Re: How do they keep airports and aircraft operational in places like Venezuela and Afghanistan?

Even in countries like Venezuela and Afghanistan the government is still capable of carrying out certain functions. In many countries (don't know about these two specifically) ATC services are provided by the military and the international airport may double as a military base of some sort (same is...

Re: A32x Side Stick- What is the Removable Plate on Top?

I think you're right. It does look like an A300. I guess they had to relocate the oxygen mask from the side console to make room for the stick infrastructure. I still seem to remember that they trialed it on a smaller aircraft as well. Perhaps you're thinking of the VFW614 that was used for flight ...

Re: Southwest to Halve Flying Time Needed for Prospective Pilots

Different requirements. One is directly related to the employment, one isn't. What’s the distinction between the type rating and licensure expenses for, say, doctors and lawyers? That would be the equivalent to a doctor needing to be type rated to be a brain surgeon or a heart surgeon, or a lawyer ...

Re: When an airliner needs to divert to a different airport, how is the new flight plan calculated?

So for issues like a fire or "gotta get down right now"...do you find a runway on the chart, then tell ATC such that airspace is cleared to your alternate? I would think that would be a PAN PAN? Gotta get down right now sounds more "Mayday" than "Pan". ;) And yes, if y...

Re: A32x Side Stick- What is the Removable Plate on Top?

Thanks... I thought i uploaded a picture file for reference but I guess I made an error... Haven't posted in years. Regarding that plate, your theory is solid, but I'd heard thst a trim hat existed there once upon a time during development. Can't find any validation of that though. Thanks for joggi...

Re: A32x Side Stick- What is the Removable Plate on Top?

Thanks... I thought i uploaded a picture file for reference but I guess I made an error... Haven't posted in years. Regarding that plate, your theory is solid, but I'd heard thst a trim hat existed there once upon a time during development. Can't find any validation of that though. Thanks for joggi...

Re: A32x Side Stick- What is the Removable Plate on Top?

Just speculating, but it could be access to the attachment mechanism. There doesn't seem to be any other place around it where you can get to screws and such, unless you remove the console panel somehow. BTW it's the same stick on all Airbus except A300 and A310. Adding a pic for illustration. https...

Re: AS: two tail strikes w/in 5 mins. prompts departure halt

All that being said, weight/balance and performance figure calculation and input tend to be the times when the pilots really focus during cockpit preparation. You don't want to get it wrong. Do you think this is a worthwhile avenue for more automation? I imagine cameras and AI (or floor sensors) wi...

Re: When an airliner needs to divert to a different airport, how is the new flight plan calculated?

It depends. :) If you're really close to the diversion airport, e.g. JFK to EWR, you'd probably get vectors. If it's further, you'd get a route. "Are you ready to copy your clearance?" If the alternate is the designated alternate, you'll more likely than not have the filed route for the al...

Re: a question for airline mechanics who are familiar with aircraft repair history

Resetting things in flight reminds me of this https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-airbus-a320-216-java-sea-162-killed The 380 and 350 partially have SSPCs you can't reset in flight. But the software reset breakers/switches are still on the overhead panel. Indeed, but, as evidenced by this crash, ...

Re: a question for airline mechanics who are familiar with aircraft repair history

About 99% of the problems I run into are solved by doing the CTRL-ALT-DEL to the component that is generating the ECAM caution. Pull circuit breaker X99. wait 10 seconds, push circuit breaker X99, wait for component to reinitialize, ECAM goes away. Continue flight. This. So much this. You get an EC...

Re: AS: two tail strikes w/in 5 mins. prompts departure halt

The probability of a human screwing up a calculation is higher than a computer. Well we're still in the age where computers just do what a human told them to do... I guess that's whath appened here. But of course, with a well designed process, software development and testing should lead to a nicel...

Re: Lockheed Tristar original FMS

Wow. Look at that view from the cockpit. How does it compare with contemporary examples? The A350 has similarly large side windows. The A330 does not. I suspect it's a function of required viewing angles. In the A350, the windows are further from you than in the A330, so they need to be larger for ...

Re: Weight and balance problems

I have experience with a few weight and balance systems at different companies over the years and each has its benefits and drawbacks. The best overall was at a company where we did it all through ACARS: We inputted the passenger and bag count and the machine told us if we were in balance or not an...

Re: Why crosswind only runways?

Whenever a new airport is planned, very extensive historical climatological data is analyzed and researched prior to designing the runway configuration, within the context of terrain and urban/rural developmental constraints. e38 Then they take all that historical data, discard it, and arbitrarily ...

Re: Why crosswind only runways?

In the early days, airfields were just that—fields. Planes looked t the wind sock and landed into the wind. Then triangles, crosswind runways were developed reducing crosswind components. Now, traffic demands more capacity, hence multiple parallels. When I was an USAF operations commander, the airf...

Re: Why crosswind only runways?

