Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

Hi jb,
The other morning I had stopped to watch a couple of aircraft land at MEL in some of the thickest fog. They were coming into land on Rwy 16, which has ILS (I think). It was quite amazing. You could hear the engines, but no sight of the aircraft, until I'm guessing 500-800 ft.
It made me think though, a few months ago, I was on QF94 and it was a very foggy morning in Mel. We came in from the S/E over MEB and landed on Rwy 34. What procedures and how is the landing calculated when you cant see a damn thing.
I'm glad it was you (QF Pilots) in the front seat and not me.

If you landed on 34, then the cloud base and visibility weren't too bad. That runway only offers VOR and more recently RNAV approaches, which (in round figures) get you down to about 500 feet AGL. Runway 16 now (after so many years) has a CAT IIIB ILS, which means that with the right equipment and training, you don't need to see the runway at all prior to landing. Take off is more limiting, as you'll need around 125 metres of visibility, and less than 10 knots of cross wind..though there is rarely wind with fog.

GLS systems also provide sufficient accuracy for automatic landings in reduced visibility, but I think Sydney is the only one installed in Oz so far, and at this stage the minima isn't lower than a normal ILS, though I expect it will be progressively reduced. GLS is a GPS based system, but with a transponder added somewhere within about 25 miles of the airport, which allows any residual errors to be reduced to pretty much nil. It has the huge positive of one transponder being able to service not only multiple runways at an airport, but multiple airports.

We practice low vis ops in almost every simulator exercise. They are straightforward enough, but as usual, we practice for the days when things go wrong.

It's worth noting that even though QF/Virgin are now allowing passengers to use their 'devices' at all stages of flight, they must still be turned totally off if low vis operations, or an automatic landing are being performed. The margins in those ops are so tiny that no 'interference' can be tolerated...so don't be surprised if you now hear a new PA telling people to turn them off for these operations.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Do the pilots seats recline?

 

[jb747]

Do the pilots seats recline?

Thinking of a 'Knee defender'?

They are very adjustable. In the A380, there is power adjustment for for/aft and height, as well as manual lumbar and recline. The outboard armrest is micro adjustable, whilst the inner is adjustable for angle and length. The pedals also adjust. The aim is to get every pilots' eyes to exactly the same position, whilst simultaneously achieving a leg position that allows for full rudder and brake extension. The flying armrest has to be positioned very exactly to allow the same feel and leverage on the sidestick every time.

The seat doesn't recline flat, but it does go quite a way back. The reason is less for comfort than it is to allow extraction in the event of a medical problem.

 

[Quickstatus]

Captain on QF440 7 SEP MEL-SYD temporarily suspends new regulations on PED due to "specific type of landing" according to CSM.

JB, do you know if there are certain landing configurations that preclude operation of PED in flightmode?

 

[smeacs]

Thinking of a 'Knee defender'?

They are very adjustable. In the A380, there is power adjustment for for/aft and height, as well as manual lumbar and recline. The outboard armrest is micro adjustable, whilst the inner is adjustable for angle and length. The pedals also adjust. The aim is to get every pilots' eyes to exactly the same position, whilst simultaneously achieving a leg position that allows for full rudder and brake extension. The flying armrest has to be positioned very exactly to allow the same feel and leverage on the sidestick every time.

The seat doesn't recline flat, but it does go quite a way back. The reason is less for comfort than it is to allow extraction in the event of a medical problem.

Is there a simple and quantifiable way to make sure you put the arm rest in the same spot for you each time? If it is anything like my car I think each time a short person drives it I end up in a slightly different position.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

The outboard armrest is micro adjustable, whilst the inner is adjustable for angle and length.

Never heard of references to outboard and inboard before jb - standard speak for flight crew? Do cabin crew use also use these terms? Standard across all carriers?

Not long ago SQ CSM was telling me about inter changeability of port and starboard / left and right. P & S when talking amongst crew / L & R when directing towards pax. Again would this standard across all carriers do you know?

 

[harvyk]

Two more from the 'interesting' category. Talking specifically 747's.

On the 747, does the transponder code default to 1200 when it's first powered up (or switched from standby to XPDR, TA, TA/RA), or does it default to the last transponder code used? If it simply uses the last transponder code used, is there a procedure to switch it to any specific code during shutdown? (just asking because on the PMDG software, it defaults back to 1200 on every new flight and it needs to be reset to the correct code for that flight).

Also the MCP can be lit up with lights that shines down on it from lights just at the top. Does the same lighting exist for the pedestal / overhead panel or is it back lit only?

 

[jb747]

Captain on QF440 7 SEP MEL-SYD temporarily suspends new regulations on PED due to "specific type of landing" according to CSM.

JB, do you know if there are certain landing configurations that preclude operation of PED in flightmode?

Yes...if the aircraft is operating in low visibility conditions (i.e. fog), either for take off or landing, or doing an automatic landing, irrespective of the conditions, then all devices must be totally powered off. The reason is simply that the margins for error in such operations are so fine, that even the tiniest possibility of interference cannot be accepted.

