For various reasons I chose to apply to take voluntary redundancy when BA were asking for applicants. I received the VR and left Aug 09. I was not terminated. I have managers there who are happy to give me references.

Sometimes these forums can be like trying to text message people ... you can't read the tone in which they are sent! No apologies needed as no offence had been taken, one of the first things my wife asked was "what expletive did I use"! She is scouse so can swear like the best of them! In fact I was surprised I didn't swear and can remember telling the AAIB investigator that I was sorry if I had sworn on the CVR! :oh:

OK.....Mmmayday38.....[and others].....I'm sorry I missed that in previous posts. I still wish you well.

Just a minor point of correction on Pete's behalf, he did of course mean that he left BA in August 2009 and not 2008.

Ooops thanks TopBunk, you are correct I did in fact leave in Aug 09! Year change edits made. :}

Pete, it was always a pleasure flying with you.
Believe me your actions on that day will forever speak louder than any words you can add here. You don't have to explain yourself to the armchair experts here who have had the wonderful benefit of hindsight, the fact that 153 people can still get up in the morning, buy a coffee and enjoy life says it all.

Was just talking about the great job you did in the bar in Philli last night. (Yep im snowed in....which incidentally was the place i last bumped into you back in Dec08!)
Wish you all the best in the years to come
Seabiscuit. (also a PB)

Mmmayday - may I join the more than well justified chorus of approval for your actions that unfortunate day? Delighted to see you and your fellow crew members so thoroughly vindicated, and very best wishes for your job seeking. Here's to a thoroughly satisfying - and safe - 20 more years in your profession.

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

But having said that, could you do me a favour? Unless there were 76 two-legged people and one unidexter on board, you saved 153 SOULS that day, not 'soles'....and all within half a minute, coo!

(And yes, OK, when airborne I admit I really would prefer a skipper who can fly to one who can spell)

iwalkedaway

PB
The 'faithful' always knew that you'd aced it.
Very gratifying to see it published as fact though, you and your crew can feel justifiably proud of yourselves. I hope that we will now hear deafening silence from the armchair experts. Sincerely hope that you will all be able to get on with your lives now and enjoy them. Congratulations and well done.
MB

Pete,
I hope now with the publication of the final report that you can move on with your life and get back doing the job you love. I certainly wouldn't want to have been in your shoes and can appreciate how hard the last two years has been for you. Don't let the b*****ds grind you down. Good luck with the job applications! :-)
Cheers,
Jamie

I retired with over 20,000 hrs and never had to deal with your situation. You did a great job and if it had happened to me wish I could have done as well. You did everything right.

Mmmayday;

First class post - likely the finest on PPRuNe, in the best tradition of helping fellow aviators learn. I understand a recent presentation went extremely well and now I know why, having read your comments. To you and your First Officers, sir, well done.

PJ2

Pete is a hero like Sully
 

For me I am so glad that you took the time to write so much good stuff on this thread always knowing more than you could reveal at the time. I can tell you that after I read the report and saw the video interview there were some quiet but cheerful celebrations with my pilot friends here in Thailand.
Many, including myself have supported you all along, I just wished the English Press did a "Sully" for you but for some reason people choose to write about the "what ifs" or "I know better" in some cases. Pete its been a long and hard thread for many of your supporters, and probably yourself but we never shied away from what we believed to be right.
I too wish you 20 more years doing what you love best!

Tima9x

I haven't followed this thread fully, but add my congratulations to mmmayday. I watched your BBC news interview the night before last and was very impressed. Well done.

PB - As an ex-colleague and also an Aug '09 VR leaver, I am simply in awe of you and your crew's professionalism and ability. Having had a relatively minor mayday incident in 2006, I know what it is like to have your every decision picked away at - but that was only in private and not in such a public fashion,

All the best wishes for the future,

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Pete,

From your actions on that day, to your strength of character in those long days since, right through to your latest posts here; in all instances you have displayed the qualities that come from years of experience and training, professional diligence, and personal integrity.

