Practicing manual flying in jet transport ops.
 

Some may have already seen this FAA SAFO. But it raises the question of various limitations that prevent manual flight practice.

SAFO
Safety Alert for Operators
U.S. Department SAFO 13002
of Transportation DATE: 1/4/13
Subject: Manual Flight Operations
Purpose: This SAFO encourages operators to promote manual flight operations when appropriate.

Background: A recent analysis of flight operations data (including normal flight operations, incidents, and accidents) identified an increase in manual handling errors. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) believes maintaining and improving the knowledge and skills for manual flight operations is necessary for safe flight operations.

Discussion: Modern aircraft are commonly operated using autoflight systems (e.g., autopilot or autothrottle/autothrust). Unfortunately, continuous use of those systems does not reinforce a pilot’s knowledge and skills in manual flight operations. Autoflight systems are useful tools for pilots and have improved safety and workload management, and thus enabled more precise operations. However, continuous use of autoflight systems could lead to degradation of the pilot’s ability to quickly recover the aircraft from an undesired state.

Operators are encouraged to take an integrated approach by incorporating emphasis of manual flight operations into both line operations and training (initial/upgrade and recurrent). Operational policies should be developed or reviewed to ensure there are appropriate opportunities for pilots to exercise manual flying skills, such as in non-RVSM airspace and during low workload conditions.

In addition, policies should be developed or reviewed to ensure that pilots understand when to use the automated systems, such as during high workload conditions or airspace procedures that require use of autopilot for precise operations. Augmented crew operations may also limit the ability of some pilots to obtain practice in manual flight operations. Airline operational policies should ensure that all pilots have the appropriate opportunities to exercise the aforementioned knowledge and skills in flight operations.
............................................................ ............................................................ ................................................

After reading that lot, and keeping in mind it is almost one year since the FAA published this SFO, the absence of any CASA advice on the subject suggests that in Australia at least, there is no official (CASA) interest in pushing operators to encourage manual flying under any conditions, let alone in good weather.

Allowing for obvious limitations in Australian airspace, such as RVSM and RNP operations, during what stages of a typical airline flight would the opportunities for manual flying practice be available to pilots if they choose to accept the FAA SAFO recommendations? And disregard personal preferences where some pilots simply cannot be bothered to conduct manual flight (apart from take off and short final for landing). From what I have observed there is no shortage of excuses among airline pilots to avoid practicing hand flying. That includes captains discouraging their first officers from keeping their hand in under suitable conditions

What are the peculiarities of Aussie airspace that makes manual flying opportunities difficult? During a typical flight, I find it plenty of opportnity to turn off the AP/FD.

Practicing manual flying in jet transport ops.
 

Why would any airspace stop you from flying manually. You are a pilot for gods sake. Disconnect the automatics and enjoy it

Most if not all airlines have a "no unnecessary manual flight" policy.

In my organisation, it came from a lack of discipline i.e. Some guys not knowing when to knock it off and consequently fvcking it up.

Airlines don't allow enough sim time to actually practice hand flying and instrument scanning, apparently it is too time and cost intensive.

Another case of safety costs being managed by non-pilot accountants.

Without a reference on me I'm pretty sure RVSM airspace mandates you need a working altitude holding device Try2Fly.

If the weather's nice, I encourage having a hand fly.
Remember, it's just an aeroplane!

'OE' that is indeed correct, only A/C with cert Alts & auto-flight systems & serviceable can operate in RVSM. Hand flying in RVSM airspace wouldn't ordinarily be acceptable. If yr auto flight system fails (same as hand flying) then you are required to vacate RVSM airspace as you no longer can comply.It's damned hard work keeping in tolerance at say 39000' for extended periods of time.
I believe under certain circumstances manual flight up to say the trans level would be acceptable & even then the work load is higher for the PNF which means the level of safety afforded by an AP is reduced & the whole reason why we have such sophisticated AP systems in the first place is to remove the lowest common denominator, the pilot:-)

Hand fly an ILS with A/T off, that's a challenge at times.


Wmk2

I'm sure most of you have seen it before, but for those who haven't, here's where you can find "Children of the Magenta". Very sensible advice - and only 10 years old, about time the authorities promoted it:
(Doesn't seem to play on all computers - if it doesn't work, try a different browser, or go to vimeo.com/64502012)

Re RVSM airspace: Shirley it's reasonable to do T/O, climb, and descent by hand.

That's the way I see it too!

I'm all for practising the hand flying but it sucks up most of your SA which, quite often needs to be elsewhere.

Sounds like I was incredibly lucky to survive my 3000 odd hours without an Autopilot then... :ugh:

Sure, if you want to load up the other guy, go right ahead!

Why would he be more loaded up than with the AP in?

He has to manipulate the MCP for the pilot flying, as well as do the normal radio and such

Of course the other guy would be loaded up more than when the Auto Pilot is engaged, but that's good to practice too!

So you pick appropriate times to hand fly eg. fine weather.
You don't hand fly holding patterns in IMC in the middle of a storm etc.

