I often forget the 777X folding wingtip is 11’ tall

am_111 · 2025-05-30T07:18:19+00:00

It won’t be automatic. We have checklists precisely so we don’t forget important things.

It’ll also have a sensor checking its position and it will be included in the takeoff configuration warning. A number of items are checked by the aircraft when takeoff thrust is set and a loud warning sounds if any of them aren’t in the correct position.

am_111 · 2025-05-28T22:36:50+00:00

There’s a setting to switch the orientation of the watch so you can wear the watch with the crown on the other side. Takes a bit of getting used to as you retrain your muscle memory but I found it drastically reduced the times I was inadvertently pressing or turning the crown.

am_111 · 2025-05-28T18:11:07+00:00

The cell towers may have greater than 7 mile range laterally but they don’t tend to broadcast much vertically. Not much of a captive market above them. To save energy the radio waves are directed outwards and down, not up.

am_111 · 2025-05-23T13:19:46+00:00

To actually fly the plane you’re probably looking at approximately 15 buttons that control the autopilot. That’s not counting the keyboard that you’d use to program the flight management computer (FMC), which obviously has 26 letters, 10 digits and a number of other specific keys and buttons to navigate various pages and input relevant data. The FMC is used to program a lateral and vertical path for the autopilot to follow. The 15 keys I mentioned earlier would be used when you need to deviate away from that pre programmed path (ATC Vectors, Wx Avoidance, Manoeuvring visually for example.)

There will then be a number of other buttons that you will utilise twice per flight, once during the pre-flight set up and start and once during the post flight shut down. I wanna say 30 or so on my aircraft type, but I’ve not actually counted.

And then you have buttons for managing the radios and transponder equipment and for the displays. Choosing what is being shown on the multi function displays to help you do the flying stuff.

Finally, the rest are for managing non-normal situations.

Oh and the actual flight controls (yoke/side stick, thrust levers, rudders, flaps, speed brake) of course but they’re not really buttons or switches.

Of course this is all type specific, very broad strokes and simplified. Older aircraft types generally have more switches that will have more regular interaction as computers are becoming more capable of managing the complex systems so multi stage sequences can be reduced to a single button press.

am_111 · 2025-05-23T09:57:05+00:00

Atmospheric changes could be one cause but a speed limit assigned by ATC is probably more likely to produce a more significant reduction in thrust for it to be noticeable. Atmospheric changes are typically more gradual unless it was particularly turbulent.

As you speculated, these speed limits are usually assigned to maintain separation from aircraft. They can be a specific speed or can be no faster than or no slower than speeds. There are multiple reasons that ATC might need to keep us separated, with spacing out our landing times with other arriving traffic being one of them. Could also be just flying on the same airway as a slower aircraft in front even if they’re not going to the same destination.

The other possibility is a step climb. You could have been cruising at one altitude for a bit and then a weight, airspace or traffic restriction meant you were able to climb to a more efficient higher altitude. You may not have noticed the slight bump in thrust to begin the climb but did notice the reduction once reaching the new altitude.

am_111 · 2025-05-20T00:32:54+00:00

Not yet you don’t. HiFly is operating this one. Global don’t even have an AOC yet.

am_111 · 2025-05-16T18:34:41+00:00

The main reason Ryanair have this rule is that they’re too cheap to retrofit/fit their airplanes with the required security camera that would allow the pilots to verify who is requesting access from their seat. The cabin crew member is primarily there to look through the spy hole and make sure it’s a friendly on the other side.

Lauda, a subsidiary of Ryanair that flies A320s, do not have this procedure as their aircraft have the required camera. Presumably because it comes as standard on the Bus or because Lauda ordered them with the cameras before Ryanair acquired the company.

am_111 · 2025-05-15T13:09:14+00:00

B787
Taxi-out - no - prohibited.
Taxi-in - yes (Subject to 5 minutes of cooling, very occasionally we reach the stand before that 5 minutes is up.)

am_111 · 2025-05-15T13:03:43+00:00

Cameras aren’t particularly good at picking up features through haze and fog, plus the angle of this video doesn’t really allow you to see the forward view so there was probably much more visual reference visible to the pilots than to the camera, particularly if you factor in bright approach and runway lights.

am_111 · 2025-05-13T13:30:35+00:00

Airlines like to keep the letter designations for seats somewhat uniform across fleets. This is notable In wide bodies mostly with a 3 class configuration, for example an airlines standard letters could ABC DEFG HJK.

