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Main reason to apply would be the LH experience which I would never get at my current employer, but I would like to know how big the money sacrifice would have to be.. |
6 hours chatting, great view of Manhattan, sleep, wake up early well rested, jog round Central Park, walk the high line, nice lunch, snooze, awful night flight home, drive h9me, to back to sleep or a few hours and back in synch. Long haul has its good and bad points but you spend time (away from the family, true) being a tourist in some cool places. Even the rubbish layovers can be a really good time with the right mix. You can take your family away on a trip easily enough - I have done Christmas in New York and New Years in San Francisco. It sure as hell beats triple Dublin on a windy day. |
BA stage 3 sim
Hi all,
Is anyone doing stage 3 sim this coming Tuesday at 0930? |
Hi all,
Hope you're all doing well and a happy New Year to you all. I know this is a bit of a random and off topic question but I've been wondering with regards to BA's SOPs and policies, how much manual flying do you folks get to do on the line? I very vaguely know about the monitored approaches that are performed on every approach, does this prevent you guys from being able to hand fly your approaches? Best Regards! |
In all honesty I think it's down to the individual and the SOPs have never made me feel like I shouldn't fly the aircraft. Most guys in the left hand seat are encouraging.
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Originally Posted by CessNah
(Post 10352743)
I very vaguely know about the monitored approaches that are performed on every approach, does this prevent you guys from being able to hand fly your approaches?
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Originally Posted by student88
(Post 10352750)
In all honesty I think it's down to the individual and the SOPs have never made me feel like I shouldn't fly the aircraft. Most guys in the left hand seat are encouraging.
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Originally Posted by Doug E Style
(Post 10352753)
No, it doesn’t. Friend on BA LH says even in CAVOK on his Fleet, most pilots only disconnect the autopilot between 500/1000ft on a manual landing. Not forgetting of course, on all Fleets except the B744, you are forbidden by rigid SOPs to control your speed manually using the thrust levers. Auto throttle mandated for continuous use in flight until the landing flare. |
Auto throttle mandated for continuous use in flight until the landing flare. The 747 was a previous generation so autothrust wasn't as smooth and I found I could do a much better job fully manual. The trick was to pick your moment - two crew early morning arrival into LHR being a great excuse............to autoland!! |
I am on the 747 and love flying manually, but whilst I tend to fly until about FL150 on departure, it is incredibly rare that I fly a manual approach as P2. This is not due to SOPs, but because we are generally just too knackered by the end of the flight. There is not so much enjoyment to be found in anything when you are desperately wishing you were in your bed. I and many others used to fly manual approaches, back before EASA FTLs and final assign, but in my experience it is very rare nowadays. Who knows, perhaps JSS will end up leaving us less tired again, and we will be able to return to the days of manual approaches? |
Originally Posted by ETOPS
(Post 10352957)
I did 4 years in command on the 777 with BA before transferring to the 747 so have seen both systems. The '77 is FBW so no pitch/power couple when altering thrust. Hand flying around the Caribbean is a pleasure I will never forget. This is because the autothrust works very well and always "has your back" with smooth adjustments to keep you on speed. I even liked the little nudge you felt through the levers at 25R which was the start of thrust reduction - it was a great clue to commence a gentle pitch up.
The 747 was a previous generation so autothrust wasn't as smooth and I found I could do a much better job fully manual. The trick was to pick your moment - two crew early morning arrival into LHR being a great excuse............to autoland!! |
Couldn't agree more. If you don't do both, are you a pilot or merely a systems operator?
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Originally Posted by GS-Alpha
(Post 10353192)
I am on the 747 and love flying manually, but whilst I tend to fly until about FL150 on departure, it is incredibly rare that I fly a manual approach as P2. This is not due to SOPs, but because we are generally just too knackered by the end of the flight. There is not so much enjoyment to be found in anything when you are desperately wishing you were in your bed. I and many others used to fly manual approaches, back before EASA FTLs and final assign, but in my experience it is very rare nowadays. Who knows, perhaps JSS will end up leaving us less tired again, and we will be able to return to the days of manual approaches? |
I mean trip two days off followed by trip two days off, and repeat with FA should you try and create a block of days off so you can recover. If you were given such a string of work in the past, you could at least swap a trip to a back to back, giving you 4 days off afterwards for decent recovery (not ideal, but considerably less fatiguing than 2 days off continuously). |
Originally Posted by birdstrike
(Post 10353301)
Couldn't agree more. If you don't do both, are you a pilot or merely a systems operator?
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Originally Posted by birdstrike
(Post 10353301)
Couldn't agree more. If you don't do both, are you a pilot or merely a systems operator?
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Originally Posted by birdstrike
(Post 10353301)
Couldn't agree more. If you don't do both, are you a pilot or merely a systems operator?
You're a pilot. Just because we don't spend our days wrestling with the controls in the same way as we might have in the past doesn't mean the job hasn't evolved and developed new challenges. For starters, 900 hrs/year is now a target not a limit. Fatigue is a real concern these days. Automation has changed the industry. Most jobs are evolving all the time at the end of the day. |
Just curious, flew there for 8yr, now 15 yr in the US. Back then I felt everyone in the US was working much harder, and often for less pay. Has that totally changed around? I honestly don' think I have to work too hard, and I have a lot of flexibility, can drop down to zero or pick up to the legal limit. Normal schedule for me is 3 4-day and a 3-day. TAFB 250 hours, block 65/70 hours, credit 70/75 hours. Add some other pay stuff so total around $200K/yr before tax, excluding company pension contribution, and I am a 6yr captain at the bottom paying loco. It sounds like everyone there is sick of the job....
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Originally Posted by Phantom4
(Post 10351824)
Venco,there is no guarantee you would be offered LH aircraft.It is assessed on your ability to adapt effectively to the aircraft that they are using for sim assessment at the time,not solely on hours accrued and is non negotiable unless it suits BA. |
Good luck Venco.My advice,the answer’s yes,even if SH offer.I have known a crew on day three 744 being politely asked to relocate to the 320 CBT |
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