I salute you.
And I mean that in the highest sense and tradition of the phrase -- to express my utmost respect and admiration.

grizz

mmmayday
 

I am sure that had everyone on this forum been in the same room had mmmayday's reply been read out (rather than posted on here), you could have heard a pin drop for several seconds at the end.....just before huge and lengthy applause and standing ovation.

There have been many nasty, spiteful and hurtful posts on this thread aimed at mmmayday and his crew, particularly in the last few days following the publication of the AAIB report. No point stating who, we all know who they are.

Many of those comments remained based on the posters opinion and not the content of the report - to much of a bother to read it (and for some understand it) thoroughly? Further, many of those same posters clearly do not understand the remit of AAIB.

For the main man involved in this incident to come on such a public forum is nearly as brave as the actions he took in getting 038 on the ground as he did. Even then he has responded to some of the harshest posters in a calm measured way (no spite in his tone) one by one. So perhaps now they will all wind their respective necks in and shut up.

Whilst this forum is here for people to pass opinion, much on this thread has at best been un-necessary and at worst pure ignorance.

Now that the report is published and you can move on, good luck in securing a new position on the flight deck mmmayday, I for one, sincerely hope that should I ever be unfortunate enough to be on board an aircraft in trouble, I have you up front and not one of your many detractors one here!

Many years ago I was involved in a rather nasty incident. We got most things right, but also some things wrong, and survived. I found the things said afterwards in the crew room and in bars down the route by various armchair critics extremely hurtful.

When suddenly faced with a situation for which there has been no training you have to think very quickly and you can't always be right. The whole crew of BA038 reacted magnificently. I wonder how many of us could have done as well.

I also salute you, Pete, we have never met, but you have had my sympathy and admiration throughout this ordeal.

And to the many PPRuNe armchair experts - some of you should think twice before saying some of the things that have been placed on this thread.

Well done
 

Mmayday38:

Well done to you and the Crew, I would like to add a comment from one of my previous posts that is pertinent to your incident.
" A crew is expected to perform to the best of their ability when a problem occurs, either known or unknown. In the unknown case the crew have to attempt to control the aircraft flight path, so that they have time to solve the problem ".

You have been there and have returned to pass on the knowledge learnt. Congratulations.

Tmb

At last!
 

At last, we have numerous posts quite rightly expressing respect, recognition and appreciation. As a long-time supporter of PB I have been repeatedly shocked and disgusted by many of the armchair "experts" who (ab)used this forum to air their basesless, fact-free, irrelevant, inappropriate and unjust opinions.

Blue skies ahead now Pete. Good Luck!:ok:

@SLFY:

Not sure if you are interpreting this graph correctly. When I look at your graph I would get the impression that when I compare two approach configurations, let's say Flaps 35 and 25, then you see that at VREF the CL for Flaps 25 is around 1.4 ish and the one for F35 is maybe 1.55 while the L/D ratio decreases from almost 10.8 down to 7.8. Seems like a lot more drag to me...

During the good-ol' days hauling the 737-200s around, I remember that on a medium-heavy landing weight, the required fuel flow on approach for Flaps 40 was around 3500 lbs/h per engine compared to around 3000 lbs/h by using Flaps 30. The difference in VREF was only 3 knots. Just an example... (Sorry, I forgot about the EPR, use the fuel flow as an indicator how much Thrust is required to overcome drag :E )

And like Mmmayday38 pointed out in his good post earlier:

I think that sums it up rather nicely :}

I say, well done Mmmayday38! :ok:

The way forward..
 

Does anyone like me think I should email RR and Boeing a simple schematic of a domestic electric emersion heater? I am sure this basic concept can be applied to 70 tonnes of aviation fuel in 2010....ya think?

Yup thanks for spelling correction. I want a happy ending here..any ideas how the fuel temp can be kept up? microwave? ultrasound? fuel lines wrapped in resistance wire?