The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

Tenger

lord lucan wrote: »

Does the sadist in any of you guys enjoy telling people the weather in Dublin(particularly when it's cold and crap) over the PA when returning from a sun destination?

I think it is to do with the pax demographic, certain flights are known as JIFF flights (IBZ, ACE, FUE, FAO, AGP, LPA etc etc) as the pax board wearing sandals shorts and most of the time tee shirts......
.....as they get off in DUB all you hear is "Jaysus, it's f**king freezing"!!

lord lucan

Tenger wrote: »

I think it is to do with the pax demographic, certain flights are known as JIFF flights (IBZ, ACE, FUE, FAO, AGP, LPA etc etc) as the pax board wearing sandals shorts and most of the time tee shirts......
.....as they get off in DUB all you hear is "Jaysus, it's f**king freezing"!!

And something i hadn't heard in years,the round of applause on landing!:pac:

boeingboy

Worst few months ago into San Diego managed to wollop it on after a bounce its a very tricky approach into the heart of a fantastic city with great layover.

Best this morning into Paris CDG 9L absolutely greased it on. Surprised myself.

But really any landing you can walk away from is good, if you can use the plane again after........its a great landing.

Passengers clapping its been awhile. On most if not all American carriers people are afraid to show any emotion! Clapping hands might be seen as an attempt to self destruct your palms!!!!!!

Its become "just a job" now :mad::mad:

Quandary

Love this thread

LeakRate

I usually ask people would you boo if we had of crashed when they start that clapping nonsense!!

bladeruner

LeakRate wrote: »

I usually ask people would you boo if we had of crashed when they start that clapping nonsense!!

Clapping is nice, shows a bit of respect and gratitude for getting everyone on the ground safely and comfortably , the Italians are great for clapping, shame about their airports

Plowman

This post has been deleted.

happy_head

When your flying a long haul and the auto pilot is cruising along, do you get bored or is there always something to do. I have an image in my head of the two pilots just sitting there doing nothing for 5 or 6 hours. So what do you guys be doing when in the cruise and is it really boring?

Lustrum

happy_head wrote: »

When your flying a long haul and the auto pilot is cruising along, do you get bored or is there always something to do. I have an image in my head of the two pilots just sitting there doing nothing for 5 or 6 hours. So what do you guys be doing when in the cruise and is it really boring?

I've no authority to answer a question on here, but may I bend the rules and suggest this as an answer for the above..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh_shsRfXqk

Keedowah

Pretty sure that question was answered earlier in the thread. (re: what you do when auto pilot is on)

Bearcat

amen wrote: »

For any Airbus captains how do you find the transition from co-pilot where the "joystick" is controlled by your right hand to captain where the joystick is controlled by your left hand?

how does this impact a landing or even in flight maneuvers? Are they "rougher" for a while then if you had been in the co-pilot seat?

Doesnt make a diff.

RonMexico

I'd just like to say thanks to whoever the pilot was of the Aer Lingus flight from Munich to Cork on October 6th last. Gusts of 55mph (I think) on our approach and the plane was all over the place for what felt like 20minutes but was probably shorter.

When he reminded us on our approach to remember where the nearest emergency exit was I just about nearly had a heart attack. Just got the plane level as we hit the runway. Never have I been so happy to be on the ground in all my life. I had to hit the whiskey hard to calm myself afterwards. Didn't see the pilot on exiting the plane, he must have been off having a drink too

Seriously though, that landing frightened the ****e out of me.

jasonb

Priority Right wrote: »

It's to do with marine law. Boats turn to the right to pass eachother on their left hand sides. So when aviation first started the just copied the rule. The captain sits on the left so he can clearly see.....

A quick question about this. I've been told that in the air the aircraft on the right has right of way, that you turn to the right to avoid another aircraft and you overtake to the right.

On the ground an aircraft on the right has right of way, you turn to the right to avoid another aircraft, but you overtake on the left! Why is it the left when on the ground?

