The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

Muahahaha

No it was tarmac with 27 painted on it and stripes for the apron. Has a huge big house next to it and I think some kind of small lake or water feature. Didnt see a hanger or a plane, just the runway.

Negative_G

Muahahaha wrote: »

No it was tarmac with 27 painted on it and stripes for the apron. Has a huge big house next to it and I think some kind of small lake or water feature. Didnt see a hanger or a plane, just the runway.

Dolly's Grove.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.ie/irish-news/underfire-developer-built-airstrip-beside-family-home-without-planning-permission-34544386.html

wassie

That is some setup looking at Googlemaps

Muahahaha

Thanks Negative G, thats the spot. A runway built by property developers without planning permission, how Irish.

faceman

Something I’ve always wondered but never got round to asking.

When engines are idol and you’re on the ground is enough thrust being generated to cause the plane to roll? (Similar this a car being put in gear with no pressure put on the accelerator)

billie1b

faceman wrote: »

Something I’ve always wondered but never got round to asking.

When engines are idol and you’re on the ground is enough thrust being generated to cause the plane to roll? (Similar this a car being put in gear with no pressure put on the accelerator)

Not a pilot but yes from working on the ground and doing push backs/tows etc, when both engines are running and on idle it has enough power to push my tug if I release the brakes on it, also depends if the ground is straight and level etc

faceman

faceman wrote: »

Something I’ve always wondered but never got round to asking.

When engines are idol and you’re on the ground is enough thrust being generated to cause the plane to roll? (Similar this a car being put in gear with no pressure put on the accelerator)

I only speak as an ex small plane pilot, and the answer would be no. However I always started the engine with parking brakes on as a precaution. When operating on grass it often took a big blast of throttle to get the aircraft moving forward or commencing a turn on differential brakes, then a reduction to rather well above idle to taxi. Less engine effort needed to taxi on tarmac.

To get any mass moving needs a raise of power that is reduced once momentum has commenced. Sitting as a passenger in a jet you hear a brief increase of engine power just before it starts to move forward. Propellor aircraft (other than small basic fixed pitched ones) have in addition to to combustion power driving it, a pitch which can be varied, bit like the gears in a car, and feathered if the engine driving it fails so as it will offer less drag. When starting the engines up, the propellor is in feathered or “neutral gear”’position, so that if there was any surge it would not actually propel the aircraft forward.

Tenzor07

faceman wrote: »

Something I’ve always wondered but never got round to asking.
When engines are idol and you’re on the ground is enough thrust being generated to cause the plane to roll? (Similar this a car being put in gear with no pressure put on the accelerator)

Once the parking brake is engaged the throttle can be pushed up to 10% for a low powered test or 60% + for a high power test... all done in a designated area with clearance from ground control...

Lustrum

faceman wrote: »

Something I’ve always wondered but never got round to asking.

When engines are idol and you’re on the ground is enough thrust being generated to cause the plane to roll? (Similar this a car being put in gear with no pressure put on the accelerator)

On the 320, it generally depends on the weight of the aircraft, and as someone else said, whether you're flat or on an uphill/downhill. If you're light enough, once you release the brakes the thing will quite happily start moving. Another thing to consider is in winter you may have the engine anti-ice on after starting the engines, this gives you about 4/5% higher N1 (basically higher idle thrust) and so will also help the aircraft get moving at idle.

If I remember correctly, on the RJ you'd always need to throw in a bit of thrust, but it's a good while since I was flying those

smurfjed

For my little jet, If light enough we can even go backwards with idle reverse thrust. As for going forward, I recently watched a video where an A320 parked and the crew forgot to set the parking brake, the aircraft moved about 10 meters before they stopped it, destroying an engine and ground steps in the process.

Also have seen a video of a 777 where the throttles weren’t idle during start thanks to a paper clip. The aircraft immediately swung around after start an ingested ground equipment.

Irish Steve

A long time ago now, before T2 was built, I regularly had to push 757's out of a stand on the old B pier at Dublin (now 301) which meant a number of fairly sharp turns to get it to a place where it could then depart under it's own power. Even with the most powerful tug we had, which was well able for a 747, it was not a good idea to let the crew start the engines until the tug was in line with the nose of the aircraft at the end of the push back, as the power of the RB211's during start up would surge to considerably above ground idle, and if the ramp was wet, or worse icy, there was a very good chance of the nose wheel of the aircraft going in a direction that was not what was wanted or needed, and the only way to then stop it was to get the crew to urgently apply the aircraft brakes. Happened to me one night as headset man, the push back driver was under training, and got it wrong, so we had to stop very urgently. The crew were not native English speakers, getting them to understand "emergency, set park brake" was interesting, by the time they'd understood and complied, the shear pin in the bar had broken, so that caused some problems, as they were not in a position where we could let them self position out, so we had to remove the tug and broken bar, and get a new bar to complete the push, which wasn't quick. So yes, there are some types that have more than enough power to break away at ground idle.

martinsvi

on a Q400 we have power lever detents which are your normal settings on the ground - DISC or FLIGHT IDLE. DISC is beta range, the prop pitch moves in a very shallow negative angle and with this engaged a lighter plane can actually start rolling backwards. FLIGHT IDLE can make you go forward. For this reason there are some airports/ground handling agents, that no longer allow pushback with both engines running for a Q400, apparently there was an incident in Hamburg where a Q400 broke a towbar's head (or pin?), the torque sent tow bar swinging and injuring ground personnel

Phillip D

Hi would anybody be able to tell me a pilot makes starting off, and how high would it go in say 30 years time .

