Just watching this programme (recorded) about people delivering aircraft all over the place and there's this Jet - descibed as state of the art
computer controlled - Phenom 100.
Any way they went to start it but it wouldn't boot up just error messages........so they went onto the internet, downloaded a software update for
the computer which controls the plane, popped it onto a 2GB SD card like the one in my camera, stuck the card into a slot in the dash on the plane and
hey presto it works!!!!
I don't want to go on that plane 
I was on a flight from Belfast last year and take off was delayed, The pilot announced we would have to return to the stand as there was a light on that should not be. Anyway when the Technician arrived the first question he asked the pilot was....................... Have you tried swithing it off then on again.
I was in a Hercules at about 18,000ft a few years ago and the pilot jumped out of the tailgate
i was on a flight with a tall slim blonde woman at captain,the landing was best described as aim for the ground and hope to survive
Company I work for did some ethical hacking on some new state of the art planes. Well lets say this ... Ill walk for now.....
Planes with wireless which rely on computers mmmm sounds like trouble to me....
We had a female pilot coming in to Sfax air port and she 'missed' the ideal landing area of the run way, rather than power up and try again she just forced it down hard and threw it in reverse as it BOUNCED! Do you know what the landing gear of a 737 hitting the bump stops sounds like, I do!
Holy cr@p!!!
I hate sideways landings
quote:
Originally posted by scudderfish
Went to Lanzarote a few years ago and as we landed a cross wind caught the plane and it landed really heavily on one side of the
under carriage 
The wing tip just missed the surface of the runway, A ruck of the lights fell down from the roof of the plane and you could
see all the wiring etc
The plane was grounded for a week whilst repairs were carried out
I shat meself but one of the lads i was travelling with slept through all of it
On modern aircraft with glass cockpits, there is always backup analogue dials & gauges so the pilot can continue if there is a display fail.
Like anything electronic, they all need software drivers. The software fills on the comms/nav/flir systems are all done in a similar fashion, ie
plugging in a memory stick or laptop.
Great Clips.
About 15 years ago I had the privalage of sitting in the observers seat in a 747 landing at Kai Tak, but no side winds. It was amazing on the final
bank round looking at the houses!
The first rule with ANY electric aircraft is to switch it all off, give it a few minutes, then switch it back on! Quite logical really, all of the
components do a start-up BIT. If they boot in the wrong order, the BIT might not work, so just turning an individual box (if you can) might not solve
it.
As for back ups, the aircraft I fly has a single back up instrument! But then there are 3 Integrated Avionics Computers and six displays that have to
fail before you have to use it. And four generators (6 if you count the RAT and the APU) and 2 batteries!!!!!
I was more concerned about how the bloke seemed never to have flown one, broke rule 1 and tried to hand fly it during a pressurisation problem, then
stalled it!!!!!!
First time I ever went on a plane at the ripe old age of 8 had an engine fail on take off was exciting at the time would have shat myself now ....last flight I went on a passenger died and was diverted for 6 hours have all the luck me lol
Heading back on a MoD flight from the Falklands, the pilot told us that because we'd spent so much time on the runway at Mount Pleasant waiting
for the snow ploughs to clear a wider path (they'd cleared it wide enough for the Tornadoes, not a Tri-star), we needed to get some fuel. He was
trying to find out if there was enough at Wide Awake on Ascension Island, if not, we would be popping to Tenerife. A few moments later he confirmed
that we were heading to Wide Awake. We landed and got herded into a big cage while the plane got refuelled. A couple of hours later, we were ready to
go. Then the captain told us that we hadn't taken on as much fuel as he would have liked but we would have enough as there wasn't much of a
headwind......
Approaching Brize Norton, he told us that there was a problem with the engines and it wasn't possible to reverse them to slow down the plane but
it would be fine if he could drop it on the start of the runway. The first attempt saw us almost touchdown, then lift to have another go. Second time
we touched down but was too far down the runway so he lifted to have another go. He then told us that this would have to be the last try as he was
running low on fuel...... He used the entire length of the runway and possibly a bit that wasn't....... He was still hanging off the brakes as he
turned to go back to the terminal. A rather rough ride.
I used to live near Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong. Even played in a darts match there against the airport staff team. A 747 landed in the sea when I
was there.. You get used to the planes coming in low over the building but coming in to land when your on one is always a bit scary.
I've only ever landed at the new Hong Kong airport - thankfully! Even that one has water on one side of the runway...