J.

xflyer

As best as I can recall, there is no rule about overtaking on the left on the ground. Merely that the overtaken aircraft has the right of way. Practically speaking if the overtaken aircraft is on the left side of the runway it would be impossible to comply with the left only rule. This applies to Ireland so maybe there are different rules elsewhere.

jasonb

Interesting... Overtaking on the left ( on the ground ) is what I've been told in my PPL course!

J.

xflyer

Well I double checked the Rules of the Air, it just says:

(c) an aircraft which is being overtaken by another aircraft shall have the right-of-way and the overtaking aircraft shall keep well clear of the other aircraft.

Nothing about left or right.

Weissbier

jasonb wrote: »

Priority Right wrote: »

It's to do with marine law. Boats turn to the right to pass eachother on their left hand sides. So when aviation first started the just copied the rule. The captain sits on the left so he can clearly see.....

A quick question about this. I've been told that in the air the aircraft on the right has right of way, that you turn to the right to avoid another aircraft and you overtake to the right.

On the ground an aircraft on the right has right of way, you turn to the right to avoid another aircraft, but you overtake on the left! Why is it the left when on the ground?

J.

In aviation you pass on the ground on the left so that the captain of the aircaft being passed can easily see you when you are passing him/her. Also on the ground as you are expected when not on the centre line to stay to the right so that on-coming traffic pass by on your left (captain to captain). This means a plane will be less likely to mistakenly pull in front of you while passing as he/she will most likely pull to the right.

In the air however if you pass on the left (the wrong side) you will be in breach of the rule of keeping markers like roads, land marks to your left, and in doing so may be in the path of oncoming traffic. The passing aircraft is expected to do so with wide enough berth, and because you are doing the overtaking manoeuvre you must keep the aircraft being passed in easy view to your left i.e. plane being passed in easy view of the captain passing, hense you pass on the right.

lord lucan

Do you turn your own phones off or put it into flight mode prior to flight?

Strange question i know as i expect the answer to be yes. Popped into my head when i seen an EI FO on his phone walking through T2 today.

bladeruner

lord lucan wrote: »

Do you turn your own phones off or put it into flight mode prior to flight?

Strange question i know as i expect the answer to be yes. Popped into my head when i seen an EI FO on his phone walking through T2 today.

Flight mode to save on battery, its been accidentally left on during a flight to the canaries a few times and that sucks the life out of it
I don't think anyone switches their phone off totally any more.

Mickey_D

lord lucan wrote: »

Do you turn your own phones off or put it into flight mode prior to flight?

Strange question i know as i expect the answer to be yes. Popped into my head when i seen an EI FO on his phone walking through T2 today.

In my opinion if your flying in the cabin on an airliner, Turn it off.
If your flying the airliner - turn it off...
If your flying a GA plane, I'd always keep one on incase an emergency arises. eg, radio failure etc..

Tenger

Weissbier wrote: »

..............In the air however if you pass on the left (the wrong side) you will be in breach of the rule of keeping markers like roads, land marks to your left, ...............The passing aircraft is expected to do so with wide enough berth, and because you are doing the overtaking manoeuvre you must keep the aircraft being passed in easy view to your left i.e. plane being passed in easy view of the captain passing, hense you pass on the right.

This makes sense, anytime I have been overtaken crossing the Atlantic the other aircraft has always been on our right hand side.

eatmyshorts

lord lucan wrote: »

Do you turn your own phones off or put it into flight mode prior to flight?

Strange question i know as i expect the answer to be yes. Popped into my head when i seen an EI FO on his phone walking through T2 today.

