So … for the second time in 2 years and the third time in 25 … I’m doing another Type Rating. This time it’s the Boeing 737NG and it’s very … different. For the first thing – I have LOTS of time. As practically every other pilot who’s ever gone through a type rating knows […]
Airline Pilot
MaxFDP – Last Sector Push Calculator : 23Dec23
So having recently come from a night freight operation where we were quite often operating towards the limits of the Maximum Flight Duty Period (MaxFDP) – After having stuffed up the calculations a couple of times, I decided to create a VA Max FDP Calculator Spreadsheet that would calculate for me the number I usually […]
Infinidim Redundancy Calculator [Updated 06Aug20]
Howdy All This spreadsheet is for the benefit of the Wide Body Crew (A330, B777) under the Virgin Australia Wide Body EBA who will be affected by tomorrow announcement. I believe it’s pretty accurate, but as always – all care, no responsibility. Between the difference in LSL between the States and the application of Tax […]
The Ferry Part 3 – Test Flight Tomorrow
Depending on your version of the plan, we are now anywhere from 2 to 5 days late. But hey – that’s what plans are for – to let you know what you’ve deviated from when things actually happen. Otherwise we’re in a world without reference and that’s just insanity. Rumour has it the last crew […]
The Ferry Part 4 – The Test Flight
After a week of our small but dedicated group working towards the common goal – yesterday we flew our BAe146 for the first time in approximately 3 years. This is the last BAe146 to be delivered by WDL Cologne having operated a fleet of them over years. This was a flight of firsts (my first […]
The Ferry Part 5 – Finally on our way to Belgrade
So after two+ weeks in Cologne, we finally set off today to our first overnight, which ended up being Belgrade, Serbia. The choice of our first stop came down to stopping somewhere just outside Europe (rather than pushing all the way to the Middle East on our first day) and avoiding the Earthquake region in […]
The Ferry Part 6 – Egypt, Saudi and Oman
Another long day. Three sectors, 8+ hours flight time, 12 hours duty – or so. While the days are long with moment of frustration and stress – in the back of my mind I know this is (yet another) once in a lifetime experience. Hence … these posts. We now need a moment of Ronnie […]
The Ferry Part 7 – Mumbai …. and Dhaka
Once again we foray forth into the wild blue yonder on our sojourn to place our beast of burden in it’s new home in Australia. Yes, I’ve been reading Fate is the Hunter again. I can’t imagine a time where I won’t return to that book and enjoy re-re-reading it. Our departure from Muscat, delayed […]
The Ferry Part 9 – Darwin. Well … The Mecure.
So finally at 17:37 Local, we touched down in Darwin on the latest, and hopefully second last day of our journey. Still to achieve is the last segment down through Alice (for fuel) and onto Bankstown, where the aircraft will enter the Hanger for some radio upgrades as well as to address the snags we’ve […]
The Ferry Part 10 – Alice Springs and Bankstown.
Tonight brings about a parting of the ways and the conclusion of our little Ferry Adventure. VH-SQR is safely in Bankstown even as Jacques, Ronnie and I check into our hotel near Sydney’s Kingsford Smith. The aircraft which has carried us (mostly) uncomplainingly and safely across half the world will now go into the Hanger […]
Boeing 777 Fuel Leak
I’ve had precious little time in the B777 over the past 12 months, and to be honest I don’t anticipate flying one again. But I came across some content that I created early last year and thought one last article for old time’s sake. We introduced a Fuel Leak into the last recurrent phase towards […]
Checking Crew in the Aircraft [Updated Nov/21]
I’ve been sitting on this post for nearly two years. I originally developed the content for internal discussions within our Standards Department as the result of an occurrence on a check; then further developed it as I discussed the issues raised with my fellow Checkers; along with Checkers and Standards Managers from several other airlines. […]
EBA Allowance vs Payslip Calculator
I recently developed a spreadsheet to check the domestic allowances I was being paid. The process was educational, to say the least. This initial version only checks domestic allowances – I will develop further to facilitate the checking of rostered vs actual international allowances as well. Note : – This spreadsheet required VBA programming code […]
BAe146 Normal Ops Flows
So last year was a COVID Airline Industry sh!tshow and the upshot was (after being made redundant from the Virgin 777 operation) – I was fortunate to find myself on a BAe146 course. At least in part, my recruitment was based on my technical and computer skills (as opposed to any dubious potential to point […]
KLAX Los Angeles SIDs & STARs
Early last year, the FAA revised the SIDs and STARs at Los Angeles KLAX airport. I don’t know if I had annual leave or missed any associated documentation, but it’s fair to say that as a fleet that basically operates into the East Coast of Australia and LAX exclusively – it was something of a baptism […]