Now Ye're Talking - to a Commercial Pilot

Boards.ie: Niamh

bennyineire and CruelCoin, can you cool the jets* and direct your questions to our pilot guest not each other, please?



*Thanks, I was waiting to use that one. Don't make me use the grounded one :eek:

I'm A Commercial Pilot, AMA

CruelCoin wrote: »

Any examples?

The gaps left between planes landing and arriving at airports seem to be huge.

Do you think there is excessive safety in regards to that?

Could the gaps be shortened and for there to still be an acceptable safety margin?

How do you combat boredom?

If you're not allowed certain devices on board, is there a way to entertain yourself when the autopilot is on?

Is there anything to do when AP is on, or do you brush up on manuals, sleep etc?

Examples are a tyre worn close to limits, damage in and around a cargo door, a light installed the wrong way round (!)...in terms of the number of flights I've done it really is a tiny percentage.

Arrival gaps: There already is a lot of work going on in relation to this. You can look up "wake turbulence recategorisation" for some info on it. Other elements are mostly based around the infrastructure. Gatwick for example shows what can be achieved with a single runway when the infrastructure and procedures are designed to enhance efficiency. Heathrow on the other hand has some of the most efficient arrival and departure procedures about but in order to give them a big increase in throughput they simply need antoher runway.

Gaps could possibly be reduced but all that creates is the more likely possibly of delays when conditions are less than ideal (e.g. Heathrow will place an arrival regulation on aircraft when winds aloft are very strong - could be fine on the ground)

Boredom: well we are allowed to read "non-technical" material as there is an acceptance that doing so helps to maintain your level of alertness throughout the flight, manuals while interesting are not exciting to read for hours on end. Crosswords, sudoku, stuff like that. Sometimes depending on who you are working with you could be talking the whole day...

We are also allowed to take rest on the flight deck but it is subject to strict rules but it is eminently sensible as rest is the only way to combat fatigue....

CruelCoin

Boards.ie: Niamh wrote: »

bennyineire and CruelCoin, can you cool the jets* and direct your questions to our pilot guest not each other, please?



*Thanks, I was waiting to use that one. Don't make me use the grounded one :eek:

I'll be good

"Scuffs ground"

Mint Sauce

I know there has been advances, with how long newer planes can fly without landing or refueling, and with the numbers planes can carry, but do you think we have taken a step back with the demise of the Concord, and no more supersonic flight (for those who could afford it)?

I'm A Commercial Pilot, AMA

Mint Sauce wrote: »

I know there has been advances, with how long newer planes can fly without landing or refueling, and with the numbers planes can carry, but do you think we have taken a step back with the demise of the Concord, and no more supersonic flight (for those who could afford it)?

Yes I do, however it is reflective of how business is run these days. When you look at the vast sums of money that go into research and development into getting a new aircraft built, certified etc. you can understand why manufacturers are reluctant to get involved in a project such as new Concorde-type aircraft. The shareholders demand return on their investment so who would take on a high risk project like that? Similarly the airlines. The technology exists but nobody is willing to take a punt on it as nobody could do it profitably.

I do think it would be great to be using cutting edge technology to create a new generation supersonic craft, unfortunately not too likely....

Mountainsandh

Is it true that pilot and co-pilot have to pick different foods so they won't be both sick in the event of rotten food ?

When you sit in as a passenger for your own holidays or whatever, would you spend the entire flight analyzing it and thinking of technical details, or do you just switch off and enjoy, or do you prefer to avoid flying on personal time ?

Is there an element of management between pilots and flight attendants, or do they come in and do their job, while you come in to do your job with a completely separate agenda ?

CruelCoin

Mountainsandh wrote: »

When you sit in as a passenger for your own holidays or whatever, would you spend the entire flight analyzing it and thinking of technical details, or do you just switch off and enjoy, or do you prefer to avoid flying on personal time ?

I'll add to that:

Is there any kind of protocol that demands you identify yourself to the airline as being a pilot before you fly? Or do you go anon?

I'm A Commercial Pilot, AMA

Mountainsandh wrote: »

Is it true that pilot and co-pilot have to pick different foods so they won't be both sick in the event of rotten food ?

When you sit in as a passenger for your own holidays or whatever, would you spend the entire flight analyzing it and thinking of technical details, or do you just switch off and enjoy, or do you prefer to avoid flying on personal time ?

Is there an element of management between pilots and flight attendants, or do they come in and do their job, while you come in to do your job with a completely separate agenda ?

Yes that is true - I got a bad dose of gastroenteritis from a crew meal once upon a time. When it came on I was at home and not at work but it was a week off feeling miserable! After that I actually virtually stopped eating the food on board.

