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Old 1st September 2006 | 11:27
  #21 (permalink)  
d192049d
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 102
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From: UK
I am up for it

Have mangaged to put down a 747-400 on 13 at Kai TAK thanks to the nice guys at BA Cranebank in 1995.

To start we tried the L1011 - 500 whitch was a real eye opener and for me difficult to fly accuratley. I remember struggling to take all of the information in given the that it was an analogue cockpit and needed a full crew including a F/E to get the best out of it. Those windows were amazing with excellent visibility, I remember subsequently travelling in the jumpseat accross the pond to KJFK and the base of the window was level with my thigh...any way the session culminated in me landing on top of hatton cross underground...not good.

For the 747 we started with general handling out of KJFK including almost taking the aerial of the top of one of the twin towers, but lets not go there.....the sound effects were amazing even could feel the nose whell clunk home. My missus who at the time was serving as cabin crew on the same type concurred that the feeling and effects were spot on. After the initial fun we then switched to a checkerboard approach into Kai Tak..from memory the aircraft was very stable but had massive inertia and required positive handling, managed to "hit" the touchdown zone and with full reverse and heavy braking managed to stop before the end....absolutley amazing. The fact is that with the MFD display with predictive trend data and a freindly co-pilot handling the rubber bands, the bird is quite easy to fly.

The only experience I had was MS Flt sim at the time.

Now with a PPl I believe that with the knowledge of a remote co-pilot and a glass cockpit, the passengers would walk away. However if you happen to be onboard an analaogue bird, you will struggle.......

One point to wrap up and the only other consideration I could see getting in the way....what if it is a double crew incapacitation? Could the CC get the door open to let you in????
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