Ask The Pilot

[Quickstatus]

Interestingly the A320 XLA888 pre delivery to ANZ crash report said the pilots was relying on the computers to stabilise or correct abnormal flight. Complicates the relationship between fly by wire and fly by pilot......???

Does this mean that it's technically an ANZ crash as it was painted in ANZ livery?

Airbus: the computer can fly the plane better than pilot and can protect the aircraft from pilot but when computer breaks the pilot should be skilled to take over and know when to take over

 

[jb747]

Interestingly the A320 XLA888 pre delivery to ANZ crash report said the pilots was relying on the computers to stabilise or correct abnormal flight. Complicates the relationship between fly by wire and fly by pilot......???

This is the BEA final report..http://www.bea.aero/docspa/2008/d-la081127.en/pdf/d-la081127.en.pdf I don't think they were waiting on the aircraft to correct anything after it started going awry, but, they were trying to test some of the protections, notably "alpha floor". It reads to me as if there was an assumption that the aircraft would always pass the test, in which case the outcome would have been quite different. Way too low for anything like they planned.

Does this mean that it's technically an ANZ crash as it was painted in ANZ livery?

If the manufacturer crashed an aircraft before delivery, whose accident would it be?

Airbus: the computer can fly the plane better than pilot and can protect the aircraft from pilot but when computer breaks the pilot should be skilled to take over and know when to take over

Yeah...

 

[joey1695]

Hi JB.
I caught onto this thread a bit late and never got to see any of the coughpit footage that you took and was wondering if you would be doing it ever again or if you were done with that?
Would be awesome seeing you work in the majestic A380!!
Thanks for your input!
Joe.

 

[docjames]

Hi jb747, this may be more one for "ask the maintenance crew" but anyhoo.......

In the context of the airfield flooding in MAA which you may / may not be aware.

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....y-off-topic-thread-6220-1185.html#post1357839

How extensive are the repairs / inspections likely to be if
- only the wheels / undercarriage are "flooded"
- if water reaches the engine intakes
- engine exhaust

I gather from reports the flooding was "expected" but unclear to me how far in advance - somewhat surprised more aircraft weren't ferried out before the water arrived (but perhaps the reason for the water ie. torrential rain precluded flying anyway).


Thanks.

 

[jb747]

Hi JB.
I caught onto this thread a bit late and never got to see any of the coughpit footage that you took and was wondering if you would be doing it ever again or if you were done with that?
Would be awesome seeing you work in the majestic A380!!
Thanks for your input!
Joe.

I still take the occasional movie, but have lost interest to a degree, as there's a limit to how interesting the same destinations are, over and over. The biggest issue though was that various people were downloading, and then reuploading the videos under their own accounts, so I basically lost any control of them. Sadly, they're unlikely to make a public comeback.

 

[jb747]

Hi jb747, this may be more one for "ask the maintenance crew" but anyhoo.......

In the context of the airfield flooding in MAA which you may / may not be aware.



How extensive are the repairs / inspections likely to be if
- only the wheels / undercarriage are "flooded"
- if water reaches the engine intakes
- engine exhaust

I gather from reports the flooding was "expected" but unclear to me how far in advance - somewhat surprised more aircraft weren't ferried out before the water arrived (but perhaps the reason for the water ie. torrential rain precluded flying anyway).

I saw those pictures, and wondered why they were still there too. I guess it's always easy to plan retrospectively.

I wouldn't expect too many major issues as long as the water remains below the nacelles. Pretty well everything there is meant to get wet occasionally anyway. I'd expect you'd need the oleos and brakes to be looked at, as well as any of the electronics on the wheels...so probably quite a few bits to be replaced. But, I guess they'll just go flying. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[RAM]

Mea culpa


This is OT BUT..

Given the number of questions in this thread about home based flight simulators I thought this offer I saw on CashRewards may tempt some:

 

[Mattg]

I'm wondering... do airlines have to pay more to use airbridges, compared to boarding/disembarking via stairs or a stand off bay? Is the difference in cost significant?

I flew Jetstar out of BNE on the 787 last week and we had to walk across the tarmac and onto the plane, even though the international terminal was almost empty with heaps of spare airbridge gates. When we arrived back into BNE today, we had the exact same thing. Why not use one of the vacant gates with airbridges?

 

[Boris spatsky]

I'm wondering... do airlines have to pay more to use airbridges, compared to boarding/disembarking via stairs or a stand off bay? Is the difference in cost significant?

