Ask The Pilot

[anat0l]

Sadly a lot of people know that I can't go with their luggage on board, and actually make use of that knowledge, so that they can finish the champagne in the lounge, or perhaps complete that duty free purchase. It can be a dangerous practice though, as occasionally the bag you want happens to be the first one to hand.

Yes, it is a trick which has been touted quite widely.

Just to confirm - what is the deal with pax and baggage? Is it a directive that a pax and their bag must travel on the same flight?

If this is so, then that doesn't quite explain instances where, for example, a pax's bag "misses" a flight (and is put on the next one).

 

[straitman]

You're asking me to remember some pretty ancient history there.

I had a private licence before doing the RAAF course. I think the deal was that graduates were automatically given a commercial licence, or a senior commercial upon doing the air legislation exam. I recall that I had to do the ATPL flight planning, navigation, and SCPL air leg exams before QF would talk to me. CASA didn't honour the military instrument ratings, so you either had to hire a lighty and take an examiner for a fly, or 'borrow' whatever you were using at work. All a bit silly really, given what the 'unlicensed' and 'unrated' military pilots were doing (i.e. flying the PM around for a start). QF didn't care whether the military guys had a civil instrument rating or not, as one would be issued as a part of their conversion.

Like JB I had a private licence prior to joinng the RAAF. Civil licences were/are similar to what jb stated but not exactly. CASA (or CAA) in those days) recognises the military training and will issue a fixed or rotary CPL on completion of the air legislation exam. To get a senior commercial or ATPL still requires completion of the appropriate subjects though the flight time is recognised. A silly byline is that the rotary ATPL has a lot of B767 references in some of the subjects. (?)

As jb stated CASA does not recognise the military instrument rating though people may have been there mixing it with each other. (again ? as to why) Remembering that instrument ratings must be renewed annually does take a little of the sting out of that though.

 

[jb747]

Yes, it is a trick which has been touted quite widely.

The 'cure' is to close the door if somebody just wanders through the lounge....

Just to confirm - what is the deal with pax and baggage? Is it a directive that a pax and their bag must travel on the same flight?

If this is so, then that doesn't quite explain instances where, for example, a pax's bag "misses" a flight (and is put on the next one).

The airline can decide to separate you from your luggage...but you can't.

 

[harvyk]

For the heavies (so the B747's and A380's), if you do decide to off load a pax (lets say they weighed 70kg) who was travelling with 15kg of bags, do you need to recalculate things like take off speeds and would they actually vary?
Or is it simply absorbed into the fact that you don't really know the weights of all the pax (one could be 50kg, another could be 130kg, but they would all be given the same weight for calculation purposes)

Edit: I've made a bit of an assumption in my question which it in itself is worthy of a question. I believe that pax are calculated based on a standard weight, but during check-in \ boarding, if a pax is obviously well over the standard weight (eg if it was 70kg as the standard weight and the pax looked closer to 140kg, so effectively 2 pax in one) is that information ever passed onto the pilots so they can factor that information into their calculations. Just thinking it terms of the lighter commercial aircraft (eg the Dash 8's)

 

[calroth]

So curious to know the 660.0MHz is likely to be coming from the airport or something else. Is that a frequency range that is used in aviation? Obviously all I need to know is that its there and to avoid that frequency, but that does take some effort when we have a show like tonight with 22 radio mics in use (school Drama Department trying to ensure all the students have lines and need to be heard).

No idea, but I don't think anything of an aviation nature operates there.

If not aviation, then we're veering away from the subject matter...

...but you can do a search for radio licences at the ACMA: Australian Communications and Media Authority: Register of Radiocommunication Licences (enter the frequency, and your postcode). There are other search tools at the ACMA site too.

 

[markis10]

I live near a small local airport. I noticed that at my home (about 2km away) I can see a reasonably strong and constant radio signal right on 660.0MHz. Is that likely to be associated with something from this airport? Some sort of beacon?.

I suspect its your computer(s), 660MHz being a common front side bus speed! Either that or your tuned into Channel 7!

 

[jb747]

For the heavies (so the B747's and A380's), if you do decide to off load a pax (lets say they weighed 70kg) who was travelling with 15kg of bags, do you need to recalculate things like take off speeds and would they actually vary?
Or is it simply absorbed into the fact that you don't really know the weights of all the pax (one could be 50kg, another could be 130kg, but they would all be given the same weight for calculation purposes)

Edit: I've made a bit of an assumption in my question which it in itself is worthy of a question. I believe that pax are calculated based on a standard weight, but during check-in \ boarding, if a pax is obviously well over the standard weight (eg if it was 70kg as the standard weight and the pax looked closer to 140kg, so effectively 2 pax in one) is that information ever passed onto the pilots so they can factor that information into their calculations. Just thinking it terms of the lighter commercial aircraft (eg the Dash 8's)

The weight will be adjusted, but as a couple of people fit within our allowed tolerance, the take off numbers wouldn't need to be recalculated.

I believe that different weights are used on different routes, though I don't know how they generate them. We just use 100 for the sake of simplicity in all cases. I've never flown small airliners, so I don't know how they handle things. Within the QF network, load sheets are generated by a specific department, so we don't need to see much other than the end results.

 

[NM]

No idea, but I don't think anything of an aviation nature operates there.

Thanks JB. Will need to look elsewhere for an explanation.

If not aviation, then we're veering away from the subject matter...

...but you can do a search for radio licences at the ACMA: Australian Communications and Media Authority: Register of Radiocommunication Licences (enter the frequency, and your postcode). There are other search tools at the ACMA site too.

