Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

The cloud broke for long enough.

 

[Duffa]

Well to my simple brain it seems like introducing an element of risk but I am sure it is being well managed. I mean, I was fazed when landing in DEN or LA (can't recall which) recently where they had the cross run way in operation with planes happily crossing over the main operational runways between takeoffs and landings but it seemed to all be working to plan.

Happened in Melbourne this morning.
We were lined up on 34 and a Qantas jet landed on the cross runway immediately after a Jetstar departed in front of us on 34.
We then departed before the Qantas had backtracked

 

[jb747]

Happened in Melbourne this morning.
We were lined up on 34 and a Qantas jet landed on the cross runway immediately after a Jetstar departed in front of us on 34.
We then departed before the Qantas had backtracked

Yes, but that's just normal crossing runway ops. I guess it has it's own risks, but probably better understood.

What we were talking about is opposite direction (i.e. 16 & 34), on narrow spaced parallel runways. So, Sydney 16L and 34L at the same time.

 

[Duffa]

Sydney 16L and 34L at the same time.

No thanks.

 

[jb747]

One for the Boeing fans. Note how many passengers take their bags. The message will never get through.

 

[RooFlyer]

Good God. Have a look at 3:16 and this person - took 12 seconds just to clear the door - but then look what they took out. I hope this film gets reviewed and maybe something done (but I'm not holding my breath - in the USA).



From my armchair, it looks like a dubious decision to evacuate, too, given usual dangers of evacs.

 

[jb747]

From my armchair, it looks like a dubious decision to evacuate, too, given usual dangers of evacs.

No, there’s nothing wrong with the decision to evacuate here. It looks to be an electrical fire in the forward equipment bay. Smoke from there would rapidly make its way into the cabin. They’re not going to connect the aerobridge, and should be pulling the equipment away from the aircraft. There are no fire extinguishers in these bays.

 

[Captain Halliday]

What struck me watching this was that there didn’t seem to be a ground stop.

Certainly vehicles continued. The DL that had pushed back was allowed to taxi out during the evacuation and another aircraft pulled into the bay behind.

I know pax are often walking around the bays to board via rear stairs, but that’s generally controlled.

In this situation there’s not really any marshalls/ ground crew and with pax likely in a high stress situation, it’s possible they could go in any direction.

 

[D747]

No, there’s nothing wrong with the decision to evacuate here. It looks to be an electrical fire in the forward equipment bay. Smoke from there would rapidly make its way into the cabin. They’re not going to connect the aerobridge, and should be pulling the equipment away from the aircraft. There are no fire extinguishers in these bays.

Forward equipment bay, is that the avionics bay JB? What would the rationale be for not having fire extinguishers in there?

 

[jb747]

There is smoke detection in the various bays, but the procedure leads you to getting rid of the smoke (i.e. keeping it out of the coughpit/cabin), and subsequent isolation of the bus(ses) powering the fire. I don’t know specifically why no extinguishers are installed.

 

[jb747]

What struck me watching this was that there didn’t seem to be a ground stop.

Certainly vehicles continued. The DL that had pushed back was allowed to taxi out during the evacuation and another aircraft pulled into the bay behind.

I know pax are often walking around the bays to board via rear stairs, but that’s generally controlled.

In this situation there’s not really any marshalls/ ground crew and with pax likely in a high stress situation, it’s possible they could go in any direction.

US airports (LAX especially) are quite chaotic on the ground. I wonder what the timing of the tower being informed was?

 

[747sp]

Hi Pilots. There are so many urban myths about the temperature in the hold where the bags are stored.
My question is it will my bottle of wine in my main luggage be slightly chilled or could it get frozen?
Or more seriously what is the real story with the temperature in the baggage hold?

 

[jb747]

Hi Pilots. There are so many urban myths about the temperature in the hold where the bags are stored.
My question is it will my bottle of wine in my main luggage be slightly chilled or could it get frozen?
Or more seriously what is the real story with the temperature in the baggage hold?

Your wine will be pretty safe. Looking at many of the images I took in flight, the lowest temperature that I can find is 12ºC, and the highest is 20ºC. It was kept warmer with any animals in the hold.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Couple of questions related to Wednesday's QF1050 MEL-BME.

QF1050 (QFA1050) Qantas Flight Tracking and History 15-May-2024 (MEL / YMML-KTA / YPKA) - FlightAware

Track Qantas (QF) #1050 flight from Melbourne Tullamarine to Karratha

www.flightaware.com

The flight close to top of descent when the crew opted to divert to KTA which was much further away.

QF described it as "pilots received notification of a potential minor mechanical issue".

Time on ground in KTA was less than 60 mins before they continued to BME.

Does KTA have engineering capability that doesn't exist at BME?

What sort of minor mechanical issue could be resolved in KTA in less than an hour that couldn't have been sorted in BME during the turn?

 

[Saab34]

Pilots.

Are there any airports/strips in Australia that you have never flown into that you would like to.

 

[jb747]

Does KTA have engineering capability that doesn't exist at BME?

What sort of minor mechanical issue could be resolved in KTA in less than an hour that couldn't have been sorted in BME during the turn?

I suspect that difference might have been the availability of an actual LAME, licenced on the aircraft, who could sign off on an MEL.

 

[jb747]

Are there any airports/strips in Australia that you have never flown into that you would like to.

In Oz? None leap to mind. The old Hong Kong (Kai Tak) was the most interesting that I ever regularly operated to.