Gentlemen; Allthough Iīve just been hired in my first airliner pilotjob on the B727, I have been working around airplanes for 5 years now, including driving the pushback. I once had a Spanair MD80 in CPH, where the parkbrake was not set, a person on the ground took the chocks behind the mainwheel (he thought it wouldnīt matter because the chocks in front of the wheel would still prevent the plane to roll into the gate (read: forward)
) The result was that the plane started to roll backwards and rolled about 5 ft before the crew realised the plane was moveing. By luck nothing happend. I have seen many times how the crew go back into the cabin to sit down and have a cup of coffe or tea, and if some idi** comes along and remove the chucks, I donīt think the crew will realise the plane moveing, and we can scream to our ears fall of from the outside, you wonīt heard us anyway. So please, leave the parkingbrake on, when parked...!! Besides, I really donīt think the brakes of a modern airliner will suffer any damage. The brakes are there to be used, not to look at.
DP....
[This message has been edited by Danish Pilot (edited 14 December 2000).]