Moscow
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Moscow
Been asked to operate a flight to Moscow.
Not sure which airport yet.
The flight is on 737 and yes the company is breifing us before we go.
Just looking for any good tips and tricks regarding operating and what to do and where to go whilst there.
Thanks in advance
Not sure which airport yet.
The flight is on 737 and yes the company is breifing us before we go.
Just looking for any good tips and tricks regarding operating and what to do and where to go whilst there.
Thanks in advance
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Get the conversion thing sussed early going from ft-QNH to metres-QFE.
In my limited experience of going into DME they let you leave one of the beacons near the airport at around FL70 equivalent and you either get vectored for miles, or they try and slam-dunk you. They just don't let you in on their masterplan (not sharing the mental puddle)
Multiple frequency changes and 7 bits of information at once are also good (although that was operating into Murmansk)
Oh yeah - and sports bras on for take-off, landing and taxi
In my limited experience of going into DME they let you leave one of the beacons near the airport at around FL70 equivalent and you either get vectored for miles, or they try and slam-dunk you. They just don't let you in on their masterplan (not sharing the mental puddle)
Multiple frequency changes and 7 bits of information at once are also good (although that was operating into Murmansk)
Oh yeah - and sports bras on for take-off, landing and taxi
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About flying to Moscow
Hola Check Mags On...
xxx
Well, you are probably flying a 737 devoid of metric altimeter, and you probably never have flown a QFE approach in metric units... so you will suffer a little bit. I do not recommend the use of a calculator (fat fingers). As PNF, devote all your attention to altitudes, even if you force the PF to be somewhat "solo" for check lists and SOPs...
xxx
Should you fly a charter or scheduled passenger flight, you are likely to land at Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo. If you fly an executive 737, likely that you will land at Vnukovo. That is where Vladimir (Putin) generally parks his plane.
xxx
Hope you have the Jeppesen approach charts, they have convenient tables giving you conversions QFE metric to QNH feet. At times, a few checkpoints or beacons are NOT published on the Jepps... but it is a rare occurence.
xxx
All Russian beacons are quite powerful, so you can select these radio aids on the ADF early during the approach. They probably will not assign you a "rate of climb/descent" in m/s (meters per second) but if it happens, 1 (one) m/s climb or descent = 200 feet/min. However, you will get the wind speed in m/s. 1 (one) m/s = 2 knots approximately. Airplane speeds, 100 kts = 185 kph (they assign speeds in kph).
xxx
Expect being vectored early during your descent, towards the airport, to the active runway. The final vector to intercept the ILS is likely to be a 90º intercept, and they will NOT tell you to turn to the localizer and will not tell you that you are cleared for the approach (it is implied).
xxx
Russian runways are very rough. Since you have a 737, touch down a few feet to the left or right of centerline. The touchdown zone is generally very rough (where all the other planes land). Expect a "follow me" vehicule to show you the way, as soon as you turn off the runway (wait for it, if need be) all the way to your parking spot or gate. Same for your departure, they will send a "follow me" showing you the way to taxi for departure to the active runway.
xxx
To be nice to ATC, you can learn to say the following in Russian -
"Doh-brah-yeh oo-trah" (good morning) -
"Doh-bree dyenn" (good afternoon) -
"Doh-bree vett-sherr" (good evening) -
"Spas-see-bah" (thank you) -
"Dos-vee-dah-nyah" (goodbye) -
xxx
Happy contrails
xxx
Well, you are probably flying a 737 devoid of metric altimeter, and you probably never have flown a QFE approach in metric units... so you will suffer a little bit. I do not recommend the use of a calculator (fat fingers). As PNF, devote all your attention to altitudes, even if you force the PF to be somewhat "solo" for check lists and SOPs...
xxx
Should you fly a charter or scheduled passenger flight, you are likely to land at Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo. If you fly an executive 737, likely that you will land at Vnukovo. That is where Vladimir (Putin) generally parks his plane.
