Pilots Losing Basic Flying Skills
Ironic really that in the modern era of automation airlines still require the sim evaluation (without the use of all the toys)
Manual handling is usually defined as manual control of flight path and speed. So on B777/787 all Airbus A320/380 varieties, no manual handling practice is allowed at all, except every 6 months in the Sim!
Join Date: Sep 2018
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The high cap RPT Airbus operator I used to fly for allowed us to hand fly under low work load and fair WX conditions below 10000', high work load environments required the use of A/P & A/T. For me I did numerous manual App's with it all off, was fun, kept me as a pilot not just a systems operator -
In the early 1990's whilst inbound to HKG, (Kai Tak), I overheard a United 747 crossing the FIR boundary and be cleared to "TD and expect vectoring for the CC NDB approach to R13". The IGS was out for 3 days and R31 tailwind over limits. The CC NDB approach was a series of figure 8's to let down to a point where, if visual at the minima, the R13 lead in strobes were visible and a visual approach to the runway to follow. The United came back with a slow Texas drawl.." say what ma'am" ,, ATC explained what was involved but United made a request for " vectors to Taipei" explaining he had not done an NDB for over 20 years. All the way across the pacific to end up in Taiwan.
Loss of Basic skills???? been happening for awhile
Loss of Basic skills???? been happening for awhile
cessnapete, OMG,what has the world come to!!
In the early 1990's whilst inbound to HKG, (Kai Tak), I overheard a United 747 crossing the FIR boundary and be cleared to "TD and expect vectoring for the CC NDB approach to R13". The IGS was out for 3 days and R31 tailwind over limits. The CC NDB approach was a series of figure 8's to let down to a point where, if visual at the minima, the R13 lead in strobes were visible and a visual approach to the runway to follow. The United came back with a slow Texas drawl.." say what ma'am" ,, ATC explained what was involved but United made a request for " vectors to Taipei" explaining he had not done an NDB for over 20 years. All the way across the pacific to end up in Taiwan.
Loss of Basic skills???? been happening for awhile
Loss of Basic skills???? been happening for awhile
I remember the Chung Chow (CC) NDB so well, and the full procedure would only be needed when the weather was foul, low ceiling and rain --- which is what caused the out of limits tail wind component on RW31.
Back to the thread --- as we have seen on a number of occasions in recent, manual flying ability has saved the day (including twice on QF A330) , so what should be the "company policy"?
To accept that the loss of an aircraft due to "modern" philosophies on "flight deck management" is a reasonable response in cost/benefit terms.
Finally, "company policy" that seeks to limit the authority of the pilot in command is ultra vires, (in every jurisdiction, in which I have worked, and that is quite a few) but sadly, the company ability to enforce such policies by firing a pilot is a compelling argument.
Tootle pip!!
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So....prove to us you have sufficient instrument technique (plus ability to learn) and once we put you in the pointy bit those wonderful skills you demonstrated will start to slowly rust away because you will be forced to use automation. It's sad to see hands-on piloting skills degrade over time.
Litigation has stuffed everything unfortunately.
So....prove to us you have sufficient instrument technique (plus ability to learn) and once we put you in the pointy bit those wonderful skills you demonstrated will start to slowly rust away because you will be forced to use automation.
Somewhat ironic that about 75% of this thread would get you demoted if you tried it on today. Imagine 787 captain turning off the autopilot at FL420 just to test out his scan rate! The safety department would go mental. The regulator would be calling for blood. Emails galore with the AIPs/CAO/CARs/Ops Manuals cut and pasted into them pointing out the myriad of laws broken.....
And the result ----- HCPT-wise, the result in this "automatic" day and age, is that pilot in-flight loss of control is top of the list, or No.2 on many regulator's lists of major threats to aviation risk minimization (aka air safety)
This was not the case in the "bad old days", when pilots could demonstrate their ability to hand -fly their aeroplane in every corner of the flight envelope.
See, among other places, FAA, NTSB and Flight Safety Foundation web sites.
Even Airbus (see A350 training syllabus and associated explanatory material) have finally realized pilots must be able to "fly the aeroplane".
Tootle pip!!