Usually just to flightmode.
I've left it on accidentally a few times. Once when flying from the Middle East to Europe I left it on by mistake and when I took it out, there were texts saying "welcome to Iran", "welcome to Turkey" and "welcome to Austria"!

jasonb

Weissbier wrote: »

In aviation you pass on the ground on the left so that the captain of the aircaft being passed can easily see you when you are passing him/her. Also on the ground as you are expected when not on the centre line to stay to the right so that on-coming traffic pass by on your left (captain to captain). This means a plane will be less likely to mistakenly pull in front of you while passing as he/she will most likely pull to the right.

In the air however if you pass on the left (the wrong side) you will be in breach of the rule of keeping markers like roads, land marks to your left, and in doing so may be in the path of oncoming traffic. The passing aircraft is expected to do so with wide enough berth, and because you are doing the overtaking manoeuvre you must keep the aircraft being passed in easy view to your left i.e. plane being passed in easy view of the captain passing, hense you pass on the right.

Thanks so much for this answer, it's great for it finally to be explained so that it makes sense!

J.

Madpaddy79

How would you know there is a pilot at a party??

Tightwad

He/she will tell you?

xflyer

eatmyshorts wrote: »

Usually just to flightmode.
I've left it on accidentally a few times. Once when flying from the Middle East to Europe I left it on by mistake and when I took it out, there were texts saying "welcome to Iran", "welcome to Turkey" and "welcome to Austria"!

That's nothing, in my sister in law's living room in Monaghan, you can receive a text. 'Welcome to the UK,' which must really rile true Republicans. It then went on the suggest tourist attractions during my stay, including the London Eye and the Tower of London. Meanwhile back in the kitchen we were welcomed home!

On a trivia point the reason the passing on the left rule in the air came into being was an accident in the 1920s. Two airliners collided head on in poor visibilty while following a railway in England, IFR, (I Follow Railways.) As a result it was decided that when following line features as they did back then aircraft must remain to the right thus ensuring separation. It wasn't because of pilot seating either because at the time most airliners were single pilot.

As for pilots and parties, there is an updated version. How do you know you met an iPhone owner at a party? They show you!

Priority Right

I was out last night with a few guys from work. I asked them why captains sit on the left. I heard everything from marine law to that's how people used to get on their horses to something to do with swords. So I guess no one knows the exact origin.

Growler!!!

Priority Right wrote: »

I was out last night with a few guys from work. I asked them why captains sit on the left. I heard everything from marine law to that's how people used to get on their horses to something to do with swords. So I guess no one knows the exact origin.

Now to put the cat among the pigeons - Why do Helicopter Captains sit on the right?

Priority Right

Growler!!! wrote: »

Now to put the cat among the pigeons - Why do Helicopter Captains sit on the right?

Apparently Mr Sikorsky preferred it that way and everyone copied him. But again I'm sure there are a few different reasons. Maybe his wife preferred the left hand seat

Tenger

xflyer wrote: »

That's nothing, in my sister in law's living room in Monaghan, you can receive a text. 'Welcome to the UK,' which must really rile true Republicans. It then went on the suggest tourist attractions during my stay, including the London Eye and the Tower of London. Meanwhile back in the kitchen we were welcomed home!

What were you doing in my sisters house? Same happens in her place in Emyvale, a valley leading to Aughnacloy blocks 'Southern' networks. (As an aside she always heard the blasts from that direction in days gone by)

Priority Right wrote: »

I was out last night with a few guys from work. I asked them why captains sit on the left. I heard everything from marine law to that's how people used to get on their horses to something to do with swords. So I guess no one knows the exact origin.

Is it true that in Russia the captain sits on the left? Something I was told many years ago, didn't really believe it at the time.


In relation to the whole history involved. You have to look at so many factors. Why are cars the dimensions they are.......they are based on our roads.......which were built on existing medieval infrastructure including bridges and tunnels........which are based on how wide 2 carts are......stemming from the original Roman roads and indeed their cart size.

In addition the passing on the left/right apparently developed as knights passed each other on the road (2 carts wide!).

I assume the mounting horses on the left is a factor of most people being right handed?