We were coming back from a holiday in Austria quite a few years ago... everyone settled into their seats, and ready to go... when the captain
announced that the cabin lights were about to go out for a few seconds. I could see into the cockpit as the door was open - and everything went out -
lights, instruments, the lot. Then blue screens appeared on everything (!) for a while, and finally everything came back on.
It's hard to feel confident in an aeroplane that's just needed a reboot...
Was on a 747 that landed in Kai Tak in the late 80's at night in a typhoon, never been so scared and im not a nervouse flyer, baggage bins flying
open, couple of passengers hurt by flying luggage, when it eventually landed (for landed read controlled crash) the whole plane was totally silent,
nobody even had the energy left to clap or applaude!
also done this one a few times in bad weather, just as scary!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npEY7zTZ3C8
this ones a better shot, notice the errrr lack of run off if you get it wrong...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuTWktqJ1QY
I knew a guy who flew 747's to hong kong as his regular route (before and after the new runway) - he was a ex-tornado pilot and I think he
enjoyed the challenge, but even he admited to haveing big skid marks on his pants some days 
quote:
Originally posted by snakebelly
this ones a better shot, notice the errrr lack of run off if you get it wrong...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuTWktqJ1QY
) Not as bad as the above but my wife and I have been on the following. My wife is not good when flying so bad that doc now gives her tranquilisers
Flight 1
Kalamata to Manchester
( after a 8 hour delay and getting close to when the runway was passes back from domestic flights weekend only before it was passed back for military
use Mon – Fri )
Had to stop at Schipol to be refuelled as the plain had not got enough juice left. 3 fire trucks and a smell of kerosene !
Flight 2
Geneva to Manchester
Got to take off point and within seconds Pingpong for chief steward to pick up intercom ( I assume they must have slightly different tones as all the
stewards went very White and tightened there seatbelts a little more ). Plane levelled at about 1000 feet. Captain comes on the address system and
states that there is a problem with the hold and the cant pressurise the plane 20 minutes and a loop of the airfield and we land. Pilot goes and
inspects. Reports back that the door had not been locked off correctly and vibrated open at take off. That incident used a tone of aviation fuel
according to the pilot.
Flight 3
Samos to Manchester.
Pilot came on the intercom early to state it is going to be a rough landing so please ensure belts are tight ect. Landing attempt 1 aborted due to
high cross wind. Landing attempt 2 felt like the plane was at a 15 degree angle to the runway bounced a shiimied until it Snapped strait under
breaking. Overheard captain saying he would have diverted but he was meeting his mate for a pint in Otley !
Flight 4
Amsterdam to Leeds Bradford
Spent the Whole flight listening to a very noisy Starboard engine that the pilot told us was nothing to worry about ( we could here it in the plane )
The plane was parked far end of taxi area and the mate I was on the plain with reported that while he was back trackside 2 days later it was still
there we assume waiting for a replacement engine
ATB Agriv8
And that's why i don't fly and don't think i ever will
Jacko
Going back to the original point, the SD card update was not for software that controls the aircraft, just one of the databases in the system - these
are updated regularly (28 days) and if there is a mismatch, the computer says no! You could go flying like that, just less hassle,to sort it! Bt that
wouldn't make good TV!
Remember flying is safe, it's when you stop flying it gets dangerous.....
Surely its how quickly you stop flying 
quote:
Originally posted by JC
Remember flying is safe, it's when you stop flying it gets dangerous.....
As an aircraft engineer I find a lot of these programmes a bit much to take as they are sensationalized just for TV. As stated it was only a routine
database update that gets done every 28 days. With regards to power down/up to clear a fault, again the norm. Nothing dodgy, if it's a current
hard fault it will still be there it only cures any glitches, however New aircraft are now swaying away from this method.
As for the engine noise in the previous posts, the captain isn't likely to tell everyone over the PA that he has a fubarred engine! If it was
making a noise as you described it would be more likely be an engine ancilliary or a number of other things rather than the motor itself.
what people need to remember is that a lot of aircraft are not new, some charter airline aircraft are 20+ years old, worked 16 hours a day+ with over
1000 people a day passing through the doors. Spares are massively expensive so when a part is needed it may be 200 miles away. With all this in mind I
find it amazing that most modern Aircraft can still maintain a 98%+ technical dispatch reliability.
We went to Cyprus with Helios Airlines. Very unfortunately while we were there, they lost one of their aircraft over Greece. the one where they
think the whole plane lost pressurization and it eventually ran out of fuel while circling a waypoint.
Was a very traumatic time with loads of coverage etc on the TV, we were eventually told we would be going home on another aircraft as Helios were
under investigation for "poor maintenance". That was fine until we were on the bus on the way to the aircraft and it stopped at a Helios
plane. Well there was pandemonium on the bus, the Cypriots started wailing and crossing themselves..
