Hand on thrust levers after takeoff
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Hand on thrust levers after takeoff
Here's a habit I've seen a lot of lately. Co-pilots who, when acting as PF, will place their hand back on the thrust lever after take off.
I don't know where this habit is coming from. Anybody got a clue?
It's dangerous in my opinion, and contrary to all training I ever had - on any type I've flown. You don't touch the T/L's until climb thrust is required, and then you take your hands away again after setting it.
The reason is to prevent an unintentional instinctive reaction on the levers.
In my previous companies you'd get your hand cut off for doing it.
I don't know where this habit is coming from. Anybody got a clue?
It's dangerous in my opinion, and contrary to all training I ever had - on any type I've flown. You don't touch the T/L's until climb thrust is required, and then you take your hands away again after setting it.
The reason is to prevent an unintentional instinctive reaction on the levers.
In my previous companies you'd get your hand cut off for doing it.
Trained as standard technique everywhere I've flown- reason to guard against uncommanded A/T movement and possible asymmetric thrust.
That's on Being, another Airbus thing perhaps?
That's on Being, another Airbus thing perhaps?
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On the 737ng I usually put my hand on the TL after engagement of the AP. Since most airplanes has an automatic increase/reduction of thrust to set CLB thr I find it good to stay in the loop by lightly feeling what it does. And to able to chop it incase I need to level off immediately due to traffic.
Sometimes the takeoff reference is set incorrectly and therefore thrust levers does not move when so should. I don't worry at all about unintentionally whacking it to idle after departure and working against the A/T servos trying to maintain the N1
Sometimes the takeoff reference is set incorrectly and therefore thrust levers does not move when so should. I don't worry at all about unintentionally whacking it to idle after departure and working against the A/T servos trying to maintain the N1
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I don't know where this habit is coming from. Anybody got a clue?
If you want to monitor the autothrottle just put a couple of fingers behind the levers at pedestal level, that way the other guy doesn't constantly worry that you're overpowering the system. The only time I can think of when the autothrottle function is so critical it needs hands on is during a coupled approach. Seems clumsily OTT on climbout.
What about the FO's who, even when you are PF (and often in the cruise) still hang onto the control column?
I guess it is a bit like smoking as a way to so something with an unoccupied hand.
Sometimes it feels as if there are too many unoccupied hands on a modern flight deck and some people just haven't learned to sit on them...
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Hand on thrust levers after takeoff
As a copilot and PF, I only get to touch the throttles earliest at thrust reduction during cruise! (Or when making an early level-off...)
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With my company, and ALL before, at V1 you remove your hand and back at 400' AGL. Minimum till 5000 AGL to guard the controls. I personally keep them their till 10000. Always trained to do it this way. Thats on Boeing, Embraer and British Aerospace. What's wrong with it anyway, it's called good airmaship. Just in the last few weeks had several severe wake encounters with 45 OAB and pitch downs. My hands were where they needed to be, on the controls...
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My airline is hand off 5kts before v1 and hand back on after climb thrust.
I agree with Wizofoz though and my hand may wander back there earlier from time to time..
So you never guard the TLs?
I agree with Wizofoz though and my hand may wander back there earlier from time to time..
and then you take your hands away again after setting it.
Last edited by de facto; 1st Oct 2013 at 14:21.
There have been crashes due to pilots not having their hand on the thrust levers/throttles after takeoff. I don't know of a single crash cause by a pilot having her hand on them after takeoff. If it has never caused an incident or accident, on what would you base your opinion that it is dangerous?
Last edited by ahramin; 1st Oct 2013 at 17:59.
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I don't know of a single crash cause by a pilot having her hand on them after takeoff. If it has never caused an incident or accident, on what would you base your opinion that it is dangerous?
Turbulence COULD cause the pilot to inadvertently retard the thrust levers.
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I suspect that somewhere there has been an old hand turboprop pilot adding into the mix.
Its not uncommon for you to have to adjust the power to keep below limits as the aircraft climbs if you have direct shaft engines.
Its previous experience being applied in the wrong situation/ not relating to current hardware.
Its not uncommon for you to have to adjust the power to keep below limits as the aircraft climbs if you have direct shaft engines.
Its previous experience being applied in the wrong situation/ not relating to current hardware.
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Interesting this. So far on singles I've been taught to keep my hand on till leveling out, Issue here is its one of those early lessons that stuck with me and I'd imagine will do for a long time
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Hand on thrust levers after takeoff
What's your company's policy after GA regarding hands on TL? If different from TO, why?
In our case: both hands on yoke after GA, and "be in a position to manipulate the controls (plural)" after TO.
In our case: both hands on yoke after GA, and "be in a position to manipulate the controls (plural)" after TO.
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We do not have a specific instruction on our SOP (Boeing operator) but general practice among us is to guard the throttles after 400ft or a vertical mode is engaged.
It was the same with my previous employers (Embraer and Dassault)
I rather like to keep a tactile feedback of what is going on with the plane, even when the automatics are on.
It was the same with my previous employers (Embraer and Dassault)
I rather like to keep a tactile feedback of what is going on with the plane, even when the automatics are on.
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I'd rather take my hands after V1 is called, it also frees your hand you can hold the yoke with both hands. Guard the throttles til AGL 10000(or whenever you turn the landing lights off). Depending on the AUW, you can also put your hand on the throttle during rotate and initial climb, only danger it may pose is a cramp or a heart attack, but it is really not ordinary. If you are near to your MTOW, you sometimes don't want to use TO mode for to take off, for the manual levering, you will watch the EICAS for N1 while your hand is ON the throttle. Speaking for Boeing aircraft, and specifically 747.
