The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

787Dreamliner · 16-09-2011 3:02pm

Thanks xwb, i guess no matter how long the flight is you would always be doing something and kept busy, have you ever experienced any sort of emergency will say half way over the atlantic.??

XWB · 16-09-2011 3:13pm

787Dreamliner wrote: »

Thanks xwb, i guess no matter how long the flight is you would always be doing something and kept busy, have you ever experienced any sort of emergency will say half way over the atlantic.??

No technical emergency in the "void" thank god.. but there was a few sick passengers who were generally ok until we got to the other end(airline food).
There have been a few on the other end..or on this end..but none in the middle. There was one when I was flying into O'Hare. We were decending to FL150 and we got a warning light on a proximity switch for one of the forward doors. We carried out an emergency decent to 5000 and requested direct finals(Pan call). We landed and the guys on the ground had a look but they couldnt find a fault in the door or in the warning system. Just another one of those curious things airplanes tend to do....keep you on your toes.

I've had a few awkward moments in the air with equipment. After the 1st few you stop caring what the airplane does to be honest and adopt the attitude that all nav equipment and aircraft hardware is installed for the express purpose of failing or being a pain the arse. Anybody who has flown for a while will know that aircraft have personalities!..and you start to get the distinct impression that your equipment is trying to catch you out unless you keep an eye on it!;)

Dont even get me started on the radios and intercom!:rolleyes:

787Dreamliner · 16-09-2011 3:24pm

seems like the a330 kept you on your toe's alright;) you said that aircraft have personalities, was there any of EI a330's you prefered to fly..? i think they have 4 a330's is that wrong.?

XWB · 16-09-2011 3:40pm

787Dreamliner wrote: »

seems like the a330 kept you on your toe's alright;) you said that aircraft have personalities, was there any of EI a330's you prefered to fly..? i think they have 4 a330's is that wrong.?

They have 7. 4 300s and 3 200s.

Some were nicer than others to fly. Not sure I want to tell people publically

787Dreamliner · 16-09-2011 3:47pm

Some were nicer than others to fly. Not sure I want to tell people publically

[/QUOTE]
ya true it wouldn't be good idea id say:p

have EI still been asking you to come pack to fly.???

useless · 16-09-2011 4:59pm

Great thread, thank you to all the contributors.

Probably a ridiculously stupid question, but...

I've often taken off say, 30 minutes late, the captain/FO comes on the intercom when the plane gets into the cruise & apologises again for the late takeoff & says something along the lines of 'trying to make up the time in the air', then we end up landing & on stand more or less on time.

Is this just done when the crew realise they've a favourable tailwind/have been given ATC clearance for a more 'direct' route to destination or is it just the pilot putting 'pedal to metal', to use a motoring analogy? Or something else?

XWB · 16-09-2011 6:40pm

useless wrote: »

Great thread, thank you to all the contributors.

Probably a ridiculously stupid question, but...

I've often taken off say, 30 minutes late, the captain/FO comes on the intercom when the plane gets into the cruise & apologises again for the late takeoff & says something along the lines of 'trying to make up the time in the air', then we end up landing & on stand more or less on time.

Is this just done when the crew realise they've a favourable tailwind/have been given ATC clearance for a more 'direct' route to destination or is it just the pilot putting 'pedal to metal', to use a motoring analogy? Or something else?

For a major airport like JFK you will have a slot due to the volume of traffic(many times we were told to "continue approach number 6") . You arrive and land in your slot and in airports like that it is very much enforced and it is rare they will let you in earlier unless there is a slot available from a delayed or cancelled flight. So when you depart your airport you are basically going at a speed that will get you there in and around your slot to land. If you have a tailwind and fly faster you will have to slow down to not arrive too early. For example ATC will tell you "Do not cross Bangor, Maine earlier than 1400Z" which means you cannot cross that nav point etc before then.
If you take off late however you can put the foot down and speed up and may fly faster and make your slot by making the time up as you dont have to slow down and also you still have a slot to keep. Eventhough you are say 30mins - and hour late you could still make it. An A330 going JFK - DUB with an decent tail wind could get across in 4 hours if the taps were open(when Donnacha O Callaghan's wife went into labour he was rushing back from UNICEF work in Haiti and flew form NY to Shannon. The Aer Lingus crew got permission to fly full whack and were in Shannon 4h 20mins after departure). Sometimes with a godd tailwind you have to slow down to stay sub-sonic!
Slots for Dublin generally are fairly loose as the traffic volume isnt huge in comparison to other airports and they can fit you in. But going to a big US airport you must keep to your slot. If you arrive earlier than planned they wont let you into the pattern and you'll have to hold for however long. Thing is more times that not you have a headwind going west and a tail wind going east. Generally with the Shannon stop over you just show up...they expect you when they see you!