xxx
Hope you have the Jeppesen approach charts, they have convenient tables giving you conversions QFE metric to QNH feet. At times, a few checkpoints or beacons are NOT published on the Jepps... but it is a rare occurence.
xxx
All Russian beacons are quite powerful, so you can select these radio aids on the ADF early during the approach. They probably will not assign you a "rate of climb/descent" in m/s (meters per second) but if it happens, 1 (one) m/s climb or descent = 200 feet/min. However, you will get the wind speed in m/s. 1 (one) m/s = 2 knots approximately. Airplane speeds, 100 kts = 185 kph (they assign speeds in kph).
xxx
Expect being vectored early during your descent, towards the airport, to the active runway. The final vector to intercept the ILS is likely to be a 90º intercept, and they will NOT tell you to turn to the localizer and will not tell you that you are cleared for the approach (it is implied).
xxx
Russian runways are very rough. Since you have a 737, touch down a few feet to the left or right of centerline. The touchdown zone is generally very rough (where all the other planes land). Expect a "follow me" vehicule to show you the way, as soon as you turn off the runway (wait for it, if need be) all the way to your parking spot or gate. Same for your departure, they will send a "follow me" showing you the way to taxi for departure to the active runway.
xxx
To be nice to ATC, you can learn to say the following in Russian -
"Doh-brah-yeh oo-trah" (good morning) -
"Doh-bree dyenn" (good afternoon) -
"Doh-bree vett-sherr" (good evening) -
"Spas-see-bah" (thank you) -
"Dos-vee-dah-nyah" (goodbye) -
xxx
Happy contrails
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Thank you
Thank you verry much for the info.
All really good stuff, just what I was looking for.
Our 737's do have metric altimeters which is really handy and its CVO Sheremetyevo that we are going into.
Ok now for the really important part where do we go for a beer?
All really good stuff, just what I was looking for.
Our 737's do have metric altimeters which is really handy and its CVO Sheremetyevo that we are going into.
Ok now for the really important part where do we go for a beer?
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Metric and QFE ???
Check Mags On:
xxx
If you have metric altimeter in your 737, I will strongly recommend that you fly the approach in QFE METRIC - that would eliminate all the cockpit confusion and the "how much is that?" - "is it QNH this one?" - "are you sure?" at the time you are supposed to do your landing checks, and look for the runway. Keep your regular FEET altimeters in QNH for crosscheck.
xxx
QFE hPa + runway (TDZE) elavation in hPa (from Jeppesen chart) = QNH hPa.
One hPa = 28.5 feet change
Vocabulary - when in QFE you are in HEIGHT (not altitude)...
Transition level and transition height...
xxx
Learning QFE operations is a mere 3 hours classroom briefing (one of my claims to fame with my airline). I always gave a "QFE" approach in simulator initial or recurrent training, for the "normal all-engines approach practice" to selected crews likely to operate charters to Russia or China. Does not cost the airline training budget a penny more.
xxx
As far as the after-landing beer - my favorite lager is "Baltika" - but most if not all of the Russian beers are excellent. Not water, like Budweiser or Corona... "Nah-zdaro-vyeh" is "cheers" in Russian...
xxx
Happy contrails
xxx
If you have metric altimeter in your 737, I will strongly recommend that you fly the approach in QFE METRIC - that would eliminate all the cockpit confusion and the "how much is that?" - "is it QNH this one?" - "are you sure?" at the time you are supposed to do your landing checks, and look for the runway. Keep your regular FEET altimeters in QNH for crosscheck.
xxx
QFE hPa + runway (TDZE) elavation in hPa (from Jeppesen chart) = QNH hPa.
One hPa = 28.5 feet change
Vocabulary - when in QFE you are in HEIGHT (not altitude)...
Transition level and transition height...
xxx
Learning QFE operations is a mere 3 hours classroom briefing (one of my claims to fame with my airline). I always gave a "QFE" approach in simulator initial or recurrent training, for the "normal all-engines approach practice" to selected crews likely to operate charters to Russia or China. Does not cost the airline training budget a penny more.
xxx
As far as the after-landing beer - my favorite lager is "Baltika" - but most if not all of the Russian beers are excellent. Not water, like Budweiser or Corona... "Nah-zdaro-vyeh" is "cheers" in Russian...
xxx
Happy contrails
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sickBocks
Ha! Take your point about the sports bra on taxi.