Its not a licensed band and reserved for DTV. But DTV is much wider band than I am seeing (5.5MHz per DTV channel) and no Australian DTV channel is centered at 660.0MHz. Transmitters less than 100mW can be used but its up to the user to find interference-free frequencies to use.

I suspect its your computer(s), 660MHz being a common front side bus speed! Either that or your tuned into Channel 7!

That is a possibility. I'll check it out by taking the scanner away from any computer source. Though the only "computer" close to the mics at the venue is the sound desk, which is actually five Linux computers built into a control surface, so quite possible. If it was TV, then would be more channel 47 (660.25-665.75MHz). Just checked again and its actually 660.000MHz with a signal strength around -105dB (tightest my analyser will display is 112KHz range at 660MHz centre). But its consistent level all over my house and no higher near any of the computer sources.

Anyway, seems my first thought of it being from the nearby airport is not correct, so no need to discuss further in this forum.

 

[userlame]

On the 'Radio transmitters must be turned off' announcement.. I have an aviation transceiver (not a transmitter) that I use for my own plane spotting, etc. Would I be allowed to use this during the flight, once the seatbelt sign has been turned back on?

 

[markis10]

On the 'Radio transmitters must be turned off' announcement.. I have an aviation transceiver (not a transmitter) that I use for my own plane spotting, etc. Would I be allowed to use this during the flight, once the seatbelt sign has been turned back on?

Transceiver = Receiver + Transmitter, its very much a transmitter, and you must have a licence to be in possession of one.

 

[userlame]

..and if it only 'receives'. Doesn't transmit, or have a transmit function?

 

[meloz]

..and if it only 'receives'. Doesn't transmit, or have a transmit function?

Then it is called a receiver not a transceiver.

Meloz

 

[userlame]

Then it is called a receiver not a transceiver.

Meloz

Yup - my misunderstanding. Do I get to use it on the plane though?

 

[mjt57]

While I'm not an electronics expert specialising in radio stuff (my son-in-law is but doesn't seem to think that it's a huge deal), I'd be more concerned with objects that way upwards of half a kilo suddenly becoming uncontrolled flying objects.

The other day a small spirit level fell off a ladder and hit me on the noggin. Hurt like a mother. It fell about 400mm at whatever rate it could accelerate over that distance. Imagine an iPad, iPhone or whatever taking off if turbulence is encountered. I'm not sure I'd like to be dodging errant missiles during an approach or takeoff where we're most likely to experience a bumpy ride.

Whether they're turned on or off during these specific periods, I'd like to see a specific instruction, if there isn't one already, that they're securely stowed.

 

[simongr]

Whether they're turned on or off during these specific periods, I'd like to see a specific instruction, if there isn't one already, that they're securely stowed.

A hard back book weighs about the same as an iPad and a lot more than an iPhone...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But wouldn't you as the captain be able to say "turn it off or your not flying today"?
I have always been under the impression that the captain has such powers and the ability to back it up by getting the local authorities to remove people from a plane which don't comply.

you have to remember that airlines are there to make money! as jb said, there are probably plenty of phones that are accidentally left on during a flight. and the chances of something happening to endanger the aircraft are very slim.

if an airline started to delay departures, or require boarding an hour before departure, for such a minuscule risk, passengers would take another airline that allowed them to board 20 minutes before departure (or arrive at the airport later than they would with the airline requiring scans). would you honestly fly with an airline you knew did constant scans, then off loaded passengers and caused delays to your flight? I wouldn't, I'd rather fly on a regular airline and take off on time.

there are half a dozen things airlines could do to make flying much much safer... IF an accident were to occur. but they don't, simply because economics don't allow it. rear facing seats is one example. much safer on impact tonhave a rear facing seat, but the extra weight of the reinforcement for those seats is not worth the cost.

would an airline regularly delay flights and off load pax who forot to turn off their mobile? lose pax in the process? unlikely.

 

[harvyk]

you have to remember that airlines are there to make money!

I certainly hadn't forgotten that little fact. I just thought in the event of an argumentative pax the cap't always had this option to shut down any arguments quickly. But I'd forgotten the lovely little problem of unloading bags as well.

 

[Walter_Plinge]

While I'm not an electronics expert specialising in radio stuff (my son-in-law is but doesn't seem to think that it's a huge deal), I'd be more concerned with objects that way upwards of half a kilo suddenly becoming uncontrolled flying objects.

The other day a small spirit level fell off a ladder and hit me on the noggin. Hurt like a mother. It fell about 400mm at whatever rate it could accelerate over that distance. Imagine an iPad, iPhone or whatever taking off if turbulence is encountered. I'm not sure I'd like to be dodging errant missiles during an approach or takeoff where we're most likely to experience a bumpy ride.

Whether they're turned on or off during these specific periods, I'd like to see a specific instruction, if there isn't one already, that they're securely stowed.

Myth: Cell Phones Interfere with Plane Instruments : Discovery Channel

MYTH: CAN YOUR CELL PHONE INTERFERE WITH A PLANE'S INSTRUMENTS?

Finding: BUSTED

 

[mannej]

Myth: Cell Phones Interfere with Plane Instruments : Discovery Channel

MYTH: CAN YOUR CELL PHONE INTERFERE WITH A PLANE'S INSTRUMENTS?

Finding: BUSTED

No offense I would hardly call the discovery channel a reputable scientific source...

 

[The Rok]

No offense I would hardly call the discovery channel a reputable scientific source...

WTF? How dare you??? Some 75% of my entire knowledge base comes from Discovery Channel....