Ask The Pilot

[Melburnian1]

Thanks Quickstatus. I'm filling in my time at home at the moment. I've actually been applying for jobs where I started my career (Woolies/Coles and call centres to pay for my flying). So we'll see if something happens with that. They're expecting the administration to run for about 2 months. In which case I shall continue my pandemic beard growth, hoping there's an airline to come back to.

There's a lot of politics being thrown around in a lot of the other threads and I don't intend to start here, but I do have (need?) faith that VA will pull out of VA and I can go back to flying. I'm definitely not ready to retire yet.

AviatorInsight, best of luck. Praying for you. You have been extremely helpful on this blog so I can't imagine there wouldn't be anybody who doesn't wish the best for you.

However initial creditors' meeting today suggests that second creditors' meeting will be on 22 August 2020, at which point Deloittes may report back on a likely buyer. I don't think VA will survive but none of us know that for sure, so we'll wait and see.

It's become a longer process than what was said a few days ago. It's hardly surprising because by all reports aircraft leases in particular are complex beasts and it's not as if VA only dealt with a single aircraft lessor.

It'll be interesting to see which of the c.70 nominations manages to become a member of the committee of inspection, which media state will have 33 members. Unions, airports, lessors and others have thrown their hats into the ring.

 

[Melburnian1]

Most guys are holding tight. I've got a mate who left Emirates and had a start date with ANA in Tokyo in May. Obviously that's now been put on hold so he's in limbo at the moment. Doesn't have a job essentially as he hasn't technically started at ANA, so he can only apply for job seeker.

Everyone is basically at a stand still. The Tiger/NZ guys and girls will unfortunately either go back to their previous employer (if they can) or source contract work overseas when this gets back to normal. The remuneration is a big key hitting a lot of people at the moment. Everyone's finances are different. But I do know a lot of people have gone to get their truck licence. Maybe the reference in Top Gun was onto something way back in the mid 80s too?

VA have told all redundant Tiger and New Zealand pilots that if there is a hiring need at VA then those pilots will be able to come back according to their spot on the seniority list with a 5 year validity period. Meaning they will be able to get a job before anyone else off the street within those 5yrs.

AviatorInsight, if it comes to pass that there are fewer jobs (at least for some time) in aviation, may I suggest that some may want to apply, if and when there are vacancies, for train driving jobs with the likes of Sydney Trains, Metro Trains Melbourne, Transperth, Queensland Rail and so on? Conditions vary, but pa earnings are typically around (last I heard) $80K-$120K pa and generally one is home every night, although some shifts may start at odd hours like 0300 and depending on the state it takes some time to get trained (48 weeks is one example I know of), but one does receive a base salary as I understand it when being tutored.

Probably better conditions and far less stressful, and the work more predictable, than truck driving. Not a perfect solution for those used to piloting a B787 or A333, but perhaps better than JobSeeker.

Freight train drivers have in the past tended to be recruited from suburban train drivers: not sure if that's changed, but they too enjoy good conditions although they may have to spend nights away from home depending on the operator. And while we don't have many long distance passenger trains in Oz, they too have usually recruited from within the sector.

 

[jb747]

Whats the southernmost latitude for the EDTO of 180 minutes for SYD-SCL for a 787

You can work it out yourself here: Great Circle Mapper

 

[Quickstatus]

I know but unfortunately thats a qualitative view. There does not seem to be an easy way to work out the actual latitude of the top of the greyed area.

There is a downside to a 180min limit for the 787. -it will no longer be possible to see the Antartic continent on the regular commercial flights.

 

[Major]

I was wondering what sort of planning went into this flight ?

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[AviatorInsight]

AviatorInsight, if it comes to pass that there are fewer jobs (at least for some time) in aviation, may I suggest that some may want to apply, if and when there are vacancies, for train driving jobs with the likes of Sydney Trains, Metro Trains Melbourne, Transperth, Queensland Rail and so on? Conditions vary, but pa earnings are typically around (last I heard) $80K-$120K pa and generally one is home every night, although some shifts may start at odd hours like 0300 and depending on the state it takes some time to get trained (48 weeks is one example I know of), but one does receive a base salary as I understand it when being tutored.

