Ask The Pilot

[Saab34]

Australian domestic airports that have the poorest quality runways and taxiways?

I was recently in the pacific and some island airports certainly appeared questionable, which got me thinking.

Anything locally there that is a big ‘rough’ and needs taxpayer dollars?

 

[ksksks]

@Sprucegoose points out to.me that several flight including Nancy Bird operating QF2 have done a circuit today while travelling from Europe to Asia.

I could surmise, but will ask the pilots here what may be going on.

View attachment 428479

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

View flight QF2 from London to Singapore on Flightradar24

fr24.com

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

View flight BA2231 from London to Bangkok on Flightradar24

fr24.com

Live Flight Tracker - Real-Time Flight Tracker Map | Flightradar24

View flight MH1 from London to Kuala Lumpur on Flightradar24

fr24.com

Afghanistan is one big TIBA (uncontrolled), which requires adjacent FIRs to setup 15 minutes of separation prior to entry. The QF2 hold was for this purpose, with SQ325 not far ahead at the same level (F370). Similar with MH1 and AI156 (F390).. and BA2231 with OS25 (F370).

Other restrictions also apply when overflying Afghanistan.. eg no changes in mach or cruise level, plus requirement for the pilot broadcasts which come with TIBA.

(edit: added notes for MAS1 and BAW2231)

 

[RSD]

Afghanistan is one big TIBA (uncontrolled), which requires adjacent FIRs to setup 15 minutes of separation prior to entry. The QF2 hold was for this purpose, with SQ325 not far ahead at the same level (F370). Similar with MH1 and AI156 (F390).. and BA2231 with OS25 (F370).

Other restrictions also apply when overflying Afghanistan.. eg no changes in mach or cruise level, plus requirement for the pilot broadcasts which come with TIBA.

(edit: added notes for MAS1 and BAW2231)

I think the key word with Afghanistan generally is "uncontrolled"

 

[AviatorInsight]

Australian domestic airports that have the poorest quality runways and taxiways?

I was recently in the pacific and some island airports certainly appeared questionable, which got me thinking.

Anything locally there that is a big ‘rough’ and needs taxpayer dollars?

Nothing really jumps out at me from the capital cities. MEL would have to be the worst for taxiways, especially at the 27 end. I’m hoping with all the works they’re doing around the runway they can just smooth over the concrete slabs.

Darwin has the giant dip which can be a real pain but the quality of the tarmac itself isn’t bad. Even BNK is/has upgraded to a grooved runway so braking is now noticeably better in the wet.

DPS would be the worst for me on the current network followed by NAN. I haven’t been to APW or VLI yet to make a comparison.

 

[jb747]

@Sprucegoose points out to.me that several flight including Nancy Bird operating QF2 have done a circuit today while travelling from Europe .

Just timing adjustments. Smaller changes can be done with a jink of a minute or two.

Australian domestic airports that have the poorest quality runways and taxiways?

I was recently in the pacific and some island airports certainly appeared questionable, which got me thinking.

Anything locally there that is a big ‘rough’ and needs taxpayer dollars?

I don’t recall any that were especially rough, but a couple could have been a bit longer.

 

[serfty]

Just timing adjustments. Smaller changes can be done with a jink of a minute or two.

Suggesting advantageous "winds". I note shortly after the time of the holding Nacy Bird was still looking to arrive into SIN 45.mintes early.

Im surprilised they'd do such so far in advance.

 

[jb747]

Suggesting advantageous "winds". I note shortly after the time of the holding Nacy Bird was still looking to arrive into SIN 45.mintes early.

Im surprilised they'd do such so far in advance.

Not for the destination. They’ll fix that with holding within the last couple of hundred miles. You can’t slow down enough, especially at altitude, to make much difference. This would just be for Afghanistan.

