Ask The Pilot

[Mattg]

Is the non GC route for QF64 over the last few days a result of a strong jet stream or an ETOPS / EDTO requirement?View attachment 286715

I was wondering the same thing and going to ask here. I noticed that QF64 flew right over PER a few days ago, but didn't land there, which seemed strange as it normally flies several thousand kilometres south of Perth.

Perhaps a "flat earther" planned that route? (I'm joking of course.)

 

[jb747]

I suspect your first landing in the 767 was a touch ‘crunchier’.

That was considered normal in the 767. First was at Amberley, where we took an aircraft for circuits. With passengers was at Wellington, in what were the windiest conditions I ever hit there.

 

[jb747]

Why is only the captain allowed to do autolands?

For exactly the same reasons that FOs are not permitted to operate to any of the environmental limitations. So, we’ll start with experience. Then there’s extra training required for both the Captain and FO if you wanted to reverse the very rigid procedures used for auto land/low vis ops. It’s also a lot to do with the fact that allowing FOs to operate to the limits then takes away any margin the Captain has for making decisions, especially with regard to taking over. There is zero gain for the airline for the expense.

 

[jb747]

I was wondering the same thing and going to ask here. I noticed that QF64 flew right over PER a few days ago, but didn't land there, which seemed strange as it normally flies several thousand kilometres south of Perth.

Perhaps a "flat earther" planned that route? (I'm joking of course.)

When you apply the wind to a flight plan, you’re left with what are called ‘air miles’. The route chosen will be the one that actually has the fewest air miles between the start and end…i.e. the one that maximises the gain from the various wind flows. There is often an extremely strong jet stream heading east from around Perth, so it makes sense to hitch a ride.

If you go to this site, it’s showing the current FL390 flows.

Windy as forecasted

Wind map and weather forecast

www.windy.com

 

[Quickstatus]

hitch a ride.

Does hitching a ride involve a trade off with turbulence

 

[jb747]

Does hitching a ride involve a trade off with turbulence

Generally jets aren't turbulent near the core, only at the boundaries. So, if it's rough, a climb of as little as 1,000' can make all the difference.

 

[kookaburra75]

Huge number of A-4 photos/stories have been appearing on FB today. That includes the first photo ive seen showing WHY the undercarriage was as high as it was... an A-4 with a Mk7 (?) Nuke.

View attachment 282606

On a somewhat gentler topic..BEARDS. The only time I ever saw any restriction was in the Gulf in 91... we received a signal from our Commodore on about the 15th/16th of January saying "Hostilities are imminent. Shave off -R- Shave off" So..the beards all went then to ensure a good seal with GAS masks. Presumably the Oxygen masks seal was "less critical"?

Even with the longish undercarriage, I can't believe that bomb wouldn't have been ploughing the ground. Perhaps that dorsal fin could be folded, or maybe Photoshop is older than I thought.

There is a major difference with the type of gas mask you're talking about. Oxygen masks provide excess pressure, so any leakage past the seal is always outwards. Without that excess, leakage could be inwards, and with something like sarin, that's obviously very bad....

I was looking for something else on Wikipedia the other day (as you do), and came across a reference to the Mark 7 nuclear bomb. It has one retractable stabilizer fin so it could fit under smaller aircraft. It matches what you can see in the photo.

 

[jb747]

Stupid things that you remember... The A-4's bomb fusing panel selections were E, F, H, G and S. And we remembered them by 'early, fast, hard, granite and special'. That translates to a proximity burst, instantaneous, slight delay, long delay, and nuke.

 

[tgh]

The stuff that we remember.. glider pre check.. chaotic .. Controls, Harness, Airbrakes, Outside, Trim, Instruments,Canopy
it is 50 years since I flew a glider..sheesh...

 

[jb747]

Yes...and then there's "speed below 150, speedbrake is in, 3 wheels - flasher out, fuel is ?, threshold speed, hydraulics have recovered".

 

[scoobs214]

@jb747 have you ever flown the QF 747SP in your career or had much to do with them? Have you any cool stories about them? Thanks in advance

 

[jb747]

@jb747 have you ever flown the QF 747SP in your career or had much to do with them? Have you any cool stories about them? Thanks in advance

According to the Excel logbook, I’ve got about 120 hours in EAA and 160 hours in EAB. Most of that is as an SO, with only about 50 as the FO. And, only one landing. I remember that though, as the Captain (a senior check captain) had planted it in Auckland, and I got a greaser in Sydney…after which I never flew it again.

I recall that I didn’t particularly like them. As a general rule, I did like the RR powered 200s, but the SPs were derated (which, if I recall correctly, was to do with yaw control with loss of an engine on the ground) and as such struck me as underpowered. They were not the sports cars that people imagined. Pitch control was also reduced compared to the standard (due to the reduced moment arm).

 

[jase05]

Any comments from our resident pilots.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1556134137836158978

 

[jb747]

At least the passengers wouldn't mind.

There's no information that I can find on this, so I don't know exactly where it happened on the airfield. Most likely, is that the taxiway he's on isn't suitable for his type.

 

[jb747]

Qatar has a bit of a reputation for going after websites that show anything negative about them. Apparently the main thread discussing this was removed from pprune.

But... This is the approximate position of the incident.
41.97407767919168, -87.93032105493751
The areas with the black hatching, and no lines though the middle, are where there are poles and flood lighting. The centrelines of adjacent taxiways are about about 90' away, so way too close for a triple. There are other taxiways, numbered 1W, 3W, 5W, 7W and 9W, which are in the middle of a pair of narrow body taxiways, which have sufficient clearance. The W obviously means 'wide'.

Anyway, he's obviously taken the wrong taxiway, but it's hard to believe the proximity of the poles didn't make them twitchy.

 

[D747]

It looks like there isn't a fuel tank in that part of the wing. If so, was it close to a tank?

 

[jb747]

Just got this "Dear A380 F/O and RHS CPT, Please contact operations if you are able to assist with crewing a LHR trip starting tomorrow 10AUG....Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.......Kind Regards, LHFC Operations".

Do you think I should tell them?

 

[jb747]

It looks like there isn't a fuel tank in that part of the wing. If so, was it close to a tank?

I don't think the main tanks extend anywhere near that far out the wing, though there might be a surge tank out there. It probably would have been empty. The tanks would also be behind the forward spar, and that's about as far as the pole has gone anyway. There would have been minimal fire risk, even if a tank was breached. It's just not that flammable.

 

[SYD]

I don't think the main tanks extend anywhere near that far out the wing, though there might be a surge tank out there. It probably would have been empty. The tanks would also be behind the forward spar, and that's about as far as the pole has gone anyway. There would have been minimal fire risk, even if a tank was breached. It's just not that flammable.

Some comments at the bottom of this suggest its a write off! Which seems a bit extreme but we assume it’s not a duct tape fix.

Details: Qatar Airways Cargo 777 Badly Damaged At Chicago O'Hare

A Qatar Airways Cargo Boeing 777 hit a light post at Chicago O'Hare Airport while taxiing, causing major damage. Here's what happened.

onemileatatime.com

There seems to be form at ORD with freighters. Take a look at the China Airlines video further down

 

[D747]

Just got this "Dear A380 F/O and RHS CPT, Please contact operations if you are able to assist with crewing a LHR trip starting tomorrow 10AUG....Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.......Kind Regards, LHFC Operations".

Do you think I should tell them?

Time for a comeback? That's hilarious and scary at the same time JB.
What does RHS CPT mean please?