At least then, when the Auto Pilot or Auto-throttle does drop out one day, you won't even blink an eye when reverting to manual control.

I'm not sure if Buttscratcher is joking but in case he isn't...

If my FO can't do that, he shouldn't be there.

So twiddling a couple of knobs occasionally is difficult. How would you cope with a pilot incap?

I take it you'd refuse to dispatch with a u/s AP, allowable under the MEL, in that case?

I hand fly all departures to transition and any approach in VMC from 3000.

I do a manual thrust approach every roster publication or when it's a fine day.

Fair enough.... It's just non-normal, that's all
Brief it and do it if you wish, but my advice is keep it at a low traffic environment
Don't hate, just saying, but this isn't where we are at today.

But isn't that the point?!

Wouldn't you prefer to practice hand flying at an appropriate time of your choosing rather than having to do it for the first time in a non-normal situation when the automatics have fallen over?

The Jet driver gods don't lower themselves to hand fly the aeroplane, because they have lost this skill.

Single pilot IFR in a light twin is way more difficult than cruising in VMC at 40000ft in an Airbus or Boeing and watching the automatics fly.

Yet we continually get told prop drivers cant transition to jets its too hard you need 20000 hours space shuttle time and five moon landings to be considered for a type rating let alone a command.

What a load of S#$*.

Okay, now you've had your rant, go have a Bex and a lie down!

For what it's worth, I transitioned from a Twin Otter to a Boeing 737 and I don't remember anybody "continually" telling me it's too hard.
In fact I don't know of any pilot who didn't fly a prop before they flew a jet!

What's all this talk about high workload for the PNF?

If you can't set the bugs while accomplishing the rest of your duties, perhaps you'd be better suited to another line of work. I don't ever recall being in a situation where I felt overloaded because the other guy was hand flying.

Re the "nice day" comments...what defines a "nice day"? I hope you're not limiting it to daytime VMC. With few exceptions (thunderstorms and other severe weather) I don't have a problem with someone turning off all the automation, regardless of the weather.

Answering Wally_mk2; Exactly right, especially doing an ILS with no A/T.

Yes...you're very clever. Nevertheless it is against the rules to hand fly in the cruise in RVSM.

You have to be kidding Wally Mk2 (...I hope).

Nope, he's not, get no practice at it except in a very occasional sim.

care to tell us which airline this is NN?

Nope..........

It's curious how the briefing of the expected level of automation was a rock solid part of an approach briefing. Then it became the expectation of manual flying, an now it's seems to be the expectation of the level of manual flying. Maybe this is a sign that things are changing for the better. That there if a cultural change within mature organisations to make manual flying "Normal" and I for one believe this to be a good thing.

I somewhat feel that inappropriate guidance and training is focused on pilots and their ability to monitor and maintain appropriate levels of situational awareness during supporting roles. This is usually the domain of the Trainers and Checkers in the fleet who have to master this skill. For everyone else, it is a throw back to previous experience which keeps them in the loop. But what about our cadets, or low time pilots? What about those with only single pilot experience? With humans naturally being poor monitors of systems, is the flaw in the system not in ones ability to fly the aircraft, but an individuals training to fulfill the pilot monitoring role which makes pilots and airlines nervous about manual flying on the line?

I think some of you guys are missing the point here & letting yr bravado be the focus. Pilots in general have a wide variation in skill level so there's no one singe answer or mind set to all this hence we train to a specific level with CAR 217 with tolerances for the candidate etc.
Some also don't seem to understand the increased level of workload for the PNF when the AP system is removed. Not only does the PNF have to set pretty much everything for the PF he has to have a higher situational awareness as his time is now reduced keeping an eye on the PF's tolerances whilst having a more broad range of his thinking. The PF brings his SA down to a smaller range.
It's almost akin to SP Ops bar for not actually manipulating the controls for the PNF.

'Hobo' Airline names have nothing to do with it here & no I wasn't joking re hand flown ILS being challenging at times.

Wmk2

Fly
 

The chicken or the egg?

No hand flying between sims then expected to fly a beautiful raw data single engine ILS, no stress but fair go.

Cessna/ Boeing/ Bus what's the difference when ya switch off automatics and fly? Principle is all the same push the noise makers forward go faster, pull the stick/ yoke back the sky gets bigger...

Nothing more satisfying than a nice annual visual approach in the bus, makes ya remember what flying is.

Now the truly scary thing is the guys that seem scared to go manual or genuinely don't want to do a visual app.

True a little hamstrung by OMs but still...

So many MEL procedures that we simply don't practice, how comfortable would one feel with some of them when you simply haven't done any for so long?

Bring back SIM sessions for some practice.


:8

Come on guys/gals, we're professionals. Yes, our hand flying skills erode & yes, it makes the sims harder.

It's up to us to look for opportunities to hand fly (The early morning arrival in VMC, or the 'occasional' 2 sector day when we're not stuffed). I reckon we need to practice manual flying at least once a month (& get the AT out too). It's good practice for PNF too, stretch the SA bubble.