Holding patterns waste from 6-12 or so minutes, per pattern. It’s a little unusual to get hit with that much of a delaying action en-route. As you can imagine, the aircraft behind are catching up whilst this is happening. Often when it was required, the aircraft that was being slowed would be pulled right out of the stream…and good luck getting back in.

 

[QF WP]

I came across this article this morning. What is the considered opinion of the pilots in thread regarding the viability and commercial impact of Hydrogen/Electric planes for commercial (noting they will only be regional/short haul due to technology):

Stralis Aircraft developing cleaner and cheaper hydrogen-electric plane - Green hydrogen-powered aircraft could be cleaner, quieter and cheaper

 

[QF WP]

Also, found this YouTube Short on a DC10 tanker - balls of steel:

 

[jb747]

I came across this article this morning. What is the considered opinion of the pilots in thread regarding the viability and commercial impact of Hydrogen/Electric planes for commercial (noting they will only be regional/short haul due to technology):

In my lifetime, there will be zero commercial impact. And about the same viability. Long term, who knows, but this is up there with Mr Fusion.

Stralis Aircraft developing cleaner and cheaper hydrogen-electric plane - Green hydrogen-powered aircraft could be cleaner, quieter and cheaper

Hopefully cleaner, otherwise what is the point. It won't be cheaper.

 

[ChrisGibbs]

On Monday 27/1 did a quick SYD-MEL-SYD return on QF with a road trip to ESL for a quick lunch at the Sporting Legends with my son....

My return flight QF470 MEL-SYD departed at around 1732 with the delayed QF468 A330 MEL-SYD flight departing around 11 minutes later at 1743. Just prior to top of descent into Sydney QF470 took up an easterly heading towards the coast crossing at around Burrill Lake south of Ulladulla then tracking to the north abeam Nowra for an approach onto RWY34L in SYD arriving close to the scheduled arrival time. By comparison QF468 from top of descent into Sydney tracked NNE towards Bathurst then made an approach and landing from the north of Sydney onto RWY34R. See below FR24 screenshots.

A couple of questions:

- When diverting due weather is it up to the PIC to pick the best routing to get to the destination?
- Assuming the above is correct what sources of information are used: Weather Radar, ATC, Flight Ops, Other Aircraft, etc?
- Can the weather situation change significantly in 10-15 minutes whereby two aircraft from the same company would take two very different routes to get to the same destination?

 

[AviatorInsight]

A couple of questions:

- When diverting due weather is it up to the PIC to pick the best routing to get to the destination?
- Assuming the above is correct what sources of information are used: Weather Radar, ATC, Flight Ops, Other Aircraft, etc?
- Can the weather situation change significantly in 10-15 minutes whereby two aircraft from the same company would take two very different routes to get to the same destination?

1. Yes it is always up to the PIC.

2. We use all of that. The weather radar is the best tool we have on board (besides the MK I eye ball). ATC have a rough idea of the weather in the area so we can ask them but most of the time it won't be anything we don't already know. I have used them to ask about other aircraft in front and what they did.

As for flight ops...lol. Even on a CAVOK day I'll carry an INTER (30mins extra holding fuel). If there's an INTER I'll carry a TEMPO (60mins) and if there's a TEMPO, I'll carry an alternate.

3. Absolutely! Especially during a very active weather front. This is why I always take what the aircraft did in front of us with a grain of salt. 10-15mins with very active thunderstorms is a long time and can have very different outcomes for the 2 aircraft. It also comes down to the PIC's comfort levels too vs how safe it is. Some carriers (I'm sure we know who they are) it will look like to us on TCAS that they have just gone straight through with no weather deviations.

Coming back from HND one night, the skipper did not want to fly through anything that was even green on the radar and so decided to fly 300nm off track to avoid whereas the QF A330 in front of us at the same level about 15mins ahead only went about 80nm off track.

 

[jb747]

Turn the gain down…that fixes green.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Turn the gain down…that fixes green.

I should have done that while he wasn't looking. Next time.