The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

XWB

Plowman wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

No usually, I had all my approach charts, STARs, SIDs, Airway maps and various paperwork, torch..some 1st aid stuff, bottle of water...various odds and ends...bit like a woman's handbag actually...

Priority Right

XWB wrote: »

No usually, I had all my approach charts, STARs, SIDs, Airway maps and various paperwork, torch..some 1st aid stuff, bottle of water...various odds and ends...bit like a woman's handbag actually...

I'm curious as to why you would carry your own charts? Was there not a set in the aircraft that would be updated regularly or were they given to every individual? (I'm not doubting you if my question comes across badly)

xflyer

Do you want to trust someone else to update the charts? Also it would mean the Technical publications person would have to access all the aircraft at some point to update the Jeppys or is it Aerad?

In fact they do as it happens to update the other manuals. I was that person once. Revising manuals was not fun. Imagine a set of 20 volumes, each 5 inches thick and having to update them with a stack of pages a foot high. :eek: Ok those were overhaul manual and weren't on board the aircraft but you know what I mean.

Better the pilot to update his own. That way he's aware of any changes before he pulls it out for a brief and if he isn't it's his own fault.

XWB

Priority Right wrote: »

I'm curious as to why you would carry your own charts? Was there not a set in the aircraft that would be updated regularly or were they given to every individual? (I'm not doubting you if my question comes across badly)

There was yes.

But I just always prefer to have my own copies just incase. There were occasions where the required chart was not there and I had to root in my bag. One that jumps to mind is the VOR DME 34 Approach at Dublin. I remember we had that once only to find it wasnt in the set of charts. I also had my 1:500,000 with me always just incase we were VFR..dont ask me why..?;)

I used to always dig out the AIP of our destination and have a look for updates..and photocopy any new charts so I could study them at home to get familier. I'm just one of those people that likes to have his own set!

FionnK86

So pilots have you ever met another pilot who became a commercial pilot after trainig in the air corps?

wittymoniker

FionnK86 wrote: »

So pilots have you ever met another pilot who became a commercial pilot after trainig in the air corps?

There are lots, not sure if you think they might be a rare beast but it's a very common thing to leave the air corps and go 'commercial'.

boeingboy

What have I inside my flight bag? For one its not a Doctors case, I use a small rucksack, more practical.

A paper or 2, ipod, 3 fones, chocalate, licences both passports. Car key for US car, car key for Irish car......... both bangers.
Torch small maglite, folder with various fone numbers as I can use phone on aircraft if outside acars range.
Oh and packet of cigarettes.

Certainly no charts, all electronic FB in my shower.
Oh and some "nice" reading looking material.

bladeruner

Plowman wrote: »

If physical manuals have become obsolete, are those distinctive pilot briefcases fairly empty these days?

Lunch,logbook,torch,high vis jacket, pilot atlas,folder full of company forms and nice to know tit-bits,passport,license, some panadol, otrovine in case of blocked sinus,
Sunglasses, regular glasses, pens from various hotels.
I never thought of it as being like a woman's hand bag but when you list it out....

Tenger

FionnK86 wrote: »

So pilots have you ever met another pilot who became a commercial pilot after trainig in the air corps?

At least 6 that I can think of off the top of my head.

Priority Right wrote: »

.....I think Emirates took out all their binders and replaced with laptops and saved 25kg per aircraft. But that could be a wrong it's just something I heard.

I did read the EK decided to remove the inflight mag from their A380 and have all the content contained in the IFE system. Apparently saved a metric ton per aircraft.

pclancy

boeingboy wrote: »

Oh and packet of cigarettes.
.

How do you manage to survive flying TA every day and not having a fag?

boeingboy

I dont fly transatlantic every day. 3 returns per month, not that long. Also 2 east coast to west coast. 1 trans pacific shorty from west coast. Finished. 80 hrs per month max.
Cigs dont bother me, not addicted just enjoy. But I do know people that go under the floor at door L1 to smoke on 767. Electronics bay.
Live Ireland work outside. Best of both worlds. No interest in working for any Irish company.

eatmyshorts

Lustrum wrote: »

Although there's a lot of automation on modern aircraft, what are the essentials that you have on you or in your flight case when you step into the cockpit?

Pens, iPad, sunglasses, regular glasses, logbook, clipboard, headset, novel, magazines and various other bits of cr*p!

Lustrum wrote: »

Are the ops manuals kept in the cockpits all the time? As in where do you get the emergency checklists when you have to shut down an engine?

What about weather reports, SIDs and STARs, maps etc or is all that taken care of in the navigation equipment?

With us, paper copies in the cockpit of the OM-A, OM-C, FCOM 1, MEL and DGG, QRH, approach plates and airways charts. They are aircraft copies and stay onboard all the time. They are updated by groundstaff.
The other manuals and also the approach plates can be accessed through the EFB's. We can use the approach and airways charts from the EFB's if the Nav Database is current, but sometimes it isn't. Then we revert to the paper ones.
SIDs, STARs are coded in the FMS nav database. But they must be backed up by the approach plates. It's not unknown for Jeppesen/Honeywell etc to make a mistake on the database updates. For example, this month, some of the airways in Kuwaiti airspace changed, but they didn't inform Honeywell in time. Therefore when we downlink the flightplan into the FMS during setup, there is a route discontinuity message. It is mentioned in our company notams in the briefing package instructing us to manually link up certain waypoints.
Weather TAFs, METARs, NOTAMs and SigMets are provided in the briefing pack. For a short flight this is all that it is needed. On longer flights, we can get the latest ones through ACARS.