I know this will attract immediate snorts of derision from the nay-sayers, but let's be a bit realistic about all this scary talk about the PNF being up to his neck in alligators with a heavy work-load if the other guy is poling the aircraft. Yours truly and many other newly graduated 21 year old RAAF pilots were posted to Williamtown to fly single seat Vampire jet fighters. All of our course had only 240 hours in our log books. We flew Mustangs at 210 hours. This is not boasting bar talk nonsense but simply a cold statement of fact in those days. Things are different now.

There were no dual Vampires then and of course no simulators. On my second or third 40 minute flight (the endurance on single seat Vampires was a bit over one hour), it was a formation take off into cloud at 1000 ft and a climb in formation in cloud to 30,000ft plus. We stuck within 10 metres of the formation leader who was usually an experienced former operational fighter pilot just back from the war in Korea. That is no mean feat in thick cloud.

We had one VHF set in the Vampire with four channels and very basic pressurisation giving a cabin altitude of around 18,000 ft, so you were on oxygen. There was no ejection seat in those early single seat Vampires so you had no hope of getting out if something went wrong at high speed. We had no radio aids. We relied almost totally on VHF/DF and GCA to get us back home. The second trip on the same day included introduction to Mach runs up to compressibility critical Mach Number at 30,000ft in order to experience the rather nasty Mach tuck which had killed several pilots on previous courses.

During the Mach tuck experience, it was realised we did not have the experience on type (after all we only had two 40 minute trips under our belt by then) to recognise the rapid onset of compressibility. So the formation leader would formate on our Vampire and talk us into the dive via VHF. As soon as the formation leader felt the onset of compressibility and his aircraft started to bunt over due to loss of elevator effectiveness, he would instruct us to throttle back and extend the speed brakes to avoid further compressibility loss of control. That done, he would take the lead again and maybe go into a tail chase depending on weather.

Eventually we would return to the aerodrome still in close formation and sometimes penetrate cloud while being radar vectored until breaking out of cloud at 1000 ft for either a visual circuit or GCA instrument approach. All this on our second or third trip in a jet fighter. There was no such term as "work-load" as far as I recall. You had a brand new pilot's brevet on your uniform under your flying suit and it was expected of you to handle the fighter without bleating about workload.

I have deliberately gone into detail in full anticipation of it generating heat and not much light. We never considered what we did as being work overload. Which is why it never fails to astonish me that some of today's generation of airline pilots claim to get all uptight when someone decides to do a spot of hand flying in cloud or good weather and the PNF is asked to turn a knob or two and keep normal situational awareness by watching the magenta Line. Believe me it didn't hurt one bit to fly a single seat jet fighter when we only had just over 200 hours in the log book. Why should it be any different in a two pilot jet transport equipped with so much automation?:ok:

Hand fly and request visual approaches regularly, and encourage my offsider to do the same. It's fun.

It's not dangerous .

It doesn't load up anyone.

I still know how to fly a plane

well there you go A37575. In one post you comment about other airmen being killed by the situation you refer to as doing 'the right stuff' and 'just managing'... I guess you can't figure out why things have moved on so?

As for the PM getting loaded by the PF hand flying - yes the PM's workload will increase, how much will depend on the overall situation. In general I wouldn't expect the other guy to 'have a fly' until on approach if it was a particularly busy spot - ie. holding/vectors/weather into somewhere like london or dubai when it's pretty busy and everyone is knackered. When it starts to get quiet and all's well on base or wherever, knock yourself out.
Like everything, there is a time and place!
As for manual thrust - was standard to take it out when hand flying the maggot but current type has levers that couldn't be of a poorer design for manual thrust :ugh:

I don't think he was suggesting not to use the AP. He's saying that the "workload increase" argument is BS. Occasionally, I have to fly with no AP. Sure I'm a bit more tired at the end of the day, but I don't feel overloaded- even in night IMC.

Geeze guys, why make it so hard. If the conditions are suitable and you feel like it then hand fly the aircraft.

I have no set schedule of when I will handfly, but I do so quite regularly, normally because I get so bloody bored that I disconnect everything to give me something to do.

I wouldn't hand fly in RVSM airspace / in bad weather / with certain FO's because that is what my employer directs and after all it is their trainset. As professionals we all should know when it is appropriate to hand fly and when it is not. SIMPLE

Ill hand fly to and from Transition several times a month, weather and traffic permitting of course, bad weather and OCTA I think it is good Airmanship to leave the A/P engaged, in CTAF's I wont disconnect until traffic is no issue and established in the circuit. Even better is to get rid of that flight director, and get back to Attitude flying, after all its not that hard to follow a FD.....The RNP approaches are good from a safety standpoint but really take the headwork out of an approach, all you need to do is stay in LNAV and VNAV and push and pull the thrust levers and you will end up aligned with some tarmac ready to land...Its a balancing act but suffice to say it must be much harder for Longhaul Pilots doing only a few sectors a month compared to domestic doing
heaps....

a few a month is a bit generous...