Screen Height

[Glacier1900]

This is term not often seen in North American text i've read. I'm having a hard time finding a really good definition of screen height. Does anyone have a really good, simple one?

[extreme P]

"...height of an imaginary screen placed at the end of the TODR or at the beginning of the LDR which an aeroplane with the wings level and the under-carriage extended would just clear."

[texas145]

From Handling the Big Jets: "35 feet above the runway after take-off used in establishing the field performance of the aeroplane."

[Glacier1900]

Perfect, thanks guys.

[555orange]

This is my understanding of Screen height:

When taking off, you cant just calc your runway req'd thinking the wheels will leave the pavement at the last inch. You have to clear a "screen height" at the end of the runway of 35 feet. This will ensure you clear all the close in obstacles by that 35 feet. Consider it the safety margin. Sooo...when calc your TORR, it is assumed you will cross the end of the runway at not less than 35 ft and V2+10. This is reduced for wet runways to 15 ft. Im not shure exactly why, but I always thought it had to do with the fact that the moist surface will create a drag on the AC and therefore the req'd screen is reduced as well. Operationally we never think of this because we crunch no's based on our weight and get our speeds. These speed have these regulatory req's already built in.

If you remember in the US the rule is for "std" climb procedures on the chart, it means you must 1. clear the screen by 35ft, 2. climb straight to 400ft, and then climb out in any direction at 200 ft/nm. This will ensure you will meet all obstacle req's. If it says "spec vis" then there will be some other more limiting req spec on the chart instead...like "climb strait to 3000ft BPOC" or a climb grad on the departure.

If anyone sees anything wrong in what I am saying please correct me.

btw: I applied at Cathay and didn't get the job. Didn't do well in the interview...they asked me some stuff I didn't know...and I wanted the job so bad I tried to hard to come up with the answer. If you don't know...just tell them straight up right away! That is what they are looking for I think. A straight shooter who is honest..and has command potential. Keep your answers short and to the point. I just didn't have the right frame of mind going in...I was prepared in knowledge, but not in interview phsychology and ediquette. I highly recommend you train in interviews before you go!

Best of luck.

[Glacier1900]

great advice, thanks 555orange. I agree with you interpretation as well.

[captaintoocool]

Is the screen height 35ft or 50ft?

I thought its to clear a 50ft obstacle?

My interpretation was 35ft with one engine inop and 50ft with all engines operating..

cheers

[captaintoocool]

Ahh Just remembered, its 50ft for propeller driven aircrat and 35ft for jet aircraft.:ugh:

[GearDoor]

I also did an interview (two actually, I made it to Hong Kong) but didn't get the job. I read in an airline pilot interview book after the fact, to remember that the technical portion of the interview is just that; a portion. The personal portion makes up at least half of the interview

At the first interview, I felt like I kicked butt. However, on the 2nd, not so much. The technical questions I did very well on, but as soon as they started asking what my wife would think about the move, and so on, I choked. Because really, I hadn't thought of it that much, as I was concentrating on all the details of the RB-211 and Trent 700. At the time my wife was 8 months pregnant with our first boy, and was medically not allowed to fly over. In hindsight, I think the interviewers thought I was crazy that I went to interview without her.

On the tech questions, make sure you know the fundamental answer. If they think you are just repeating what you read in a book, they will pry to see if you really know what you are talking about.

I was good practice for my next interview however.

Good luck.