I flew Jetstar out of BNE on the 787 last week and we had to walk across the tarmac and onto the plane, even though the international terminal was almost empty with heaps of spare airbridge gates. When we arrived back into BNE today, we had the exact same thing. Why not use one of the vacant gates with airbridges?

Yes they may have to pay more, but it depends on the airport and individual contracts with the company. For example, the two centre aerobridges at Canberra have never been used to date because the airport wants to charge the airlines significantly more to use them (as they are right in public view and therefore considered premium apparently).

 

[TomVexille]

For example, the two centre aerobridges at Canberra have never been used to date because the airport wants to charge the airlines significantly more to use them (as they are right in public view and therefore considered premium apparently).

That's hilarious

 

[BAM1748]

Yes they may have to pay more, but it depends on the airport and individual contracts with the company. For example, the two centre aerobridges at Canberra have never been used to date because the airport wants to charge the airlines significantly more to use them (as they are right in public view and therefore considered premium apparently).

That's a joke right?

 

[Boris spatsky]

That's a joke right?

Nope. I heard 5 million a year per bridge. No airline has touched them.

 

[Awesom Andy]

Nope. I heard 5 million a year per bridge. No airline has touched them.

Definitely won't want to pay $5m for a rusty one now.

 

[kermatu]

Nope. I heard 5 million a year per bridge. No airline has touched them.

At least that explains why so often the 717 or even 737 I'm in has glided by several empty gates in CBR and parked where we have to use the stairs - even when the last flight for the day. Infuriating but sounds like it may not be the airline's fault.

 

[Himeno]

Nope. I heard 5 million a year per bridge. No airline has touched them.

They are also the gates that are connected to the international area. Maybe if they weren't so expensive to use, they'd get an airline for an international service

 

[anat0l]

Nope. I heard 5 million a year per bridge. No airline has touched them.

The most diplomatic thoughts that come to mind right now are, "Tell 'em they're dreamin'", and, "Go fly a kite".

Then again, some of us should be used to Canberra "International" Airport being such an enigma.

 

[Captain Halliday]

In another thread there is discussion about the weight of carry-on luggage and whether restrictions are to do with 1) safety, 2) space and practicality, or 3) profit.

My question replates to the safety bit. Obviously the weight distribution forward and aft is important to safe operation of the aircraft, but how important, if at all, is the distribution of weight vertically in the aircraft... Ie. in the hold, vs in the cabin vs the overhead bins?

 

[jb747]

In another thread there is discussion about the weight of carry-on luggage and whether restrictions are to do with 1) safety, 2) space and practicality, or 3) profit.

My question replates to the safety bit. Obviously the weight distribution forward and aft is important to safe operation of the aircraft, but how important, if at all, is the distribution of weight vertically in the aircraft... Ie. in the hold, vs in the cabin vs the overhead bins?

Vertically...no I don't think there's any consideration of it beyond the designers stage. Fore and aft is the most sensitive (by far) direction for any CofG load changes. Lateral is much less a consideration, and vertical...not at all.

Think about cabin baggage. It sits in a somewhat flimsy container, above your head. Say 5-6 people each stick 10 kgs up there, and you're looking at 50-60 kgs. Have an extremely heavy landing (2g) and it weighs about 120 kgs. Now have an accident, with a pulse up to 9g. Otherwise survivable, but you've just had 540kgs land on your head. Accidents are pretty rare, but dying for someones' carry on seems a poor way to go. It's not just the overall strength of the bin...if the door opens in an incident it could be just as bad.

Perhaps we should just ban everything with wheels. I'm sure bags would be lighter if they had to be carried!

 

[Captain Halliday]

Thanks jb. I'm certainly not suggesting weight limits be removed. I was just curious about the CofG question and if it affected aircraft performance.

Perhaps we should just ban everything with wheels. I'm sure bags would be lighter if they had to be carried!

This is such a simple and obvious solution. It might just work. Is this applied by any operators to your knowledge?

 

[mjt57]

Perhaps we should just ban everything with wheels. I'm sure bags would be lighter if they had to be carried!

I think so, too.
I have carry-on wheelie bags, but lately I've used a small backpack to carry the essentials should my luggage end up in Nome, rather than in LA...

I throw my iPad, Kindle, travel amenities and a spare pair of jocks and socks into it. Itineraries and copies of tickets go into it. Passport and boarding passes stay in my top pocket.

The backpack goes under the seat.