The great big "ask an airline pilot" thread!

Growler!!!

If only there was an "Ask an airline pilot" thread.

Oh wait:D

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056378654

arubex

In an ideal free-flight scenario one would cruise-climb constantly as fuel burns-off; Concorde would do this once above the airways and it is common with military aircraft.

However that tends to annoy ATC, as aircraft constantly climbing makes things messy. So for airliners step-climbs are used wherein two or three altitudes are calculated for the projected en route fuel states and when cleared by ATC they climb to the next altitude. So they are not always flying at optimum altitude but on average it is close.

cppilot98

There are a combination of factors, without getting too technical the weight might preclude the climb but even if the aircraft was capable of climbing to the higher flight level, once it got there it would require greater thrust in the thinner air in order to maintain the altitude and TAS. This burns more fuel and would reduce the range. Also at higher weights and higher altitudes the margin between stall and overspeed is reduced.

Essentially though the main purpose is to ensure optimum fuel burn while maintaining the best true airspeed. So in theory the best option would be to maintain a continuous gentle climb as the fuel burns off. This isn't practical so step climbs are used.

fricatus

Always wondered why that was - thanks all for the very interesting replies!

FWVT

This is my sister's route on her flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi yesterday (14hr40mins). See the initial cruise at FL280, with climbs to FL300 after PUGUT, FL320 after WENER, FL340 after TIMET, FL360 after TATOD and finally FL380 after EKASU.

DCT KAT A576 PKS J141 LEC T21 PUGUT N0494F300 T21 WENER N0492F320 T21 PD N509 TIMET N0490F340 N509 TATOD N0482F360 N509 ELATI N640 EKASU N0476F380 N640 KAT R461 DEMON M082F380 R461 MDI N0476F380 M300 EMURU N563

smurfjed

Last day of ground school tomorrow so I get to put out fires and slide out of a burning aircraft and then hopefully get saved by the flight attendants as they drag me into a raft. Our training facilities are huge and the company has just opened a new 7 floor building that just deals with service training. In both places they have full size aircraft mockups, the evacuation trainer replicates either a B747 or B777 and has full motion, smoke and noise generators etc.

This got me thinking, where do EI and FR do this sort of training?

billie1b

Not sure about EI, FR have training bases in both EMA and HHN, HHN being the main one these days.

TheBoss11

Aer Lingus do their SEP training in the alsaa in Dublin airport. They have replica aircraft with smoke functions too. Not motion though

smurfjed

Thanks for that... I was just surprised as i haven't seen ALSAA grow with the airline. With the increase in fleet and crewing levels, I guess that I was expecting some building expansion.

ProfessorPlum

smurfjed wrote: »

Thanks for that... I was just surprised as i haven't seen ALSAA grow with the airline. With the increase in fleet and crewing levels, I guess that I was expecting some building expansion.

Fleet numbers may have increased over the years but fleet types have reduced, hence no need to build an extension. Makes for a much more efficient operation at all levels, SEP training included. There's plenty of capacity at the facility to put all crews through, in fact it runs at nowhere near full capacity.

eatmyshorts

Is the pool still full of manky water?!

basill

Wouldn't have thought so. As well as ALSAA it's used regularly for SEP checkouts and local schools as well as various swim and diving clubs.

faceman

About to head SFO to Dublin once again. How's weather/turbulence looking en route? As always I'm be awake for every moment of the flight.

TheBoss11

What are these black and white discs/reels beside the thrust leavers? They spin sometimes during flight what's the purpose of this?

billie1b

TheBoss11 wrote: »

What are these black and white discs/reels beside the thrust leavers? They spin sometimes during flight what's the purpose of this?

Stablizer trim wheel, they can be operated manually or by autopilot, on the 737 series they are exposed and you learn pretty fast not to rest you knee on them, I reckon it'd break your kneecap

ProfessorPlum

TheBoss11 wrote: »

What are these black and white discs/reels beside the thrust leavers? They spin sometimes during flight what's the purpose of this?

