NATS confirm Ryanair with Fewest Level Busts
 

It has been confirmed by NATS that Ryanair has taken the No1 slot with fewer level busts than any other airline operating in UK airspace for the past 12 months.:D

Was that before of after they started charging pilots for level busts?

However they did it - well done.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...ies/thumbs.gif If that is what it might take...................

KingAir1978 - Why don't you take your toys and go and be bitter elsewhere.

Ryanair, as questionable as they are with their working practices are still safe operators, and should be congratulated. It's nice to see something good for a change!

Good for FR....well done.

From the various FR Capts I know.....all top operators.

Well done ladies and gentlemen! :ok:

The training department deserves credit for the millions of SOPS that they enforce.

But it works. There is the odd bad apples but by and large most of the FR drivers that I worked with were very good professionals.

Nice work. Is there a link to the article? I wouldn't mind a read.

I can think of a couple of possible contributing factors. I fly Airbus and it's normal practice to remove headsets and use speakers and hand mikes, of course my airlines SOP is to do this in the cruise only, but I'm sure there is more than just the odd lapse in this procedure. From what I gather most FR guys have their own ANR Headset, this of course is worn for the whole flight and I would sujest the Audio quality to be excellent and therefore a bloody good chance of reading back the correct level. Secondly I'm told by a pall in FR that it's SOP to reduce Climb rate at 2000 and 1000 to go. Of course this is a sound thing to do and judgment of your position in relationship to others comes under airmanship. However my air line does not have a blanket rule on this other than in congested airspace to reduce vertical rate if required. If FR are doing this every time regardless of the traffic situation then they have a better chance of not triggering a TA/RA and also giving more time for controller intervention if mode S is saying the wrong thing.

Of course it could be down to luck or down to a high standard of crew operation. Any level bust that I have been involved in has been down to an ATC Loop Error. Ie reading back the wrong clearance and it not being detected by ATC, wearing fancy ANR 100% of the time might have helped.

There we go a non Ryanair bashing reply........

I'll imagine the well done and congratulations memo from MOL will appear any moment on the company intranet....

On second thoughts :rolleyes:

It is a requirement in RVSM airspace to reduce VS to a max of 1500 ft/min and a recommendation of no more than 500ft/min for the last 1000ft. Rarely an issue in an Airbus in the climb, but quite easy to exceed in the descent. I rarely see others keeping to these limits.

Some do but certainly not most - what makes you think FR pilots can afford expensive headsets?!

Only below FL200 in TMAs over the 5 years I was flying for them.

As has been said previously full marks to the training system/department and line guys - without going into it here there is a strict protocol for setting/confirmation of cleared level which is taught and practised.

Will this compensate them for probably having the most mishaps going off taxi ways etc. due to slippery taxiways every winter. Or does that entitle them to be given yet another record for the fastest taxying airline :\

Flying Cokeman I have been in FR nearly 15 years and can only remember less than a handful of incidents of going off in wintry weather so I don't think that merits any particular booby prize or is any worse than any other operators who have gone off piste.

All if I recollect slow speed and most due to the small crappy airports we fly to who don't clear runways but just clear the top layer and put down sand or the like and tell you the braking action is good. Then having survived the touchdown you have to attempt a 180 turn as no taxiways at runway ends.

Back to black...not most the places we go.

All in all I don't think we do too bad.

Ps break the habit of a lifetime and give credit where its due.

Taxi Police
 

Then he/she goes and spoils it all by saying something stupid like...........I caught you speeding.:E

SOP is 10 kts on slippery surfaces and 5kts around corners. There is an OFDM. I never had an alert in my time there.

Some of you EZY guys do make me smile.

This is not quite correct. Ryanair have had level busts in the last 12 months BUT there are a large number of airlines that have recorded no level busts in the same period.
I don't know where "say mach number" got his figures from but I would not have said this on PPRUNE just in case it comes back to bite him or NATS

No figures yet. Just a well done memo today from the chief pilot stating that NATS had confirmed exactly what Say Mach Number has stated.

fireflybob is correct, the 2k@2togo and 1K@1togo only applies below FL200, and then ONLY if in busy TMA or congested airspace. Above FL200 there are no RYR SOPs covering rate of climb, airmanship applies. Above FL290 we are into RVSM, where 1500ft for the last 1000 is the ICAO standard adopted by Eurocontrol. Most crews, however, climb the last 1000 at 1000 through habit.

(Good) habits and better overall vertical SA is what has reduced our level busts over the last 3 yrs or so.......

For a company that has the amount of frequencies per dayarhat FR has, it' a credit to the airline that they have such disciplined and SOP oriented crew's. Not saying other airlines (within the EU) are not but, not many have that many flights per day as, this airline. Job well done, I would say! :D

This fact must get right up the noses of those who are so quick to slag off Ryanair, I don't like the business stance of the company but we must separate that from the way thay fly and maintain the aircraft..........well done guys !