Originally Posted by
BEagle
Once upon a time, novice BOAC VC10 pilots flew something like 40 landings under training, with plenty of manual circuit flying. Whereas today the emphasis appears to be on SOPs and autoflight systems monitoring, with aircraft largely flying themselves, so much so that the airlines have discouraged much in the way of manual flying skills, deeming them unnecessary in day-to-day flying. As a result , some 'children of the magenta' would be quite out of their depth flying something as simple as a visual circuit.
Some military operations require a higher degree of manual flying, it is true. But emphatically not the type of approach flown by that KC-46A at Paris. Start the final turn with the RW threshold 45 deg behind you, control speed, rate of descent and configuration throughout the turn until you roll out on the centreline at about 600ft 2 miles out fully configured and stabilised at the correct speed. Not exactly demanding. But something that KC-46A crew seemed to be unable to manage.
Nearly correct Beagle! on my Command Course at Prestwick I had 29 landings, a real cross country for a final Route Check. Prestwick -Newcastle diverted to Shannon due “disruptive pax” with engine failure simulated en route. Flew a VC10 to Keflavik for the day with a bunch of us to find some real X Wind landings, I think we had to have min 25 kt to qualify.
On the subsequent 6 month new Capt. handling Check at Stansted, the final circuit was briefed by the very Senior ex WWII TC as, “ Show me the tightest visual circuit you can do, don’t be below 500 lined up on final”. Stansted was still a quiet back country airport then!
Different times!!