>The frequency used for high alt. is actually UHF and this is used mostly for long distance high altitude comm. because of distance. UHF is also line of sight with no noticable difference in range from VHF. Perhaps you were thinking of HF? Those freqs can travel around the world in the right conditi...
Jump to post>Y'all say they won't be around for long, just where are they going - why'd American take them if they didn't want them? I didn't say they won't be around for long. If I'd thought of that I wouldn't have bid to fly 'em. <;-) AA tried selling them to DL, but DL tried selling their MD-90's to AA. Nobo...
Jump to postYes it is legal, but for maintenance ferry flights only. And then only if no other option is available, only with specific FAA approval, only with specially trained aircrews (AA's Tulsa based Test Pilots for example), special flight planning, etc., etc., etc. Very difficult to make happen, but legal...
Jump to post>Are they going to go back and 'silverize' it, or are >the -90s to be left white? They will remain white (Reno's previous white area) for the time being. Ultimate decision on what to do with them has not been made. Gradually locking them into SNA-SFO, SJC, RNO and LAS routes. With the exception of S...
Jump to postVertical weather limit is called a "ceiling" while horizontal weather limit is called "visibility." American Airlines operations have no ceiling requirement for all but circling approaches. AA visibility minimums may go as low as 300 feet depending upon aircraft/crew/airport qualifications. B757/767...
Jump to postSounds like somebody asleep at the wheel? Here's the scoop from Reuters: CHICAGO (Reuters) - At least six people were injuredMonday when a fuel pumper truck hit the nose wheel of an American Airlines plane unloading passengers at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, officials said. None of the in...
Jump to postAccording to AA operating manuals:
MD-82/83 wingspan = 107'10"
MD-87 wingspan = not listed in differences book.
MD-90 wingspan = 32.9M (107'10")
[this book primarily reprint of
MD Flight Crew Operating Manual]
>Sounds like I missed some of the small print. You have to read ALL of the small print to fly a published procedure correctly. >So normally you would expect to do a continuous >climb to cruise altitude? If it is published procedure, it will almost always have some published level off altitude. Just ...
Jump to postThere are no "official" procedures that are followed each and every acft delivery. I've flown 4 MD80 delivery flights for AA and each was different. 1. LGB-TUL by way of W291 (warning area off southern Calif. coast). Delayed 15 minutes in W291 to sign acceptance contract and hand over payment check ...
Jump to postWhat you're talking about is the "expect further climb in x minutes" clearance and is required for lost communications procedures. If communications are lost prior to ATC issuing a climb to higher altitude, the pilot shall remain at assigned altitude (5000 in this case) for 10 minutes, then climb to...
Jump to post>Sorry I hadn't realized you are an AA captain prior >to now. Otherwise I wouldn't have wrote about >waiting until my next flight. If done properly, you won't feel the engines coming out of reverse... you'll hear it only. I still laugh at the big deal AA makes about not touching the brakes during po...
Jump to postAA once claimed an average fuel savings of $40,000+ per aircraft per year by not painting the fuselage. AA A300-600R aircraft came painted as Airbus refused to provide matched aluminum skin panels to AA. A few years ago Airbus provided that option at no charge. Quid-pro-quo for AA announcement it wa...
Jump to post>I routinely ride between ATL and DFW and this >procedure is used on both ends by American. Used just about anywhere the airport permits it. >Aircraft are 727, MD-80, F100; can't speak for the >757 and up. When AA first got the 757 we had powerback procedures. After the first couple of FODed engines...
Jump to post>A couple more things, though - Are the landing >procedures for the cockpit crew very different >when the a/c is in autoland mode, compared to >normal situations? Yes. AA procedure has the First Officer flying the aircraft until the Captain takes over for the actual landing. If Captain has not taken...
Jump to post>But, seriously...Autoland really means automatic >landing, right? Correct. >And how often do airline pilots use it, or is it used >only in emergencies and poor visibility? Poor visibility. AA 757/767 is legal to 300 feet visibility. AA MD80 is legal to 700 feet visibility. AA MD90 is currently not ...
Jump to postSunday? What was I doing Sunday? It wasn't foggy Sunday was it? At least not near Ted Williams Pkwy. ;-) SAN's runway isn't autoland capable. I wish it were, but it is not. I last diverted to LAX from SAN in November. By the time I got to the airport to drive home, the fog had lifted enough that som...
Jump to postFlyAA757 writes: >That seems strange, I was under the impression that >a good amount of the $$ made on JFK-LHR was in the >belly. If the a/c can do trans-atls, why not relatively >short transcons? That doesnt make too much sense I'm not one to argue too much with AA management decisions. They've don...
Jump to postMy dad flew for Pan Am for 30+ years, the last dozen or so as 747 Captain. This was routine procedure at Pan Am to position spare engines. Even sold the position as cargo "space" for those companies that didn't purchase the extra pod option. Significant drag increase and subsequent decreased range. ...