That's an airbus. It's a trim wheel, but on the airbus it doesn't spin like the 737. It actually has a very small range of movement. It's used to set the 'trim' - the angle of the horizontal stabiliser for flight - depending on the loading of the aircraft. And unless the **** has well and truly hit the fan, you don't touch it again. The trim is automatic except for in very degraded situations.

smurfjed

In the 777 they were replaced with two levers, but I can't even see those levers in a B787 cockpit photo, so i think that they were replaced by the two toggle switches beside the parking brake...

The clanking wheel on the 737-200 used to be dangerous

ProfessorPlum

Livin' the dream!!

http://www.elijahnicolas.com/blog/2015/3/16/a-comical-but-real-life-living-the-dream-of-being-an-airline-pilot-by-legos

Cessna_Pilot

ProfessorPlum wrote: »

Livin' the dream!!

http://www.elijahnicolas.com/blog/2015/3/16/a-comical-but-real-life-living-the-dream-of-being-an-airline-pilot-by-legos

Work work work work!

Locker10a

ProfessorPlum wrote: »

Livin' the dream!!

http://www.elijahnicolas.com/blog/2015/3/16/a-comical-but-real-life-living-the-dream-of-being-an-airline-pilot-by-legos

hahahah this is brilliant !! and it is so true ! This will be shared with more pilots

phater phagan

This is a small matter of curiosity for me about flight paths, and I wonder if any of you can enlighten me.
Is there a flight corridor south of the McGillicuddy Reeks? I've noticed jets flying east to southwest there and was wondering which airlines fly that route. Are they originating in Kerry, Cork, Waterford or Dublin and what is their destinations? Thanks in advance.

eatmyshorts

phater phagan wrote: »

This is a small matter of curiosity for me about flight paths, and I wonder if any of you can enlighten me.
Is there a flight corridor south of the McGillicuddy Reeks? I've noticed jets flying east to southwest there and was wondering which airlines fly that route. Are they originating in Kerry, Cork, Waterford or Dublin and what is their destinations? Thanks in advance.

The vast majority of traffic routing over that area are flights between mainland Europe/UK and the US.

phater phagan

Thanks eatmyshorts. Curiosity satisfied now.

amen

In the 777 they were replaced with two levers, but I can't even see those levers in a B787 cockpit photo, so i think that they were replaced by the two toggle switches beside the parking brake...

how doe the swtiches work? can you still manually set the trim ?

smurfjed

My guess.... the 777 has two levers for alternate pitch and trim, moving them at the same time moves the stabiliser directly. As the 787 is almost a common type rating, i would assume that the two switches in the 787 do the same thing, forward to trim nose down, backwards for trim up.

eatmyshorts

smurfjed wrote: »

My guess.... the 777 has two levers for alternate pitch and trim, moving them at the same time moves the stabiliser directly. As the 787 is almost a common type rating, i would assume that the two switches in the 787 do the same thing, forward to trim nose down, backwards for trim up.

Yes, exactly like that.
The levers are for alternate trim only. Only used if trim switches on the yoke fail. They are spring loaded to the neutral position.
The yoke switches are disabled when the autopilot is engaged, but the alternate levers are always active. Never had to touch them.

TheBoss11

Flying back from Manchester to Dublin today in fairly calm conditions and notice our pilot reversed thrust upon landing, also notice the next aircraft doing the same thing (both FR) But EI went reversing. What's the situation Here? Does reversing thrust save fuel or something? Kinda strange

Locker10a

TheBoss11 wrote: »

Flying back from Manchester to Dublin today in fairly calm conditions and notice our pilot reversed thrust upon landing, also notice the next aircraft doing the same thing (both FR) But EI went reversing. What's the situation Here? Does reversing thrust save fuel or something? Kinda strange

No its down to company policy really, but will will obviously be dependent on weather, runway length, conditions etc. As far as i understand it thrust reverse is always deployed but my only be a tiny percentage, thus you wouldn't even notice in most cases. In my experience significant reverse thrust is only used in about 12/15% of landing.
Perhaps Ryanair have a policy to use it more than brakes on deceleration as they need cooling off period after landing, and may impact quick turn arounds, as far as i know 737s dont have brake fans.

N64

Also wears the break pads out less if reverse thrust is used

View Profile

Think Aer Lingus have carbon brakes while Ryanair only steel which doesn't aid brake cooling as much.