The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

LeftBase

roundymac wrote: »

Yes, limited is right, are EI still "beef or chicken" on the T/A or have they improved it the menu?

There was salmon on a recent TA flight I was on...although I wouldn't have touched it really.....

eatmyshorts

View Profile wrote: »

Would be curious to know what the lads in airlines with decent catering departments do? Although they may get sick of the limited menu of food on board.

We have crew meals provided which range from acceptable to alright, depending on the station from which they were loaded.
Usually, I just wait until the First and Business class service has been finished, then order something that was left over. Usually pretty good stuff, again depending on the flight as the menus are tailored to each individually.
Downside is that I have to set the tray on my knee.....I miss my sidestick and fold-out traytable!

I recently acted as a safety pilot for a new F/O on his first flight after joining from a certain European LCC. He thought the Purser was joking when she handed him the First and Business class menus and asked him what he'd like! Even better was the look on his face when it was served on a tray, on real china plates, with branded English silverware and a white linen tablecloth!:D

nuggetclv

Kinda a/c specific, but
Why is it that only the inboard engines on an A380 reverse their thrust on landing?

eatmyshorts

nuggetclv wrote: »

Kinda a/c specific, but
Why is it that only the inboard engines on an A380 reverse their thrust on landing?

The outboard engines overhang the edges of some runways, so having reverse there would create a FOD hazard.
Having 16 sets of brakes negated the need for 4 reversers for certification anyway.

bluecode

You should see what happens when the An 225 takes off. Those outboard engines really make a mess.

Ilyushin76

Yeah how come the antonov uses all 6 reverse trusts ?

MoeJay

eatmyshorts wrote: »

The outboard engines overhang the edges of some runways, so having reverse there would create a FOD hazard.
Having 16 sets of brakes negated the need for 4 reversers for certification anyway.

Just to be clear, for certification purposes, thrust reverse cannot taken into account for dry runways. RTO tests are done using brakes/spoilers only.

Geekness1234

What is the day to day life of a pilot in aer lingus like?
Thanks in advance.

Priority Right

Geekness1234 wrote: »

What is the day to day life of a pilot in aer lingus like?
Thanks in advance.

Worrying about Ryanair I would guess!

nuggetclv

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Flybe---British/De-Havilland-Canada/1660491/L/&sid=9eca57fb1576f86bb87b446da36a4a73

Might be seen as slightly off topic, but..
Am I wrong or is that one of those energy rating certificate on the side of the Dash-8 in the linked photo?
Has anyone ever seen anything like it before?

View Profile

More for PR I would imagine.

Darwin

Hi, I have a fairly specific question about final approaches, hope it makes sense . To take an example from Nice (France), from my untrained eye, the Easterly or Saleya approach brings aircraft over the Baie des Anges towards the city, then making a left turn as they crossover the shoreline (approx) and then straight into runway 22L/R with about 1 minute to touchdown. I have seen some aircraft deviate quite a bit from this pattern even though the incoming flights were less than 5 minutes apart. For example, I saw a Delta 757-200, keeping well out to sea and making the left turn much closer to the airport, leaving what would appear to be less time to make flight path corrections before landing. My question is - does the captain have discretion exactly what route to fly on final approach (within limits) or do ATC simply give very specific vectors to finals? In either case, why would the Delta flight take a different routing to the same runway than all the other aircraft?

Bearcat

There are from memory prescribed visual flight tracks into nice. Deviating from same like overnight flying cap antibes etc......you'll end up in a world of manure with the local authorities. Flying the RWY 22R approach requires a fairly tight turn with a high descent rate required.....delta may have had to cut the corner slightly due to the mass of the aircraft ?

Just my tuppence

View Profile

Yeah like Bearcat said, Nice has VOR approaches on to the 22 runways which then become a visual manoeuvre with prescribed tracks.

At a defined point (5.5nm from the VOR) you track 304° until you intercept the extended centreline and PAPI's.
Not really an exact path so pilots tracking on to finals may vary a little.

Darwin

@Bearcat and View Profile thanks a lot for the info, very interesting. I found a whole website devoted to flight operations at Nice, including details on the Saleya approach:

http://www.dgac-nice.fr/eng/page_arri_saley.htm

Tenger

nuggetclv wrote: »

.......
Am I wrong or is that one of those energy rating certificate on the side of the Dash-8 in the linked photo?
Has anyone ever seen anything like it before?

Flybe portray themselves as the environmentally low impact airline.

They previously had an aircraft with "Low Cost but not at any cost" decals on it

Potchumkin

XWB wrote: »

Ok 1st off my experiance and ratings..well ATPL, about 35 years or so in Aer Lingus, retired summer 2010(may be forced to make a return as there are not enough long haul commanders apperantly:rolleyes:), ratings on 737(2,3,4,5), 707, 747, Fokker 50, a330, a320 and a range of private jets. Overall over 32,000 flight hours(I actually had to go look at my logs for that...best I can make out I'd guess approx 22,000+ jet (to be honest I got to 22,000 and got sick of counting), 1000 prop and the rest is just cessna jollies to and from abbyshrule, weston etc and private adventures...and then there's sim time etc)

Ok roster question. It varies with season(and seniority;)) but usually you will have 3 weeks to a month's notice. Now I know the rosters now have got a bit tighter of late so that may be less, but I'd still imagine it to the somehwere in that region.
Generally if you get your request for a wife's birthday or anniversary or kids etc in before the roster is done up(so a month in advance) they try and help you out, though they may not always be able to. The only incidence of people getting late changes to their roster I know of was when their wife was about to pop and they got a call...generally then you'd find someone was sound enough to cover their sectors for them.
In my early days we used to chop and change all the time because life was more laid back then. In later years they got stricter on notice before you swapped(ie dont just show up and say your's covering..tell HR or someone).

