Position: Final approach, runway 1, KDCA (The old Washington National)
Altitude: 3600 feet and descending...
Indicated Air Speed: 184 mph (160 kts)
Flaps/Slats: 50%
Pax-on-board: 150
Equipment: A320
Oh, this is just great! Here I am, the best pilot that the wife of my youth has ever seen or even heard about, hooking final because I forgot something so basic that it would embarrass a new student pilot. The wind is 40 kts on my tail as I am turning base leg to final approach and it blows me through the final approach path.
Once again, I am wearing the flight instructor hat today as my co-pilot is brand new to Fi-Fi; just stamped on the forehead by an Instructor Pilot as "approved to fly the Line." He has been flying Boeings for years; was forced out by seniority issues and is now in the grip of The Electric Jet. I feel sorry for him and am constantly reminding him that he will get the hang of Fi-Fi in a few months, sort of...
I have been explaining every input I make and why I am doing so and what Fi-Fi will do, or should do, as a result. For a new pilot, Fi-Fi is a cerebral aircraft as opposed to an airmanship aircraft. That is my terminology and it means that when you are flying Fi-Fi as the airline wants you to fly her, you have to think before you push a button or flip a switch, i.e., what is going to happen after I push this button?
I have flown the 737-100/200/300 series and they were all easy and pleasant to fly. Any pilot that has a good understanding of basic airmanship techniques can fly those three aircraft types well. They had no tricks or surprises up their aluminum sleeves. A pilot can (easily) mentally merge with a 737 and become one with it, using sub-conscience thought to control it.
Not so with Fi-Fi as a new pilot... There are those darn flight control computers, auto-thrust as opposed to auto-throttles, and different aircraft interface methods. That is why on the first day of ground school, the instructor inevitably says:
"Ladies and gentlemen, forget everything you know about Boeings."
Of course, that is not possible. It takes six months to get semi-comfortable and at least one year to get a little bit cocky in The Electric Jet. The first month on the Line as a new Fi-Fi pilot is not pleasant. I realize that and try to make it as easy as possible for a newbie. Captains that berate a struggling co-pilot are idiots, in my opinion... I think it shows a weakness in character and a lack of leadership. That co-pilot may be hanging on the tail, but he or she probably has at least 5,000 flight hours and probably a whole lot more. When you need that co-pilot to say, "Uh, captain, aren't we supposed to level off at 30,000 feet, instead they will be thinking what a jerk," their minds not on the flight.
Potomac approach control has asked us to "keep it moving, please." Awesome... That is what I like to hear. The airspeed is up against the barber pole at 14,000 feet, 60 miles west of KDCA. We will do a high dive into the airport area with spoilers fully extended using one right bank and two left banks to slow down on downwind leg and base leg. I do it all the time and am good at it.
I have built, via computer interface, a three dimensional virtual flight path along the Potomac river and will review with the co-pilot how to get Fi-Fi to fly that path using The Star Trek mode. On downwind leg, we are slowing and configuring... Potomac approach clears us for the visual approach to runway 1, contact tower turning final. Roger that...
Using manual input to the auto-pilot, Fi-Fi turns base leg and is approaching the virtual path to final at a right angle. The 40 knot crosswind is now a 40 knot tailwind increasing the aircraft's groundspeed by an equal amount. (oops!) I am keeping the co-pilot in the loop by talking him through my actions and what to look for in Fi-Fi's response, momentarily forgetting about the wind. Another manual input to the auto-pilot turns us further left for a thirty degree intercept of the virtual path... Uh-oh, we blow through the final still banking left.
The cursing switch is flipped ON in the left seat, until the little angel on my right shoulder which has a strong resemblance to my wife, whispers in my ear that cursing is a sign of a limited vocabulary. Well, this is not going to work. The Star Trek Mode has activated, but we are already on the other side of final and getting too high. Imagine a fish hook shaped final approach path. Fi-Fi is trying her best to get back to the path and lose altitude. I blew it; the demonstration is over.
Auto-pilot OFF/Flight directors OFF/Auto-thrust OFF/Landing gear DOWN/Flaps FULL/Landing Checklist, please... Fi-Fi is now in the Super Cub mode; stick, rudder, and power. My face is red with embarrassment. The politicians and their entourages in First Class along with the regular working stiffs in coach never noticed anything out of the ordinary because I grabbed control from the Smoke and Mirrors before anything unusual might have occurred. Even so, for a captain ( little "c") with thousands of hours in his or her aircraft, that was amateurish, at best.
