Hey QF 737 pilots - You've left your ice lights on...
 

Hi guys,

I'm assuming this must be a SOP as you all seem to do it now but do you REALLY need the ice lights on at night on the ground when the OAT is 35+ degrees? Sitting at the hold point with one of these shining directly into my eyes really doesn't help the night vision. Just putting it out there...

Unlike yourself maybe they made a mistake. Great pick up man, should really help with your confidence in your bug smasha. You will go far. :ok:

Oh yeah thx for puting it out there.

what really p!ssed me off one night was when a QF 767 taxied from the INT'L apron to a holding point directly opposite me. ALL LIGHTS BLAZING! we sat there for about three minutes being blinded by this inconsiderate git! When we were cleared to line up first, we turned on the lights as required by SOP's... only to hear this radio call ..... " thanks guys..... imagine if we did that to you!"

We bit our tongues - wish we hadn't now! Airmanship, it seems, is not practised at some "national airlines" .

BTW... we were in an A/c considerably closer to the ground than a B767. Our landing lights would have had ZERO effect on them! besides the fact that we didn't turn them on till 45 deg on the runway!!!!!!

Don't look .... :uhoh:

Wing root it is SOP. Newly introduced. Is supposedly recommended procedure from IOSA (or ICAO) and CASA. All QF aircraft will (should) be doing it not just 737.

OK, getting some mixed responses here...

As I say it's clearly a SOP so it's no mistake. I've assumed it's for collision avoidance but with all the other lights including the logo lights do we really need a focused beam of light aimed directly into the windscreens of your fellow pilots? To be honest now I'm ready for it I do remember to look away. It was more annoying the first time as I wasn't expecting the equivalent of a landing light shinning sideways. Would it be instant dismissal if one were to use a bit of situational awareness and maybe switch them off on occasions where they do more harm than good? Anyway with the procedure recommended by the regulators looks like I'll be seeing the other operators doing it soon too.

collision avoidance sure, to make sure the ICE doesnt collide with th WING, I hear you though

Book says,
for taxi ,day or night, taxi lights on.
Crossing RWY- wing (ice lights above) and strobes.
cleared for TKOF- Above + LND lights, day or night. ADD Logo and Position lights during night only... got it!...
FFRATS

Please don't tell me things have deteriorated down there to the extent that wing lights 'on' is an SOP?!? Most of the 'notorious' Asian carriers have been carrying on like that up here for a while now and it pisses me off no end. To the extent that they are even left on whilst parked at the gate so that a/c docking next door get and eye full whilst trying to park themselves. Bloody Volvo drivers!

apache, on behalf of the QF drivers let me apologise. Poor form by our guys. Got a date and a call sign and I can even let them know personally. However, please don't go tarring all crew with the same brush. I taxiied out a couple of weeks back and cycled through all three forward lights off as we came around a corner to avoid blinding a dash crew. I've had other carriers do the same for me but likewise I've been blinded by QLink Dashes, DJ 737s, QF 737s, 767s, A330s, 744s (not the Dugong though....yet). I certainly don't get a chip on my shoulder about all pilots from that airline or on that aircraft type. Normally I just sigh and let it go.

Wing root. Gotta say that in 14 years of QF flying I've never heard them referred to as 'ice lights'. They have always been 'wing' lights. Perhaps that's because the label under the switch says 'wing' rather than 'ice'. :ok: I presume that other aircraft (apart from the 744 and the 767) have the term 'ice' under the switch? Just found that an interesting point of difference.

We've been putting on the ice lights for a while now...and they keep having to be deferred, because they're not designed for that much use.

Stupid really! Then you can't fly in icing conditions at night, which is always.

KEG,
Appreciate that, but it was a few years ago now.
It was not only the lights that p!ssed me off, as we all sometimes have a brainf@rt and leave them on inadvertantly, but moreso the arrogant comment made by the self righteous prick that stuck in my mind.

The only appropriate response!:D

I am surprised though, how even very large aircraft, get lost in the sea of lights at Sydney once they turn off their taxi lights!

Where'd that 767 go?:eek:

But from someone sitting in the 'cheap seats', I really appreciate those who do make the effort! Who says airmanship is dead?:ok:

Hmmm
 

including taxiing into the gate leaving the arriving engineer with burnt pupils, so if you see me turn way you'll eventually figure out why.

keeps us in a job though, never changed so many lamps in my carreer, less time to fix those more important MEL items like A/P, anti-skid, auto throttle etc.:ok:

Our new SOPs arrived today. They're now asking for us to leave them off again. The bean counters finally nixed it!

SOP's?

Sounds more like scene from 'the Simpsons'!

"Lights go on, lights go off, lights go on", etc...:}

Don't you love it! Costs too much to keep turning em on and off, so we'll ditch the ICAO recommendations.

Keg...

"Got a date and a callsign and I can even let them know personally"

You are kidding aren't you! How about you leave the job of contacting pilots regarding operational matters to the fleet manager/chief pilot.

Keg,

I agree with Tempo here. Who do you think you are? If it was me you rang up as the "perpetrator", I'd tell you to get nicked. It's not your job.

And do you have to be the spokesperson for all qf pilots. Leave the computer alone for a while and give us all a break!

If its like our landing lights they have a working life of 20hrs its on the box so I would say they may be going through alot of globes sounds petty but they do look at it.