Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

RVSM is definitely not allowed without an autopilot. Sometimes with failures what should happen (in terms of what remains available), and what actually happens aren't the same.

 

[OZDUCK]

To me this take-off looks risky. I would have been squeezing my armrest pretty tightly if I was onboard. Am I just underestimating the ability of aa aircraft to handle crosswinds or was it an 'adventurous' take-off

 

[jb747]

To me this take-off looks risky. I would have been squeezing my armrest pretty tightly if I was onboard. Am I just underestimating the ability of aa aircraft to handle crosswinds or was it an 'adventurous' take-off

Well, I’d have been squeezing something if I’d been on board. Looking through some of his other videos from that day, and it’s amazing how well most of the aircraft have been handled through the take off or landing. Gusty crosswinds are not easy, and my aim was simply to remain on the black bit, and not break anything.

In this particular case, he might need some more aileron, to keep the wings level (they try to rise on the side the wind is coming from), although he is on the edge of spoiler rise. I would expect that the conditions were very near the actual aircraft limits.

 

[I love to travel]

Well, I’d have been squeezing something if I’d been on board. Looking through some of his other videos from that day, and it’s amazing how well most of the aircraft have been handled through the take off or landing. Gusty crosswinds are not easy, and my aim was simply to remain on the black bit, and not break anything.

In this particular case, he might need some more aileron, to keep the wings level (they try to rise on the side the wind is coming from), although he is on the edge of spoiler rise. I would expect that the conditions were very near the actual aircraft limits.

Would Qantas or VA accept a pilot taking off in those conditions? As a lay person with no knowledge, but nothing your comments, that looks too dangerous for me.

 

[mjt57]

To me this take-off looks risky. I would have been squeezing my armrest pretty tightly if I was onboard. Am I just underestimating the ability of aa aircraft to handle crosswinds or was it an 'adventurous' take-off

Love to see that departure from side-on. That perspective makes it look like it took off in ten feet or so, doesn't it?

 

[AviatorInsight]

To me this take-off looks risky. I would have been squeezing my armrest pretty tightly if I was onboard. Am I just underestimating the ability of aa aircraft to handle crosswinds or was it an 'adventurous' take-off.

No way that was 25kts. Limitation for us is 25kt for take off on a wet runway and 34kts on a dry one. I wonder if they forgot?

Landing however, we can go up to 40kts dry or wet.

 

[jb747]

No way that was 25kts. Limitation for us is 25kt for take off on a wet runway and 34kts on a dry one. I wonder if they forgot?

Landing however, we can go up to 40kts dry or wet.

Boeing had a strange habit of not writing their crosswind limits as hard limits, but they’d describe them as demonstrated limits. Now that simply meant that whatever the number was was the highest that their TPs had seen during the certification program. The effect of this was that some airlines simply took them as recommendations, as their pilots are “at least good as the Boeing test pilots”.

I’m surprised that the 737 landing numbers are the same wet or dry.