Probably better conditions and far less stressful, and the work more predictable, than truck driving. Not a perfect solution for those used to piloting a B787 or A333, but perhaps better than JobSeeker.

Freight train drivers have in the past tended to be recruited from suburban train drivers: not sure if that's changed, but they too enjoy good conditions although they may have to spend nights away from home depending on the operator. And while we don't have many long distance passenger trains in Oz, they too have usually recruited from within the sector.

Virgin have been very active in posting casual and short term jobs for staff on the company media channels and most people have gotten a job elsewhere. Which has been an excellent initiative.

The problem with a job like driving trains is that unless you have been made redundant, you don't know when you would be returning to work full time again which is why interim jobs like Woolies/Data entry type employers have been great. They understand that Virgin is still our main employer and that as soon as we return to duty our casual employment with Woolies would end on the spot.

Driving a train for a government body I doubt would be as forgiving as well, if things were to ramp up quickly again. The training for a job like that (48 weeks as you stated) would be a killer. They wouldn't want to invest in someone all that time and money and potentially leave before the training has even finished.

 

[AviatorInsight]

I know but unfortunately thats a qualitative view. There does not seem to be an easy way to work out the actual latitude of the top of the greyed area.

There is a downside to a 180min limit for the 787. -it will no longer be possible to see the Antartic continent on the regular commercial flights.

To give you a rough idea the maximum EDTO distance for a 777 is 1280nm.

 

[Quickstatus]

1280nm.

??

 

[jb747]

??

That’s the size of the 3 hour ETOPs circle. So, no more than 1280 nm from an airport that they could use (and which is available for use).

 

[AviatorInsight]

??

Sorry. Edited. That’s EDTO distance from a suitable alternate.

 

[jb747]

I know but unfortunately thats a qualitative view. There does not seem to be an easy way to work out the actual latitude of the top of the greyed area.

If you only want latitude, that’s easy to work out. Start with the latitude of the airport that you are using. Work out the size of the ETOPs circle, in nautical miles. Divide that number by 60. Add the result to the airport latitude (assuming you’re going south of an airport in the southern hemispere). The result is the latitude of the edge of the circle.

There is a downside to a 180min limit for the 787. -it will no longer be possible to see the Antartic continent on the regular commercial flights.

If CASA never extend the 787 ETOPS, then that will kill the 787 as a replacement for a quad on any of the southern routes. Whilst I expect that they will eventually do so, there are arguments against it, in particular questions about some of the engineering behind Boeing’s latest offerings. Whilst ETOPS has always been a game of odds, it’s a fact of life that eventually those dice will stack up against somebody.

ETOPS is based upon a single thing going wrong. Whilst everyone locks in to engine failures, they are mostly fairly simple events. But, even then, they can create a second event. The Southwest engine failure, that caused a depressurisation would be a classic example. As an alternative, consider a cargo fire. Or perhaps a cascading electrical failure. How far out into the ocean would you like to be, with an APU that won’t start, or a 787 lithium battery pack.

For what it’s worth, after QF30, I withdrew my bids for any trips that went a long way south. That was a classic example of the longest odds suddenly ‘paying‘ off.

 

[Quickstatus]

OK thanks

777. Only alternate airports would be??:
AKL/CHC/IVG
PPT
IPC

What about GMR?

2300km south of PPT would give a latitude slightly north of AKL
And the southern most point equidistant between PPT and IPC and within 1280nm from either is:

Essentially most of the flight between SYD and say SCL would need to be above the latitude of AKL??? but recent flights was maybe planned to 49°S = around IVC latitude. AKL is 37°S



.....

QF30, I withdrew my bids for any trips that went a long way south

If QF30 decompression occurred at the southernmost point of a SYD-SCL what would the best speed you could have done if you know there ws hull damage?

 

[jb747]

OK thanks

777. Only alternate airports would be??:
AKL/CHC/IVG
PPT
IPC

What about GMR?

