Re: Why do we

I think that’s kinda rare though isn’t it? I’ve never known the other airlines, VB/VA, Jetstar, Tiger etc offer them or have ever seen anyone lining up waiting for a standby seat. I don’t know about the other airlines, on the QF citi flyer routes it is very common for passengers to request to be pu...

Re: Would the Lockheed L-500 have been a good airliner?

While a high wing is great for a military airlifter because of the operating environment, frequently to less than ideal fields, it has significant disadvantages. - Additional weight because you have to transfer loads a much longer distance between the wing box/spars and the landing gear. - Wing box ...

Re: Why do we "check in?"

AFAIK, for business travellers there are even special tickets that allow them to take any flight back, provided it is on the same airline. It can be useful when a meeting has taken a much longer (or a much shorter) time. Only after checking in, the airline knows anything about his changed travel pl...

Re: Airbus MCDU

As Alias1024 says, it comes down to how the calculation is made. Backing up a bit, I think the basic reason we do the calculations differently is because of the rather different situations, before takeoff compared to before landing. Before takeoff, you're at zero airspeed and zero AGL. Full attentio...

Re: Airbus MCDU

As mentioned the QNH, temperature, runway condition and such are inputs to the takeoff performance calculation. The V speeds, flap setting and thrust setting are the output.

This calculation is nowadays typically done in FlySmart, but can also be done with a remote system via ACARS/web/SMS.

Re: Why does a 737-700 use flap 1 and not zero flap for take off?

Since Flap 1 extends the LE devices I'd say that there'd be considerably more than just 'a small amount of extra lift generated'. The leading edge devices don't so much increase lift as increase the AoA margin, though of course as you "use" the higher AoA, you do get more lift. Either way...

Re: YouTube video from 1975 of DC-10 motion flight simulator

That's really cool.

The Apollo mission simulators also used a camera over a model for visuals. I'm wondering if that was the first application.

Later simulators went to very primitive (by today's standards) computer graphics.

Re: Dirty airplanes

Strebav8or wrote:

Need to find people willing to actually do physical work, first

Re: Double-hinged flap explained or shown??

As far as I understand, dc-10 has Fowler flaps which pivot on a hinge below lower wing surface. While mechanics is totally unlike flap tracks used on today's A-B jets, surface movement is somewhat similar. There are no slots to be seen, but mechanics looks like that could be incorporated. I can ima...

Re: Test-pilot combine aircracft designer

I think you're coming at the question from the wrong angle. You don't become a test pilot just from getting experience or being a certain age. Test pilot is a very specialised sub-profession. You don't become a test pilot without extensive experience and test pilot training. More importantly, you ha...

Re: FDX EVS and Adoption Across Airlines

As N1120A, the type of flying plays a part. If you're primarily flying to major airports with multiple ILS approaches, the need is not as great. If you're flying a business jet to smaller airports, you might not infrequently need it to get there. A HUD costs north of US$250,000. Not trivial, and cer...

Re: AF 011 go around - Possible flight control issue

It does? Not to veer too far off topic but where was that feature when AF 447 went down (not saying sarcastically, genuinely curious)? Yeah and if the connection is broken then it should yell something like control sync disconnect. I would think that when either of those conditions are met (conflic...

Re: Augmented crew - logging flight hours

Dear all, Thank you for the interesting insights so far! Let me formulate a bonus question: How are pilots logging flight hours in practice? Have you got a classic booklet where you had write your hours? Is it an online tool or a program on your PC? Would you take these records with you in case of ...

Re: AF 011 go around - Possible flight control issue

If it's not there already they should bake into AC a big ol noisy warning when there are conflicting inputs from the 2 sticks....."WARNING CONFLICTING COMMANDS" or something like that. I think the torque tube that connects the columns is broken loose only with a large differential force. ...

Re: Augmented crew - logging flight hours

There were guys that would bid RFO to make it easy then complain to the capt they were coming up on their 3 & 3. Then there was the issue of "hey man you knew this so why did you bid RFO? Ugly. What is a "3 & 3"? Pre-command upgrade review? People who complain like that seem ...

Re: Augmented crew - logging flight hours

CosmicCruiser wrote:

I would say you would log the hours as a crewmember but probably won't get credit for a landing.