A forty knot tailwind... Come on!
At 1,000 feet above the river, The Electric Jet is stabilized and in the groove, being flown like a light aircraft. The thrust levers feel good in my right hand as I jockey them back and forth maintaining airspeed. She passes over the runway threshold on speed and glidepath, touching down slightly past the 1,000 foot marker in a cloud of rubber smoke. This is not a long runway, so no messing around... Spoilers up, reverse thrust to maximum, moderate to heavy braking.
The gate is open as we taxi toward the terminal building. The co-pilot says, "Nice job. boss." He is being kind to the old guy in the left seat. I say, "Thanks. Just call me Captain Hook."
Life on the Line continues...
43 comments:
Wow, did you have to land with a 40 kt crosswind after that?
David- No, on the surface only a few knots.
Nice save Dave!
The pax never new the diff.
Wayne
Experienced one of those coming in to Manchester (MHT) a few weeks back. From a left cabin window we ungracefully overshot final and made a nice, equally graceful, correction - a-la visual approach mode.
Made a nice crosswind on the ground with a sudden - and equally well-corrected - roll right just before the flare.
Always a nail-biter as a passenger. Probably less-so up front.
Tried Googling "Fi-Fi" and "Airbus" to figure out what you were talking about ("auto-thrust" versus "auto-throttle"?). Is it possible to refer to a previous post where you explain these terms?
Captain Dave,
It is comforting to have a pilot who can turn off all the "auto" stuff and still know how to "stick and rudder" the aircraft to touchdown while I comfortably continue reading my magazine.
Dave - You're blog is terrific, especially for those of us who now have to experience our front seat flying vicariously. Your writing is nearly poetic, always evocative. Many thanks.
And having spent two tours as an instructor [the A-6 and then F-18) this tale brought a smile - been there, done that, many times. But a good student always appreciates a good instructor who can teach with humility. Keep up the great work. Steve
Great post, but I'm still trying to figure out what "Fi-Fi" is....Nickname for the aircraft? The Hack I did the same thing!
The Hack- no posts about auto-thrust vs auto-throttles. This is sort of a none technical blog for the flying public. I will think about it, though. Seems like my explanation of the flight controls was received well.
Chad- because the A320 is assembled in France, Fi-Fi is the most popular nick name. Others are The Electric Jet, Sparky, and the Dark Side.
Stephen- Thanks a lot.
"Captain Hook". Ha! I love it.
In the immortal words of Joe E. Brown, "Nobody's perfect."
As always, an excellent read!
as an avid reader of your blog and a soon to be instrument rated piston jockey, i have to say i enjoyed this post particularly - very well written! keep them coming, and thanks!
Stick to flying Capt. Dave, it would appear you are good at it, as well as being good at honest self-appraisal. That amount of truth would screw your chances of making it in most other professions. Excellent blog, keep it coming please.
I've been reading through old posts and new for the last 2 months, and I wanted to say I really enjoy what you've written.
Dave,
As a controller I enjoy hearing the working side of the radio. Talk to ya soon.
LT
"Captains that berate a struggling co-pilot are idiots, in my opinion... I think it shows a weakness in character and a lack of leadership."
Amen to that! Unfortunately there are all too many of the kind out there :(
Another fabulous post. Funny, satisfing, lyrical. Thanks Dave!
I am writing this on my new iPhone with all bells and whistles. To say that I love it is a vast understatement. So many apps-- so little time too load and enjoy them all. (BTW, do you have a favorite? Mine is the Shake Photo, love those kinda fuzzy polaroid shots! Your endorsement of your IP has made it possible for my pilot husband to at least tolerate my new toy - since he also thinks.
you are swell.
Blue skys and all the best to you and the wife OYY.
Hi, Dave.
I am always struck by your descriptions of quick descents from altitude into the traffic pattern. I often have problems with my ears not popping when that happens. Sometimes I'm half expecting it because I have a cold, but other times it comes on when I would think my head is clear. I've always been afraid if I ever start flying anything myself that goes above 4000-5000 ft MSL I'll have it happen when I'm alone in the cockpit - it's very debilitating. Any tricks from a pro to share?