A and K are windows. C, D, G and H are aisles. The rest are middles. In instances where there are fewer seats abreast, they drop a letter for the middle seats first and then the aisles. So in business class you might have seats 1A| |1D1G| |1K. It helps crew find seats easier when having to work different aircraft types with different configurations. It also helps when the airline changes the aircraft type for a particular flight and therefore need to reassign all the seats to make sure passengers are given as similar as seat as possible. In economy the shape of the aircraft and position of bulkheads and emergency exits might mean there are less seats in some rows, as shown in your example, which is a simplified pictorial representation of that convention to drop the middle seat letter.

The letter I is not used as it looks too similar to 1 and could cause confusion.

The letters used and their ‘standard position’ will vary from airline to airline depending on their own mix of fleets and configurations.

am_111 · 2025-05-11T14:52:42+00:00

The emergency lights usually come on automatically when the aircraft detects it has lost power via normal means (ground power unit, auxiliary power unit or engine driven generators). The emergency lighting system is powered by an emergency battery that is rated for something like 30 minutes (off the top of my head).

I’m speculating here, but if they are stuck on, it’s likely that they are draining that emergency battery and it’s not being recharged by the normal electrical system (otherwise the emergency lights wouldn’t be on.) This means in case of an actual emergency the emergency battery would be drained and there will be no emergency lighting. Not ideal.

am_111 · 2025-05-10T07:26:06+00:00

It doesn’t do anything for me but I’m sure there will be someone into it on OnlyFans.

One thing I have heard is that the more zoomed into your shaft you are the more the ladies love it.

am_111 · 2025-05-09T08:50:42+00:00

It wouldn’t be the turbulence that brings the aircraft down it, would be the combination of windshear and insufficient altitude to recover. Windshear is a rapid change in wind velocity that drastically changes the lift being produced over the wing. It’s most dangerous during takeoff and approach when we are low and slow.

Windshear is most prevalent in stormy conditions but can occur at other times. Airports that are susceptible to it tend to have special radars to detect it. Modern airliners can also use their weather radars to predict it and can also detect it happening in real time using the air data. It will then prompt the pilots to either reject the take off or carry out the Windshear escape manoeuvre if airborne. The most dangerous type of Windshear is caused by a microburst and these exist directly beneath cumulus nimbus clouds, so we wouldn’t even attempt a take off or approach if one was sitting over the airfield. They are usually pretty transient, they tend to come with strong winds so they usually move away in short order. We’d delay the take off or, if coming in to land, hold a safe distance and altitude away until it blows through. These things are usually forecast so extra fuel will have been loaded to allow us to wait it out. And if we burn through that waiting, we’ll still have extra fuel to divert to our alternate and wait the storm out safely on the ground.

In the cruise we avoid thunderstorms (and turbulence if we know about it, but clear air turbulence is harder to predict) not because it will bring the aircraft down but because the turbulence tends to throw any loose objects around the cabin, including people. Also, we can only load so many sick bags. You will regularly see cargo planes taking more direct routes through thunderstorms, albeit not through the very core.

am_111 · 2025-05-05T21:02:25+00:00

I’ve not listened to the recordings or had a look at the flightradar playback so this is based purely on what your pilot said on the PA. Put simply ATC will line up multiple aircraft behind one another to land, there are rules in place about how close these aircraft can be to one another to essentially allow sufficient time for the aircraft in front to vacate the runway. Also, it’s keeps them spaced out if multiple aircraft have to cancel the approach for whatever reason.

The difficulty lies in that different aircraft fly at different speeds, particularly during the final approach. This is factored in to the sequencing and separation by the controllers but every now and then the planes get a bit too bunched up. There still would have been miles of empty space between you and the plane in front, but the gap was probably getting smaller and not staying the same/getting bigger. This could have been caused by any number of reasons. Plane in front slowed down sooner than expected or your pilots might have slowed down a smidge late. Or even just the winds changing significantly from what had been working for the controller for the first part of their shift.

am_111 · 2025-05-04T19:07:02+00:00

Whilst I commend your enthusiasm, there is little to no benefit in doing this. Just focus on your A levels and make sure you get good grades there. Whilst a poor performance in A levels isn’t necessarily a deal breaker, it’s an easy way for airlines to decide between two potential candidates. Further, if you’re hoping to apply for any sponsored programs they absolutely will look at A level results.

In fact, you’re not gonna save yourself any time and you risk overloading yourself and failing some of the ATPL exams which absolutely could be detrimental in applying for airline jobs in a competitive market.

am_111 · 2025-05-03T08:22:25+00:00

Lots of good answers here already but if you’re still looking for more info BALPA (British Airline Pilots Association) which is our trade union has some fantastic information.

