Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

I was curious about that too (I thought it was a video camera linked to the black box - which I know it isn't) and some searching seemed to suggest it's a light, similar to those in the passenger cabin, but hoping the pilots can confirm.

It's a reading light.

The rest of the panel...

 

[harvyk]

It's a reading light.

The rest of the panel...

View attachment 226518

What's the additional switches on the fuel selector panel for VH-OEE and VH-OEJ compared to the normal panel? I'm assuming that they are additional fuel tanks for the ER, but wouldn't all of the ER's had them?

 

[mannej]

What's the additional switches on the fuel selector panel for VH-OEE and VH-OEJ compared to the normal panel? I'm assuming that they are additional fuel tanks for the ER, but wouldn't all of the ER's had them?

Whilst not wanting to answer for jb747, but to me it reads as if it is for each aircraft inbetween OEE and OEJ, not those two aircraft in isolation.

 

[jb747]

Sadly the resolution of the panel diagram isn’t as good online as the original.

The extra switches you’re referring to are for the fuel pumps for the extra fuselage tank fitted in all of the ERs.

 

[albatross710]

What would be the dynamics and control inputs for the Caribou to be able to maintain & control this 10 second wheelbarrow airshow classic?



It's from the 0:40sec mark in this video

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1237249069947587

 

[Mule]

It's STOL and load performance with a PT6 re-engine getting into remote tight spot, PNG in particular, would surely have been a consideration in lieu of Spartan. I did't know the condition of the the remaining airframes but In this taxpayer's mind commonality with the C130 has detracted from a unique capability.

 

[straitman]

It's STOL and load performance with a PT6 re-engine getting into remote tight spot, PNG in particular, would surely have been a consideration in lieu of Spartan. I did't know the condition of the the remaining airframes but In this taxpayers mind commonality with the C130 has detracted from a unique capability.

A PT6 in a Caribou would cause some interesting’ CofG issues. There were some trials at some point done using a dart engine.

Also the R2000 engine in the Caribou put out 1980HP which is significantly higher than any PT6 variant that I am familiar with. The PT6 in the PC-21 is rated at 1600 SHP and in the Bell 212 and 412 somewhat lower than that.

Apart from that the Caribou airframes were exhausted. There was a near disaster when they broke one in PNG just prior to their retirement.

The nearest thing to a turbine Caribou was the Buffalo which was much heavier than a Caribou, poorer stol performance than the Caribou but with the price tag of a C-130.

 

[jb747]

What would be the dynamics and control inputs for the Caribou to be able to maintain & control this 10 second wheelbarrow airshow classic?

His ability to do the wheelbarrow is really a function of the flaps. Get out of your mind any idea that this is a landing, with the tail being forced up into the air. What’s actually happening is that the aircraft is being flown along, level, and it just so happens that the nose gear is resting on the ground. Notice how, at the end, he climbs away with the nose still very low.

Normally, when you take more flap, you allow the aircraft to decelerate. But, if you take increasing amounts of flap, and maintain the speed, then you will need a lower pitch attitude to maintain level flight. The Caribou has a lot of flap... Basically, he’s quite a bit faster than he would normally be for the flap setting, and the attitude that you see is the outcome.

I have a couple of friends who flew the Caribou, and I’ll ask if they recall any of the numbers associated with this.

 

[jb747]

Feedback re the wheelbarrowing. Apparently the reference speed for flap 40 was in the low 60s. Even at that speed, the aircraft was slightly nose down. The displays were done by bumping the speed all the way up to 70. Ultimately banned, as it didn't do the nose gear any good.

 

[albatross710]

His ability to do the wheelbarrow is really a function of the flaps. Get out of your mind any idea that this is a landing, with the tail being forced up into the air. What’s actually happening is that the aircraft is being flown along, level, and it just so happens that the nose gear is resting on the ground. Notice how, at the end, he climbs away with the nose still very low.

That's the breakthrough isn't it. It's not a landing. More like a full flap approach with with enough power to overcome the extra drag and hold a steady height which just happens to be along a runway.

While reading up on the caribou I did find this nice article talking through a typical flight. RAAF Radschool Association Magazine - The RAM. Vol 70.

