Dash 8 Q400 CBTs
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lisbon
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dash 8 Q400 CBTs
Hi Dear Friends,
Maybe soon I will start my training for the Dash 8 Q400, any one can arrange me CBTs
And also I would like to know your advices for the first Training and specific advices for this aircraft.
Thank you very much in advance.
Maybe soon I will start my training for the Dash 8 Q400, any one can arrange me CBTs
And also I would like to know your advices for the first Training and specific advices for this aircraft.
Thank you very much in advance.
A word of warning then: Do not sign up for a type rating unless You have a job offer at hand - or do You like to waste a lot of money? I know several guys who paid up for e. g. a 320 rating, but now are employed on the DH8.
Generally with regards to type ratings: There is a whole lot to be studied in a rather short time frame. Study, ask the instructors if You are not sure about something, and whenever You have some time to spare, pick a subject and discuss it with Your colleague. Especially the last point is often immensely helpful: if You have understood something the same way as the colleague, You should be fine; if you disagree on something, get out the books and look it up. Strive to understand the aircraft and its systems as perfectly as possible. Know what each system does, how it is operated, its limitations and also consider its failure modes
One instructor once said: "What, You are short on time? Well, the day has 24 hours, and if this is not sufficient, You will have to use the night as well."
About the DH8. Had You flown jets before, You would have been in for a surprise, the Dash is a wholly different animal. But as You come from flight training, it may even be easier as You approach this aircraft without previous experiences You might have to unlearn.
Although all the systems are required to be known, there are some focal points. The electric system is one of the keys to this aircraft and needs to be well understood. Also, if You have never flown an EFIS aircraft, study this well and do understand the flight mode panel, as I have seem some fresh colleagues struggle with this a little bit. Not forgetting the limitations here. There are several situations that require the use of special limitations not applicable in others, e. g. icing vs. non-icing or low visibility operations. The FMS is not always logical, its menus and user guidance require some getting used to (this is a point that you will come across later in training though).
Once you get to the simulator stage, do know the memory items by heart. If someone wakes you up at 0-dark-30 and shouts at you "Fire drill Engine 1" (or whatever the trigger is in Your company), know what to do.
Many fresh colleagues take a while until they can consistently land the aircraft properly under all conditions. On the DH8, You have 2 (or, company dependent, 3) flap settings, 2 propeller RPM settings and the deicing systems either on or off - typically, any combination thereof is approved for landing (although there are situations requiring a defined configuration - again, limitations!), and some say that you have 8 different aircraft to choose from. Flaps 15 will generally require a pitch not much above 0° and you will need to mind the tail clearance during flare, Flap 35 will give You a pitch of about 2° nose down, and suddenly, tail clearance is no longer an issue, but the nose wheel landing is. A higher prop RPM will result in the aircraft being very sensitive to power lever movements; while this allows for excellent controllability when it comes to selecting a point to touch down on, one needs to remember not to idle them too early. And icing conditions will see you approach at 15-20kts faster than normal with obvious effects on the roundout, energy management during flare, landing performance, pitch during approach etc.
You have two rather strong engines sitting in front of the wing with both propellers running clockwise (seen from behind), causing a noticeable prop wash over the wing. This results in several things. Changing power settings requires trimming all 3 axis: pitch, as the altered prop wash also changed lift; bank, as the torque from the engines has changed; and also yaw due to the P factor (just like on a Cessna, but much more so). Consequently: if you move the power levers and are not in a hurry, move them smoothly and, if possible, move them a little, then trim, move, trim etc. until You are at the desired settings. Passengers and cabin crew especially in the rear will be grateful. During approach, if You idle the power, the aircraft will settle down. Knowing when and how fast to idle the engines and how much flare goes with this is another key point to this aircraft but comes with experience. But this also applies when adding power. During a two-engine go around, a stall or windshear recovery or the like, expect the power to be on very quickly and expect remarkable performance. It is also a factor during single-engine operation. With the prop wash present on one, but missing from the other wing, expect some tendency to drop the wing into the bad engine. Also, a drift angle of about 7° at high power and low airspeeds is to be expected.