Dreamliner - Yes they have. I was asked directly by a Current Captain last week if I'd go back. I'll see what offer is put on the table.;)

lord lucan · 16-09-2011 7:58pm

Ever seen any UFO's?:pac::pac:

On a serious note,what's been your favourite approach in terms of scenery/visual spectacle?

xflyer · 16-09-2011 8:02pm

I've often taken off say, 30 minutes late, the captain/FO comes on the intercom when the plane gets into the cruise & apologises again for the late takeoff

If it's Ryanair there is a built in buffer. Recently I was on a flight where we took off 45 minutes late. We still arrived early, noticeably early.

APM · 16-09-2011 8:05pm

lord lucan wrote: »

Ever seen any UFO's?:pac::pac:

On a serious note,what's been your favourite approach in terms of scenery/visual spectacle?

My favourite approach to fly is the VOR (offset) approach to RWY32, Haugesund in Norway. Beautiful scenery coupled with a 3.4 degree approach slope and a 4degree offset. Lots of fun

NiallMH · 16-09-2011 8:18pm

XWB - Was there ever any times where maybe halfway through a longhaul when you didn't have too much to do except talk to the other pilot, that you literally could not find anything to talk about and had to stay confined to your small cockpit in a massively awkward moment?

Priority Right · 16-09-2011 10:52pm

lord lucan wrote: »

On a serious note,what's been your favourite approach in terms of scenery/visual spectacle?

Dubrovnik rwy 22. Nice scenery, challenging, high ground and when you get there all the women are hot. It's a win win.

XWB · 16-09-2011 11:50pm

NiallMH wrote: »

XWB - Was there ever any times where maybe halfway through a longhaul when you didn't have too much to do except talk to the other pilot, that you literally could not find anything to talk about and had to stay confined to your small cockpit in a massively awkward moment?

No we usually had something to chat about!

Lord Lucan -

Ever seen any UFO's?

On a serious note,what's been your favourite approach in terms of scenery/visual spectacle?

No comment on the 1st bit.

As for spectacle....well you never get tired of seeing the sun come up over the horizon coming home from the states.

Also I remember seeing some Stratocumulolenticularis cloud(spelling is wrong no doubt) over the Alps a few times.

787Dreamliner · 16-09-2011 11:59pm

As for spectacle....well you never get tired of seeing the sun come up over the horizon coming home from the states.

Also I remember seeing some Stratocumulolenticularis cloud(spelling is wrong no doubt) over the Alps a few times.[/QUOTE]

WOW!!! id say you have seen some amazing sights over the years:).. i hope i will be as lucky as you someday:D

xflyer · 17-09-2011 12:11am

With WXB on this, I don't do the transcontinental stuff. But no day is the same, even in Ireland. There are times when you look out the window and see the sunset, or you're above a cloudscape that takes the breath away. Sometimes it's so otherwordly you forget you're hungry and tired and want to go home. When you've been sitting in that cockpit for the last eight hours.

Sometimes you think it's worth the BS. Most of my working life is on video often set to music. Looking back, you wonder why you were so fed up.

I miss it when it's gone, hate it when it's there.

Seeing the sun set in the air and then seeing it set on the ground is magic.

787Dreamliner · 17-09-2011 12:18am

xflyer wrote: »

With WXB on this, I don't do the transcontinental stuff. But no day is the same, even in Ireland. There are times when you look out the window and see the sunset, or you're above a cloudscape that takes the breath away. Sometimes it's so otherwordly you forget you're hungry and tired and want to go home. When you've been sitting in that cockpit for the last eight hours.

Sometimes you think it's worth the BS. Most of my working life is on video often set to music. Looking back, you wonder why you were so fed up.

I miss it when it's gone, hate it when it's there.

Seeing the sun set in the air and then seeing it set on the ground is magic.

Reading this and xwb posts would fuel anybodys desire to be a pilot:) makes me want it more then anything, thanks guys:D

xflyer · 17-09-2011 12:26am

Don't be fooled, there are times when I actively hate it. It can be a nightmare. I haven't flown much lately. I don't miss it.

But then again...........it defines me. So how do I leave it behind? Even XWB is looking to go back.

Don't have illusions about the job. But then 787 it's too late for you.

XWB · 17-09-2011 12:29am

787Dreamliner wrote: »

Reading this and xwb posts would fuel anybodys desire to be a pilot:) makes me want it more then anything, thanks guys:D

It can be a bit mundane but sure there are bits I wouldnt give back. Although I complain about it a bit, I met my wife in the air and my sister met her husband there too. My daughter met her husband there too(funny story). I am forever linked into Aer Lingus and aviation. Not a day goes by I dont have something Aer Lingus related float into my routine.

And I may be back for an encore...who knows! :rolleyes:

xflyer · 17-09-2011 12:42am

I didn't meet my wife in the air but my being a pilot impressed her. She soon learned otherwise. I too have Aer Lingus figure large in my life. Most of my working life was somehow connected to Aer Lingus. I still have an Aer Lingus ID which opened a lot of doors for me and I have family in Aer Lingus.