Jump to postReverse thrust powerback limit is 1.3EPR. Forward thrust ground ops limit is 1.2EPR. As noted elsewhere, all the forward 1.2EPR is available to move the acft while only a small portion of the 1.3EPR reverse thrust is actually used in the intended direction of travel. After sitting a short period of ...
Jump to postDon't know about A320, but in 13 years at AA I have done 5 autolands -- all in 757 or 767. Virtually every flight plan has a request for practice autoland to keep system qualified without significant maintenance time/effort testing same. Only autolands I have flown have been in actual very poor visi...
Jump to postSometime in late 1970's while in college I did a research project on phobias. Don't recall the exact details, but here is a general summary: Most professional pilots have a fear of a lack of control (don't recall the phobia's name) that manifests itself most often as a slightly nervous feeling when ...
Jump to postPrevious 4 weeks in schoolhouse had nothing on the close-in horizon. Most QQ -80/-87 acft were expected to be configured to AA standards and brought into AA's maintenance program. -90 plans were up in the air as AA tried to sell them to DL, but DL tried to sell their -90's to AA. On last day at scho...
Jump to postFrom my MD80 Performance Manual, FAR Section (with some minor deletions for brevity): ------------------ V1 is takeoff action speed. It is the speed at which the engine is assumed to fail (Vef) plus speed gained during the interval between engine failure and the instant the pilot recognizes and reac...
Jump to postAA tried transcons with A300, but it was not cost efficient compared with other options. Acft has lots of cargo capacity, but little range when loaded up. AA retrenched its A300 fleet to primarily MIA north/south routes --which is the primary reason for getting them in the first place... cargo to/fr...
Jump to postAttempts to get birds' attention to minimize bird strikes. I've seen this on non-WN 737's as well.
Jump to post>>Newer model aircraft are equiped with an automatic >>fire suppression system. However it takes a person >>to activate the system. Otherwise there would be a >>lot of premature actuation in midair (this is not a >>good thing) B757 and F100 have automatic shutdown and activation of extinguisher when...
Jump to postMost have automatic shutdown circuits. Newer models have automatic discharge of extinguishing agent as well. I believe all have fire control panels accessible from ramp level --at least the AA planes I've flown do.
Jump to postTo prevent further damage to the contents. Recovery teams attempt to keep the recorders in the same condition as found until delivered to NTSB lab. The lab has both equipment and knowledge on how to access the contents with minimum loss of data no matter what the condition the boxes were delivered i...
Jump to postR347216 writes: >>There must be right this minute, people lined up at >>some airport , waiting to board an MD80, who are >>totally oblivious that this airplane is a death trap. The DC9 aircraft (MD80/90 are marketing names for different models of the DC9) is not a death trap. It is very reliable and...
Jump to postLauda 777 writes: >>How is Fly! Compered to FS? Actual aircraft flying compared to flight sim? Compared to current generation full motion airliner simulators, virtually identical (see previous posting). Compared to personal computer based flight sim programs, the pc based programs are so far from re...
Jump to postVC-10 writes: >On a state of the art airliner on a scheduled route the pilot tells the Flt Management System where the a/c is going,then when the driver has got it off the ground he engages the a/pilot at about 400 ft and that's it. His/her next task is to steer it off the runway at the other end. A...
Jump to postI can see this is gonna get too technical for most folks, myself included, but the amount of actual aircraft flight time required is dependent upon the quality of the simulators and the training program used for that training. >It is not entirely true that an airline pilot can be >completely certifi...
Jump to postDerico wrote: >So, I need some counceling. Do you have any fealings on American either way, or you just don't care about them? What is your experience with them? What is your opinion on their recent blunders? I am really on the fence with this one, so any outside opinions can help. As an AA Captain,...
Jump to postASQX writes: >The 767-400 has a cockpit design similar to the 777 but retains 757/767 crew ratings. True, but each airline decides how it will operate each aircraft and train its pilots. While Boeing naturally wants _all_ its aircraft to have a single type rating, it may not be practical from an air...
Jump to post>how does a large airliner pilot know what >direction to point the nose when he's still >up there, "Up there" meaning at altitude? Multiple compasses. >and when the airplane gets lower, how does >he know how far up to roll the nose Multiple attitude indicators. Then again, I like to look out the win...
Jump to postYes AA has (continues?) to look at 767-400 aircraft. One of the major issues for management is that the 767-400 cockpit is closer to 777 than current 767/757 possibly requiring a "split-fleet." My understanding is that that would mean pilots qualified in 767-400 only, 777 only, and 767/757 (but not ...
Jump to postThe air conditioning packs take air from the engine compressor(s), cools and conditions it, and distributes it throughout the aircraft. The pressure regulating valve(s) regulate the rate that cabin air is allowed to escape overboard. That's basically how cabin pressure is maintained. Fully automatic...
Jump to postDegree of reality depends mostly upon the user. Current quality of airliner full motion simulators is very realistic, but never exactly like a real aircraft. Night visual is much more realistic than day visuals. If you go into the sim with the attitude you are going flying, you'll get a very realist...
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