When landing at KDCA, do you ever use runway 15/33 or 4/22? Or are those too short for your aircraft?
ron- yeah, we use 33 sometimes, but I only do it when I am light weight, headwind down the runway, bio-rythms good and ATC requests it to help them out. I do not like landing on 33, it is too short.
jen- I learned how to do it a young age. I have sub-conscience control of the muscles in my throat around my estachion tubes. I just do it without thinking. You would most likely develop the same ability kif you started flying.
Robin wendell- I love my Iphone. My favorite app is the weather related stuff, like radar that I can look at before we take-off. It is really handy.
>&it- your photo is what you will look like after the instrument check ride.
hello Captain Dave, im terrified of flying but can't avoid it and I find myself engrossed with your blog learning and trying to get out of the fear. it does help, truly appreciate your blog and humours. still fearful of flying but I should think its getting better..cheers
Dave been reading your blog for the last year or more i think ! commercial pilot myself but not in the airlines, contract work in Africa, and any other dark place they can think of to send us ! just great to read your blog and see what you guys get up to in the real world ! maybe one day when i decide to grow up ! keep them coming !
Jen, Take scuba diving lessons.
No, really. You will learn, in short order, how reflexively clear your ears without even thinking about it. The first time in the water, you'll have to think about it. Maybe the second time. After that, you'll find yourself moving some mysterious muscles you didn't know you had somewhere near your ears and the pressure will equalize just like that (provided you're not too stuffed up).
I haven't been scuba diving in more than a decade, but the reflex is still with me. Whether flying, driving up or down a hill or there's a storm coming, whenever there's a pressure change I'll reflexively clear my ears without even thinking about it. Thanks, scuba.
Oh, and you'll get to see some really cool critters, too.
brett- I used to co-pilot for a Captain (capital "c") that flew C-130s in Africa. He was hit by a shoulder launched missle; killed the flight engineer but did not knock down the Herc. Amazing! You be careful over there...
kimberley- thanks for the compliment. Let me tell you that you do not have to worry about getting hurt in an airliner; the safety record is amazing, much safer more so than driving. It is a numbers game (my terminology). The chances of being hurt or killed using airlines is minimal, almost non-existence. Also, remember that the pilots are the first to arrive at the scene of the accident, so there is a strong self preservation tangent to this worry.
Dave, I love the 'cursing - limited vocabulary' comment, can I lift that?
Good words in putting to effect the 'been there done that' phenomenom also. My 2nd, defunct airline had 737 drivers transitioning to MD-80's while switching over and expanding the fleet to them. Green on Green exemption = me watching new CA's turn it all off and dive for the touchdown zone, hoping to bleed speed off on the way (on a 10K runway). (Me, I just couldn't land the thing)
Great blog Dave! Take care.
Dear Captain,
Thank you very much! Your words means a lot to me..as you can imagine, I am the type that think about will before each flight, curse at the slightest turbulence..
Thanks a million!
Dave,
Great post, i especially like when you describe the descent,approach and landing in detail. Keep them coming.
Hmmm. Maybe this is a dumb/overly technical question, but I wonder how the path of the "hooked final approach path" could, in fact, look like a fish hook.
As I visualize flying toward the final at a right angle, then overshooting a bit as you did, then correcting to intercept the final approach, the path would (technically) look more like one of those keys you used to use to open a flat can of sardines. A fish hook is more J-shaped, and I don't see how such a path could result from the turns you described.
Another great post Dave. I talk to a lot of airline pilots who seem reluctant to hand fly the plane, citing different reasons. I hope I'll be like you- always happy to fly the bird manually. I have limited experience with autopilots, but I already know that nothing beats a hand flown approach down to minimums.
captain craig- you certainly can lift that...
ron- ok, how about half a fish hook?
Dave:
Thank you for taking the time to write this. As an aspiring pilot, I always learn from your posts. As a suggestion for a future blog I was wondering if you could talk about holding patterns? How they are flown in the electric jet, entries, stuff like that?? Thanks!
