The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

eatmyshorts

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?

It's called a "sidestick", and you can give me one of those any day over a pointless huge yoke taking up space in front of me.

It doesn't really matter if it's an Airbus or not. Transitioning to the left seat of any aircraft means flying with your left hand. Left on the yoke, right on the thrust levers.

PattheMetaller

I've been reading this thread over the last few days to catch up. I don't remember if this has been asked before so here goes: why does the captain sit on the left and co-pilot on the right?

Brilliant thread and very intersting. Cheers

P \m/

Chuck Stone

Do planes power into a landing or do they glide?

Do plane engines rotate away from each other i.e. if the right hand engine is spinning clockwise does the left hand engine spin counter-clockwise?

LLU

In an Airbus, does the sidestick give any feedback to what you are doing? i.e. if say you are pulling back and some external force (gravity, wind, etc) is pushing the plane the other way, do you feel a corresponding resistance in the stick?

Actually the same applies to the more traditional controls in a jet. Given that the controls are fly-by-wire, how much of the external forces are transmitted back to the pilot?

Thanks.

Priority Right

PattheMetaller wrote: »

I don't remember if this has been asked before so here goes: why does the captain sit on the left and co-pilot on the right?
/

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 the plane he's avoiding.

LLU wrote: »

In an Airbus, does the sidestick give any feedback to what you are doing? i.e. if say you are pulling back and some external force (gravity, wind, etc) is pushing the plane the other way, do you feel a corresponding resistance in the stick?
.

You feel nothing from the sidestick. It's just connected to a computer not the mechanical controls. Also when the F.O moves their sidestick the captains one doesn't move etc so it's hard to see what inputs are being used compared to other planes e.g boeing.

pclancy

Hence the button for priority left or right?

eatmyshorts

Priority Right wrote: »

You feel nothing from the sidestick. It's just connected to a computer not the mechanical controls.

To say you "feel nothing" is a bit simplistic. There is a force feedback spring meaning there is a stronger resistance the further the stick is displaced from central. Releasing the stick returns it to the neutral position.

roundymac

The main runway at Cork is 2133m in length, could (a) a A330 make the east coast on that length of runway, (b) a 757, bearing in mind that Cork has a constant crosswind. Also does the 739er have the range to do an atlantic trip, (not just from Cork), if not, is there any plane that can fill the gap for the 757's, they are starting to get a bit long in the tooth now.
This is a great thread, love it,and thanks to all the pilots who take the time to answer our "dopey" questions.

xflyer

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Do planes power into a landing or do they glide?

Do plane engines rotate away from each other i.e. if the right hand engine is spinning clockwise does the left hand engine spin counter-clockwise?

Light single engined aeroplanes often glide in as much as anything for practice should the engine fail. But generally aircraft carry power into the landing. With jet engines it's neccessary because even modern engines take a few moments to spool up and generate more thrust in the event power is needed

In thirties any RAF pilot who used power on landing had to buy a round of drinks in the mess. That was fine for light biplanes. When they introduced heavier and twin engined aircraft the rate of landing crashes shot up and it became standard practice to use power on the approach.

As for engine rotation, yes there are some aircraft that have counterrotating engines but mostly on piston engined aircraft. Notably the Beechcraft Duchess and I think the P38 fighter of WW2. Turboprops do not as far as I'm aware and jet engines always rotate in the same direction.

For piston engined twins it's considered a desirable option as it avoids having a 'critical engine'. At this point I think I'll stop as we're getting into factors like, torque, P-factor, gyroscopic precession, slipstream effect, Vmca, Vmcg:eek:

TMA.

Priority Right

eatmyshorts wrote: »

To say you "feel nothing" is a bit simplistic. There is a force feedback spring meaning there is a stronger resistance the further the stick is displaced from central. Releasing the stick returns it to the neutral position.

Fine if you want to be pedantic you do feel a small force but it has no feedback from the ailerons or the elevator.

Tenger

eatmyshorts wrote: »

To say you "feel nothing" is a bit simplistic. There is a force feedback spring meaning there is a stronger resistance the further the stick is displaced from central. Releasing the stick returns it to the neutral position.

The question was in relation to feedback from the physical movement of the airlerons/flaps/wings. Feedback resistance is a preventative measure (to counter over input) rather than a response to external conditions

Lustrum

Can you remember the best or worst landing you've ever done? Or for that matter the toughest conditions?