For a time I was always keeping an eye on what was going on and not really relaxing when I was a passenger but that passed and now I don't really think about it at all, get comfortable, read a book or listen to music (noise cancelling headphones really are brilliant). A couple of times I have deliberately avoided going anywhere near the airport when on holiday...

Yes there is an element of management of the total team on board, you have to be able to coordinate when things are going wrong and in reality there is a constant flow of information of how things are progressing during flight between everyone anyhow. Having said that you have to let people do their job, I am not there to tell them what to do for service, I'm not there to check up on them, you have to trust they know their job and responsbilities in the same way they do for us. What you do have to do is instil confidence that you can lead them and they can trust you. Letting people get on with their work without constantly managing them is a great way to get people confident in their role.

I'm A Commercial Pilot, AMA

CruelCoin wrote: »

I'll add to that:

Is there any kind of protocol that demands you identify yourself to the airline as being a pilot before you fly? Or do you go anon?

No protocol that I know of. I'm quite happy to be completely anonymous...

CruelCoin

Where do you see airports going in the future?

I flew through Doha recently, and it's an amazing place (architecturally). That said, it's all Gucci, Armani, Prada etc, that are all deserted, and the few places that cater to regular people are chockablock.
I see the same repeat in almost every airport i fly through. I must be missing something, but i cannot see the business case for deserted shops that don't cater to the majority of people flying.

So what do you reckon is going to happen long-term? Will they stay set in trying to become 5-star airports, or are they going to revert to cattle sheds with an emphasis on volume and throughput?

CruelCoin

Why does Heathrow lose so many goddam bags?

fixXxer

CruelCoin wrote: »

Where do you see airports going in the future?

Airports stay where they are, it's the planes that go.

CruelCoin

Will we ever see the return of being able to bring your kids to see the cockpit/pilots?

I got to do that a few times as a child, and i absolutely loved it. And i really wish for a day that i could do the same for any future kids of mine.

I'd pay for it for gods sake.

Hear me O'Leary?

CruelCoin

fixxxer wrote: »

Airports stay where they are, it's the planes that go.

Har! :-p

I'm A Commercial Pilot, AMA

CruelCoin wrote: »

Where do you see airports going in the future?

I flew through Doha recently, and it's an amazing place (architecturally). That said, it's all Gucci, Armani, Prada etc, that are all deserted, and the few places that cater to regular people are chockablock.
I see the same repeat in almost every airport i fly through. I must be missing something, but i cannot see the business case for deserted shops that don't cater to the majority of people flying.

So what do you reckon is going to happen long-term? Will they stay set in trying to become 5-star airports, or are they going to revert to cattle sheds with an emphasis on volume and throughput?

The main problem is that the airlines don't want to pay the airport for using their facilities. They argue that by bringing the passengers to the airport by flying a particular route, the passengers will spend money in the terminal that the airport wouldn't otherwise have gotten. The airports argue that without there being an airport to fly to, the airline would have less passengers. And then the arguments start.

So in short, the airport decides if it can't make money from the airlines it will create other ways of doing it; i.e. retail. And a lot of them make it so that you can't get to your gate without passing all (or a lot of) the retail outlets they can get away with..!

cavemeister

In terms of communicating with the passengers, what is the protocol for serious issues with the plane mid-flight? Do you say nothing till the last minute or do you advise as soon as you find out?

thebourke

do you suffer from jet lag?

Do you have to do health checks/eye tests etc every year?

I'm A Commercial Pilot, AMA

cavemeister wrote: »

In terms of communicating with the passengers, what is the protocol for serious issues with the plane mid-flight? Do you say nothing till the last minute or do you advise as soon as you find out?

So in terms of dealing with a serious issue the priority is having the aircraft under control first before starting to talk to anyone. No point in announcements if you are careering all over the sky...!

I believe that honesty is the best policy, most passengers I think are happy when we are straight with them. You don't want to alarm people, but I think a lot of people can spot BS a mile away so it does you no favours. You have to keep people updated as you go, depending on the circumstances you may or may not have a lot of time to do it.

I'm A Commercial Pilot, AMA

thebourke wrote: »

do you suffer from jet lag?

Do you have to do health checks/eye tests etc every year?

Jet lag, yes absolutely. Last night was the first night this week I got a really good sleep. There's only so much you can do to try to beat it but you get a good idea about how your system reacts so you can work around it. Every person seems to have their own idea of how to work it out!

There is a medical every year; some particular tests are not done every year but increase in frequency as you get older, particular problems are more likely later in life and that's mainly the reason why.

thebourke

are most flights now all put on auto pilot..short/long haul flights?

triggermortis

Does your company allow you to carry out any engineering work or would you always have to call an engineer?

