QuestionsIf you are a professional pilot or your work involves professional aviation please use this forum for questions. Enthusiasts, please use the 'Spectators Balcony' forum.
Perhaps of more importance might be the result of a younger guy in command of a B747 with little experience...and not paying attention to details.
Example.
Circa 1977, ex MEL, SQ service, MEL-SIN, local Captain in charge.
The crew boards the aircraft, does preflight checks, and completes a takeoff briefing, departing runway 34.
After engine start and pushback, the airplane is instructed to taxi to runway 27, whereupon the FD crew does as instructed, no further briefing as to the suitability of runway 27, nor the SID required.
The aircraft is cleared for takeoff on runway 27.
As this runway is rather short, said 747 rotates in the very end, drags the tail through the weeds beyond, and descends, out of sight from the tower (in the valley beyond the end of runway 27) until it is seen once again, climbing...slowly.
The aircraft proceeded to SIN at normal flight levels, and landed uneventfully, with bits and pieces firmly lodged in the extreme aft lower fuselage.
The Captain.
Suspended from duty and downgraded to First Officer, where he remained for a very long time.
His age at the time of the incident?
29, as I recall.
SQ (Capt SK 'Charlie' Chan, DFO) had a very big rethink after this very near disaster, and experienced expat Captains were recruited poste haste, including yours truly.
All above is factual, parabellum's obtuse opinions notwithstanding.
You might just have noticed that the three 744Fs which are at the moment wet-leased to Emirates are Belgian-registered. They are owned by TNT Airways SA based in Liege. They are flown by TNT crews and are on the TNT Airways AOC.
They are operated by TNT and not by Emirates but then, I don't have to tell you what a wet-lease is do I?
I have a friend of mine who made Captain with Virgin Atlantic at 28 years old ! These days it would probably take 28 years in the COMPANY to make Captain.
So, your stand alone statement
Quote:
A Singaporean used not to be able to join the airline until he was twenty six!
is in error.
Now who is being obtuse!!! My statement is very obviously relative to the B744 as that is what this thread is all about and therefore totally accurate.
What a great place for journalists to research - on an anonymous forum with the following at the bottom:
As these are anonymous forums the origins of the contributions may be opposite to what may be apparent. In fact the press may use it, or the unscrupulous, or sciolists*, to elicit certain reactions.
*"sciolist"... Noun, archaic. "a person who pretends to be knowledgeable and well informed".
Damaging an already damaged image of journalists by writing answers based on information given to you by somebody you've never met, and probably never will: nor do you know who they are.
Thanks for the advise, but it's sometimes easier to start with rumor and then the easy part is to verifying the facts. Send me a message if you need advise with your job.
I see no reason why journalists shouldn't use PPRuNe for research, especially if they are honest and declare themselves.
The 28 year old completed his command course to a very high standard and has operated for several years in the LHS. (forgot to mention that it was a 744F). He's now about 31 or 32.
Dave
Last edited by Captain Airclues : 5th July 2009 at 11:07.
Reason: Add present age
Location: Kerikeri, New Zealand or Noosa Queensland. Depending on the time of year!
Age: 69
Posts: 99
As someone who joined SQ in 1977 as a Check & Training Captain and spent the next twenty years in that capacity on three different fleets, including the 747, I find many of these conflicting comments most amusing. Keep it up gentlemen, laughter is the spice of life.
Wow ! 27 yrs old SQ B744 Capt. Even the youngest B777 capts I've come across are in their mid 30s. Just a theory, but if he was a Singaporean, my guess is that he could be someone well linked to the higher ups. Any idea what his surname was ? Just a theory, so please don't shoot me down.
On an interesting note, I've seen a Asian female FO in her late 20s early 30s flying a B744F. Never seen any other female cockpit crew in an Asian carrier's B744 yet.
Are you currently 34? So far I have found a Captain on the B747-400 at Polar Air Cargo that is currently 36. I am taking a snapshot of today's market and not a history of the B747-400. I still have a lot of work to do, but if someone knows of a younger captain on the B747-400 let me know. I have found that there are a lot more airlines operating this aircraft than I first thought.
lol
Keep it up gentlemen, laughter is the spice of life.
Linear Mode