2300km south of PPT would give a latitude slightly north of AKL
And the southern most point equidistant between PPT and IPC and within 1280nm from either is:

Essentially most of the flight between SYD and say SCL would need to be above the latitude of AKL??? but recent flights was maybe planned to 49°S = around IVC latitude. AKL is 37°S.

I don’t know which islands they are able to use. None of the planning charts I was ever interested in went into that part of the ocean. But, Gambier is certainly possible, though it would have to be kept in a state that would allow use. Chile also has a couple of island airports.

If QF30 decompression occurred at the southernmost point of a SYD-SCL what would the best speed you could have done if you know there ws hull damage?

We slowed to 250 kias. That would have been around 300 TAS. The issue would not have been speed, as that’s a quite efficient number. QF30 was pretty well covered by the normal depressurisation planning, which would have had us getting to an airfield within the fuel available, with no time or distance limit. But, mix the QF30 failure, with an engine failure (and #3 did receive a small amount of FOD), and then you will have a less efficient configuration. If the stars had aligned for that to happen at the furthest distance for the depressurisation circles, then you’d be in an interesting fuel scenario. There is a potential answer, but it entails some risk.

 

[ayebee]

Don't know if this varies according to your browser etc, but on my screen this is page 747 of this thread.... seemed an auspicious number, and reflects an amazing amount of discussion and information.

 

[jb747]

Don't know if this varies according to your browser etc, but on my screen this is page 747 of this thread.... seemed an auspicious number, and reflects an amazing amount of discussion and information.

Yes, though I think it might have been here before various parts were culled, or removed to other threads. In any event, I doubt that AV, Boris, or the other guys knew that we had so many words in us.

 

[Quickstatus]

Would appreciate an aviator’s comment.
The video suggests that the wind direction is toward the camera and
This wind pressure on the vert stab caused the aircraft to pivot as it did.
what I don’t understand how it travelled from left to right?
I’m thinking the aircraft is somehow acting like a sail??

DOH
QR B787 went nose into fuselage of an A350

 

[Himeno]

Over Easter, a pilot in the US took his RV-8 (N898JW) on a trip to deliver a hard drive with video/audio files (which were "too large" to be sent online) to his editor. KCDW-KMJX. On his way back, with the vastly reduced traffic recently, he did a EWR-LGA-JFK trip with (very) low approaches at each. Would you consider doing something like that?

 

[jb747]

Over Easter, a pilot in the US took his RV-8 (N898JW) on a trip to deliver a hard drive with video/audio files (which were "too large" to be sent online) to his editor. KCDW-KMJX. On his way back, with the vastly reduced traffic recently, he did a EWR-LGA-JFK trip with (very) low approaches at each. Would you consider doing something like that?

Well it would be fun in a 380 or 747, but I’m not really a light aircraft pilot.

 

[jb747]

Would appreciate an aviator’s comment.
The video suggests that the wind direction is toward the camera and
This wind pressure on the vert stab caused the aircraft to pivot as it did.
what I don’t understand how it travelled from left to right?
I’m thinking the aircraft is somehow acting like a sail??

Heck of a wind to turn something so large.

It’s difficult to pick the exact direction, as I’m sure the local wind is being changed somewhat by the presence of the terminal.

Being blown sideways isn’t uncommon. The direction the aircraft then moves is a bit of a surprise, which I guess indicates that is hasn’t turned completely into the wind. It would stop turning when the side load on the nose gear exceeded the turning moment from the tail. To move as it has, there would have to be some small wind component that‘s in the forward direction. It might not have to be much though, as it looks as if the aircraft has been parked with the park brake off. That’s quite common, especially if the brakes are hot.

Good day not to be in Doha.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Over Easter, a pilot in the US took his RV-8 (N898JW) on a trip to deliver a hard drive with video/audio files (which were "too large" to be sent online) to his editor. KCDW-KMJX. On his way back, with the vastly reduced traffic recently, he did a EWR-LGA-JFK trip with (very) low approaches at each. Would you consider doing something like that?

Now with SYD so quiet a lot of light aircraft are practicing their controlled airspace procedures by flying into SYD. Some even forking out to pay for the landing fee and take off again. Never done it in a light aircraft myself...unless you call the Saab a "light twin".