Re: Augmented crew - logging flight hours

None of my wide body, long haul friends bother to keep a log book anymore. I haven't kept one for a very long time either, as a narrow body lifer. Why is that. Is that even legal. Apart from the fact that the operator keeps a log, if you are beyond any possible hours requirements you may encounter ...

Re: BA/LH A350/380 Common Fleet

My €0.02. When we first got the A350 and started on the common A330/A350 rating, we also thought it was a stretch. The cockpits certainly have a few visual differences. ;) However, the operating philosophy is very similar. ECAM handling is pretty much the same. There are a few gotchas but I am much ...

Re: Augmented crew - logging flight hours

I have found that logging of flight time is not an exact science; there is room for individual interpretation as long as the time can be logically explained and does not give an impression of dishonesty or falsification. e38 :checkmark: :checkmark: :checkmark: This statement should be bolded and fl...

Re: Horizontal Stabiliser Angle of the Bristol 188

I think the OP might be referring to the significant anhedral, not the pitch angle of the stabiliser. At a guess, that would be to keep it out of the engine exhaust. Just for clarity - the tailplane is mounted high on top of the fin as a 'T' tail and has no (discernible) anhedral. Is it possible yo...

Re: Horizontal Stabiliser Angle of the Bristol 188

I think the OP might be referring to the significant anhedral, not the pitch angle of the stabiliser. At a guess, that would be to keep it out of the engine exhaust.

Re: Can Singapore Airlines 253 seats A350 do SIN-NYC mission if they are 280T variant?

Standard A350 fuel capacity went from 141,000l (113T) to 165,000l (132T) of the A350-900ULR. Very likely all A350 today is 132T fuel capacity. Also Airbus has quietly increased the MTOW to 283T. It will have a block time of about 21.2 hours. NYC-SIN block time worst case is about 19 hours for 253 p...

Re: Throttle levers on 4+ engined aircraft

Anyway back to my original question: Why "thrust lever" and not throttle? I believe the distinction came about with computerized engine controls such as FADEC. Prior to that the throttle levers regulated the flow of fuel to the engine. With computerized controls, they regulated the percen...

Re: Augmented crew - logging flight hours

It very much depends on the regulating authority. In my case, I'd get time in seat when pilot flying (P1 under supervision time) or pilot monitoring (P2 time). However, the captain can log the full flight. When I was a cruise pilot, I logged time the seat as P2 but with a sort of asterisk denoting c...

Re: Throttle levers on 4+ engined aircraft

No flight engineers on the B-52! But, the thrust levers are configured so you can grab all 8 with one hand and then fine tune the setting with each individual thrust lever. Interesting, I kind of assumed with the age and complexity of them and military nature there would be. You often see on the cl...

Re: Throttle levers on 4+ engined aircraft

For aircraft like the 747/A380/A340 there obviously has to be 4 throttle levers. However, when you're lined up ready to take off and set TOGA or any detent, are the levers too wide to all move with one hand? Even for 3 engined planes like the MD-11/DC-10, the 2nd engine throttle lever is slightly h...

Re: Aircraft positions on ground

As LH707330 says, this is already in place. In addition to transponder signals, many airports have ground radar.

The most important factors to prevent collisions are clear communications, procedures, and signage.

Re: Understanding Emergency Descent Altitudes

I have too wondered how this profile is construed - reaching FL140 within the time oxygen generators are working and continuing on FL140 for 30 minutes without oxygen is quite understandable. What I don’t quite understand are these intermediate stops for a few minutes (FL290 and FL250 in the exampl...

Re: Understanding Emergency Descent Altitudes

I guess what I'm not understanding is the time tables to certain altitudes. From, at least what we were taught, 51 min to 10,000'? That's hardly an emerg. descent. For us it was idle pwr, full speedbrakes and red line. It better not take 51 min or you will bust the chk ride. So what emerg. descent ...

Re: airplane gliding

A common problem with jets is not being able to get down fast enough on approach. In a propeller plane, you can use the props to get you down, or even slip if you're in a light aircraft. In an airliner, descent requires advance planning. A typical descent starts 120 nautical miles from the runway, ...

Re: Understanding Emergency Descent Altitudes

In most of the world, FL140 would be above the transition level, so standard atmosphere in that case. If it is below the transition level, we'd ask for the QNH. In practice, since emergency descents are typically not terrain limited and thus down to 10000 feet, we would ask for the QNH anyway. We do...

