Ask The Pilot

[AviatorInsight]

AV when will you get your captain upgrade? I remember you said there was a delay in recent times. With the new era of no staff and pilots resigning to join other carriers, has this sped up your command?

Unfortunately, not for a while yet. I’m at 10yrs now and the guys getting an upgrade are sitting around the 13-15yr mark. I’m not interested in commuting domestically, unfortunately I’ve seen how hard it is on those guys and it’s just not worth it without my family.

The thing is as well, there are people who have returned from being made redundant who are also slotting back in to their original place into the seniority list and taking their commands back. Obviously not ideal, but nothing I can do about it. It’s good these guys and gals have gotten their jobs back. There is a lot of experience there that would be a shame to no longer have amongst the ranks, and that was cut short through no fault of their own. But until then I’ll just keep playing the waiting game.

 

[Quickstatus]

The pictures show the door opened into the slipstream. At an arrival IAS speed of 140kts (260kmh), how is this possible - even though the door is more or less side on to the slipstream

 

[jb747]

Which is inside the coughpit.

Who said that it had to be from that aircraft?

 

[jb747]

The pictures show the door opened into the slipstream. At an arrival IAS speed of 140kts (260kmh), how is this possible - even though the door is more or less side on to the slipstream

When doors are opened in armed mode, there is a power assist that takes over once the handle has gone most of the way to open. In the 747 the power was provided by discharging a high pressure gas bottle that was above the door.

 

[JohnM]

When doors are opened in armed mode, there is a power assist that takes over once the handle has gone most of the way to open. In the 747 the power was provided by discharging a high pressure gas bottle that was above the door.

As similarly shown here:

 

[Peasant]

It was allowed by QF in some cases (though I forget the exact rules now).

Yes, I was on a QF 737 last week that sat fully boarded at the gate in SYD for 40 minutes before the pilots arrived to operate the service. Nary a word from them until the descent either.

 

[exLXCXFF]

Richard DeC was on the radio this morning. Apparently, according to him, airlines are pushing for single pilot crews. Could this ever happen? At least on short domestic flights?

I am just listening to Alan Joyce at the Fireside chat with his brother at the Intl Actuarial Conference and his take of this is that Boeing is far far away from getting this to work.

He also said that he would never step inside a pilotless aircraft that takes off. And gave the QF32 rundown and how every of the 5 pilots was required to work as a team to get the bird back to SIN.

 

[Flyfrequently]

I am just listening to Alan Joyce at the Fireside chat with his brother at the Intl Actuarial Conference and his take of this is that Boeing is far far away from getting this to work.

He also said that he would never step inside a pilotless aircraft that takes off. And gave the QF32 rundown and how every of the 5 pilots was required to get the bird back to SIN.

I am just listening to Alan Joyce at the Fireside chat with his brother at the Intl Actuarial Conference and his take of this is that Boeing is far far away from getting this to work.

He also said that he would never step inside a pilotless aircraft that takes off. And gave the QF32 rundown and how every of the 5 pilots was required to get the bird back to SIN.

I'm currently reading "QF32" perhaps AJ should refresh his memory.
Truly an amazing team effort by well trained cabin crew.

 

[Saab34]

The thing is as well, there are people who have returned from being made redundant who are also slotting back in to their original place into the seniority list and taking their commands back. Obviously not ideal, but nothing I can do about it.

Interesting how it all works.

So would a Tiger Air 737 Captain be able to walk into a Virgin 737 Captain job at some point? Or do they need to go back to FO then wait around again?

I say that as on my first Rex flight the other week, I overheard the Captain telling someone he knew while boarding, that he used to be a 737 Captain for Tiger and was made redundant.

 

[Warragul]

Interesting how it all works.

So would a Tiger Air 737 Captain be able to walk into a Virgin 737 Captain job at some point? Or do they need to go back to FO then wait around again?

I say that as on my first Rex flight the other week, I overheard the Captain telling someone he knew while boarding, that he used to be a 737 Captain for Tiger and was made redundant.

I believe that ex Tiger Air and VA pilots made redundant resulting from administration retained their group seniority for several years and can bid for vacant positions in VA.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Interesting how it all works.

So would a Tiger Air 737 Captain be able to walk into a Virgin 737 Captain job at some point? Or do they need to go back to FO then wait around again?

I say that as on my first Rex flight the other week, I overheard the Captain telling someone he knew while boarding, that he used to be a 737 Captain for Tiger and was made redundant.

