]

Any aviators here have flight deck photos of hurricanes/typhoon/cyclones?
Im assuming that would be unusual to be able to fly over one?

--------

....Maybe a downgrade and pax didnt like the reallocated seat on reallocated BP....

Definitely unusual to fly over one. Closest I've come to is about 200nm (company likes to keep us away from them). Although the US C130s that fly into the eye of hurricanes make it look easy that's close enough for me. So, sorry no photos here.

 

[flychrisfly]

Hi Pilots, I work in the city of Sydney and from my desk I can usually see the larger planes taking off to the north from 34L. Today (Wed 19th) I can't see the planes even though they are taking off to the North as they are too high. Is this a function of a strong headwind on takeoff - additional altitude quicker? Is it due to an earlier lift-off point on the runway? What other effects are there of a strong headwind on takeoff?

 

[jb747]

The wind will make some difference to the apparent angle that the aircraft are climbing. But, I suspect a bigger part of the issue is that right now there is a windshear warning in effect on the Sydney ATIS, so I expect all of the departing flights will be using full TOGA power, and not derating. More power...more climb.

 

[flyer89]

But, I suspect a bigger part of the issue is that right now there is a windshear warning in effect on the Sydney ATIS

On landing does a WS warning trigger an automatic G/A?

 

[jb747]

On landing does a WS warning trigger an automatic G/A?

Basically. The system doesn't become active until below 1,500' on the approach.

The systems can give two different warnings. WINDSHEAR AHEAD or WINDSHEAR. In the former case it's predictive, and you are not already in it, so you can carry out a normal go around. The later is reactive, and it is TOGA, and NO configuration changes. So the gear stays down, and the flap stays wherever it is.

A windshear warning in the flare, is probably a case of too late. Any attempt at a go around is likely to give a tail strike, so you might be better off with a solid arrival.

 

[flyer89]

JB,

There’s a well known ‘avgeek’ who recently posted about being on a QF flight with Dennis K in command. He stated that Dennis has only ever flown the 747 and all its variants in a 35 year career at QF. Is this a somewhat unusual path or are there many other captains (and perhaps FO’s) that have done the same?

 

[AviatorInsight]

On landing does a WS warning trigger an automatic G/A?

As JB noted above yes, however all new alerts are inhibited below 50’RA.

 

[jb747]

JB,

There’s a well known ‘avgeek’ who recently posted about being on a QF flight with Dennis K in command. He stated that Dennis has only ever flown the 747 and all its variants in a 35 year career at QF. Is this a somewhat unusual path or are there many other captains (and perhaps FO’s) that have done the same?

I don't know what the percentage would be, but there are quite a few pilots from around my vintage, who would be all through on the 747. At the time when I got my command, I chose the 767, but I could have taken the 747 Classic. Whilst some did go from the Classic to the A380, most were die hard Boeing people, and stayed with the 747 if they could. VR back in 2014-15 removed many of them from the scene. There were even some all through 767 people who left at the same time.

 

[jb747]

As JB noted above yes, however all new alerts are inhibited below 50’RA.

Not in all aircraft. But it is a very good idea.

 

[mjt57]

VR back in 2014-15 removed many of them from the scene.

VR?

 

[Hvr]

VR?

Voluntary redundancy.

 

[ChrisGibbs]

I don't know what the percentage would be, but there are quite a few pilots from around my vintage, who would be all through on the 747.

I ran into Bob Small a few months back on the QF 767 Sim Experience. From memory Bob retired from flying with QF in 2015 after 45 years of service flying 707's, 767's, 747's and eventually the A380's. Bob may even still be a QF A380 Ground Instructor. I was a passenger on Bob's last commercial flight on the A380 QF128 HKG-SYD service complete with a water cannon salute upon arrival into Sydney by the Sydney Airport Fire Crew and a nice PA from the FO thanking Bob for his 45 years of service.

JB747 - I'm assuming your last flight commercial flight in Command will be QF2 LHR-SIN followed by the QF36 service from SIN-MEL. Upon arrival into Melbourne is the plan to just hand the key's back and quietly walk away or has someone arranged for a fly past of any remaining in service A-4's?

 

[Quickstatus]

PM would be filling in the flight plan at each waypoint.

Generally how far apart are waypoints?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Generally how far apart are waypoints?

Depends on the routing. Across the Pacific maybe 400nm or about 45mins to an hour apart, compared to some routes in India where they’re only 10nm apart. That’s not to say that the PM will be filling in every waypoint that’s only 10nm apart. The idea behind filling in the flight plan is a fuel check, which is to be done once every hour at least.

 

[odysseus]

Any thoughts on Pilots forget to pressurise cabin, causing passengers to bleed ?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Any thoughts on Pilots forget to pressurise cabin, causing passengers to bleed ?

My thoughts are here. Jet Airways India forgot to pressurise plane

 

[747sp]

When climbing after takeoff I have noticed that the speed slowly increases until the plane is in level flight.
How much is the climb of the plane affecting the forward speed of the plane. ie if it took longer to reach max altitude would you be flying faster over the ground and the in reverse would the opposite apply ?

 

[jb747]

I ran into Bob Small a few months back on the QF 767 Sim Experience. From memory Bob retired from flying with QF in 2015 after 45 years of service flying 707's, 767's, 747's and eventually the A380's. Bob may even still be a QF A380 Ground Instructor. I was a passenger on Bob's last commercial flight on the A380 QF128 HKG-SYD service complete with a water cannon salute upon arrival into Sydney by the Sydney Airport Fire Crew and a nice PA from the FO thanking Bob for his 45 years of service.

Bob...lovely bloke. He did my final check on the A380. He did come back for a while as a sim instructor, but I haven't seen his name on a roster for a long time.

JB747 - I'm assuming your last flight commercial flight in Command will be QF2 LHR-SIN followed by the QF36 service from SIN-MEL. Upon arrival into Melbourne is the plan to just hand the key's back and quietly walk away or has someone arranged for a fly past of any remaining in service A-4's?

The last flight is a bit of pie in the sky at the moment. All other things being equal, it will be a London trip as I mentioned a few pages back, but it might move a day or so from that. But, between now and then, I've got to have an operation, not serious, but it will take me out of play for between 1 and 3 months. If it's at the short end, then no issues, but if things start to stretch out, there will come a point at which it simply isn't worth the effort to get back. Having said that, I have no reason to think it won't be at the short end.

I'd truly like to just walk away. I won't be telling the passengers that it's my last flight, and I'd prefer it if the rest of the crew didn't either.

 

[jb747]

I have to wonder about the stories about ears bleeding, etc... or perhaps that's what the media think the bleed switch will do. The reason I wonder is that I gave my passengers' ears much more of a workout than has happened here, and there were no such issues.

I'm very surprised that the rubber jungle has deployed. They didn't get over 11,000' according to FR24, and it's normally set to go in the 13-14,000' region. Presumably manually deployed, but not necessary.

There are reasons to take off with bleed or packs off, so you can't just electronically stop that from happening. It's pretty careless though, and reminds us all of Helios.