What does Roger Bacon know?

[sky9]

In this week's (21-27 January) Flight International Straight & Level "Roger Bacon" under the heading "From Boeing 737 MMEL list" asks the following:
"Gear Retraction Braking System. May be inoperative provided:
a) After take off, landing gear remains extended for two minutes before retraction.
b) Take-off performance is based on Landing Gear Extended.
Err… has there ever been a Take-off performance with the gear retracted? asks Nephew Charles Aufranc. It might shorten the landing run, but on take off?"

Are we really in a situation where those who write about aviation know little about it?
Should we have to explain to Roger Bacon about Take Off Performance and second segment climbs - or should he know about it?
Or should we leave him to display his ignorance to the world?
And this for a column that has an annual quiz of esoteric aviation questions.
Am I being hard on a "Jorno"?

[Few Cloudy]

Tell him that while he is at it, he should read the performance pages. Better still, stick him in the sim at max TOW. Give him an engine failure and jam the gear. He will be surprised how far he doesn't climb... By the way I met Roger Bacon(s) once - it's actually a few people who have a go on that page.

[Colonel Klink]

I have been reading that magazine for many years, and that column is the least funny thing I read anywhere. Most of the time it is downright pitiful, FI should remove it altogether! Perhaps finding articles of interest instead of irrelevant humourless cr@p!!:mad:

[Skitzoid]

More to the point, why is David Learmont always but foreward on TV as the representative of the industry.
Surely someone who knows what they are talking about could pick up the Sky/BBC/ITV taxi and the few hundred quid fee?

[HugMonster]

David Learmount does a very good job (IMHO) of trying to present a highly technical subject in a manner that the general public can understand. Admittedly, with our perspective and knowledge, he may appear to oversimplify, but it's rare he makes a slip. Far better that than some journo try to paraphrase the words of someone else and come out with the total gibberish they usually manage.

I saw the item in "S&L" and Uncle Roger's comment made me smile, at least. Yes, of course gear jammed down is a problem - and you know what irony he was trying to use. Why give S&L such a hard time? It's not what it once was, but it does at least stop the mag taking itself too seriously.

[Techman]

I wonder who exactly are too far up their own @arse?.:rolleyes:

[Meeb]

Nice one techman...;)

It amazes me (and is actually rather sad) that some peeps cannot see it, eh Huggy... ;)


:rolleyes:

[Brakes...beer]

Sky9,

I rather think your post itself might feature in next week's S&L ;) Were you being serious?

[Smokie]

Oh Dear ! I think I'll just retire with a nice cup of rosylee and one of Great Aunt Agatha's mince pies she left 'round after Christmas....

[BOAC]

Sky9 - answers to your questions:-

1) Yes
2) No/yes
3) Or/Yes
4) No!

.......but, I DO think it was tongue in cheek!:rolleyes:

"Accels a bit slow............"

[JW411]

Perhaps it would help if David Learmount were to take over the Roger Bacon column. He might be good at that.

[Blacksheep]

Me an George Brownfag were talking abart it, an we fink a dab on the brake pedals might just abart do it. Before that young First Orsifer Here yanks on his gear handle, if you know wharra mean? Like? eh? An if he fergets, old George'd soon set me to work changing the gear bay seals - nice bit of overtime mebbe, if you get my meaning, nudge, nudge? ;)

**************************
Through difficulties to the cinema

[sky9]

I don’t think it was tongue in cheek; although he might try and portray it that way.
Be surprised however if it got in next weeks Flight; letters normally take at least 2-3 weeks
:D

[FlapsOne]

For God's sake guys.

The Roger Bacon column has been taking the p1ss for years - sometimes hilarious sometimes not so funny - that's showbusiness!

Why are some of you getting so worked up about it? It's supposed to be a little light relief in a serious magazine, that's all.

[sky9]

FlapsOne,
Isn't that what we are doing; Taking the P!ss out of Uncle Roger? Me thinks he would be better discussing "agricultural" matters myself. :D

[allthatglitters]

For many years I was a regular subscriber/reader of FI, but had enough of David Learmount's writings and TV appearances. Occasionally see FI loafing on the magazine racks at the local terminal looks very thin, must have been on a fat reduced diet.

[boredcounter]

You want a funny.................................

Put the cover price up, as a one off.

Charge £10.00 and include (Bill?) Bunny Gunston 'What goes up might come down' CD.

Guess what, (and back me up here) it is fab, and others, beg to differ.

Let PPrune pick a World wide charity.

Who would not buy it again?

David L to post selection of charities.



SECONDER?

now get the credit cards and cheque books out!

Sorry Danny, with your blessing, obviously

[Taildragger]

Skitzoid, et al....

