Flight Engineers for OSRL 727's
 

The gin clear skies above the North of England at the moment allowed me to see one of the Doncaster based OSRL 727's coasting back to base. They sound completely different to the usual A320/B737 traffic. Anyhow, watching the B727 cruise over raised a question concerning Flight Engineers; do the OSRL aircraft require a F/E? Does OSRL still recruit F/E's or do they rely on P3 rated crew members?

Thanks in advance
Curious Akro:hmm:

I'd guess they are ground engineers who are trained and qualified as Flight Engineers. As there is no simulator, I'd guess training is done on the aircraft, same for the pilots. In reality, I imagine there are less that five flight engineers trained for the aircraft bearing in mind they fly quite sporadically. The majority of the flight engineer equipped aircraft most disapeared from airline fleets around 20 years ago so recruitment would be an issue otherwise.

Aside from being a pilot, the one thing I always wanted to be was a FE on a 727

It may be 3 pilots, one operating as "System Panel Operator".
The UK CAA did away with F/E licenses around 2010. I had to change to an Irish F/E license.

What about it did you find interesting ? Did you fly the other B727 seats ?

Two former colleagues are FE’s on the Oil Spill 727. They are professional Flight Engineers, and not either former ground engineers or SPO’s.

What is their background that got them to their current position ?

It used to be a couple of weeks conversion course from licensed to air Eng.

I renewed my UK CAA Flight Engineers license just over a year ago. I might be using it again to fly a non UK registered aircraft under a validation based on my UK license.

Things must have changed since 2010.
IIRC the CAA did not adopt EASA FCL4 which was the F/E licensing bit, as there were no F/E aircraft on the UK register. Those of us flying on a validation for other European countries had to get a new license.

Or ex-mil flying spanners from the truckie fleet?

I recall back in 2000 taking the King 727 FE VHS Video course + Coursebooks (cannot reconnect a disconnected CSD in-flight etc) - oh happy days! It was pretty thorough course even though I was then preparing to undertake the CPL/IR. The 727 FE study helped with the 737 T/R systems course and never regretted taking it (even though I never became certified on the 727).

Would have loved to have been on the panel though.

Hi
let me put the record straight to all those out there who talk absolute rubbish ! It was me operating that B-727-2oo F-RE on Friday. The Aircraft is not owned or operated by OSRL.
Yes it is a 3 man Flight Deck
we are all Professional Flight Engineers with vast experience in, on B-727 / Air Drop / There are NO Panel Operators on any G registered Aircraft

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Well the Licence I use and operate we with must be a Figment of my imagination !!
Funny how I have to maintain a Class 1 Medical and participate in Simulator assessment every 6 months !

The CAA did not do away with Flight Engineers licences in 2010 !!
I can assure mine did not come out of the FAAs Mickey Mouse Cornflakes Packet

Please Get your Facts correct !!

For Complete Rubbish
check out
G-OSRA
G-OSRB
please don’t Spout Uninformed Rubbish !! 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

Plus I Have a Valid UK CAA Flight Engineers Licence

DtC:
IIRC means If I Remember Correctly.
No need for repeated aggressive posts, that's the Jet Blast domain. :)

Thanks "stevef", Sorry to upset you "Down the Corridor", I was just relating my experience. Glad you still have a flying job.

In 2010 I was F/E with EAT in Brussels on a validation from my UK license. We had to get an Irish licence as we were told the UK licences would no longer be valid. It was no hassle as the company sorted it out.
My UK licence expired in 2011 and I didn't get an invitation to renew it.

As to UK registered F/E aircraft, Channel Express retired their last A300B4 in March 2006 and I think the two Oil Spill Boeing 727s didn't get registered until around 2013. I remember the first one being converted at Lasham from a Fedex Freighter, so there was a gap of 6 or 7 years with no UK F/E types. (Except the RAF stuff)
Have you been continuously licensed in the UK?

Flight Engineer on C130, Belfast, A300, DC-10 between them…..

Both top blokes…..

Apparently so...

Apart from the FE position it must be challenging to get JT8D engines current engineers, and even parts, nowadays in Europe.