PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Jetstar Cadet Scheme Failing To Produce Safe Pilots?
Old 28th Dec 2011, 23:59
  #164 (permalink)  
Gnadenburg
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Eden Valley
Posts: 2,159
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Quote:
I doubt flying an Airbus around Australia is too hard.
Yeah there are a few Jetstar Captains who came from overseas saying that only to realise that because of all the associated BS involved in flying around Australia that it can be quite stressful. In one descent you can cop a speed up slow down (trashing your profile) a clearance to descend that takes you out of controlled airspace, and then have your STAR cancelled track direct to a 3 mile final for a visual approach.

I think the issue is that if the Captain has to worry about all of the above and then additionally has to keep a very keen eye on the FO due to lack of experience major things can be missed due to overload.

Additional to all that there are some control zones that don't even fit into a jet profile!

It was much harder in the days without STARS. Sydney for instance. And when I started flying in Australia the hardest thing was managing higher speed profiles with CTA steps. Airbus VNAV was useless until the advent of STARS and even then because of the speed you were expected to fly at domestically, it never worked. Those who couldn't help themselves would cheat the box in a number of creative ways.

Oh, and then QF started flying internally. The TAA and Ansett standard jet profiles went out the window.

Australia can't be too hard a place to fly. STARS, speed restrictions etc. The pilots from abroad who you indicate are struggling must have never flown there before, come from Europe or widebody backgrounds?
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