32K hours is a helluva lot for just 35 years flying!
Check the logbooks after 20K.
For the 'wannabees' - check the JAR limitations.
Airline piloting used to be a skill and a profession.
Today it appears to be an opportunity for the less scrupulous to extract the 'blood' from too many 'willing' stones.

Potchumkin

Priority Right wrote: »

I'm new here. Used to be a member but haven't posted in years but have been keeping an eye on aviation forum. I used to fly for BMI and now I'm with another airline. Type rated on A320 and have flown 320 the 319 and 321. Roughly 2500 hours.

In both the airlines I've worked for we got our schedule in the middle of the month and that covers all the next month. We don't have seniority so everyone gets their fair share of flying and days off 5/3/5/4.

Who does the walkaround depends on who is flying the next sector. So you on a 4 sector day you usually do 2.

We do two sims every year. 1 every six month that runs over 2 days. It's intense but I'd hate to be flying without it. One of these sims renews our IR.

Edit to ask XWB. Do Aer Lingus not provide food for their staff?

I have just looked at this thread ........... is it for real ?????
Where does 'Priority Right' get his/her act from?
After 2500 hours I would have expected some appreciation of procedure and professionalism.
In the less flavoursome airlines such neophytes are thrust to command ... Thank God for Stenna .......

Priority Right

Potchumkin wrote: »

I have just looked at this thread ........... is it for real ?????
Where does 'Priority Right' get his/her act from?
After 2500 hours I would have expected some appreciation of procedure and professionalism.
In the less flavoursome airlines such neophytes are thrust to command ... Thank God for Stenna .......

I have totally missed how I have offended you or haven't showed "appreciation of procedure and professionalism."

This is an internet forum. I don't have to write every post in the manner I would conduct myself at work.

I answer questions trying to help people who don't fly for an airline yet or have just a general interest. You're a troll. Jog on.

pclancy

Potchumkin infraction given for breach of forum charter. Please don't insult other members or you will be banned.

This thread was created for lay people to ask questions to professional pilots, lets get back on track and focus on questons and answers

pclancy

"Bing-Bong"

Anyone still in the flightdeck or have you all lost your iPads?

Perhaps all the questions that could ever be asked of pilots have actually been asked...

RangeR

1. What's your scariest moment while in cockpit [flight or otherwise]? Did you inform passengers?
2. Have you ever been in a situation where "security" had to be administered on flight [on board marshal etc]?
3. Have you ever had an emergancy, before take off, that meant the auircraft had to be evacuated?
4. Where any of these false alarms, after tha fact?
5. What gets your blood pumping, take off or landing? I love the take off [I'm a civvy] but I find, as life goes on, I get more and more scared
6. Is there camaraderie among pilots of different airlines? Do you all share the same "canteen/water cooler" or does Airlingus/Ryanair/BMI/Other have it's own area?

<keep thread alive, don't close>

Potchumkin

pclancy wrote: »

"Bing-Bong"

Anyone still in the flightdeck or have you all lost your iPads?

Perhaps all the questions that could ever be asked of pilots have actually been asked...

Possibly all wary of being thought of as 'trolls' AND being infracted.

But let us not loose the thread folks, aircrew must develop the ability to 'compartmentalise' - and get on with the job. There is no stopping in the air .............

RangeR

<Retracted without predjudice>

LeftBase

Potchumkin wrote: »

32K hours is a helluva lot for just 35 years flying!
.

A lot of pilots in airlines will fly 800-900 hours a year. Over 35 years that is at least 28000-31500 hours. That is just under 20 hours a week of flying. I dont know if XWB includes GA flying too or if he was quoting only his jet time. 4000 of GA hours in 35 years is also very doable. It doesn't seem that impossible to me. I believe he said that his Aer Lingus career was 35 years too. He may have had hours prior to joining up.

I find your attitude puzzling and your attack on Priority Right a mystery!

smurfjed

Just got to page 9........ but can anyone answer this...

Sometimes with a godd tailwind you have to slow down to stay sub-sonic!

What has tailwind got to do with the local speed of sound?

smurfjed

RangeR

smurfjed wrote: »

Just got to page 9........ but can anyone answer this...



What has tailwind got to do with the local speed of sound?

smurfjed

Maybe some [most] aircraft aren't certified super-sonic and may fall fowl to the odd disintegration?

hardCopy

adamski8 wrote: »

emergency, so passeangers can orientate themselves and resue crews can see in i believe as people here have said. im pretty sure that lunch thing has been answered on this thread too

A related question, why do the window blinds on the overwing exits pull down to open rather than pull up to open on the other windows?

RangeR

hardCopy wrote: »

A related question, why do the window blinds on the overwing exits pull down to open rather than pull up to open on the other windows?

The exit door must be in a position to open without hindrance. Wouldn't the window blind rise through the door?

boeingboy

smurfjed wrote: »

Just got to page 9........ but can anyone answer this...



What has tailwind got to do with the local speed of sound?

smurfjed

Nothing, its totally Irrelevant. Any professional "real aircraft" pilot would indeed see the lack of knowledge. I cringed when I read that.