The PF-PM handover is interesting. as they pass through 40 knots on
Takeoff
Acceleration is brisk and nose wheel steering is used until the rudder becomes effective at around 40 knots. At this point the captain calls "my controls" and transfers their left hand from the nose wheel tiller to the control column. At rotation speed a reasonable amount of back pressure is used to achieve the climb attitude

Landing
Once the nose wheel is on the runway both throttles are pushed up into the roof to engage reverse pitch confirming with the 2 blue lights mentioned earlier. The captain then verbalises "two blues, your controls ". The co-pilot now has control of the yoke and the captain transitions their hand to the nose wheel steering tiller and pulls back on the throttles to increase the RPM with reverse pitch.

 

[jb747]

Interesting event.

Experienced crew struggled with instrument flight after 737 lost autopilots

Spanish investigators have detailed an unusual incident in which a Boeing 737-500 crew struggled to control the aircraft after the autopilots failed, even though all the instruments needed to operate the flight remained fully functional. Operated by Lithuanian carrier Klasjet, the aircraft had...

www.flightglobal.com

 

[Major]

Aircrew obviously trained with Air France

 

[albatross710]

Interesting event.

Experienced crew struggled with instrument flight after 737 lost autopilots

Spanish investigators have detailed an unusual incident in which a Boeing 737-500 crew struggled to control the aircraft after the autopilots failed, even though all the instruments needed to operate the flight remained fully functional. Operated by Lithuanian carrier Klasjet, the aircraft had...

www.flightglobal.com

is there an easy way to delete a coughpit recording?

 

[jb747]

is there an easy way to delete a coughpit recording?

You could delete the entire recording after shutown, but I'm pretty sure that would be obvious. The other data recordings can't be touched.

It was something that I didn't think of after QF30. The recording loops after two hours, and it continues as long as there is power on the aircraft. There's no off switch if you want to preserve it. You have to find the correct CB and pull it. By the time it occurred to me to ask the engineer to look at it, the 'bang' was gone. I discussed that omission with a number of other pilots after the event, and I know that some added it to their personal 'to do' lists. Kevin Sullivan of QF72 specifically told me that the only reason he though of it was because I'd told him about it.

 

[Franky]

is there an easy way to delete a coughpit recording?

You would hope not...

 

[AviatorInsight]

is there an easy way to delete a coughpit recording?

The only requirement is for the aircraft on the ground with the park brake set. Press and hold for 2secs and all 4 channels are erased. That's it, so yeah pretty simple.

 

[D747]

With all QF A380s grounded for the foreseeable future, what will be the procedure to get the pilots current once the type is needed for operations again? Would it be similar to a new type of aircraft starting with an airline?

 

[jb747]

With all QF A380s grounded for the foreseeable future, what will be the procedure to get the pilots current once the type is needed for operations again? Would it be similar to a new type of aircraft starting with an airline?

Sadly as this goes on, and on, the chance of the 380s returning reduces daily. For the vast majority of the pilots, they’ve now not flow at all in the past 6 months. Their licences, medicals, instrument ratings, EPs, and anything else you can think of have expired. CASA is slower than a wet week sorting this sort of thing out for one pilot, so I cannot imagine how long it will take their regulatory regime to sort out hundreds of licences. Beyond that, we’re probably already up to a requirement for about a day and half in the sim for each pilot. So, for Captains and FOs alone we’re looking at totally locking out the sim for about four to six months. And that’s running it 24 hours a day, and doesn’t allow for the SOs, whom you’ll need to cover too.

Mind you, none of this is much better on the 787 or 330.

A restart, if it happens (and I mean the entire airline, not just the 380) will be a multi year affair.

 

[flyingfan]

Are the sims run 24 hours to replicate body clock problems with disrupted sleep and overnight flying, in addition to saving $$$ by not buying more sims?

Does the airline try to help address these body clock issues for pilots in any way?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Are the sims run 24 hours to replicate body clock problems with disrupted sleep and overnight flying, in addition to saving $$$ by not buying more sims?

Does the airline try to help address these body clock issues for pilots in any way?

Not at all. It's purely a commercial decision. The sims I hate the worst are the 1am briefing followed by the 2am-6am time slot. That requires a lot of coffee. The Ansett sim is great for that. They've got a proper coffee machine.