I even applied for a job there not so long ago.

Typical of my generation.

787Dreamliner · 17-09-2011 12:45am

i understand that it is not all what its said to be, but i guess its moments like ye have said when ye see them amazing sights makes it all worth while:)

im not rushing to be a pilot, although i did apply for the cadetship with EI but had no luck... i current am doing my ppl and am at a solo standard and loveing every minute of it:) i plan to get my ppl and have some fun with that maybe visit a few airports around the country:D

XWB · 17-09-2011 12:56am

787Dreamliner wrote: »

.....i plan to get my ppl and have some fun with that maybe visit a few airports around the country:D

Dont go to Galway..they wont give you fuel!:rolleyes:

But club and private flying is the best type...see how many airports you can get. Try and collect them all haha.

787Dreamliner · 17-09-2011 1:32am

XWB wrote: »

Dont go to Galway..they wont give you fuel!:rolleyes:

But club and private flying is the best type...see how many airports you can get. Try and collect them all haha.

Or shannon they dont have av-gas:rolleyes: haha ya try and get them all except
dublin couldn't imagine them been too happy with an 172 asking to do a "Touch n GO" haha:P

XWB · 17-09-2011 1:54am

787Dreamliner wrote: »

Or shannon they dont have av-gas:rolleyes: haha ya try and get them all except
dublin couldn't imagine them been too happy with an 172 asking to do a "Touch n GO" haha:P

Declare an emergency!

I did that in Baldonnel..I asked Mil Radar if I could have a touch and go and they said the could only get me in with an emergency..so I called up the tower and declared an emergency and asked to land and they asked me the nature of my emergency was..and I replied "what kind of emergency would you like me to have?"..i landed..rolled down the runway and then said it was all ok and carried on off again!

See if they think you know what you are doing they are very flexible!

scudzilla · 17-09-2011 5:51am

XWB wrote: »

Longest flight I did was the old DUB - LAX...12 hours over, about 10 and a bit back.

I've noticed this for some time now, flights out are longer than flights back.

Why is this?

Growler!!! · 17-09-2011 10:37am

scudzilla wrote: »

I've noticed this for some time now, flights out are longer than flights back.

Why is this?

In simple terms the wind is behind you on the way back from the US. If you have a look at the pic below, the green lines represent the centre of the Jetstream. The long one at the centre is at FL350, the highest speed I can see is 130kts. (Triangles = 50kts. Lines = 10kts)

LOccitane · 17-09-2011 1:51pm

In simple terms the wind is behind you on the way back from the US. If you have a look at the pic below, the green lines represent the centre of the Jetstream. The long one at the centre is at FL350, the highest speed I can see is 130kts. (Triangles = 50kts. Lines = 10kts)

Indeed - although I can recall having at least equal in length, or even a more rapid Westbound T/A flight compared with the return Eastbound sector at least once in the past few years. The last few winters have seen pressure patterns similar to those of the 1960/80s. When Northern Blocking kicks in, JFK-DUB sectors for example can easily take up to 6 Hours.

This is a fantastic thread all round. A question for XWB - what was the worst incidence of turbulence that you came across in your flying career and was it anticipated?

Thanks,

LOccitane

pclancy · 17-09-2011 11:01pm

On some of the newer GA aircraft i've flown in there's a little jack on the panel labelled "Line In" where you can connect up your MP3 player or walkman

Its awesome having a little pink floyd on low in the background as you fly, I often wondered is there any chance you're allowed a little music in the cockpit of a commercial bird for your listening pleasure?

Growler!!! · 18-09-2011 12:04am

pclancy wrote: »

I often wondered is there any chance you're allowed a little music in the cockpit of a commercial bird for your listening pleasure?

No, Never - we are professionals and let nothing distract us.

(But. If somebody has left Radio 1 [252kHz] great for sports, or Absolute radio [1215kHz] tuned on ADF box 2 then its hard not to listen in a bit:D.)

David086 · 18-09-2011 1:20am

Here's a question for XWB. Which era did you prefair flying? Do you prefair flying back in the days or more modern times?

XWB · 18-09-2011 1:37pm

David086 wrote: »

Here's a question for XWB. Which era did you prefair flying? Do you prefair flying back in the days or more modern times?

The old days are always the best!

This is a fantastic thread all round. A question for XWB - what was the worst incidence of turbulence that you came across in your flying career and was it anticipated?

Worst was I'd say flying into boston we were thrown about a fair bit.

Then there was winshear at JFK...we lost 35kts on approach once. We were warned of it by prior reports...which as I pointed out to the Captain at the time means it isnt windshear anymore...it's just a rapid change in wind speed or direction!:D

The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

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