Ask The Pilot

Major said:
I live about 40km S of BNE and whilst sitting on my deck (with a glass of Langhorne Creek Malbec) I noticed South bound aircraft switch off their landing lights at different times.

Is there a mandated height to switch them off or is it pilot discretion ?
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There’s no legal mandate, but most company rules will stipulate 10,000’. But, you’ll see some go out earlier than that, as they are associated with the landing gear, and don’t work with it retracted.
 
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jb747 said:
If the question is, “am I surprised?”, the answer is no.
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Just sitting here at BKK about to head up to HKG on CX. Reading the incident summary the weather, runway conditions and what looked to be a touchdown a long way beyond the 1,000 ft markers. It got me thinking about QF1 VH-OJH 744 at the old Don Muang Airport from back in September 1999. Was this incident put down to a CRM issue and did you see much change bought in as a result?
 
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ChrisGibbs said:
Just sitting here at BKK about to head up to HKG on CX. Reading the incident summary the weather, runway conditions and what looked to be a touchdown a long way beyond the 1,000 ft markers. It got me thinking about QF1 VH-OJH 744 at the old Don Muang Airport from back in September 1999. Was this incident put down to a CRM issue and did you see much change bought in as a result?
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It was most definitely a CRM event, and also a management one.

Basically upper echelons of the company had been pushing the use of flap 3 and idle reverse for landings in the 747. There was a lot of push back against this by various pilots, but they were generally disregarded, and described as ‘resistant to change’. There was a financial saving in the use of the flap 3/idle configuration.

In general there was nothing particularly wrong with the configuration, but it was pushed quite mindlessly, as the ‘standard’....so much so that some of the newer FOs had never seen a landing at full flap. As a configuration that you could choose to use in good conditions, to a long runway, it was fine. It was not fine as a ‘standard’.

Training were pushing this very hard in sims, to the point that some very heated words passed between some of the ‘old and bold’, who refused to use it, and the senior checks. The pressure was then also on the SCCs, to always use it, as a demonstration of how appropriate it was. The SCCs, by the way, get about a third of the flying that the line people do.

So, the scenario was that the FO was flying a style of approach that made the aircraft less stable, in conditions that were pretty poor, with an SCC who seemed to have something to prove. It was a recipe, that was fulfilled.

There were many subsequent changes, but mostly the line pilots take even less notice of management.
 
jb747 said:
So, the scenario was that the FO was flying a style of approach that made the aircraft less stable, in conditions that were pretty poor, with an SCC who seemed to have something to prove. It was a recipe, that was fulfilled.

There were many subsequent changes, but mostly the line pilots take even less notice of management.
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I was told that the SCC involved in the incident was a very well regarded operator?

My information is second hand and could well be spurious but I was also told that the aftermath was well handled by the airline and all crew returned to flying duties in time.
 
flyer89 said:
I was told that the SCC involved in the incident was a very well regarded operator?

My information is second hand and could well be spurious but I was also told that the aftermath was well handled by the airline and all crew returned to flying duties in time.
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He was. The something to prove was a generic comment about the entire training department.

The crew got back flying, but the blame was never really assigned to the right people...i.e. the management of the time.
 
jb747 said:
It was most definitely a CRM event, and also a management one.

Basically upper echelons of the company had been pushing the use of flap 3 and idle reverse for landings in the 747. There was a lot of push back against this by various pilots, but they were generally disregarded, and described as ‘resistant to change’. There was a financial saving in the use of the flap 3/idle configuration.

In general there was nothing particularly wrong with the configuration, but it was pushed quite mindlessly, as the ‘standard’....so much so that some of the newer FOs had never seen a landing at full flap. As a configuration that you could choose to use in good conditions, to a long runway, it was fine. It was not fine as a ‘standard’.
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Would that 'standard' have been a factor in the then QF15 (SYD-BKK-FCO) deciding to make a go around only 3 minutes before the QF1 overshoot?
 
Himeno said:
Would that 'standard' have been a factor in the then QF15 (SYD-BKK-FCO) deciding to make a go around only 3 minutes before the QF1 overshoot?
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The conditions at the time were very changeable, and it's normal in those conditions for aircraft only a minute or two apart to have totally different outcomes off an approach. I have no idea which configuration the preceding aircraft was using.

The Captain who went around may have simply been more conservative...or they may have run into even worse weather.
 
On my recent flight the express passes for BKK weren't loaded and a request was radioed ahead for them to be delivered to the gate, they were.

As pilots what are common things radioed ahead for upon landing? What is the most inane thing you've asked for?
 
Hvr said:
On my recent flight the express passes for BKK weren't loaded and a request was radioed ahead for them to be delivered to the gate, they were.

As pilots what are common things radioed ahead for upon landing? What is the most inane thing you've asked for?
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Nothing is actually ‘radioed’ ahead. There is an arrival message, that is sent to the destination at some point, giving a likely ETA, any maintenance and cabin issues. The request for the forms would have gone there.

I’ve seen cabin crew come up with huge lists...only to be told they can have three sentences. On the big Airbus it’s not hard loading these items as there are actual keyboards, but in the Boeings entries are via the FMC, so everything is kept as short as possible.

In the early days some pilots were guilty of trying to arrange their social lives via ACARS, not realising that, not only is it insecure anyway, but all messages go to the addressee, and ops control.
 
Watched Aircraft Crash Investigations last night. San Francisco crash was on. Can now see what you mean by Asiana. Have 2 flights with them in Sept yikes!!
 
jb747 said:
My wife, and various others, we're going to let me slide away without a retirement do of some sort. So, they managed to well and truly surprise me...

This was given to me by my QF30 crew!
View attachment 155462
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What a well thought out and brilliantly executed momento. Congratulations on an amazing career JB and for your continued insight into aviation.
 
Hvr said:
On my recent flight the express passes for BKK weren't loaded and a request was radioed ahead for them to be delivered to the gate, they were.

As pilots what are common things radioed ahead for upon landing? What is the most inane thing you've asked for?
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Common? Quarantine due to illness. But nothing inane.
 
While on the bus over to SYD T3 after arriving on QF26, I saw that 747 being towed over to the jetbase. The rear cargo door was open.
I didn't think they were allowed to taxi aircraft while doors were open?
 
Himeno said:
While on the bus over to SYD T3 after arriving on QF26, I saw that 747 being towed over to the jetbase. The rear cargo door was open.
I didn't think they were allowed to taxi aircraft while doors were open?
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It wasn’t being taxied...it was being towed.
 

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