Captain Dave,
Not only am I obsessed with your blog (and encouraging all of my friends to be obsessed with it as well), but I LOVE the technical stuff. I think part of the reason you got such a good response on the FBW entry was because that's the stuff that us aviation enthusiasts, but non-pilots don't get to hear about very often, especially from the perspective of the pilot. We like to hear about what happens on final, or while cruising, or any other time during the flight, because all we see is the back of the headrest or some clouds out the window. We're sitting in back, wondering if our beverages will stay in their cups during turbulence. I, personally, am always trying to sneak a look at the flight deck before the door is shut, to see the buttons being pushed, the checklist being run through, etc. That's what the flying public doesn't see, doesn't understand, and certainly doesn't have explained to them by a Captain (huge C there) flying the line in such simple terms.
I'm going back to school for ATC (major career change), and yes I'm aware of the Great Divide between ATC and those in the aircraft, however at this point in my life, it seems like the best way for me to immerse myself in the industry. I hope that I can be the exception to the rule.
Happy flying...
Woulod it be hard for you to fly a Boeing now that you have flown Fi-fi's for a while?
I am curious, Dave --have you taken a creative writing course or are you simply naturally talented in writing? I would like to write about what I do, but can never put it into words in the mannder I'd like to. Thanks so much!!!
Ron- well, I've got about 6,000 hrs in the 737-100/200/300. I think it would come back within a month or so, I hope... But yes, it would be a goat rodeo for a few weeks.
Johann- no formal training as a writer. My wife is a college dean and is pretty much horrified at my grammer and construction. She helps me a lot.
LMH- thanks for the compliments. I am considering doing more technical stuff. I think ATC would be a great career as far as careers go nowadays. Good luck on that.
Michael- thanks. Roger the holding patterns. OK, I will consider it. The problem with technical posts is that most people who read this blog, I think, are non-pilots. But, I will think about it. My post on Fi-Fi flight controls went over well. Thanks for the idea.
Captain,
As an ATC'er I love to read this. I like to kow whats going on, on the other end of the mic. Since they took away our fam flights, I guess I'll just have to wonder.
Jen - with your mouth shut, pinch your nose so as to close your nostrils. Breathe out gently, then harder until you feel the flaps between your nose and ears open and the pressure equalise. Suddenly you can hear how noisy it is!
Captain Dave,
I stumbled across your blog whilst looking for info regarding the recent AF. A much loved one - a UM - (along with a lot of other much loved ones) was on the plane, and I am always looking for more news. I read with interest what they are saying about Fifis. Someone referred a critic to your blog, so I thought I would have a look.
As a family we have to fly globally and now our confidence is shattered and we feel less comfortable. Recently I have been over the pond a few times gripping the armrests at every bump and being more than relieved when we are on finals to LHR or LGW and preferably on a Boeing.
Your accounts of flying FiFi are fascinating and really enjoyable.
The view from your office is amazing and you are clearly a very talented capital C. You are obviously a fan of FiFi, but if you were calling it the Dark Side more often, I would be even more terrified, but you have a lot of affection for the silver bird.
I hope our confidence will restore eventually and I do understand the figures regarding safety, but I will visit again and thank you for a most frank and fascinating insight into your world. I am going to show the kids...
Another great post, as usual, Captain (with "C") ;-)
I love your writing's style: the perfect mix of technical and irony.
Great job, great blog!
I hope yours retirement is far, far away!
Thank you Dave.
Nice blog, Skipper. A lot of my blog's followers like yours. Now I see why.
--Alan
alancockrell.blogspot.com
Capt Dave ,
thank you for being the most brilliant aviation/ airline blog writer on the planet , I am an avid flight-sim enthusiast myself,and I must admit I sometimes like to pretend I am you when flying my virtual A319.
OK, Captain Hook.
This might have been your best post ever. I heartily agree with your opinion of captains who abuse co-pilots.
As for the "Hook", don'y worry, you aren't the first and won't be the last, as you well know.
Still....it's funny now, isn't it? At least you knew how to fly the plane as opposed to pushing more buttons. I, like you, have stories.
Keep up the great work. On behalf of all silver-haired, slightly paunchy pilots who like flying more than systems management, you are a source of constant solemn nodding, agreement, and deep chuckles.
All the best to you and the wife of your youth.
hahaha - and thank you for having a wife of your youth - somewhat rare and definitely precious!
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