There recently and I watched an aircraft registered in shall we say a very disciplined EU country. He was following a follow me vehicle with such discipline, IE., he stuck with it in perfect formation at a distance of about 10meters, while the lunatic follow me driver would have put Michael Schumacher to shame!
I wander if the follow me vehicle departed the runway and decided to continue onto the grass, would said captain have followed? My money was on him continueing to follow!
Ha! Take your point about the sports bra on taxi.
There recently and I watched an aircraft registered in shall we say a very disciplined EU country. He was following a follow me vehicle with such discipline, IE., he stuck with it in perfect formation at a distance of about 10meters, while the lunatic follow me driver would have put Michael Schumacher to shame!
I wander if the follow me vehicle departed the runway and decided to continue onto the grass, would said captain have followed? My money was on him continueing to follow!
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CAUTION: if your ground proximity warning system does not have a function to accomodate operating using QFE altimeter settings, I would NOT operate using QFE altimeter settings; use QNH and do the math (or use Jepp QNH conversion table) to determine the proper altitude to fly. If you operate using QFE altimeter settings you may receive improper ground prox. call outs while on approach, and this is not something to try to diagnose, troubleshoot, or disable while on aproach.
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I haven't beenthere in a few years, but I remember it being good practice to turn on the autopilot as soon as possible after takeoff, as they will issue a lot of frequency changes, and one leveloff follows another.
Not a good place for manual flying...
And request descent early, as above posts have indicated, also because of the many frequency changes, it adds up flying a couple miles level before getting the next clearance.
Have fun
Nic
Not a good place for manual flying...
And request descent early, as above posts have indicated, also because of the many frequency changes, it adds up flying a couple miles level before getting the next clearance.
Have fun
Nic
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Hey guys,
I spend a lot of time flying in russia. Go to UUWW alot and UUDD occasionally.
Here's my .02 cents worth YMMV.
QFE is no big deal. Forget QNH. Once you get to the TL (1500 meters likely) set QFE. Since your altimeter will display metric even better, but if you don't have one there's a nice conversion chart on Euraisa 1/2 enroute. It also has the metric RVSM cruising levels for Russia.
As for arrivals they almost always give you the shorter circuit so pick that one first. Their arrivals tend to be ovals to the final. They will clear you for the approach and if radar vectored or on arrival the intercept will likely be around 90 degrees. That's ok as it is perfectly acceptable even expected that you make you turn to final shallower (more shallow).
Additionally on final you should indicate gear down and ready to land to recieve your landing clearance. A bit like a PAR.
The runways and taxi ways are a little rough, but better than at Petro or perhaps a lot of places in Africa. Follow me cars do drive 60, but the taxi routing is usually quite long.
Beware the Night Flite.
Good Luck
Bman
I spend a lot of time flying in russia. Go to UUWW alot and UUDD occasionally.
Here's my .02 cents worth YMMV.
QFE is no big deal. Forget QNH. Once you get to the TL (1500 meters likely) set QFE. Since your altimeter will display metric even better, but if you don't have one there's a nice conversion chart on Euraisa 1/2 enroute. It also has the metric RVSM cruising levels for Russia.
As for arrivals they almost always give you the shorter circuit so pick that one first. Their arrivals tend to be ovals to the final. They will clear you for the approach and if radar vectored or on arrival the intercept will likely be around 90 degrees. That's ok as it is perfectly acceptable even expected that you make you turn to final shallower (more shallow).
Additionally on final you should indicate gear down and ready to land to recieve your landing clearance. A bit like a PAR.
The runways and taxi ways are a little rough, but better than at Petro or perhaps a lot of places in Africa. Follow me cars do drive 60, but the taxi routing is usually quite long.
Beware the Night Flite.
Good Luck
Bman
