Ask The Pilot

[gaz0303]

Any guidance on what service this vehicle supplies? Thanks

 

[jb747]

Any guidance on what service this vehicle supplies? Thanks

Stealth?

 

[gaz0303]

Stealth?

Fixed

 

[jb747]

Fixed

I don't know that unit specifically, and it's uglier than most. But, going by the two exhausts on top, it would be a diesel powered air starter unit. Basically a big compressor that provides a very large flow of air to an engine to turn it over for the start. Its use would mean that the aircraft APU is either completely unserviceable, or is unable to provide the air for a self start.

 

[RooFlyer]

Bringing this over from another thread.

Manually shut it down? Well, unless it totally self destructs, and shuts itself down, then just about all shutdowns are manual. And, I hate to tell the QF spokesperson how to do their job, but a single engined landing in an aircraft with only two, is an emergency landing.

JB, did you mean it will be classified as 'emergency landing' in the log, or that its just a land-as-soon-as-possible type emergency?

Any of our pilots: would they/could they/should they have called a pan-pan for this, if its classified as an 'emergency landing'?

 

[jb747]

Bringing this over from another thread.


JB, did you mean it will be classified as 'emergency landing' in the log, or that its just a land-as-soon-as-possible type emergency?

Any of our pilots: would they/could they/should they have called a pan-pan for this, if its classified as an 'emergency landing'?

An emergency is really whatever the Captain decides to call it. I gather that they called a pan, which makes it what could be described as a urgency situation. They want priority or assistance from ATC, but they aren't in immediate distress.

The log will not record an emergency. It's not relevant to the engineers. There will be a very brief description of what the engine did, and the associated ECAMs. The aircraft will have recorded most of what they need. A separate incident report to CASA is required, but again they're short and sweet. Engine did this. Checklist actions carried out. Done.

When you shut down an engine, you will lose a number of associated systems, and the procedures you'll need to use for the approach also change. I'm not familiar with the A330, but you may lose the hydraulic system associated with the engine, which will affect the flight controls. You'll have lost one of the air sources for the pressurisation (but you should be able to get that back by starting the APU). The aircraft will have an extremely strong roll and yaw couple with any power changes (basically making it harder to accurately fly). The approach will be flown with less flap, and a higher speed. All of this is practiced over and over, in the sims, but it's likely to be the one and only time the crew ever see it for real.

Declaring some level of emergency costs the crew nothing, but gets everyone alerted that they may need assistance. I truly don't get the people who are reluctant..it's not as if you get a bill.

 

[jukebox333]

Not just pilots. Exchanges exist across the military, in all branches, and with all sort of qualifications. In large part they exist to widen our training base. If you always train with the same people, using the same sort of equipment, you’ll actually have a narrow training focus. For instance, if you always dogfight F18s, you’ll know their foibles, but it may not be much use against another type of aircraft. And, for exchanges with the USA, they have dramatically larger range of equipment that we’d ever normally have access to, so even a few people learning about that can filter back to our overall operation. Only the best ever get sent, so it also acts as both a goal and a reward.

My small part of the navy had a much bigger experience base than just our A-4s. We had multiple people who had flown the A-7, and Harriers in both AV8A and Sea Harrier form. Whilst there was never any chance of us seeing A-7s, the technology of the A-7E also existed within the AV8B, so they would have provided a core of people to introduce the new type if it had happened.

Over in the RAAF, they‘ve had a least one pilot exchange on the F22, and would presumably have some on the F35. Friends of mine have had exchanges on the F15 and F16, and the UK’s Tornado and Lightning. And there was even an exchange between the RAAF and the RAN, where one of our pilots went to the Mirage, whilst one of theirs flew the A-4.

And I just remembered another small example. An RAAF pilot was posted to the Empire Test Pilots’ course, and the RAAF sent him around their bases to have a fly of as many aircraft as possible. They asked for some A-4 time. As we didn’t actually have many hours for our own pilots, the response was that yes, he could have 10, as long as one of our people got the same in the Mirage. And so one of the young blokes went off to Williamtown and made some very fast holes in the sky.

Not sure if you are on Twitter, John, but over there (and on LinkedIn - even a Wikipedia entry!) Commanding Officer RAAF 10 Squadron Marija 'Maz" Jovanovich is a very accessible poster, who beside being a P-3 pilot, has flown - and talked about flying - an amazing variety of military aircraft around the globe (30+ apparently). Full credit to her for the heights she has reached.

 

[docjames]

Re: inflight engine shutdown, Will the CVR/FDR be interrogated following this sort of event, or is there enough info from crew statements/documentation and other electronic systems more routinely accessible / routine systems reporting?

 

[mjt57]

An emergency is really whatever the Captain decides to call it. I gather that they called a pan, with makes it what could be described as a urgency situation. They want priority or assistance from ATC, but they aren't in immediate distress.

Saw this on the news last night.

If you're likely to be short of a quid, maybe you can follow in RdC's footsteps and become an aviation commentator. He's been on the box a bit lately.

 

[jb747]

Not sure if you are on Twitter, John, but over there (and on LinkedIn - even a Wikipedia entry!) Commanding Officer RAAF 10 Squadron Marija 'Maz" Jovanovich is a very accessible poster, who beside being a P-3 pilot, has flown - and talked about flying - an amazing variety of military aircraft around the globe (30+ apparently). Full credit to her for the heights she has reached.