 

[jb747]

Is there a simple and quantifiable way to make sure you put the arm rest in the same spot for you each time? If it is anything like my car I think each time a short person drives it I end up in a slightly different position.

My rudder pedal position is 7. Outboard (flying) armrest, is G-7 (height and angle). Seat adjusted using parallax..there's a small device on the centre pillar to help with this.

 

[knasty]

JB in heavy turbulence how do you steady your flying hand such that the bumps aren't fed through the control stick? Was the column of the 744 less of an issue?

 

[jb747]

Never heard of references to outboard and inboard before jb - standard speak for flight crew? Do cabin crew use also use these terms? Standard across all carriers?

Not long ago SQ CSM was telling me about inter changeability of port and starboard / left and right. P & S when talking amongst crew / L & R when directing towards pax. Again would this standard across all carriers do you know?

Inboard and outboard are just logical words to use. I don't know that they're necessarily pilot/cabin crew speak. If I was talking to a pilot/engineer about an engine, I'd describe it by number, but to anyone 'non technical' something like 'left outboard' probably makes more sense.

As for port and starboard....I hear pilots use left and right/ p & s interchangeably....and I presume the cabin crew do the same.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

As for port and starboard....I hear pilots use left and right/ p & s interchangeably....and I presume the cabin crew do the same.

Yes SQ CSM told me they would only ever use L & R towards pax because hopefully most would know which was which - whereas P & S well anybody's guess as to level of understanding. Thanks jb - you really are a LEGEND and your continual support of AFF through your willingness to reply to every question greatly appreciated.

 

[jb747]

Talking specifically 747's.

On the 747, does the transponder code default to 1200 when it's first powered up (or switched from standby to XPDR, TA, TA/RA), or does it default to the last transponder code used? If it simply uses the last transponder code used, is there a procedure to switch it to any specific code during shutdown? (just asking because on the PMDG software, it defaults back to 1200 on every new flight and it needs to be reset to the correct code for that flight).

The code needs to be set for each flight, and comes as part of the ATC clearance. It isn't reset at the end of a flight, nor does it default to anything that I can recall, but it will reset if you do a 'test' of the system during the preflight.

Also the MCP can be lit up with lights that shines down on it from lights just at the top. Does the same lighting exist for the pedestal / overhead panel or is it back lit only?

Most panels are both internally lit, and flood lit. That way no single failure of the lighting system will render a panel dark.

 

[jb747]

JB in heavy turbulence how do you steady your flying hand such that the bumps aren't fed through the control stick? Was the column of the 744 less of an issue?

99% of the time when the aircraft is in turbulence, the autopilot is flying it. The Airbus side stick is very sensitive, and very light, so that's why your hand must be resting on the arm rest (with your correct personal setting) any time you're manually flying. Even in the Boeings, I used to fly resting my elbow on an armrest. I was once told that armrest use was a bit of 'tell' for the ex military pilots, as a high proportion used the armrests to give themselves a datum. In CT4/Macchi/A4, you rested your flying hand on your thigh for the same reason.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

BTW jb you wouldn't happen to be the jockey caressing QF93 MEL-LAX on Wed would you?

 

[Dmac6345]

BTW jb you wouldn't happen to be the jockey caressing QF93 MEL-LAX on Wed would you?

and/or QF93 on 22nd Oct.

 

[jb747]

BTW jb you wouldn't happen to be the jockey caressing QF93 MEL-LAX on Wed would you?

No. I've had a cold for the past few days, so haven't been flying anywhere. Should be back on line in a day or so, but I'm still on a blank line, so it's in the lap of the gods (i.e. scheduling). There aren't any uncrewed QF93/94s available at the moment.

and/or QF93 on 22nd Oct.

That's the next roster period. Rosters will show up in a few days.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

No. I've had a cold for the past few days, so haven't been flying anywhere.

Shame - other dude in charge should be able to drive ok too shouldn't he?

 

[Dmac6345]

No. I've had a cold for the past few days, so haven't been flying anywhere. Should be back on line in a day or so, but I'm still on a blank line, so it's in the lap of the gods (i.e. scheduling). There aren't any uncrewed QF93/94s available at the moment.


That's the next roster period. Rosters will show up in a few days.

Look forward to seeing it. Put in a good word for me.

 

[Boris spatsky]

Is there a simple and quantifiable way to make sure you put the arm rest in the same spot for you each time? If it is anything like my car I think each time a short person drives it I end up in a slightly different position.

Seat position and arm rest position is a constant annoyance on our aircraft. Each airframe/seat combo is slightly different, so much so that on some i feel 'comfortable' and on others, regardless of how much i adjust, always 'uncomfortable'. There are alignment spots on the coaming to line your eyes up with but they are really for Cat 2 ops and if i use them for normal flying i feel extremely cramped.

On our seats you can adjust:
Forward/aft
Up/down
Seatback recline
Two armrests up/down
Two different lumbar supports (up/down, fore/aft)
Thigh support (up/down)
Seatbelt lap strap height
Headrest up/down
Rudder pedal position fore/aft

If i spent time adjusting it perfectly every time, we would never get airborne!

Ultimately we make do with what we get - acknowledging that seat position is seldom the same from one flight to the next.