Does your company have many female pilots, and if so, are many of them captains? Rough percentage...

Eoin

Why are ear buds OK to wear for take-off and landing, but not over/on earphones?

On the security side of things - do you feel safer knowing that everyone's liquids are now in smaller containers? Are there any things that are still allowed that you think shouldn't be?

CruelCoin wrote: »

Will we ever see the return of being able to bring your kids to see the cockpit/pilots?

My kid was allowed in the cockpit a year or two ago while we were boarding. We didn't ask or anything, so I was pretty surprised. And also pretty horrified when he started pressing lots of buttons.

Gloomtastic!

Apologies for going slightly off-topic but this was posted in the ‘Bet you didn’t know that’ thread

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

I've never met someone who doesn’t like the 1980 movie Airplane!.

The common misconception is that it is a parody of the popular 1970s Airport film series, based on the original novel by Arthur Hailey.

However, Hailey had an earlier teleplay and novel which he adapted into the 1957 movie Zero Hour!.

Airplane! is in fact an almost shot-for-shot parody of this film.

The Airplane! writers actually bought all the rights to Zero Hour! to be certain they could not be sued for copyright infringement.

Here's the proof.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-v2BHNBVCs

Another interesting movie fact involves Stella Adler, a New York acting teacher and a proponent of the Stanislavski system of acting. She had many successful students including Harvey Kietel, Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando.

I remember De Niro recounting in an interview how, in one of his classes, he had to act out being a cup of tea.

However, this story involves Brando and, despite numerous variations existing, was told by Adler herself.

She asked her students to react as a chicken would if a Cold War era air-raid siren had just gone off.

All the students mimicked a confused chicken flapping their "wings" in a state of panic. That is until it was Brando's turn.

Marlon just portrayed a chicken doing what chickens normally do, and then he acted out laying an egg.

Adler asked him to explain, to which Brando responded, "I'm a chicken, I don't know what an air-raid is!".

faceman

Hi Captain! A great AMA!

I’m a very frequent flyer who carries a certain level of anxiety when flying from time time. I’ve a 2 parter question!

1. Are flight crews aware that a high percentage of their passengers/customers are nervous/anxious and if so, why is the communication between cockpit and passengers so poor?

2. For example, I’d like to think I’m rationale human being who, on terra firma, understands that turbulence is not dangerous and flying is virtually 100% safe. However in the midst of flying through bad turbulence, the heart is pounding and the rosary beads are on standby! Do you think airlines could do more to accommodate anxious passengers or provide better communication during turbulence?

Cheers!

OnlyWayIsUp

CruelCoin wrote: »

Will we ever see the return of being able to bring your kids to see the cockpit/pilots?

I got to do that a few times as a child, and i absolutely loved it. And i really wish for a day that i could do the same for any future kids of mine.

I'd pay for it for gods sake.

Hear me O'Leary?

Are Lingus let my two young kids into cockpit after landing last Summer. Pilot and co-pilot were brilliant with them.

bobbysands81

I’m a nervous flyer and on a few flights I’ve bern on the pilot has made an announcement along the lines of “We’re expecting some turbulence a few hours into the flight...”

Why do this??? Why not wait until 2 minutes from turbulence if you really want to tell people?

Anyway, Valium is great for calming you down if you’re a nervous flyer.

diomed

Has an aircraft you've flown ever been grounded at another airport with a technical fault for a long time?
If that happens do the crew and passengers go on another aircraft?
Does someone do a lot of shouting to get it fixed?

CruelCoin

bobbysands81 wrote: »

I’m a nervous flyer and on a few flights I’ve bern on the pilot has made an announcement along the lines of “We’re expecting some turbulence a few hours into the flight...”

Why do this??? Why not wait until 2 minutes from turbulence if you really want to tell people?

Anyway, Valium is great for calming you down if you’re a nervous flyer.

I have no idea on this, but does valium take an hour or two to kick in?

Maybe its a courtesy to let you know to prep up?

CruelCoin

How seriously is safety taken on flights (in terms of cabin crew)?

For example, when they march the aisle to check if you have your belt on prior to landing/takeoff, they walk the aisle so fast, that they pass entire rows without laying eyes on it.

Apathy from thousands of flights i imagine?

Side question: From a safety point of view, could it ever happen that the EU would allow O'Leary the standing only sections on planes he's looking at for short hops?

Wanderer78

CruelCoin wrote:

Side question: From a safety point of view, could it ever happen that the EU would allow O'Leary the standing only sections on planes he's looking at for short hops?

Never underestimate the power of lobbyists, but I'd hope not. Be interesting to hear from our pilot on this though. Thank you to both