No they can’t. The seniority list is quite complex with pretty much every pilot on one giant list but with other restrictions specific to their agreements.

For example, I am above all of the VARA A320 and F100 pilots, yet if a VARA A320 FO and myself bid for a command slot they will get it over me because they are protected in their own little group.

The whole thing is just a mess. The Tiger guys and girls sit below VARA. There is still a lot of redundant pilots who haven’t rejoined the group yet. A lot have either moved on or are playing their cards with seeing what life is like on the other side. The redundant pilots have a few more years to rejoin before they get taken off the list.

 

[Quickstatus]

A lot have either moved on

I heard the big boys in the US are paying good money. Son of a work colleague who flew small charters in DRW went to AA getting paid $200k plus perks such as return J for family etc. Not sure if this is really big bucks but I suppose it's all relative.

Is a move like this potentially burning the bridges re return at some point in the future ?

 

[AviatorInsight]

I heard the big boys in the US are paying good money. Son of a work colleague who flew small charters in DRW went to AA getting paid $200k plus perks such as return J for family etc. Not sure if this is really big bucks but I suppose it's all relative.

Is a move like this potentially burning the bridges re return at some point in the future ?

As in, if people leave can they come back? They can, but they wouldn’t because they would have to start all over again and the list is getting longer everyday.

However, if they’ve been made redundant and are on the list to return before their expiry date (2026) then as long as VA are still hiring, then no they can slot straight back into their position on the list.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I am above all of the VARA A320 and F100 pilots, yet if a VARA A320 FO and myself bid

I'll bite. What's VARA??

 

[AviatorInsight]

I'll bite. What's VARA??

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. Based in PER. They‘ve got a fleet of A320, and F100 aircraft with some crew flying the 737-700s alongside VA crew.

 

[Saab34]

Is seniority good or bad for culture? Does it bring out a culture of people looking down on others because they hold a ‘lower number’ on the list vs themselves?

 

[mbell1510]

Not sure if I have posted this in the right spot, but what would be the likely reason QF2, which departed from London on 30 May, would be stuck in a holding pattern over Jordan for 45 minutes before entering into Saudi Arabian airspace?

It remained at 35,000ft and maintained the same airspeed for what it is worth. Is it likely that it did not have permission to enter or there was a paperwork bungle?

 

[jb747]

Is seniority good or bad for culture? Does it bring out a culture of people looking down on others because they hold a ‘lower number’ on the list vs themselves?

Seniority is simply a queue. It's no different to a check out at Coles.

Not sure if I have posted this in the right spot, but what would be the likely reason QF2, which departed from London on 30 May, would be stuck in a holding pattern over Jordan for 45 minutes before entering into Saudi Arabian airspace?

The most likely reason is traffic. Not necessarily anywhere nearby either, it could be somewhere down the way. From what I recall, the Saudi ATC was quite easy to deal with, so I don't expect they were mucking them about for fun.

It remained at 35,000ft and maintained the same airspeed for what it is worth.

There is very little ability to adjust the airspeed at that sort of altitude. An airspeed change would force an altitude change.

Is it likely that it did not have permission to enter or there was a paperwork bungle?

That's an airway that has been used on and off for many years. There was standing overflight approval. It's possible that someone got some paperwork wrong, but much less likely there than many other places. I'd figure on some sort of ATC restriction. What was happening to other aircraft on the same route at other levels?

 

[jb747]

There are many Facebook groups for the various squadrons around the world. There was discussion on the A-4 pages a couple of years ago about the lack of any published work on the A-4G in Australian service. So two of the members (an ex pilot and an engineer) took on the task of producing something, before all of the participants kicked the various buckets. This is the result:

The Skyhawk Years - The A-4 Skyhawk in Australian Service 1968 – 1984

Peter Greenfield and David Prest, hardback with dustjacket, full colour, 250 x 176mm, 216 pages, Avonmore Books 2023, 9780645700411 $49.95

avonmorebooks.com.au

 

[Bjet]

There is a flight lock actuator in each door that locks the door handle during the climb and descent phases, in order to prevent inadvertent actuation in flight.
The flight lock actuator releases the door handle in the following cases:
- During cruise (the differential pressure will prevent the doors from opening)
- If the aircraft is on the ground
- If it detects a failure of the lock actuator, or monitoring system.

I'm not a flight attendant but i know it is a pin with a red tag that said "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" that locks/arms the door. Flight attendant plug the pin into the door after the door closed and then take pin out after landing.