Checklists are divided into Normal and Non-Normal. For us, all checklists are accessed through the ECL (electronic checklist). It's a smart system, controlled through the MFD by the mouse cursor. It also has a feedback loop so it knows switch positions etc. There is also a back up paper QRH containing them all.
Some checklists are memory items. That means you must be able to do them from memory when needed. Items like engine fire, cabin alt, unreliable airspeed, dual engine fail and others.
Supplementary procedures are another form of checklist. These are in FCOM 1 and deal with less used scenarios such as de-icing, packs off takeoffs, thrust bump etc. Basically read and do guides to configuring the aircraft.

xflyer wrote: »

Do you want to trust someone else to update the charts? Also it would mean the Technical publications person would have to access all the aircraft at some point to update the Jeppys or is it Aerad?

See above.

brennarr

First of all I have to say thanks to all the contributors to the thread, its very enjoyable to read

I flew to Orlando via Paris on Sept 10th, 3 weeks ago. I was boarded on the plane along with a few others when we were all asked to promptly to leave the aircraft as a suspicious package was found on the plane (777-300er)

After about 4-5 hours, bomb squads and sniffer dogs searching the plane and all passengers going through security screening again we got the 'all clear' and we took off as normal without too much information divulged.

My question is who makes the final decision to continue with the flight? Does the pilot make the ultimate decision and take full responsibility?

On another note I enjoyed the front facing camera on the Air France plane to allow the passengers have the pilots view on take-off and landing. Very interesting to see how the runway is viewed on approach to landing

Thanks again

Honey-ec

Do you watch "Air Crash Investigation"?

bladeruner

Honey-ec wrote: »

Do you watch "Air Crash Investigation"?

Always, even before I was a pilot I liked it.

Lustrum

For us wannabes, what tips can you give for securing that elusive first job? Is it worth our while joining the likes of IALPA or the IPA in order to help get a job, or when you have 250 hours and a CPL/IR are you just out there on your own against all the rest of the guys with the same licences?

bladeruner

Lustrum wrote:

Is it worth our while joining the likes of IALPA or the IPA in order to help get a job, or when you have 250 hours and a CPL/IR are you just out there on your own against all the rest of the guys with the same licences?

I can't see how membership of IALPA or the IPA will help you get a job, except perhaps through getting to know some of the right people but getting to find those people is like finding a needle in a hay stack and the only real shoulder rubbing affair to meet is the IALPA annual dinner, where all the pilots are busy getting as many pints in as is possible.
So basically the answer is No.

Membership matters once you get the job.

Lustrum

So any tips then?

bladeruner

Lustrum wrote: »

So any tips then?

Do what I did, wear your lucky underpants to the interview.

APM

xflyer wrote: »

Do you want to trust someone else to update the charts? .

In our airline, the charts are 3 sealed "bricks", containing only the plates we need for arrivals, such as STAR, approach and airport charts. No need for SID's, as they can be printed by the handling agents...thus making the ships library smaller, cheaper to update and lighter

I would assume if the FCOMs, FCI's, OM and charts are out of date in your airline, you must seriously be stressed at the possibility of a SAFA inspection down-route? These are all legal documents which must be onboard the aircraft

xflyer

Don't work for an airline.

Priority Right

Lustrum wrote: »

So any tips then?

I wouldn't join any of those. But saying that I find it's not what you know (you still need to be good) but more who you know. I got both my jobs through chance encounters with people and jumping at an opportunity even when I wasn't ready/eligible for the role.

wittymoniker

Priority Right wrote: »

I wouldn't join any of those. But saying that I find it's not what you know (you still need to be good) but more who you know. I got both my jobs through chance encounters with people and jumping at an opportunity even when I wasn't ready/eligible for the role.

Yep, it all about the connections you have, that's why I found it invaluable to train in Ireland, most examiners and quite a few instructors you meet are in the airlines.

Sitec

This is a fairly "out there" question....

If a plane is flying at a very high altitude compared to a plane flying at low altitude does it cover more km's due to the curvature of the earth?

Tenger

Sitec wrote: »

This is a fairly "out there" question....

If a plane is flying at a very high altitude compared to a plane flying at low altitude does it cover more km's due to the curvature of the earth?

It's a great question.

I don't think so.
But then I do not the physics/engineering background to know so. I see the logic behind your question though.
At high level higher speed can be achieved. But I don't think that was what you were referring to.

nag

Sitec wrote: »

If a plane is flying at a very high altitude compared to a plane flying at low altitude does it cover more km's due to the curvature of the earth?

I don't see why not. Theoretically...

... assuming the earth is perfectly spherical and 21,600NM in it's circumference I calculate that for a constant altitude, you would have to fly over 300,000 feet in order to achieve 1NM extra in distance flown for every 100NM travelled over the surface of the earth.

At 35,000 feet though, it would only be around 0.3NM per 100NM. That would mean DUB-JFK would be about an extra 8NM at that altitude.


That was fun!

eimear10

Great threat guys thanks. would love to be a pilot!!

howcome only some planes leave white fluffy lines behind them in the sky ?

amen

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?

Captain Chaos

eimear10 wrote: »

Great threat guys thanks. would love to be a pilot!!

howcome only some planes leave white fluffy lines behind them in the sky ?

Same way you can see your breath on cold days. Hot air from engines meets cold air, just on a large scale. The air gets colder the higher up you go, so you don't see much if any contrails from engines at low altitude. Generally 18,000ft and below. Above 20-25,000ft you generally will see trails.

xflyer

howcome only some planes leave white fluffy lines behind them in the sky ?

As CC says and it's only if the temperature is below -40 and there's moisture present. Some some days there's no trail and some days there are a lot. I saw several high aircraft yesterday not leaving a trail at all. Either that or they were UFOs:eek: