Ask The Pilot

[AviatorInsight]

And while the likes of QF43/45 should still get in and out well before the closure for fuel if required, where would you expect aircraft to divert to later in the night if DRW is unavailable?

Aerodromes suitable for a B737 if DRW is not available as a planned alternate are:

RAAF Tindal, Kununurra, Karratha, Alice Springs, Mount Isa.

Gove can be used as an en-route alternate only, and Dili is an emergency port and can't be planned to be used as an alternate.

 

[D747]

Aerodromes suitable for a B737 if DRW is not available as a planned alternate are:

RAAF Tindal, Kununurra, Karratha, Alice Springs, Mount Isa.

Gove can be used as an en-route alternate only, and Dili is an emergency port and can't be planned to be used as an alternate.

May I ask what the differences are between Planned and En-route alternates please?

 

[RooFlyer]

Perhaps one for @AviatorInsight . Who designates arrival gates at domestic airports, esp when they are one airline terminals ( or usually so) such as SYD and MEL? Airline or ATC?

Reason for my asking is that I can’t help noticing that flights to/from HBA and those ports seem to be disproportionately assigned to gates furthest from the terminal/ baggage claim. Mainly Qantas that I’ve experienced recently but also Virgin.

Do you think this is an actual thing, or am I imagining it? Happens equally with B737 as smaller jets, so not related to smaller aircraft type I think.

 

[AviatorInsight]

May I ask what the differences are between Planned and En-route alternates please?

When a flight is required to provide for an alternate, this will be noted on the flight plan with the extra fuel accounted for. This is known as a planned alternate.

An en-route alternate is one that hasn't necessarily been planned for prior to departure, but a requirement en-route has meant that the destination now needs an alternate. In this case, Gove can now be used as an option.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Perhaps one for @AviatorInsight . Who designates arrival gates at domestic airports, esp when they are one airline terminals ( or usually so) such as SYD and MEL? Airline or ATC?

Reason for my asking is that I can’t help noticing that flights to/from HBA and those ports seem to be disproportionately assigned to gates furthest from the terminal/ baggage claim. Mainly Qantas that I’ve experienced recently but also Virgin.

Do you think this is an actual thing, or am I imagining it? Happens equally with B737 as smaller jets, so not related to smaller aircraft type I think.

This was something that got me too. So I asked my sister, who used to work in Virgin Operations in SYD. The thing was, that every bay allocation had to go through SACL (Sydney Airport itself). This is why some days you get a whole bunch of gate changes.

SACL may need the bay for another reason and it throws the entire planning out of whack and they need to start again. There is a lot of communication with the person who allocates the bays.

The reason why Virgin tends to put the BNE/MEL/HBA and other slot-critical destinations out on the pier in SYD (not sure about MEL as it's almost always random) is to avoid congestion in the alleyway. Usually with JQ, or ZL behind us also requesting pushback and/or taxi.

This is particularly important for head flight starts (first flight of the day) where OTP (on-time performance) is critical.

 

[RooFlyer]

This was something that got me too. So I asked my sister, who used to work in Virgin Operations in SYD. The thing was, that every bay allocation had to go through SACL (Sydney Airport itself). This is why some days you get a whole bunch of gate changes.

SACL may need the bay for another reason and it throws the entire planning out of whack and they need to start again. There is a lot of communication with the person who allocates the bays.

The reason why Virgin tends to put the BNE/MEL/HBA and other slot-critical destinations out on the pier in SYD (not sure about MEL as it's almost always random) is to avoid congestion in the alleyway. Usually with JQ, or ZL behind us also requesting pushback and/or taxi.

This is particularly important for head flight starts (first flight of the day) where OTP (on-time performance) is critical.

Thanks. Nice to hear VA regards HBA as ‘slot critical’ ( Walks tall )

 

[AviatorInsight]

Thanks. Nice to hear VA regards HBA as ‘slot critical’ ( Walks tall )

The more leisurely routes OOL, LST, BNK, etc, I find are always closest to the lounge.

 

[Major]

I was on a flight this morning OOL-SYD which was flown by 2 Captains. I assume the guy in the RH seat was a check captain.

How often are Captains checked and is it only for 1 sector ?
What sort of things are they looking for?

 

[AviatorInsight]

I was on a flight this morning OOL-SYD which was flown by 2 Captains. I assume the guy in the RH seat was a check captain.

How often are Captains checked and is it only for 1 sector ?
What sort of things are they looking for?

The captain in the right seat doesn’t necessarily have to be a checker.

Training captains are also right seat qualified, as are some line captains who have been right seat qualified.

During a line check, it will usually be 2 pilots (Capt and FO) being checked at the same time, with the check captain sitting in the jump seat. For an annual line check it will be minimum 2 sectors, with a check to line (new pilot or having had extended time off - Covid) having a minimum of 4 sectors.

 

[Saab34]

Post a check flight, what are some of the common things or examples of feedback that they would pass back for you to work on?

Is there a chance that they could want to redo a check flight if they are not happy with it?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Post a check flight, what are some of the common things or examples of feedback that they would pass back for you to work on?

Is there a chance that they could want to redo a check flight if they are not happy with it?

They really just want to see how you perform with another crew member, can you stick to SOP, and how well you mitigate threats.

My last line check all the check captain had to say was that I should consider using the RTA (required time of arrival) function on the FMC. (He was grasping at straws but they have to pick you up on something - and this was mine).

We basically got given a time to cross a waypoint going into CNS and I decided to do it manually rather than use the function to figure it out for me.

It’s a bit complicated in how it works and if you use it, you really do need to watch the aircraft because it can do some really strange things.

So I like to slow down myself by putting in a speed for the aircraft to maintain to make sure I cross that fix at the required time.