But still, it is an aircraft. It obeys the same physics as any other aircraft You have previously flown do. So do respect it and handle it the way it needs to be handled, just like You would any other aircraft.
Generally with regards to type ratings: There is a whole lot to be studied in a rather short time frame. Study, ask the instructors if You are not sure about something, and whenever You have some time to spare, pick a subject and discuss it with Your colleague. Especially the last point is often immensely helpful: if You have understood something the same way as the colleague, You should be fine; if you disagree on something, get out the books and look it up. Strive to understand the aircraft and its systems as perfectly as possible. Know what each system does, how it is operated, its limitations and also consider its failure modes
One instructor once said: "What, You are short on time? Well, the day has 24 hours, and if this is not sufficient, You will have to use the night as well."
About the DH8. Had You flown jets before, You would have been in for a surprise, the Dash is a wholly different animal. But as You come from flight training, it may even be easier as You approach this aircraft without previous experiences You might have to unlearn.
Although all the systems are required to be known, there are some focal points. The electric system is one of the keys to this aircraft and needs to be well understood. Also, if You have never flown an EFIS aircraft, study this well and do understand the flight mode panel, as I have seem some fresh colleagues struggle with this a little bit. Not forgetting the limitations here. There are several situations that require the use of special limitations not applicable in others, e. g. icing vs. non-icing or low visibility operations. The FMS is not always logical, its menus and user guidance require some getting used to (this is a point that you will come across later in training though).
Once you get to the simulator stage, do know the memory items by heart. If someone wakes you up at 0-dark-30 and shouts at you "Fire drill Engine 1" (or whatever the trigger is in Your company), know what to do.
Many fresh colleagues take a while until they can consistently land the aircraft properly under all conditions. On the DH8, You have 2 (or, company dependent, 3) flap settings, 2 propeller RPM settings and the deicing systems either on or off - typically, any combination thereof is approved for landing (although there are situations requiring a defined configuration - again, limitations!), and some say that you have 8 different aircraft to choose from. Flaps 15 will generally require a pitch not much above 0° and you will need to mind the tail clearance during flare, Flap 35 will give You a pitch of about 2° nose down, and suddenly, tail clearance is no longer an issue, but the nose wheel landing is. A higher prop RPM will result in the aircraft being very sensitive to power lever movements; while this allows for excellent controllability when it comes to selecting a point to touch down on, one needs to remember not to idle them too early. And icing conditions will see you approach at 15-20kts faster than normal with obvious effects on the roundout, energy management during flare, landing performance, pitch during approach etc.
You have two rather strong engines sitting in front of the wing with both propellers running clockwise (seen from behind), causing a noticeable prop wash over the wing. This results in several things. Changing power settings requires trimming all 3 axis: pitch, as the altered prop wash also changed lift; bank, as the torque from the engines has changed; and also yaw due to the P factor (just like on a Cessna, but much more so). Consequently: if you move the power levers and are not in a hurry, move them smoothly and, if possible, move them a little, then trim, move, trim etc. until You are at the desired settings. Passengers and cabin crew especially in the rear will be grateful. During approach, if You idle the power, the aircraft will settle down. Knowing when and how fast to idle the engines and how much flare goes with this is another key point to this aircraft but comes with experience. But this also applies when adding power. During a two-engine go around, a stall or windshear recovery or the like, expect the power to be on very quickly and expect remarkable performance. It is also a factor during single-engine operation. With the prop wash present on one, but missing from the other wing, expect some tendency to drop the wing into the bad engine. Also, a drift angle of about 7° at high power and low airspeeds is to be expected.
But still, it is an aircraft. It obeys the same physics as any other aircraft You have previously flown do. So do respect it and handle it the way it needs to be handled, just like You would any other aircraft.
