Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

So, how will get to SYD?

I'm a commuter. The company isn't responsible for getting me from where I live to Sydney. They are responsible for travel between my base (Sydney) and anywhere they want me to go. Upshot is that on those occasions that I start or finish a flight in Sydney, I get to buy my own ticket on QLink, Virgin or Rex as required. If a flight has both ends in Melbourne, then I normally drive.

Does this mean that you're stuck in Dubai for 4 days???

It's not quite that bad...you can take out the 14 hours of the flight from Oz to Dubai. I think the slip ends up at about 60 hours...which is very much long enough.

 

[mjt57]

If a flight has both ends in Melbourne, then I normally drive.

Do you guys have employee parking or do you have to take your chances in the public parking areas?

It's not quite that bad...you can take out the 14 hours of the flight from Oz to Dubai. I think the slip ends up at about 60 hours...which is very much long enough.

Yes, I can imagine.

We weren't even that comfortable with the 5hr layover in the airport, particularly my wife who noticed the absence of women, other than the usual European travellers.

 

[jb747]

Do you guys have employee parking or do you have to take your chances in the public parking areas?

There's parking available at all of the airports, though it varies in quality. Best is in Sydney, where much is under cover. There is parking available to me in Melbourne, but it isn't under cover, so I prefer to pay for my own, and use one of the off airport mobs.

We weren't even that comfortable with the 5hr layover in the airport, particularly my wife who noticed the absence of women, other than the usual European travellers.

I don't think you can really compare a layover within the airport with a few days in a place. When the temperature isn't too high, there's plenty to see and do. I prefer it to many other possible destinations. Anyway, it's a great place to catch up on my sleep (as was Bahrain, when we went there).

 

[mjt57]

I don't think you can really compare a layover within the airport with a few days in a place.

True enough. She just found it to be creepy.

When the temperature isn't too high, there's plenty to see and do. I prefer it to many other possible destinations. Anyway, it's a great place to catch up on my sleep (as was Bahrain, when we went there).

From your perspective, what's there to see/do?

As for sleep I'd imagine that drunken hotel guests aren't a worry there...

 

[por930]

JB, I just read an article about an A330 being damaged in a hail storm about 20 minutes from landing...

An Airbus A330 Recently Flew Into A Hailstorm -- And This Is The Result

Would'nt the weather radar on the aircraft warned the crew of dangerous conditions ahead. If the aircraft was 20 minutes from landing, I would imagine descending though cloud would be fairly common. Would the A380 be in a better position to avoid such weather occurrences this close to landing?

 

[pagingjoan]

New roster time. Biased in a strange direction (for me anyway).
27/9 QF11
28/9 QF12 <Snip>

No QF 9 between 19 and 25 Sept, jb?
Would have liked to say hello again.

 

[Dmac6345]

New roster time. Biased in a strange direction (for me anyway).

27/9 QF11
28/9 QF12

8/10 QF93
9/10 QF94

16/10 QF7
18/10 QF8

6/11 QF9 MEL-DXB
10/11 QF1 DXB-LHR
12/11 QF2 LHR-DXB
14/11 QF2 DXB-SYD

I'm not happy at all with this roster JB. Any chance of sending it back for review, and/or picking up a couple of extra 93 and 94's late October .

 

[docjames]

8/10 QF93
9/10 QF94

Miss you by a few days either side....

 

[pagingjoan]

Growing body of evidence that QF got the roster wrong for jb this time!

 

[jb747]

From your perspective, what's there to see/do?

The crew do things like go carting, and even ice skating. The old town/market area is worth a visit. Plenty of nice places to eat...and even drink.

As for sleep I'd imagine that drunken hotel guests aren't a worry there...

Not as dry as you imagine.

 

[jb747]

JB, I just read an article about an A330 being damaged in a hail storm about 20 minutes from landing...

An Airbus A330 Recently Flew Into A Hailstorm -- And This Is The Result

Would'nt the weather radar on the aircraft warned the crew of dangerous conditions ahead. If the aircraft was 20 minutes from landing, I would imagine descending though cloud would be fairly common. Would the A380 be in a better position to avoid such weather occurrences this close to landing?

It is a nasty picture, and it would be interesting to see what the fans look like. It most likely looked just like heavy rain on the radar. Not everyone reads a radar the same way, so what one person might elect to go around, another might decide to fly through. Nearing the end of the flight, the tracking options start to close down. It's very difficult to say much without an idea of what the overall weather looked like. Even fuel state could come into it. Sometimes you do just have to bite the bullet.

 

[jb747]

I'm not happy at all with this roster JB. Any chance of sending it back for review, and/or picking up a couple of extra 93 and 94's late October .

It gave me what I asked for, so I can't complain.

 

[mjt57]

The crew do things like go carting, and even ice skating. The old town/market area is worth a visit. Plenty of nice places to eat...and even drink.



Not as dry as you imagine.

Surprises me a bit. But then, when I wandered through DXB I was surprised to see all the duty free liquor and even a bar or two in the airport.

What's the go-karting like? Do they limit you to those putt-putt carts or do they have some real ones with mumbo?

 

[jb747]

What's the go-karting like? Do they limit you to those putt-putt carts or do they have some real ones with mumbo?

All a bit of topic really...but they're very good ones.

 

[mjt57]

All a bit of topic really...

Nah, you're just discussing what you and your fellow flyers do on your layovers...



And you give us reasons as to why we could choose to stay a day or two there before catching the next leg of the flight.

 

[drpurpleturtle]

[video=youtube;dbJlcKDjTSA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbJlcKDjTSA&amp;list=UU--oDW2jBZWpAgcKKS6jEJA[/video]

Hi JB,

Found this YT clip of a Swiss A330 conducting a flypast with a couple of F5 Tigers. I'm just wondering how does both the A330 and the F5's maintain a safe seperation between each other? and how close would you think the F5's got to the A330? (To me they do seem quite close on certain occasions).

Thanks in advance!

 

[jb747]

Found this YT clip of a Swiss A330 conducting a flypast with a couple of F5 Tigers. I'm just wondering how does both the A330 and the F5's maintain a safe seperation between each other? and how close would you think the F5's got to the A330? (To me they do seem quite close on certain occasions).

F5s...always a good looking machine.

Actually it's quite a loose formation (which is sensible, as there would be some very strong vortexes and wake off the 330). The don't seem to be within about an F5 wingspan...so perhaps 25 to 30 feet. The F5s would be responsible for maintaining the clearance. The A330 crew would essentially ignore them.

 

[Craigie]

If I saw it correctly as that 330 began the takeoff roll and the pilot opened the throttles, the trim rolled forward. Is that right? Does that always happen and what's the purpose? I thought the aircraft would be trimmed for take off already?

 

[jb747]

If I saw it correctly as that 330 began the takeoff roll and the pilot opened the throttles, the trim rolled forward. Is that right? Does that always happen and what's the purpose? I thought the aircraft would be trimmed for take off already?

Why does it even have a trim wheel? They disappeared from the Boeings with the 767 and 747-400. 380 doesn't have one either.

Specifically, I don't know...all of the above aircraft have it preset.

 

[TomVexille]

Why does it even have a trim wheel? They disappeared from the Boeings with the 767 and 747-400. 380 doesn't have one either.

Specifically, I don't know...all of the above aircraft have it preset.

I can't answer why, but they do appear to have a trim wheel