I am thinking of SEA and RNO and SLC but there are others. Airports where the runways are exclusively cross wind, so pilots have no choice but to land in a crosswind. There obviously is no way to rebuild runways in these cities but what was the rationale in the first place? As GalaxyFlyer says, the...

Re: 737 Rudder issues vs 737 MAX MCAS issues

T54A wrote:

I can’t think of any reason why the MAX should be any safer than a NG. There is nothing new in the MAX design to improve safety.

Am I wrong?

Re: JFK - Runway usage 20 years ago and now

Noise curfews have an impact. Some airports will "distribute the noise", meaning switching runways on a schedule, weather dependent, to ensure no one area gets all the arrivals. LHR comes to mind. Curfews also have other effects. For example, once the morning curfew lifts at FRA, they'll s...

Re: Pressurisation of different plane types

The A330-300 has a max normal cabin altitude of 8000ft (or 7460ft on longer flights with a different pressurization controller version). I presume the -200 is the same.

Re: What are the differences between a 1990s and a 2010s airbus a330-300?

At what MTOW would the A330 need to adopt the centre main bogey of the A340, in a hypothetical situation where they keep expanding it. Probably never - I believe the center gear on the A340-200/300 was more about lowering the total weight footprint per square meter rather than being structurally ne...

Re: What are the differences between a 1990s and a 2010s airbus a330-300?

Dear all, Among all the improvements listed by Starlionblue, the MTOW increase is the most relevant for the operations of this airliner and greatly contributed to the continued success of the program. Please allow me to expand a little on this aspect. Initially offered in 1992 with a MTOW of 212t, ...

Re: JFK - Runway usage 20 years ago and now

It's not so much "simplifying jobs" so much as "making the system work". If a runway configuration simply works better, ATC will accept a certain level of crosswind or tailwind before changing to a less favourable configuration. Even with only parallel runways, many airports favo...

Re: What are the differences between a 1990s and a 2010s airbus a330-300?

Various bits and bobs in the cockpit. - ISIS digital standby instrument instead of steam gauge standby instrument cluster. - Fly-by-wire rudder replacing mechanical connection to the actuators. - New FM computers with noticeably faster response. - LCDs instead of CRTs for the screens including MCDU....

Re: why "Turnpads" are of different shapes and sizes ?

Thanks for the information, that must restrict it from a few airports without parallel taxiways and adequately sized turnpads, such as some Caribbean airports Odd that Airbus didn’t include it At a guess, the added complexity and weight were not worth it. It's a big jet to fly into smaller airports...

Re: why "Turnpads" are of different shapes and sizes ?

While on the subject does the A350-1000 have rear bogie steering ? It does not. Thanks for the information, that must restrict it from a few airports without parallel taxiways and adequately sized turnpads, such as some Caribbean airports Odd that Airbus didn’t include it At a guess, the added comp...

Re: why "Turnpads" are of different shapes and sizes ?

Max Q wrote:

While on the subject does the A350-1000 have rear bogie steering ?

Re: United Airlines and A320's RNP Question

Top tip: On your next trip, Read the notes on the ILS 25R RNAV transition and approach plates with care before you arrive. :) Reading them seems optional, seen an A380 and 787 perform immaculate EGPWS escape manoeuvres. Next approach ATC issue the LOC. :shock: I haven't seen any EGPWS yet. But I've...

Re: United Airlines and A320's RNP Question

I prefer to just take the visual to be honest…. Sometimes this is a good option. It has to be availabe and visibility requirements have to be fulfilled, however. In many cases, you really want that priceise guidance, for example with high terrain surrounding the airport. HKG's approaches to the new...

Re: why "Turnpads" are of different shapes and sizes ?

Sawaa Dee Khap/Namaste and Hello Fellow Avgeekers, So my homebase [ LKO ( Lucknow ) VILK] is getting a makeover in the upcoming months and that specifically includes the " EXTENSION OF TURNPADS " now Im an avgeek,plane spotter and make videos however not privy to the profound technical ar...

Re: United Airlines and A320's RNP Question

I prefer to just take the visual to be honest…. Sometimes this is a good option. It has to be availabe and visibility requirements have to be fulfilled, however. In many cases, you really want that priceise guidance, for example with high terrain surrounding the airport. HKG's approaches to the new...

Re: Engine Buzzsaw Fade Out

The buzzsaw is caused by the fan blade tips going supersonic. It is a stream of sonic booms.

The fadeout is probably a combination of:
- Decreased air density, meaning you can't hear it as well in the cabin.
- Decrease in N1 with the tips no longer going supersonic.

Re: United Airlines and A320's RNP Question

While discussing RNP, do these also have a particular vertical path to fly between waypoint to waypoint? Or is it basically just curvy, precise, obstacle-weaving approaches? Yes, there is typically a vertical path dependent on the altitude constraints. In NAV (VNAV) the aircraft will manage the des...