Twitter. No.

She's a test pilot, which explains all of the types she's flown. Curious that the wikipedia entry says she was the first Aussie to complete the USAF course in the last 25 years. It isn't the only TP course, so I suppose the RAAF have been sending people elsewhere. My guess, given that they've mostly been operating USN types for many years is that they've been sending people to the USN course, with an occasional Empire student as well. A friend of mine, who flew A-4s with me, moved to the RN and flew the Sea Harrier. The poms sent him to the USN TP course, even though the Empire course is in the UK.

Re: inflight engine shutdown, Will the CVR/FDR be interrogated following this sort of event, or is there enough info from crew statements/documentation and other electronic systems more routinely accessible / routine systems reporting?

Only if there's something very unusual about it.

Saw this on the news last night.

If you're likely to be short of a quid, maybe you can follow in RdC's footsteps and become an aviation commentator. He's been on the box a bit lately.

I'll bet he gets paid nothing. To be honest I could think of few things worse, and I don't think he's doing himself any favours.

 

[Saab34]

Gents

What are some of the issues you have discovered while conducting pre flight walk around during your time? Things that resulted in say engineering attendance or a cancellation?

We often see Pilots walking around from the terminal, but always wondered what issues one finds.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Gents

What are some of the issues you have discovered while conducting pre flight walk around during your time? Things that resulted in say engineering attendance or a cancellation?

We often see Pilots walking around from the terminal, but always wondered what issues one finds.

I haven’t found too many issues, but I did find a bit of the aircraft that came loose on the forward cargo door. When I did my walk around I noticed there was a little bit of aircraft missing and nice little gap.

When I queried the ground crew over it I got the reply “oh yeah it fell off when I opened the door so I just put it in my pocket”.

The missing piece was only about the size of a 50c coin. The problem was, when we closed the door we could just push that bit straight into the cargo hold. So we were unsure of how or if it would pressurise.

The next problem was trying to get engineering to look at it because we were stuck in Hamilton Island.

By the time an engineer came out from Brisbane to secure it back to the aircraft we were out of hours. An unscheduled overnight it was…could’ve definitely been in worse places.

 

[RSD]

Would the pilots on here have continued this all the way into landing or gone around? I'm not sure if the nose gear is designed to absorb that... TAP landing at Madeira

 

[AviatorInsight]

Would the pilots on here have continued this all the way into landing or gone around? I'm not sure if the nose gear is designed to absorb that... TAP landing at Madeira

Given that they were still pointing the nose down and unable to adopt a normal landing attitude, sailing well past the touchdown zone and also landing on the nosewheel first. I’d say that would have been better to go around.

 

[RSD]

Given that they were still pointing the nose down and unable to adopt a normal landing attitude, sailing well past the touchdown zone and also landing on the nosewheel first. I’d say that would have been better to go around.

That was pretty much what I was thinking too - it just never even looked like it was going end nicely.

 

[RooFlyer]

Given that they were still pointing the nose down and unable to adopt a normal landing attitude, sailing well past the touchdown zone and also landing on the nosewheel first. I’d say that would have been better to go around.

At what point (say, time in the video) would it have been safe to initiate a go-around? I imagine doing it close to the ground when nose pointing down wouldn't be good?

 

[jb747]

Would the pilots on here have continued this all the way into landing or gone around? I'm not sure if the nose gear is designed to absorb that... TAP landing at Madeira

It’s truly appalling on many levels. The aircraft appears to be nose low even before turning finals, which tells you that he’s fast. Also the flap doesn’t appear to be fully extended, so perhaps it’s at 3. That’s a landing setting, but it has much less drag than you’ll get from full flap. The wind looks to be strong, more or less down the runway, but that means he’ll be getting an IAS increase as he turns finals. He should be ready for that…but apparently not.

He’s gone past any number of mandatory go around points. The maximum speed above the target that AB allow is 15 knots, and that is mostly to ensure that the pitch attitude stays positive. Touchdown is far too long. The nose gear first landing WOULD have broken the aircraft. They are not meant to take that at all.

Go to the chief pilot, and hand in your wings.

 

[jb747]

At what point (say, time in the video) would it have been safe to initiate a go-around? I imagine doing it close to the ground when nose pointing down wouldn't be good?

Possibly in that last couple of seconds it might have been too late, but basically anywhere.

 

[RSD]

It’s truly appalling on many levels. The aircraft appears to be nose low even before turning finals, which tells you that he’s fast. Also the flap doesn’t appear to be fully extended, so perhaps it’s at 3. That’s a landing setting, but it has much less drag, than you’ll get from full flap. The wind looks to be strong, more or less down the runway, but that means he’ll be getting an IAS increase as he turns finals. He should be ready for that…but apparently not.

He’s gone past any number of mandatory go around points. The maximum speed above the target that AB allow is 15 knots, and that is mostly to ensure that the pitch attitude stays positive. Touchdown is far too long. The nose gear first landing WOULD have broken the aircraft. They are not meant to take that at all.

Go to the chief pilot, and hand in your wings.

It was pretty bloody awful. I would have thought that any sensible pilot would have been initiating a go-around by at very latest when he crossed the runway threshold - it was all so ugly at that point that it was never going to get better.

 

[flyer89]

Go to the chief pilot, and hand in your wings.

I think this one might be a little more than tea and bikkies….