Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

It's a helicopter...sometimes it takes time for the pilot to work up enough courage to go flying.

 

[Moody]

It's a helicopter...sometimes it takes time for the pilot to work up enough courage to go flying.

I thought that too .... did one of those "lessons" at Bankstown, and after a 20-minute video we jumped in the rather small cabin and the PF fired her up and talked me through the controls as he lifted off and spun the craft 180 degrees.

He then started forward whilst staying a couple of metres in the air and did a couple of turns, and I started to wonder when the rudder demonstration was going to end. He must have caught something in my expression because he said "I'm taxiing!"

It was only then I realised he was following the tarmac from the heliport to the helipad, where he paused to get clearance to enter. Once that was given it was in and up!

 

[straitman]

It's a helicopter...sometimes it takes time for the pilot to work up enough courage to go flying.

Says he, who in an earlier life was a ....

Na, I won’t give all your secrets away jb.

 

[harvyk]

Where does a medical emergency on a normal pax aircraft sit in the ATC peaking order? Above, below or equal to Med1?

 

[straitman]

Where does a medical emergency on a normal pax aircraft sit in the ATC peaking order? Above, below or equal to Med1?

The pilot can decide and if appropriate change the category to Med1.
I don’t know what occurs Internationally.

 

[iRobbo]

The pilot can decide and if appropriate change the category to Med1.
I don’t know what occurs Internationally.

Med1 was changed to MEDEVAC and Med2 changed to HOSP. Only the RFDS and Emergency crews can use those priorities. Inflight medical emergencies the pilot, if they deem it warrants it, should declare a PAN and gain priority through that declaration. Same result as previous and as Straitman described. Traffic priorities can be found in AIP ENR 1.4 - 18 para 10 (just type that into Google and it should take you there if you are interested).

 

[straitman]

Med1 was changed to MEDEVAC and Med2 changed to HOSP. Only the RFDS and Emergency crews can use those priorities. Inflight medical emergencies the pilot, if they deem it warrants it, should declare a PAN and gain priority through that declaration. Same result as previous and as Straitman described. Traffic priorities can be found in AIP ENR 1.4 - 18 para 10 (just type that into Google and it should take you there if you are interested).

See, go away for a few years and they change it all.

 

[iRobbo]

Sorry - AIP reference was for HarvyK - after I read it realised my cutting and pasting skills for quotes are not up to par...

 

[lastrow]

I have just been following a very interesting video earlier in this thread where the audio carried coms with ATC on both take off and landing. In both cases the controller was female and both had a delivery rate faster than any race caller I have heard. This segment was in America where at least adequate English is spoken, but how can a pilot cope with such rapid fire directions, much of it in verbal shorthand, especially when delivered with a heavy local accent in a foreign country.

 

[Kerrodt]

View attachment 129984View attachment 129985

Hi JB.

What does the colour coding represent? I’m guessing intensity in some weather indications up ahead.

Thanks

 

[Melburnian1]

Any time that we select the seat belt sign on, there will be a PA given. 99.9 times out of a hundred, that PA will be "Passengers and crew, be seated, fasten seat belts". If the turbulence is sudden, and we didn't see it coming, the word "immediately" will be added.... Immediately means just that, in the nearest seat. No time allowed.

jb, the more severe turbulence can be concerning to passengers, but what about cabin crew serving from a trolley? The latter is heavy. It and contents are potentially projectiles - wine bottles, tea and coffee urns and so on. Is the crew expected to place the brake on and rush for the nearest crew (or empty passenger) seat and leave the trolley and contents blocking an aisle?

 

[jb747]

What does the colour coding represent? I’m guessing intensity in some weather indications up ahead.

Much like traffic lights. Green should be ok, yellow with a lot of caution, and red don’t go there.

Magenta, which I don’t think is on the picture, could be summed up as ‘I told you so’.

 

[jb747]

jb, the more severe turbulence can be concerning to passengers, but what about cabin crew serving from a trolley? The latter is heavy. It and contents are potentially projectiles - wine bottles, tea and coffee urns and so on. Is the crew expected to place the brake on and rush for the nearest crew (or empty passenger) seat and leave the trolley and contents blocking an aisle?

We are well aware of the dangers of the trolleys. We generally warn the cabin crew that the seat belt sign will be coming on, as soon as we can. So, they’ll often have had 4-5 minutes notice before the signs come on. Otherwise, they have one minute to get everything away. And if we say ‘immediately’, they just jump into the nearest seat... I’ve never had to say so in 34 years of airline ops.

 

[harvyk]

We are well aware of the dangers of the trolleys. We generally warn the cabin crew that the seat belt sign will be coming on, as soon as we can. So, they’ll often have had 4-5 minutes notice before the signs come on. Otherwise, they have one minute to get everything away. And if we say ‘immediately’, they just jump into the nearest seat... I’ve never had to say so in 34 years of airline ops.

I hope you don't mind a comment here from a non pilot.

I've been in turbulence where the pilot said "immediately" once.

I don't exactly remember what they did with the trolley's but I believe they just left them where they where, we were hit very suddenly and walking any length would have been dangerous.

I do know that the FA's just sat down anywhere they could, since I had a spare seat next to me one of the FA's planted herself next to me very quickly.

I don't I know how bad it would have been considered on the pilots scale, but on the pax in row 2 scale it was pretty bad.

In any case it was a good reminder to always keep my seatbelt done up as you never know when things might get bouncy.

 

[AviatorInsight]

In any case it was a good reminder to always keep my seatbelt done up as you never know when things might get bouncy.

Just like we always do, up the front.

 

[jb747]

I have just been following a very interesting video earlier in this thread where the audio carried coms with ATC on both take off and landing. In both cases the controller was female and both had a delivery rate faster than any race caller I have heard. This segment was in America where at least adequate English is spoken, but how can a pilot cope with such rapid fire directions, much of it in verbal shorthand, especially when delivered with a heavy local accent in a foreign country.

Generally you only have to deal with it in the USA. They are by far the worst for both fast speech, and also using local abbreviations or colloquialisms. Presumably they don't think the rest of the world listens fast enough.

 

[jb747]

Just like we always do, up the front.

We do, but...how many wear the entire five point harness at all times?

 

[harvyk]

Just like we always do, up the front.

Oh, it was already done up low and tight.

 

[Mogul]

Had 2 "immediate" seat belt announcements a couple of weeks ago Mel to Syd. First time I have had this.

 

[AviatorInsight]

We do, but...how many wear the entire five point harness at all times?

I could probably count them on one hand, but obviously our lap belts are always done up. If the seat belt sign comes on, so does my 5 point as a reminder that the belts are still on.