Re: Question re ILS + STAR approaches

Or do you have to fiddle with editing the plan in the FMC. Martinlest, yes, sometimes you do, depending on how the procedures (STAR/approach) load into the FMS, based upon transitions, VIAs, etc. As you can tell from the previous responses, the best "takeaway" I can offer you in this case...

Re: Question re ILS + STAR approaches

I think that is a flight sim issue. That was my initial thought upon checking into this thread having had some experience with FMC issues in Flight Sim in the past, but nonetheless, it sparked my curiosity about real-world FMC use. I'd be interested to hear what any real-world pilots have to say ab...

Re: Do pilots with a 757/767 rating really fly all of the variants?

That's amazing work from the flight dynamics people, system architects, and coders at Airbus if they could make a 2010's wide body fly like a mid 80s narrowbody. I fly the 90s widebody derived from the 80s narrowbody, as well as the 2010s widebody. It is indeed amazing that the philosophy created f...

Re: Engine Derates and top-of-climb power

Just remember a “derate” is like putting a different thrust engine rating on the plane, “Reduced” is the engine’s thrust rating reduced due to conditions, but full rated thrust is there. A key point. And an important one to bring up during the departure briefing. If you're using a derate you specif...

Re: Question re ILS + STAR approaches

I think that is a flight sim issue. The charted ILS 02 approach plate doesn’t show a CF02 When you load the ILS 02 it will try to link the approach to the STAR with an APPR VIA PESEX. Which then loads the box with PT422 PESEX NETVO without the discontinuity. If you do no transition then it loads th...

Re: Do pilots with a 757/767 rating really fly all of the variants?

I recall reading the at EASA allows pilots to be rated and current on the A330 & A350 at the same time, whereas the FAA doesn’t allow it. I believe it’s the same with the 777 & 787 I'm 99% sure the FAA doesn't let you fly both the 777 and 787 at the same time. But if you transition from one...

Re: Do pilots with a 757/767 rating really fly all of the variants?

Memory items have to be to same for a common type rating to my understanding. I don't think that's trye. I can only speak for the A330 and A350 but there are differences in the memory items. You can even have differences within type depending on equipment. For example, when we got the A350 it had a...

Re: Pitot-Static Tubes

The flow conditions on different fuselages, and at different spots on the same fuselage, vary. Hence why you see, for instance, airliners with two static ports per system, one on each side. If you have some sideslip, the conditions on either side can vary widely. Only by averaging and perhaps mathem...

Re: Engine Derates and top-of-climb power

It also seems that, given the relative trends in high engine temps and fuel burn since 2005, the industry would have shifted more towards climb derate as standard practice (though higher oil prices might counteract that calculus). Are climb derates now standard practice? When we received RR powered...

Re: Engine Derates and top-of-climb power

Thanks for confirming, that's super helpful. Sounds like the answer to the OP is "derate is for low-altitude and it goes away near ToC." That is a good way of putting it. Engines lose thrust with altitude due to lower mass flow in thinner air. Hence why cruise power is pretty near maximum...

Re: Engine Derates and top-of-climb power

What are actual derate parameters? Something internal to engine like N1, fuel flow, temperature? Or engine actually gets altitude information and thrust is limited according to preprogrammed formula? On all Boeing non-737 models climb derates are a fixed percentage of full climb there. There are tw...

Re: True Altitude

GPS altitude is altitude above a reference plane of a gravitational earth model, not any physical terrain. So it doesn’t correspond with MSL. https://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0703/geoid1of3.html So while using GPS altitude wouldn’t cause any issues in cruise flight, using GPS altitude near the sur...

Re: True Altitude

We might see GPS, or "True", altitude in use at some point in the future. I've read some stuff about such an implementation. But I don't think we're anywhere close. Pressure altimetry has the advantage of being entirely self-contained in the aircraft. GPS can be jammed, something that happ...

Re: True Altitude

No need to, pressure works well. I know it works well, especially up high. I was thinking about redundancy over accuracy. Most new airliners have what, at least 2 GPS, right? How many independent pressure altimeter systems does your typical airliner have? Is there an alternate static source for pre...

Re: ETOPS In Flight Shutdown Statistics

AFAIK, "4 Engines 4 Long Haul" was more or a Virgin Atlantic marketing gimmick than something Airbus pushed really strongly. That being said, it did sense from a marketing perspective for Airbus. Boeing had the 777, but Airbus had the A330/A340, with the long-haul version being a quad. If ...

Re: How are MELs practically handled at airlines?

Here's a story: I was a line mechanic once upon a time. We has a little fold out table in the jetway so that we could do paperwork out there and give the crew access to the flight deck. It was an international flight at a US domestic airline. The crew came down the jetway dragging their bags. The C...

Re: True Altitude

No need to, pressure works well. I know it works well, especially up high. I was thinking about redundancy over accuracy. Most new airliners have what, at least 2 GPS, right? How many independent pressure altimeter systems does your typical airliner have? Is there an alternate static source for pre...