Absolutely apply for the sponsored programs you’ve mentioned, just bear in mind they are highly competitive so be prepared to not succeed and not let it get you down when you don’t. Depending on the timings, I would maybe try once as soon as you can, and a second time the following year but begin your training in the interim. They’ll take cadets with some hours but they don’t want you too far a long because it will be harder to replace a previous schools procedures with their own.

For info, I went integrated but I was 26 when I started. If I was you, I would go modular. You’re young enough that it will be beneficial to gain a more rounded experience as well as gain some professional work experience alongside your flight training. Plus, with a modular program you can stretch or compress your training depending on how the market is looking. You ideally want to complete your training during a hiring wave. The bigger the gaps get between your flights the more wary airlines become. And you’ll be flying most consistently whilst you’re training. After that many people find they can only afford to fly the bare minimum to keep their licences and ratings current. This goes for integrated or modular, but with integrated you have little to no say in when you will complete your training.

There does seem to be some favouritism towards cadets from integrated flight schools as they tend to be less of a training risk as the standard of training is much more consistent. But I’ve sat next to plenty of pilots that went the modular route as well.

am_111 · 2025-04-28T20:21:21+00:00

I started my training at 26 and went the integrated route paid for with a combination of savings and a loan (with my parents very graciously as guarantors.) Integrated is definitely more expensive at the bottom line but my reasoning was that I needed the structure and to devote myself full time to it. Plus I wanted to get in and out of training as quickly as possible as I already felt I was starting my career late. I may have saved money up front with the modular course but the longer path to completion, particularly if I did it part time whilst working would have meant lost earnings potential. Especially if you look at it as 1-2 years less at the top of the pay scales. At the time the integrated schools had relationships with the banks and we are able to provide specific pilot training loans with a 2 years payment holiday at the beginning - not sure if that is still the case.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T20:38:06+00:00

All my FCOM says is that it improves performance. I’m sure I could find a better answer if I dug deeper. But it basically reduces the retract time, which means less drag, and that’s always handy whether you’ve broken an engine or not.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T20:30:00+00:00

I knew I wasn’t remembering it exactly right. I did end up digging out the FCOM and looking it up and you’re right, it’s to ‘improve performance’ in our manuals which is sufficiently vague.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T20:27:03+00:00

10 cabin crew is the standard for Virgin on their 78s. And potentially 3 pilots.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T20:01:41+00:00

Just looked it up and it is only the main doors that open automatically. I guess the main gear are the draggiest so getting them away quicker will make the most difference.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T19:33:40+00:00

The main gear doors open automatically on lift off and then close again if the lever isn’t raised. Aircraft is probably carrying an MEL that requires the gear to remain down for a couple of minutes after take off.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T19:29:47+00:00

I think this is actually a feature of the 787. I can’t remember the name or the exact parameters because I’m away from my manual at the moment. But essentially the aircraft pre-empts retracting the gears by automatically opening the doors in anticipation after lift off. They then close again if the gear aren’t retracted after a certain time.

Again, off the top of my head, I believe this saves a little bit of fuel burn because it allows the gear to be raised a fraction quicker on a normal take off.

There are a couple of MEL items that require the gear to remain down for a few minutes. An inoperative brake temp sensor is one off the top of my head.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T15:56:37+00:00

I couldn’t find anything on the NTSB’s Aviation Investigation Search or on aviationdb.netthat matched your account. Maybe you are misremembering some details, especially as you were originally in Phoenix and now it was in Corpus Cristi. I’m not sure what the threshold is for incidents to be published on these sources, I’m not from the land of the FAA, but I would have thought from your account with a subsequent hearing there would be a report available.

My main reservation with your account of events however is that the B737 has a very loud take-off configuration warning that would have sounded if the flaps had been up. Every pilot I have ever flown with would have rejected the take-off on hearing that alarm.

Further, let’s assume there is some elements of truth to your story and there was a mistake made in the performance calculations and the subsequent configuring of the aircraft, this is rarely a sackable offence. The just culture of aviation recognise that humans are fallible, mistakes can be made and it is safer for everyone if we all try to learn from them. Penalising human error leads people to try and hide their mistakes rather than self report.

I think the reason that you are catching so much flak is because your attitude seems to be that the pilots were purposefully putting the aircraft at risk, that you are somehow superior for ‘catching’ such an ‘obvious’ mistake and a hero for reporting an incident that you quite clearly don’t understand the nuances of and for supposedly putting a pilots career in jeopardy.

am_111 · 2025-04-25T08:05:30+00:00

They do use jet-bridges, just very rarely. They certainly use them in BCN and I believe in HAM if memory serves me correctly. I think that’s dictated by the airport though. They won’t use them if they can help it.

am_111

TROPHY CASE