Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

The older aircraft were of all metal construction and act like a Faraday cage when struck by lightning. However because aircraft like the 787 and 380 no longer comprise a circular tube made of aluminium but instead are made of non metallic materials (including the wings) how would these aircraft handle a lightning strike?.

A google search for “787 lightning protection” will give you some interesting reading.

The upshot is that the 787 and it’s ilk are inherently less protected, and strikes actually do damage. My understanding is that QF have already had aircraft out of service after being hit.

The quest for lightness comes with it’s own drawbacks.

 

[lastrow]

Thanks for the suggested google search which was very interesting although I detected a degree of uncertainty as to the effectiveness of the measures being taken. It's too early in the life cycle of the 787 to be able analyse lightning effect over a wide range of circumstances. What is Airbus doing to deal with the effects of a lightning strike on their composite construction ?
Did you experience lightning strikes during your time with the A380? Was there much damage? Was aircraft safety and controlability at risk?

 

[jb747]

What is Airbus doing to deal with the effects of a lightning strike on their composite construction ?

GLARE - Wikipedia

Did you experience lightning strikes during your time with the A380? Was there much damage? Was aircraft safety and controlability at risk?

No, but more through luck than anything else. Lightning is just not a coughpit issue. Some later aircraft experience some level of damage, but that is the engineers' problem. It won't cause any pilot issues.

 

[lastrow]

Many thanks jr, this is so interesting. I get the impression that from a technology point of view Airbus and their Euopean partners are well ahead of the game.

 

[jb747]

Many thanks jr, this is so interesting. I get the impression that from a technology point of view Airbus and their Euopean partners are well ahead of the game.

I think that they do some things well. Some very. But then so do Boeing. Neither builds the perfect aircraft.

 

[Franky]

I think that they do some things well. Some very. But then so do Boeing. Neither builds the perfect aircraft.

Just as there is no such thing as a perfect game of golf, is there an aircraft going around that you would call perfect?

 

[WheelieBagWanderer]

Crews are often out of hours at the end of a duty. That’s quite normal.

If this question is about fatigue...you end up totally shattered. You can’t sleep in most hotels, because either the other guests aren’t quiet, or the staff aren’t (always). Doors never close quietly. You never get a decent sleep (it’s never at night) on the ground, and only fleeting time in the air. When you go on leave, you wonder why you feel so strange after a couple of weeks...as you start to have a normal sleep cycle.

Is there a rule regarding sleeping pills for flight crew? Are they allowed to take them to assist sleep during layovers or is that a big no no? If allowed, is there a "cut off time" (similar to the "bottle-to-throttle" rule) where you can't take them before signing on to fly?

 

[jb747]

Is there a rule regarding sleeping pills for flight crew? Are they allowed to take them to assist sleep during layovers or is that a big no no? If allowed, is there a "cut off time" (similar to the "bottle-to-throttle" rule) where you can't take them before signing on to fly?

Very much controlled drugs. Not only should you have trouble getting them, but most are outright banned by CASA. A couple can be used, but more for recovery after a trip than during it. Normison is one of the few CASA allow, and it has a time cutoff of 12 or so hours prior to any duty (not just the departure time).

 

[lastrow]

How much sleep do you get in flight? Is there a special place for flight deck crew to go on board ? Is the whole flight deck crew replaced at some point while in the air? Is there a four hours on four hours off system?

 

[AviatorInsight]

How much sleep do you get in flight?

On the way over to LAX not so much seeing as it was practically a day flight. I may have gotten about an hour or so of sleep. AUH was an afternoon departure ex SYD so that was a little more, about 3hrs. Coming home it was the opposite. Some guys couldn't or wouldn't sleep at all. No idea how they did it.

Is there a special place for flight deck crew to go on board ?

The B777 has a flight crew rest above business class.

Is the whole flight deck crew replaced at some point while in the air?

Yes.

Is there a four hours on four hours off system?

There can be. It's usually up to the captain. Sometimes they would give the FO (if they were pilot flying) the opportunity to divvy up the rest breaks. There were many options...short/short/long/long, short/long/long/short, 4 equal parts, etc.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes exactly, they take out the seats and replace them with big bladder tanks. 10hrs sounds about right,.

Is there any way or replacing consumed engine oil inflight?

