different configurations of aircraft in an airline

[dingducky]

hey just wondering
when airlines buy aircraft from different airlines is there problems with commonality between the different aircraft?
would pilots experience any problems moving between the aircraft? problems with different configurations on the same aircraft type. Isn’t there a risk that the pilot could like revert to what they had learnt for another layout/configuration and do something dangerous?


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'Veni, Vidi, Velcro' - I came, I saw, I stuck around!

[captain marvellous]

Yes.

As an example, refer to the AAIB (UK Air Accidents Investigation Board) report into Emerald Airways and their two interesting incidents at IOM about two years ago.

For the whole report, see <A HREF="http://www.open.gov.uk/aaib/gbiuv/gbiuv.htm" TARGET="_blank">http://www.open.gov.uk/aaib/gbiuv/gbiuv.htm</A>

[Lu Zuckerman]

To: Dingducky

This may or may not apply and besides, it probably happened before you were born.

I was stationed at CGAS Traverse City, Michigan the year was 1950. It was a lousy day with a great deal of snowfall. A Capital Airlines DC-3 had landed and requested refuge in our hanger.

The airline pilot was sipping coffee with our pilots on the mess deck. He told our pilots that his aircraft had just been equipped with a runway localizer and that required that another instrument had to be relocated. He complained loudly that he found it difficult getting used to the relocation of that instrument. Our engineering officer laughed out loud and told the Airline pilot the following.

We have two PBYs, two UF-1Gs (SA-16), one JRF Grumman Goose, one JRB (Beech C-45),
one HO3S (S-51) two HO4Ss (S55 Two models),
three HO5Ss (S52) and one Bell HTL1 (early version of B-47 and all of our pilots must maintain currency in all of them because they never know what type of mission they will be assigned to. I don't know what other service had those requirements.

Even the mechanics were dual qualified on rotary and fixed wing

Now in the Coast Guard you either fly rotary wing or fixed wing and maybe some are dual qualified.

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The Cat

[This message has been edited by Lu Zuckerman (edited 05 December 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Lu Zuckerman (edited 05 December 2000).]

[Capt Pit Bull]

Actually, I think that minor differences between types are potentially more dangerous than major one.

E.G. if you swap from a C152 to a B747 you are not likely to forget which type you are in.

However, change a few bits and pieces around within the aircraft, and you are more likely to get caught out.

A good example of this is as follows. In the sim for our aircraft, the intercomm / radio PTT is a flip switch, spring loaded in both directions. But in the real aircraft only the radio PTT is sprung, the intercom switch stays in position until flipped back. This leads to radio cock ups which are potentially quite serious in the busy r/t environment of the London TMA. Its just one little switch, but new trainees learn the wrong motor skill in the sim.

CPB