airmail 1
26th Jul 2004, 17:40
hi all out there,wonder if you got any info for a nouvelair flight from sfax last weds 21 july.my girlfriend was on the flight,and says it kept on diving a steep decent and climbing again on app to gatwick.she been on some rough flights but this one took the (pxxx).had also a fast exit when it landed.thanks.........
threestable
29th Jul 2004, 14:26
Try the questions forum, might get more response. For what it is worth though, sounds like step descents and slowing down whilst level. 320-250 knots, 250-220 etc. Power and pitch changes (increase) can give the impression of a climb, but in fact level flight is all that results. Every effort is made to minimise this effect by pilots descent planning, and atc, to minimise this scenario, however, no two days are the same, and time of day, other traffic, whatever, can negate the best laid plans. No-one climbs on arrival (excepting TCAS (somethings gonna hit ya get out the way...very, very rare) climb!)........ sequencing is hard enough when they are all travelling vertically in the same direction!
Imagine this.
"descend to 4000ft, when level speed back to 220 knots."
Aircraft engines to idle, nose drops slightly, descends.... levels 4000, nose comes up, slows to 220, nose comes further up, to maintain 220 now engines spooled up.... not climbing just level.
Runway vacating needs to be expeditious as dept and arr aircraft use the same runway at LGW, and to ensure efficient operation 'runway occupancy time' to be kept to a minimum. To facilitate this high speed turn off provided, (imagine a slip road).
This saves on hammering brakes and reverse to make an early turn on to a conventional 90 degree turnoff. Much nicer for plane pilot and punters!!.... unless of course the best laid plans have just gone out the window again.........
Hope this helps....
Rgds TS!