My cessna friend said there was a system on his setup when he ferried it single pilot. He had no toilet for his nearly for his over 20hrs journey - might have used a bag or bottle. He said “if you go to sleep you die”. I remember he was also overweight at take off and needed a special permit.

I queried the single pilot issue. Would have thought duration like that really needs 2 pilots?

 

[mjt57]

Very much controlled drugs. Not only should you have trouble getting them, but most are outright banned by CASA. A couple can be used, but more for recovery after a trip than during it. Normison is one of the few CASA allow, and it has a time cutoff of 12 or so hours prior to any duty (not just the departure time).

What about the likes of Restavit or Sleepaid? They are essentially a histamine. Over the counter, no script needed. I use them occasionally. Usually the night before my first dayshift and sometimes one between nights.

 

[flyer89]

More holes in the cheese.....

Incident: Lion B738 at Pontianak on Feb 16th 2019, overran runway on landing

 

[jb747]

How much sleep do you get in flight? Is there a special place for flight deck crew to go on board ? Is the whole flight deck crew replaced at some point while in the air? Is there a four hours on four hours off system?

It varies with airlines, route, and aircraft. The entire flight crew will get a break, but they won’t necessarily be replaced on an A team, B team basis. I very rarely used that method.

Different aircraft have extremely different crew rests. The QF A380 has two cubicles just behind the coughpit. Others have the off duty pilots most of the aircraft’s length away. Some are built for you to actually get some rest, whilst many, and perhaps most, are built along the lines of “the rules say we have to give you a rest, but they don’t say you have to be able to sleep in it”.

There is no system. It’s whatever the Captain decides it will be, and that will vary from sector to sector. Mostly I operated with each person getting two breaks, though sometimes we were able to just split the flight down the middle. I never used short breaks...they are just a waste of time.

On the way over to LAX not so much seeing as it was practically a day flight. I may have gotten about an hour or so of sleep. AUH was an afternoon departure ex SYD so that was a little more, about 3hrs. Coming home it was the opposite. Some guys couldn't or wouldn't sleep at all. No idea how they did it.

Couldn’t most likely.

There can be. It's usually up to the captain. Sometimes they would give the FO (if they were pilot flying) the opportunity to divvy up the rest breaks. There were many options...short/short/long/long, short/long/long/short, 4 equal parts, etc.

4 breaks. Really? Why?

Is there any way or replacing consumed engine oil inflight?

Not in an airliner.

He said “if you go to sleep you die”. I remember he was also overweight at take off and needed a special permit.

Ah, expendable.

What about the likes of Restavit or Sleepaid? They are essentially a histamine. Over the counter, no script needed. I use them occasionally. Usually the night before my first dayshift and sometimes one between nights.

On the banned list.

 

[jb747]

More holes in the cheese.....

Incident: Lion B738 at Pontianak on Feb 16th 2019, overran runway on landing

If the question is, “am I surprised?”, the answer is no.

 

[flyer89]

If the question is, “am I surprised?”, the answer is no

My money was in a little later in the year. How naive...

 

[Quickstatus]

More holes in the cheese.....

Incident: Lion B738 at Pontianak on Feb 16th 2019, overran runway on landing

What runway design improve runway standing water drainage?

 

[Major]

I live about 40km S of BNE and whilst sitting on my deck (with a glass of Langhorne Creek Malbec) I noticed South bound aircraft switch off their landing lights at different times.

Is there a mandated height to switch them off or is it pilot discretion ?

 

[AviatorInsight]

4 breaks. Really? Why?

Yep, to be honest not sure why but it was all I’d ever known (not that I had much say anyway). But perhaps it was an EK thing seeing as the entire operation was derived from completely EK procedures. The shorter breaks would be either 2 to 2.5hrs. I found that anything under 2.5hrs to be a waste of time. But I quite liked the 4 break thing. It meant that on the first break I’d actually have some food and watch a movie and just chill, then the second break I would actually be tired and could just go straight to bed.

 

[AviatorInsight]

I live about 40km S of BNE and whilst sitting on my deck (with a glass of Langhorne Creek Malbec) I noticed South bound aircraft switch off their landing lights at different times.

Is there a mandated height to switch them off or is it pilot discretion ?

Usually at 10,000ft. So depending on when those aircraft reach that height then those lights will come off.