Thanks in advance

California Dreamer

Phillip D wrote: »

Hi would anybody be able to tell me a pilot makes starting off, and how high would it go in say 30 years time .

Thanks in advance

30s - mid 100's

Phillip D

California Dreamer wrote: »

30s - mid 100's

So around 120k euro before tax ?

Phillip D

Phillip D wrote: »

So around 120k euro before tax ?

After 30 years service would that be the max you get to

California Dreamer

Phillip D wrote: »

After 30 years service would that be the max you get to

Maybe, maybe not. Depends on where you go. You are not giving a lot of information on which way you or someone you know wants to go. So earning potential really is unlimited but depends on lots of factors.

Board Walker

Muahahaha wrote: »

No it was tarmac with 27 painted on it and stripes for the apron. Has a huge big house next to it and I think some kind of small lake or water feature. Didnt see a hanger or a plane, just the runway.

Isnt there a Harrier there?

smurfjed

..

basill

Phillip D wrote: »

Hi would anybody be able to tell me a pilot makes starting off, and how high would it go in say 30 years time .

Thanks in advance

Check out the ppjn website. Bear in mind that salaries are always subject to change through pay reviews and suchlike. Starting out now it would be naive to think that you will achieve the T&Cs that a pilot who has 30+ years of seniority enjoys today. As an example airlines such as BA have increased the number of years on their salary scales. The net effect is that for most new joiners into BA they will never achieve top of scale.


Also don't get caught up in comparing headline salaries either. Taxes need to be taken into account and differ across various countries. I would be more interested in net after tax and the comparison of this to the cost of living.



People always focus on salaries when looking at flying as a profession. Very few actually do any meaningful comparisons on the costs of becoming qualified, salary sacrifices whilst undertaking the initial training, working potentially for free or below minimum wages, possibly having to fund type ratings, living away from your home country etc. Often pilots will jump from smaller airlines and take many years before they end up in what they consider to be a career airline. This all needs to be taken into account.



The Pprune website has done all of this stuff to death many times over and should be your "go to" for information.

roadmaster

With lots of airlines parking up there aircraft, when things get back to normal what will happen to pilots with there hours. Will they continue to fly minimum hours to keep current or is it easy enough to start back up after a long break?

Flyer1

roadmaster wrote: »

With lots of airlines parking up there aircraft, when things get back to normal what will happen to pilots with there hours. Will they continue to fly minimum hours to keep current or is it easy enough to start back up after a long break?

We can maintain our currency in the simulator.

Some companies planning to keep aircraft in Flyable Storage - keeping a rotation of crew to keep them current.

Possibly the least of all our worries tho

Bleak

Listening to ATC at Dublin airport and would like explanation of something if anyone knows. Some flights on approach get asked if they would like something that sounds like Maxus/Maxals/Maxums? Anyone know what this means - appreciate that unlikely to have it right but sounds something like that. Is it anything to do with auto landing? Usually asked/given short of LAPMO

Deatr

Bleak wrote: »

Listening to ATC at Dublin airport and would like explanation of something if anyone knows. Some flights on approach get asked if they would like something that sounds like Maxus/Maxals/Maxums? Anyone know what this means - appreciate that unlikely to have it right but sounds something like that. Is it anything to do with auto landing? Usually asked/given short of LAPMO

It’s probably MAXEV you’re hearing them say. It’s the FAF on the ILS for 28

Bleak

Deatr wrote: »

It’s probably MAXEV you’re hearing them say. It’s the FAF on the ILS for 28

Thanks for that. So MAXEV is a waypoint? In layman’s term’s why is this offered and why would it be declined - often as “MAXEV is available”. I heard a flight earlier decline and say they were happy to go to LAPMO?

Deatr

Bleak wrote: »

Thanks for that. So MAXEV is a waypoint? In layman’s term’s why is this offered and why would it be declined - often as “MAXEV is available”. I heard a flight earlier decline and say they were happy to go to LAPMO?

Yes it is indeed. It’s offered if it’s quiet or no other traffic ahead of it.

Crew may not have been ready to take it it depends where it was offered, they may need more time so LAPMO will do.

Bleak

Deatr wrote: »

Yes it is indeed. It’s offered if it’s quiet or no other traffic ahead of it.

Crew may not have been ready to take it it depends where it was offered, they may need more time so LAPMO will do.

Thanks a lot for that. Very helpful. And actually makes a lot of sense from that flight earlier. Out of interest where is MAXEV broadly. Doesn’t show on OpenNav list. We talking Portmarnock/Kinsealy?

Deatr

Bleak wrote: »

Thanks a lot for that. Very helpful. And actually makes a lot of sense from that flight earlier. Out of interest where is MAXEV broadly. Doesn’t show on OpenNav list. We talking Portmarnock/Kinsealy?

It’s just abeam Howth Harbour. If you go to the IAA website and look for the AIP it will have the chart there and MAXEV is on it.

http://iaip.iaa.ie/iaip/

b757

Bleak wrote: »

Thanks for that. So MAXEV is a waypoint? In layman’s term’s why is this offered and why would it be declined - often as “MAXEV is available”. I heard a flight earlier decline and say they were happy to go to LAPMO?

Yes, it’s a waypoint and the FAF/FAP for the ILS/RNAV/VOR approach for runway 28. Pretty much a 7.1 mile final.

It’s most likely a Ryanair that was offered it. It’s company policy not to take a direct to it due to the way it’s coded in the FMC. It doesn’t provide a deceleration profile (if using VNav) and some crews got caught out by it and had to go around. However, going to LAPMO fixes this issue and to be honest; there’s no time saved by going to MAXEV anyway.

Bleak

Thanks guys