I used to be a David Learmount knocker...even called him David Learmouth, but have since modified my opinion, because he actually does know what he is talking about. i found out about his background and he is an ex RAF Transport Pilot turned Journo.
He therefore has a handle on the basics of how aircraft operate, and has been with FI since Captain Icarus was around, which fills in the blanks about airline operation. Yuo....he does OK for an Englishman. My opinion has been altered.
What would you prefer.?? A bog standard daily Bugle reporter giving the "Mayday, Mayday, i'm going to pancake on your number one runway" type of report.? I think the boy done good in retrospect. No doubt there are others who will howl abuse, but there you go.

[GotTheTshirt]

Sky9

Dont tell me - you do the S&L Christmas quiz and check your marks with fellow techno crats!!

You really have to lighten up !

[ORAC]

One of the things that really winds up people with no sense of humour, is someone else's supposed lack of sense of humour.

Another is being told they have no sense of humour. :D

One wonders how many of them sent letters quoting the aircraft manual. :rolleyes:

[HotDog]

Me an George Brownfag were talking abart it, an we fink a dab on the brake pedals might just abart do it. Before that young First Orsifer Here yanks on his gear handle, if you know wharra mean? I don't know what aircraft you are alluding to but on the B747 normally, you can not stop wheel rotation with "a dab on the brake pedals" due to the touchdown protection circuit which provides a full brake release signal to the antiskid control valves when airborne.

[Techman]

And there goes another one.

[Sir Algernon Scruggs]

Unfortunately our business is populated by many people who suffer from sense of humour failure. Indeed, quite often you will find those sufferers here on PPRuNe attempting to ease the suffering of their ailment by preaching to the rest of us that we too must also become sufferers of their affliction.

So what if Roger Bacon (poss. plural) has an off day? Sometimes it is boring and sometimes it is amusing. At least there is an attempt at wit which is sadly lacking in the writings of some of the detractors.

As for bringing David Learmount into the topic... what the hell has that got to do with the price of eggs in China? At least he knows how to convey aviation facts in the news to the general public in terms that are informative and without hyperbole. I would like to see his detractors try and do the same job. As always, they have their silly whinge without offering an excuse for their own incompetence at being unable to do the same job. At least David Learmount has some aviation background, has attended several PPRuNe Bashes and is a very entertaining after dinner speaker too!

[boredcounter]

Which 737 driver sent it in in the first place.
Have we all not had a giggle at the ATC forum, over 20 pages long. Self confessed ATC funnies.
? Who reduced Uncle Roger' page with 50 years ago.

Shoot, perhaps the whole industry should lighten up, what can the press do, quote us.
Ambiguity (? spelling) happens. The protesters are all trained and very well as to the real meaning.

[sky9]

Boredcounter

Who said it was a "driver"?

[Tacit Blue]

Sir A S .. I agree, DL has long had the ability to transcend various professions in simple language,something which we all do in our daily lives when communicating with family and friends about our jobs.

IF - he's not up to the job - can anyone name a successor?

[Loki]

So why is it, that whenever I see DL on TV, I want to throw the set out the window? I know I`m far from being alone in this, especially amongst my ATC comrades.

Worried of Swanwick.

[zlin77]

"Take- off performance with landing gear extended"------normally used for gear down ferry flights. ie. a drastic penalty applied to max. performance T.O.W. to ensure adequate climb gradients through all segments. Is this the answer?

[Brakes...beer]

And lo and behold... there we all are in this week's S&L. But far be it from me to prolong Sky9's embarrassment ;)

[sky9]

I must admit I found this weeks column amusing; those who don’t read PPRuNe must have been wondering whether RB was an agent for MI5 or had lost his marbles.
However what I really did find even funnier was the "Letter to the Editor" in the Daily Telegraph on the 27th January that hasn’t been picked up in PPRuNe:

Don’t Panic
Sir
I recently telephoned Britannia Airways and inevitably was put on hold. While waiting to speak to someone , I had the pleasure of listening to the song "Flying without wings." Should I review my travel arrangements?
Jereimiah Twomey.

What I found doubly amusing was the name of the correspondent.
No doubt RB will follow up the letter with the comment that he couldn’t see what was funny about Mr Twomey’s letter because wings are not included in the MEL.:D

[boredcounter]

I do stand corrected.

Sorry mate.

I just took it as read, everyone gets the MMEL issued to them?

Bored, who took it as a fun article, why get fired up about it?


Bored


PS the MMEL for the a/c my Airline operates is in the Fleet Office. Hence, you are right, it must be a Management Pilot.

Anyways, Roger printed an apology of sorts, so it must be a closed subject