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Video of the Day - Paraglider collides with vulture {Gadling}
Nov 2nd 2011 5:48AM The paragliders I've flown don't have a cutaway feature, other than a hook knife. Some aerobatic pilots use a cutaway system, but this guy was likely a cross country pilot.
As for it being staged, why bother faking this? Imagine the costs involved.
Cockpit Chronicles: Fly Rio! {Gadling}
Oct 21st 2011 1:05PM Thanks Russ! Congrats and tailwinds.
Cockpit Chronicles: Boeing vs Boeing. Pilots weigh in on the flight qualities of each type {Gadling}
Oct 3rd 2011 10:42AM Hi Alan,
There are a lot of factors that go into a single-engine taxi decision. Taxi weight, obstacles in the area, a short taxi or an uphill taxiway are some of the reasons we don't taxi on one engine.
There's such a fear of doing damage to aircraft, equipment or personnel, that a single engine taxi is a relatively rare event on the widebody airplanes. We're more likely to shut both engines down while waiting a JFK for example, during an extended delay. In that case it's handy to be able to start both at the same time to move quickly when ATC asks us.
Kent
Cockpit Chronicles: Boeing vs Boeing. Pilots weigh in on the flight qualities of each type {Gadling}
Oct 2nd 2011 10:03AM Germany commute is going well. It takes 14 1/2 hours to get to the NY apartment. I leave myself two 1/2 days to get there so I can do laundry and not have to worry about making it on the flight.
I'm almost certain that the 'max' will not change the nose or the width at all. Just re-engining and maybe some aerodynamic improvements.
I'm pretty sure the accident rates are very similar on the Airbus. Pilots don't like over-automation, and Airbus takes automation a step further than Boeing. I can't do a comparison, because I have never flown an Airbus—something I hope to change very soon. Then you'll see a post on that, for sure.
I'm with you on the comforts of the Airbus. It's had the advantage of entering service after the 737.
Plane Answers: So you want to be a pilot? Here's how. {Gadling}
Sep 30th 2011 1:17PM Hi Pauline,
Math skills aren't my strong point, especially when I was your age and tackling algebra. Just get through your classes the best you can. I actually wrote about math and the airlines here:
http://www.gadling.com/2010/11/27/plane-answers-what-kind-of-math-skills-are-needed-to-become-a-p/
About 20% of the copilots in Boston are female as an example. I haven't looked at other bids or statuses to do a full survey. Hope you make it to the ultimate window seat someday!
Kent
Cockpit Chronicles: Know your Boeings {Gadling}
Sep 24th 2011 4:49AM Ugh. And coming from Alaska, it used to drive me crazy when others would forget about us. I'm so sorry, Hawaiian Airlines! Yes, they are another U.S. operator of the 717.
Cockpit Chronicles: A captain's line check {Gadling}
Sep 20th 2011 4:47PM Hi Craig,
Thanks for the note. I plan on writing about the Germany to New York commute at the end of next year when it's all said and done. So far it has been easy to back my trips up and get enough time off to make the commute back and forth worthwhile. I love the country and I tried to enjoy as much of the summer there as I could.
Line checks shouldn't cause many pilots much grief. As you say, they're an opportunity to demonstrate your skills, and pilots enjoy doing that.
Kent
Cockpit Chronicles: There's more behind the Air France 447 crash than pilot error {Gadling}
Sep 12th 2011 5:36PM That's a good point. We practice a windshear recovery that involves TOGA and flying the flight director commands when below 1,500 feet. We have a terrain recovery that is similar, but uses 20 degrees. I don't know what training is covered at Air France, but I suspect it's similar.
If one of the pitot tubes is blocked, the airspeed on that side will drop. If the static port is blocked, the airspeed will increase as the altitude increases. Granted, I'm making an assumption based on the actions of the Flying Pilot. There isn't a pilot in the world who would yank back on the elevator simply because the autopilot kicked off. So he must have seen an erroneous overspeed on his PFD and responded to it without checking the other side or the standby altimeter or airspeed indication.
I read a report from some Northwest pilots who had a similar experience two weeks later. Unfortunately I can't seem to find their description or I would have included a link to it in the post. Have you run across this?
Kent
Cockpit Chronicles: There's more behind the Air France 447 crash than pilot error {Gadling}
Sep 11th 2011 9:05PM Hi Taliesin,
I had to delete the original post as you're right, it was cut off. Here's the full version with an addendum at the end:
I appreciate your taking the time to counter with some well considered arguments. But you need to understand that I was relating to what the Flying Pilot was seeing at the time and not what the flight data recorders were reading. So when I say the airspeed increased, I'm talking about what he likely saw on his PFD. He continually made reference to being 'too fast' on the voice recorder transcripts.
All I'm concerned with in this article is just what the flying pilot saw on his PFD. I suspect he never looked at the integrated standby indications.
I'm not sure where I got the thirty seconds for autothrottle disconnect, but you're right, they happened almost simultaneously.
I don't feel the need to defend these pilots, but I'm aghast at those who have never been given an unreliable airspeed indication in a simulator are so confident that they wouldn't at least REACT in the same manner for the first few seconds. You'll never know until it happens to not what the flight data recorders were reading. So when I say the airspeed increased, I'm talking about what he likely saw on his PFD. He continually made reference to being 'too fast' on the voice recorder transcripts.
All I'm concerned with in this article is just what the flying pilot saw on his PFD. I suspect he never looked at the integrated standby indications.
I'm not sure where I got the thirty seconds for autothrottle disconnect, but you're right, they happened almost simultaneously.
I don't feel the need to defend these pilots, but I'm aghast at those who have never been given an unreliable airspeed indication in a simulator are so confident that they wouldn't at least REACT in the same manner for the first few seconds. You'll never know until it happens to you. And most pilots haven't seen this in the simulator.
Now, for those who are really geeky on the pilot stuff, a possible way to prevent the situation from ever occurring again:
Imagine that the autopilot selected was for the opposite side from the pilot flying the airplane (contrary to today's procedures). Now imagine that the indications on the Pilot Flying's display (the PFD) accelerated. Nothing would happen. He'd simply say, "Wow, look at that. We need to this up."
How about if the information provided to the other pilot went nuts instead. The autopilot would click off, and the Flying Pilot would be staring at GOOD information. The other pilot would have indications of an airspeed increase (or perhaps decrease). The Flying Pilot would have a fighting chance to recover the airplane.
This slight procedure change—going from the same autopilot for the pilot flying to the opposite one, would have probably ended up with a different result.
Addendum:
You said: "I am not quite sure why you would think that the pilot saw something other than what was recorded on the FDR."
And the accident report stated on page ten: "Note: Only the speeds displayed on the left side and on the ISIS are recorded on the FDR; the speed displayed on the right side is not recorded."
I'm still convinced that the only way he would have reacted as he did is if he thought he was in an overspeed situation. The trouble is, if he was sitting in the left (as is most likely) then he should have been getting left side data. If he did have perfect data, then, well, yes, it's inconceivable as to why he pulled up. It just doesn't make sense.
Kent
Cockpit Chronicles: One long date with Hurricane Irene {Gadling}
Sep 7th 2011 3:48AM There are two runways at San Juan.
The ILS to runway 10 was out of service and the runway lights to runway 8 were inop. Since it was daylight, we shot the ILS to 8 which was not out of service.
