PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - B777-300 Tail scrape
View Single Post
Old 16th Oct 2009, 08:37
  #8 (permalink)  
411A
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Arizona USA
Posts: 8,571
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've watched it time and again in long(er) bodied airplanes.
Heavy weight takeoff, gusty winds...and yet, dispite discussion about this prior to the takeoff maneuver, some First Officers continue to use a rapid rotation technique...and in doing so, tailscrapes can be expected.

So, what to do?
In my ops, if the takeoff is near maximum weight, and the First Officer has had a propensity in the past of not listening to reason about his takeoff rotation technique...the takeoff is mine, regardless if it hurts his feelings...or not.
In addition (and this was recommended by Boeing many years ago with the long bodied 707)...use (if runway permits) the improved climb option for takeoff V-speeds in gusty wind max weight takeoffs, thereby helping to avoid tailstrikes.

That is my technique anyway, with heavy jet transport aircraft.

The idea of waiting for the Vr call, hauling back rapidly on the pole, and hoping it all works out, is nonsense, in my considered opinion.
411A is offline