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The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

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    #1862
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 9,864 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    islanderre wrote: »
    Evening all,

    Has the pleasure of flying on the DC 10 out of Birmingham last Monday on the one hour joyride special.
    Lucky fecker....I was hoping to do this with 2 mates....but it just happened in between 2 birthdays and a weekend away so I couldn't justify the trip away with the Boss.
    Wasn't it £100 or £150 for a window seat? Not a lot in relative terms but it was the getting over and back that made it awkward for me.


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    #1863
    smurfjed
    Registered Users Posts: 10,167 ✭✭✭✭smurfjed


    Pressurisation outflow valves, primary and secondary would be my guess. Congrats on getting to fly on it.


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    #1864
    islanderre
    Registered Users Posts: 714 ✭✭✭islanderre


    Tenger wrote: »
    Wasn't it £100 or £150 for a window seat? Not a lot in relative terms but it was the getting over and back that made it awkward for me.

    Tenger,
    It was £100 for an aisle and £150 for a window...... none of the middle rows of seats were sold at all so it was very easy to walk about the aircraft once the cruise started.
    I flew out of DUB on the ATR-42 (the all white one EI-CPT) on the Sunday evenign; overnighted in Birmingham on the Sunday and then back to DUB via AMS on the Monday evening.
    Really enjoyed it,


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    #1865
    b757
    Registered Users Posts: 1,370 ✭✭✭b757


    http://www.cosmopolitan-view.com/five-types-of-airline-pilots/

    Bit of fun, which one are you lot? ;)


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    #1866
    adam88
    Registered Users Posts: 1,609 ✭✭✭adam88


    islanderre wrote: »
    Tenger,
    It was £100 for an aisle and £150 for a window...... none of the middle rows of seats were sold at all so it was very easy to walk about the aircraft once the cruise started.
    I flew out of DUB on the ATR-42 (the all white one EI-CPT) on the Sunday evenign; overnighted in Birmingham on the Sunday and then back to DUB via AMS on the Monday evening.
    Really enjoyed it,

    Why via Ams


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    #1867
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 9,864 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    adam88 wrote: »
    Why via Ams

    He got to fly on a Fokker. (I think that's what it was)


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    #1868
    islanderre
    Registered Users Posts: 714 ✭✭✭islanderre


    adam88 wrote: »
    Why via Ams

    Yep..... Wanted to fly on the Fokker 70 so went Birmingham to Amsterdam and then onwards to Dub......

    A bit mad but why not!!!!!!


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    #1869
    hidinginthebush
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,679 ✭✭✭hidinginthebush


    Hi all, just wondering is there anything particularly special about the DC10?

    I flew on one from Chicago to San Fran a few years back, did I blow my chance on storing up some aviation history?


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    #1870
    islanderre
    Registered Users Posts: 714 ✭✭✭islanderre


    I dont think so hidinginthebush....... for some like me getting to fly one was a chance not to be missed as when Northwest used them transatlantic; financials at the time did not permit me to fly them.
    Also; they are the last bar the 747 of the original widebodies which date from a different era especially with their 3 man cockpit crew and steam / round guages..... some say the A300 & A310 are also from this era but these Airbus' simply don't float my boat!!!!!!

    Now if I could only turn the clock back to ..... Concorde........

    Just my 2 cents on it


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    #1871
    pclancy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,939 ✭✭✭pclancy


    Just a friendly reminder folks that this thread is for asking airline pilots questions...other general discussion should go in the main forum :)

    Cheers


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    #1872
    Suasdaguna1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 525 ✭✭✭Suasdaguna1


    hidinginthebush wrote: »
    Hi all, just wondering is there anything particularly special about the DC10?

    I flew on one from Chicago to San Fran a few years back, did I blow my chance on storing up some aviation history?

    Dc10 was a fine aircraft with a chequered history to begin, starting with a cargo door blowing off ex paris. For me the MD11 its sucessor was a cow.....tricky to land with limited tail authority.

    Pal of mine did the BIMAN flight ex BHX and it was anorak heaven.


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    #1873
    de biz
    Registered Users Posts: 526 ✭✭✭de biz


    Suasdaguna1 wrote: »
    Dc10 was a fine aircraft with a chequered history to begin, starting with a cargo door blowing off ex paris. For me the MD11 its sucessor was a cow.....tricky to land with limited tail authority.

    Were you type rated on the MD-11?


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    #1874
    Suasdaguna1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 525 ✭✭✭Suasdaguna1


    de biz wrote: »

    Were you type rated on the MD-11?

    Nope but i know enough about the aircraft re incidents and accidents to say same.


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    #1875
    keith16
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,061 ✭✭✭keith16


    I spent a lot of time driving today and had a lot of stuff on my mind and found my concentration on the road slipping a few times.

    How do pilots deal with non-work (or work) related stresses and putting stuff to the back of their mind to maintain the required concentration levels?


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    #1876
    KnotABother
    Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭KnotABother


    keith16 wrote: »
    I spent a lot of time driving today and had a lot of stuff on my mind and found my concentration on the road slipping a few times.

    How do pilots deal with non-work (or work) related stresses and putting stuff to the back of their mind to maintain the required concentration levels?

    The prospect of being hanged in the morning concentrates the mind.


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    #1877
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Where is the safest spot to sit on a plane.

    Looking a the tv last nght where they crashed a plane to see what happened suggeste the middle section.


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    #1878
    basill
    Registered Users Posts: 1,348 ✭✭✭basill


    Depends how it crashed. The mid section was only relevant to that particular experiment. 1a, 46f or anything inbetween could be the place to be on another day.