If your performance isn’t up to standard, or they don’t feel confident in letting you go back to fly the line, then yes they can fail you and you’ll come back and do it again.

 

[flydoc]

You aren't necessarily going to return after a bird strike. Mostly they just leave a splatter mark on the aircraft wings or fuselage (or in one case I saw, the FO's window). You'd actually see birds go past, in close, quite regularly, but unless there was some sort of secondary indication that the strike had caused some harm, you would continue the flight and have it looked at on arrival.

Is a return more likely when there’s engineering at the departure port but not at the arrival port?

 

[jb747]

Is there a chance that they could want to redo a check flight if they are not happy with it?

I don't know what the incidence of failures during annual checks was, but they certainly happened, and it wasn't just a case of doing the check again. You were stood down until the training section decided just how and what was needed for you to come back. So, for some it might be a redo of the check, but in other cases a sim or two first. You never completed the trip you were on. So, if checks were being done on an Oz to LA flight, if you missed out on the way over, the check Captain would replace that person for the remainder of the trip.

Mostly they were not quiz sessions...that tended to be reserved for the new FOs. But, it was amazing just how often the aircraft, karma, or whatever, could throw some real spanners into the works for checks. The only go around I did in 10 years on the 380 was during an annual check...so you get the opportunity to look really good, or really bad.

Is a return more likely when there’s engineering at the departure port but not at the arrival port?

It wasn't something I generally considered. There was always some level of engineering available. The only consideration was whether I was happy to fly the aircraft. If I wasn't, it would be back on the ground. Otherwise there's no reason to be turning back.

 

[Daver6]

Flying on QF72 SIN to PER on the A330 last night. About 90 minutes prior to landing they turned on the headlights and remained on. Ie, the bright white forward lights on the wing.

What's the reason for turning them on at this stage of the flight?

 

[jb747]

Flying on QF72 SIN to PER on the A330 last night. About 90 minutes prior to landing they turned on the headlights and remained on. Ie, the bright white forward lights on the wing.

All you never wanted to know about an A330's external lighting.

https://www.smartcockpit.com/docs/A330-Lights.pdf

What's the reason for turning them on at this stage of the flight?

QF used to keep the landing lights (the powerful ones in the wing root) on any time the aircraft was below 10,000', simply to make it easier to spot the aircraft. Pilots often turn them off though, as the light is annoying in any cloud.

There's no reason to leave them on in the cruise. They're often turned on for a short period to allow us to check whether we are in cloud or not...as it isn't always all that obvious, and if in cloud you may need to turn on the anti icing system. People used to flash them at other aircraft as a form of "hello", but that had pretty well died out. It actually caused some of the lights to fail prematurely, and as a result QF had a modification on the 747 to keep a low amount of power applied to the lights in the cruise, simply to keep them warm. That was visible as a dim level of lighting.

 

[Daver6]

All you never wanted to know about an A330's external lighting.

https://www.smartcockpit.com/docs/A330-Lights.pdf

QF used to keep the landing lights (the powerful ones in the wing root) on any time the aircraft was below 10,000', simply to make it easier to spot the aircraft. Pilots often turn them off though, as the light is annoying in any cloud.

There's no reason to leave them on in the cruise. They're often turned on for a short period to allow us to check whether we are in cloud or not...as it isn't always all that obvious, and if in cloud you may need to turn on the anti icing system. People used to flash them at other aircraft as a form of "hello", but that had pretty well died out. It actually caused some of the lights to fail prematurely, and as a result QF had a modification on the 747 to keep a low amount of power applied to the lights in the cruise, simply to keep them warm. That was visible as a dim level of lighting.

Interesting. The lights came on during cruise. Well before decent. No clouds last night either.

Perhaps I was mistaken and they were turned off again though. Sitting in the front row of Y it was obvious when they turned the lights on. I assumed I just got used to the extra light outside the cabin but perhaps they did turn them off again. Or maybe they were just warning an approaching aircraft of the cops up ahead

 

[Dale Eastham]

I was reflecting on a recent flight with the family how much getting onto the flight deck mid-pacific ocean meant to me when I was a kid (British Airways 747 from memory) & lamenting the fact that children now dont have the same opportunity (in-flight obviously).

The flight crew graciously allowed me to take my kids to the coughpit for a quick visit on the tarmac at the end of the journey, but do the pilots here think that we will ever see the day again when children can visit the coughpit in-flight & really have their minds blown at the view, the controls and get inspired like I once did?

 

[jb747]

I was reflecting on a recent flight with the family how much getting onto the flight deck mid-pacific ocean meant to me when I was a kid (British Airways 747 from memory) & lamenting the fact that children now dont have the same opportunity (in-flight obviously).

The flight crew graciously allowed me to take my kids to the coughpit for a quick visit on the tarmac at the end of the journey, but do the pilots here think that we will ever see the day again when children can visit the coughpit in-flight & really have their minds blown at the view, the controls and get inspired like I once did?

Sadly, it will never happen. The security people got their sticky fingers into coughpit access, and they will never let go.

 

[Saab34]

JB, they are resurfacing Runways 16/34 in Melbourne for the next year commencing next week between 12am-7am. This was last done in 2011. Did this impact you back then, and would you take 27/09 if available? I have not seen many A380's take 27/09, I recall one EK Pilot on the radio once seemed very uncomfortable to use 27 when they were late and missed the closing runway time.

I assume a 27 takeoff is out of the question with a A380 also?

 

[rocket256]

I was reflecting on a recent flight with the family how much getting onto the flight deck mid-pacific ocean meant to me when I was a kid (British Airways 747 from memory) & lamenting the fact that children now dont have the same opportunity (in-flight obviously).

Do you like movies about gladiators?