Fragrant HarbourA forum for the large number of pilots (expats and locals) based with the various airlines in Hong Kong. Air Traffic Controllers are also warmly welcomed into the forum.
You mean green returns on the radar? Never deviated around THEM at any airline or operation other than Cathay. I think Cathay pilots are scared of ANY radar return.
I don't think the bravado of flying through certain radar returns is something to boast about. No-one suspects that their aircraft is going to suffer structural failure if they fly through a bit of green or yellow but that does not mean we should be flying through it. I thought passenger comfort ranked fairly high in running a good airline. Speak to the average joe down the back and many of them are nervous flyers. I have spoken to many people over the years who prefer one airline over another because they say those airlines are 'less bumpy' and at the end of the day, passenger comfort and satisfaction is important. I think that is often forgotten amongst us pilots and fair enough, with that bulletproof door closed it is easy to forget that it isn't just the pilots going on a bit of a fly but actually that there is quite a bit of fuselage full of people also going along for the ride.
Does that apply to avoiding green returns when flying a freighter? Then why are freighter pilots always flying around green returns? I know. It's because they're too programmed and afraid to think outside the box (no pun intended.)
I have never seen an airline more full of automatons.
You are right. Our fear of green is just another cxample of being overly conservative for no gain in safety at the expense of efficiency.
Sue,
You are also correct. When pilots do this, it does not help ATC do their job well.
Geh065,
What a ridiculous comment! I suppose we should expect nothing less out of the Airbus fleet office. Do you also exclusively use the auto pilot at the expense your hand flying and landing skills for those passengers so they can have a smoother ride. Yellow should be avoided when practicable, but green is more than OK with the seat belt on, especially when the cabin crew are seated. Sure, fly around green when it costs almost nothing, but the terminal area is not the place for this when there is a lot of traffic.
Greetings Oval - Not Like you to flip off on a Tangiential "Freighter Pilot" rant? Like I'm never, ever, sarcastic. Also to whom do you refer when you say "They're" .. (too programmed); a particular subset of the 747 Pilots, or all of them as I believe all but a few, if not 100% are now flying the whole fleet? Sorry team, back to the ATC incident/useful discussion.....
White None, I have nothing against freighter pilots as I was, and always will be, one of them. My point was that the CX "never fly into green" mantra is so ingrained that even when a pilot is flying a freighter he avoids green. This supports my theory that so many CX pilots are automatons that they can't (or won't) think, "Hey, I'm in a freighter! No need to avoid green today!"
OVAL - Gotcha - Personally I'd love to spend life flying the freighter, making my own Tea, but to Pax destinations. Aaah Well...... Soz for any unwarranted ranting fm myself
Yellow should be avoided when practicable, but green is more than OK with the seat belt on, especially when the cabin crew are seated. Sure, fly around green when it costs almost nothing, but the terminal area is not the place for this when there is a lot of traffic.
I thought the aim of the game was to have the seatbelt signs on as LITTLE as possible. Just sticking them on as an excuse to fly through weather? Thats very customer oriented of you!
As for traffic, if it is an issue then ATC will say so!!
Quote:
My point was that the CX "never fly into green" mantra is so ingrained that even when a pilot is flying a freighter he avoids green. This supports my theory that so many CX pilots are automatons that they can't (or won't) think, "Hey, I'm in a freighter! No need to avoid green today!"
With lithium batteries poised to explode into flame if they are damaged or rubbed up against something else, perhaps avoiding as many bumps as possible should apply to the freighter as well if not more?
Yes sometimes I move around suspect looking green returns on the Radar. I've been caught out before entering what we thought was "just a little green smatter" and had a few bumps that wouldn't be appreciated by my pax eating dinner down the back.
IT'S CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BEING A PROFESSIONAL PILOT.