Re: Curious: BA Takeoff Procedures - Gear Retraction

On the A330 I can have the brakes at 400 deg C 40 minutes before push and it will be okay for a 20 minute taxi, they will drop around 5 degC per minute. 400°C?! Jesus christ! When I heard people here talking about hot brakes, I thought it was around 150°C! You're stopping a 200-tonne aircraft that ...

Re: Can Singapore Airlines 253 seats A350 do SIN-NYC mission if they are 280T variant?

Dear SQ32, 0,6 hours of reserve fuel is just a little on the low side. :D A contingency of 5% (5,6t) must be accounted for, plus diversion (a few tons), plus final reserve (3t). Maybe your assumptions for OEW and flight time are a little on the high side. Best regards, hendric 5% contingency is nor...

Re: Can Singapore Airlines 253 seats A350 do SIN-NYC mission if they are 280T variant?

Dear SQ32, 0,6 hours of reserve fuel is just a little on the low side. :D A contingency of 5% (5,6t) must be accounted for, plus diversion (a few tons), plus final reserve (3t). Maybe your assumptions for OEW and flight time are a little on the high side. Best regards, hendric 5% contingency is nor...

Re: Location of data plate on Airbus aircraft

Delta had a handful of 767-332 domestic aircraft with those same data plates just forward of the APU compartment. The black paint on the data plate was usually missing due to Skydrol leakage, but the data plate was an actual copy of the one at the L1 door. Later deliveries did not have them. I’ve s...

Re: airplane gliding

If anyone cares, a simple formula to calculate max gliding range is Range=(L/D)*height. L/D max is the same as CL/CD and this occurs when the zero lift drag coefficient is equal to the induced drag coefficient. The speed for this flat glad varies with the square root of (1/density) so as you descen...

Re: Curious: BA Takeoff Procedures - Gear Retraction

It’s to cool the brakes. I’ve seen Airbus narrow bodies do it also and they even cooling fans that are used in the ground. Brake fans are an option on the A330. I think the same on the A32x. That’s interesting. Boeing hasn’t offered brake fans on any model, to my knowledge, for over 20 years. I thi...

Re: AF 011 go around

Wow, sounds scary.. I'm not a pilot, but I thought automation systems disengage immediately in the event of a fault. Sounds like this plane momentarily took on a mind of its own. In general, yes, but it is a bit more complex than that. For starters, the fault would need to be detected by the system...

Re: Curious: BA Takeoff Procedures - Gear Retraction

How short would your sector have to be to still have warm brakes on landing? 60-90 min, also depends how heavy you are landing each time Thanks. Short flight for an A330. Where's the A330R when you need it [emoji16] Short compared to the design range, I suppose, but not really a short sector for an...

Re: Curious: BA Takeoff Procedures - Gear Retraction

Boof02671 wrote:

It’s to cool the brakes. I’ve seen Airbus narrow bodies do it also and they even cooling fans that are used in the ground.

Re: Biz Jets: VNAV and Flight Level Change

Is there ever a time when you would climb out flying a DP, and use VNAV and Flight Level Change together? I use VNAV to climb out and fly the DP with altitude constraints at each waypoint. If I want to climb straight up to what I have set in my altitude select window, I use Flight Level Change. If ...

Re: music/movie in cockpit on (ultra) long haul?

Our old cockpit CMC EFBs ran Windows 95 with the standard issue windows version of solitaire removed…presumably so pilots wouldn’t be distracted by playing the game. We now use off-the-shelf iPad with wifi which comes with no restrictions. Still not supposed to play solitaire however….or watch stre...

Re: music/movie in cockpit on (ultra) long haul?

There are even programs to allow pilots to sleep at their station so long as strict guidelines are followed. Sleeping while acting as PF or PM in the US is banned, while other countries to allow this kind of "managed rest" under certain circumstances. I hear some people like to take long ...

Re: SOP pilot call-out differences?

Big big bigggggg difference among carriers on RTO procedure, and who can RTO. Would be nice to see that get more standard - it will probably require a hull loss first. I wouldn't say I've seen too much of the last thing stateside, generally people just follow the checklist, callouts are standard, o...

Re: A380 payload

At a guess, 893 people is the maximum number than can be carried given the evacuation limit. While you could carry that many in flight, if you had enough seats, it would not be economically viable. Certainly they would not be allowed a lot of luggage.

Re: Airbus Split Ailerons

LabQuest wrote:

Can and of these systems be MEL for a flight?