Weissbier

Priority Right wrote: »

PattheMetaller wrote: »

I don't remember if this has been asked before so here goes: why does the captain sit on the left and co-pilot on the right?
/

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 the plane he's avoiding.

LLU wrote: »

.

Although the above is the most likely, I've heard of a more interesting hypothesis. It goes back to the very first days of flight when rules didn't even exist!! During this time the horse was the most common mode of transport and as almost all people mount horses from the left, the same practice carried through to boarding a plane, and to this day this is still the most predominant side for boarding all single seated planes.

And it is also said that as WW1 led to more powerful planes being produced and as these planes had a tendency to easier turning to the left which meant that pilots adopted this as the standard for examining areas and then for entering and preparing to land and ultimately to standard airport practices. Later when side by side aircraft configurations were being adopted the left seat was then set up with appropriate instrumentation and the right with minimal if any instrumentation.

Dacian

Most 'rules' and habit in aviation came from the navies of the time. Thus you have captains, first officers and pursers.
You also have port and starboard, port being the side that is closest to the port!

Gangway=jetways, galley's, cabin's, lots of naval stuff there.

tricky D

What interesting atmospheric or astronomical phenomenon have the high flyers among you seen?

Your favourite ATC funnies (your own or someone else's)?

View Profile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU0gIgE-i58

This is cool when it happens.

Bearcat

Lustrum wrote: »

Can you remember the best or worst landing you've ever done? Or for that matter the toughest conditions?

toughest conditions for me without doubt was cork gusting real bad but just within cross wind limits....first approach we went around, 2nd I was expecting predictive windshear to scream at us but nothing.......plus or minus 25kts on the speed.......managed speed wasnt an option re flap limiting speeds . drove her on....not a bother says me sweatin like a u know what......tricky bit was turning at the end of the rwy re weather cocking into the wind.

wind i remember joining finals at 5000ft was 230/120kts!!, so you can imagine the sheer......everywhere else was the same in ireland that day......bristol was in the eye of the storm and was our bolt hole.

next toughest both JFK.....landed in snowy conditions but taxyways were ice rinks and not told....as we vacated 31R.....couldnt turn onto parrallel taxiway as the bloody aircraft kept weathercocking which meant our tail encroached an active rwy. Guy behind us had to go around and think he diverted ....felt real sorry for him. Between differential pwr and brakes....not recommended but it was our only option that night 20 yrs ago......we skated across the ramp as we got to our gate......never did a cool beer feel so welcome that night.

Had another roller coaster onto 13R......vicious winds. Eastern seaboard weather can really throw up curve balls, likewise the west coast re fog......finally Chicago and Orlando can be mares with thunder storms.....biggest ive ever seen was a wall over lake michigan upto FL450....it was a no brainer, airfield closed....we ducked into detroit and waited for them to pass......loooong day.

worst landing, I ever been on was as a pax.....missus was preggers with our first.......was into BFS.....if she didnt loose the baby that night it was a miracle as the landing was imo violent....ive never experienced such a downward g force. that baby now is 6 ft 2in!!

McNulty737

Lustrum wrote: »

Can you remember the best or worst landing you've ever done? Or for that matter the toughest conditions?

Worst I ever did was in Santiago (spain) on Christmas eve 2009, tricky place at the best of times especially landing on the northerly runway gets very rough over the threshold due to trees/terrain. Was very gusty and turbulent on this occasion and i regretfully selected the highest flap setting to reduce landing distance in order to try and make the first exit. I say regretfully because the aircraft (738) flies like crap in gusty conditions with flap 40. Anyway became a bit unstable the last couple of hundred feet and absolutely planted it down onto the runway....merry christmas!

Best might have been Lanzarote, another tricky place gets very turbulent on finals and that day was gusting up to 60mph, approaching max crosswind for the the aircraft, had to fight it the whole way down but somehow managed to grease it down on the centreline bang on the touchdown markers.

Bearcat

Ditto re Santiago ......a total Kip. I've never encountered such vicious turbulence on approach with winds less than 25kts on the deck. That an undulating runway that tempts you to flare early.....was never too generous with offering legs there!

lord lucan

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 ask as i swore i heard a little giggle over the PA from the Captain the other night when returning from FUE with EI.:)

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?