Thanks for that; I found it quite informative.
www.flightaware.com
We will select a number of miles to start with when going off the route. Then once we’re happy to come back we can either request a waypoint to track to or ATC will give us one. In the second diversion we were 300nm off the route. To then come back onto the flight plan route would cost us more time and fuel. So, we asked Moresby ATC to track to POM then to the last waypoint on the flight plan before the approach. That was approved.
I don't think I've ever gone anywhere near that far off track....
Was a first for me as well…
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Thank you for that information @AviatorInsight. Are you looking to fly that route again?
I’ll be on leave for most of January unfortunately. I’ve got nothing this month to HND but might see if there’s another one for me in Nov.
Does VA run with 3 Tech Crew for the CNS-HND-CNS run? If they have 3 Tech Crew I wasn’t aware there were SO’s on the 73’s or do they have 1 * Capt + 2 * FO’s? Alternatively for 2 Tech Crew do they have periods of controlled rest?
It would make sense for 3 but no, it’s all done 2 crew. So we manage our fatigue with periods of controlled rest.
Interesting. Over the years i’ve done a bunch of Sydney - Singapore - Sydney and saw a mix of 2 Tech crew vs 3 Tech Crew on A330’s and wondered what decisions drove the choice. I must admit i never understood how controlled rest works.
Money would be a big driver for only having minimum crew. The maximum we could do in a single duty is 10.5hrs of flying with 2 crew.
Where there is only one service involved, it's pretty straightforward. It becomes much more complicated when you've got many longer flights, spread over a week or so. The old QF 767 and A330 services around Asia are good examples. The obvious need for the third pilot comes up when any duty, or individual sector, exceeds the CASA time limits. But, they can become more complicated depending upon what duty has been done in previous days, or might be planned in the following. For instance the time limits for a 7 day period vary depending up whether it has been done two man, or with a heavy crew. And these limitations apply to each pilot, and so whatever they were doing in the time before a particular pattern can affect the need for an extra man. I recall taking the SO from Hawaii to Vancouver because I'd done a standby a day or so prior, that had pushed up my planned hours by 3 or so. That then meant that I'd very tight for the Vancouver return. My boss wasn't happy, but as it happened we lost a bit of time, and really did need him. Of course the SO had packed for Hawaii not Canada.
How much extra available time did an extra pilot provide
The flight was planned at something like 8:20. The limit under the "opspec" was 8:30, but with no extension. The normal limits would have allowed 2 man to 8 hours, but with an extension possible to 9 hours (at the crew's discretion, not the company). The third pilot took it to 11 hours flight time, extendable to 12. And the duty period went out to 14 hours. I used to keep a flow chart of all of these rules.