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    #1879
    Garrigai
    Registered Users Posts: 172 ✭✭Garrigai


    The safest spot is clearly the back of the plane. When have you ever heard of a plane reversing into a mountain?? ;)


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    #1880
    Darwin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,671 ✭✭✭Darwin


    Anton Scruffy Searchlight wrote: »
    Where is the safest spot to sit on a plane.

    Looking a the tv last nght where they crashed a plane to see what happened suggeste the middle section.

    A University of Greenwich study (commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority) found that the safest place to sit is within six rows of the nearest exit - I guess this is assuming the plane is still intact when it lands. Think it was this study.


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    #1881
    hidinginthebush
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,679 ✭✭✭hidinginthebush


    I've asked this before in relation to passenger jets, but for smaller propeller driven planes, is there a large difference in how to fly / control them? ie if you can fly one type, is it transferable to other small planes? There's less controls and automation (I presume?), so is it easier to hop into different types of plane?

    Do any of you commercial pilots ever take a spin on a little one or two -man propeller plane just for kicks?

    Do many pilots start off flying small planes, or is it a case that you did your training with a large company and they stuck you straight into Boeings and Airbuses?


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    #1882
    faceman
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,613 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    On the topic of safety, I've read about incidents where one of the flight crew was rendered unconscious due to illness.

    In the event that both the flight crew rendered unconscious or there was a problem with the air supply in the cockpit, would those of us in the back ever know? Is there a fail safe for that kind of thing?


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    #1883
    ProfessorPlum
    Registered Users Posts: 1,811 ✭✭✭ProfessorPlum


    faceman wrote: »
    On the topic of safety, I've read about incidents where one of the flight crew was rendered unconscious due to illness.

    In the event that both the flight crew rendered unconscious or there was a problem with the air supply in the cockpit, would those of us in the back ever know? Is there a fail safe for that kind of thing?

    Cabin crew are required to check the cockpit at regular intervals to check that both crew are still alive, (and more importantly, don't need more coffee:), but take a look at Helios http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

    Many airlines changed their procedures after that crash, so that in the event of a depressurisation, if the cabin does not get communication from the cockpit, they are required to go to the cockpit to physically check on the crew to see if they are conscious. While the masks drop down automatically in the cabin, there is no automatic system in the cockpit, so it could happen that there is a loss of pressurisation and the cockpit crew may not be aware.


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    #1884
    KnotABother
    Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭KnotABother


    I was told a story the other day that got me thinking.

    An aircraft is sitting at the gate being fuelled and loaded etc with pax on board. The Captain looks out and see's the guy who is operating the bowser lighting up a cig. He calls an emergency evacuation of the aircraft immediately.

    I'm not sure if this really happened but interested to hear from some guys their thoughts on such an issue and if they would do something similar?

    Thanks


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    #1885
    youknowwho
    Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭youknowwho


    KnotABother wrote: »
    I was told a story the other day that got me thinking.

    An aircraft is sitting at the gate being fuelled and loaded etc with pax on board. The Captain looks out and see's the guy who is operating the bowser lighting up a cig. He calls an emergency evacuation of the aircraft immediately.

    I'm not sure if this really happened but interested to hear from some guys their thoughts on such an issue and if they would do something similar?

    Thanks
    As far as I know pax are not permitted on board during fueling, hence the need to kick everyone off for an hour on refueling stops.


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    #1886
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 9,864 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    youknowwho wrote: »
    As far as I know pax are not permitted on board during fueling, hence the need to kick everyone off for an hour on refueling stops.
    There are SOP's in place to allow fuelling with pax on board


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    #1887
    Growler!!!
    Registered Users Posts: 1,980 ✭✭✭Growler!!!


    But but but, I'm in the left seat looking out the left window. All the service vehicle are on the right hand side. How do I see the refueler smoking......


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    #1888
    ProfessorPlum
    Registered Users Posts: 1,811 ✭✭✭ProfessorPlum


    Some aircraft can fuel from the left wing, but tbh, unless this is a story from some remote strip in deepest darkest previously undiscovered jungle, I'd say its bull. Nobody who pumps fuel for a living would be that stupid.


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    #1889
    Jimmy444
    Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭Jimmy444


    youknowwho wrote: »
    As far as I know pax are not permitted on board during fueling, hence the need to kick everyone off for an hour on refueling stops.

    I don't think this is right. Maybe things have changed but I have definitely been on aircraft while refuelling was happening. I know this because we were asked to undo our seatbelts for the duration (in case a quick exit is needed?:eek:)


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    #1890
    Skuxx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,370 ✭✭✭Skuxx


    Jimmy444 wrote: »
    I don't think this is right. Maybe things have changed but I have definitely been on aircraft while refuelling was happening. I know this because we were asked to undo our seatbelts for the duration (in case a quick exit is needed?:eek:)

    This is correct! You may refuel with pax onboard but they must be made aware refueling is taking place and to leave seat belts off for the duration!


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    #1891
    basill
    Registered Users Posts: 1,348 ✭✭✭basill


    All airline dependent but there will be further procedures in place to safeguard pax and crew whilst fuelling. Things like boarding in small groups, ccm's manning emerency exits, avoiding having catering or other vehicles attached to doors, cockpit crew in contact with someone on a headset so that fuelling can be stopped for any reason etc etc. Also since wide cut fuels have largely been abandoned in the civilised airline world the risk of a fire is significantly reduced.


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