We boarded the plane and it was obvious the crew weren't too happy. Some of them had lost friends days earlier
Now, I love flying and understand all the aspects of flying, so my main thought was, this is probably the safest plane to be on.. How many airlines
have lost two planes in a week ? My young boys were a little apprehensive.
The flight back to Luton was very subdued, with every bit of turbulence met with a gasp,, but uneventful, Until....... Landing at Luton we were very
low with full flap deployed and I remember thinking,, Hmmm this seems fast.... then at the threshold of the runway - he hit full power and pulled
back... I honestly thought this is it, he has screwed it up.....
Suffice to say we did a steep climb away, when he came on the PA and apologised, "we have a problem with a Wing".... well feck me that
started the Cypriots off again, wailing and worry beads out again.... We were being diverted to Stansted. Turns out one of the flaps on the
Starboard wing was not full deploying "asymmetric flap failure " i think. Now I know they use Stansted because it has better crash
facilities for this sort of thing..... Parrrrp !!
Anyway,, landed albeit bloody fast and bumpy at Stansted, which was OK,, until the Cypriots spotted the fire engines chasing us down the Runway,,,,,
Off they went again., LOL
Oh and the final issue - cos Helios may have being going Bust, we were not let off the plane until it was decided who would pay the landing fees etc..
Only resolved after we had a mini revolt and armed police came on the plane - LOL.... Then a crap journey back to Luton on old buses to collect our
cars....
Was a nice Holiday in Cyprus though
quote:
Originally posted by sdh2903
As an aircraft engineer I find a lot of these programmes a bit much to take as they are sensationalized just for TV. As stated it was only a routine database update that gets done every 28 days. With regards to power down/up to clear a fault, again the norm. Nothing dodgy, if it's a current hard fault it will still be there it only cures any glitches, however New aircraft are now swaying away from this method.
As for the engine noise in the previous posts, the captain isn't likely to tell everyone over the PA that he has a fubarred engine! If it was making a noise as you described it would be more likely be an engine ancilliary or a number of other things rather than the motor itself.
what people need to remember is that a lot of aircraft are not new, some charter airline aircraft are 20+ years old, worked 16 hours a day+ with over 1000 people a day passing through the doors. Spares are massively expensive so when a part is needed it may be 200 miles away. With all this in mind I find it amazing that most modern Aircraft can still maintain a 98%+ technical dispatch reliability.
My logbook says I flew into (and out of) Kai Tak on 32 occasions in the 1970s whilst I was a navigator on RAF VC10s.
The runway 13 approach over the flats was 'interesting', (especially if you were shopping in the street market about 500 metres from
touchdown whilst the jet went overhead).
The approach revolved around "hitting the chequerboard" at just the right altitude, speed and attitude. It may sound prosaic, but a painted,
chequered pattern on an outcrop of rock about 3.5km from touchdown and how you flew past it was the best determinant for a successful landing,
(notwithstanding crosswinds).
An earlier poster mentioned Nepal. We used to ferry Gurkhas from Brunei to Kathmandu in the mid 70s whilst the runway was being extended to its
current 10,000ft. Back then, only 6,500ft was useable, and believe me, that ain't much for a VC10 with a threshold speed on landing of circa
150mph (130kts). The descent into the airfield was pretty hairy, since huge foothills surround the place and altitude had to be washed off swiftly
(over 2000ft/min rate of descent) to get the aircraft on the ground.
We could only take off with minimal fuel due to the shortness of the runway, thus we landed at Calcutta 35 mins away for a fueling stop before going
on to Brunei or Hong Kong.
I met a Pilatus Porter aircraft pilot with the unlikely name of Hardy Fuerer.http://nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16117#.URPBXPL66Z0 He kindly invited
we VC10 crew to a party at his place and put on a fabulous spread of food and booze in what was for Kathmandu, and opulent apartment. Whilst browsing
his bookshelf, I opened a copy of 'Everest the Hard Way,' by Chris Bonnington and a sheaf of paper fell out. Opening the paper, it read as a
thankyou from Chris B to Hardy for the many photogarphs he'd supplied for inclusion in his book.
Apropos of take offs and landings, we regularly flew out of Gan to Hong Kong fully laden. 323,000lbs. V1 is the decision speed which broadly states,
before it you stop, and above it, you go. Optimal safety is afforded by its precise calculation, taking into account, (inter alia), all-up-weight,
temperature, runway parameters. In round figures, it was 125kts or so, with rotate (lift off) around 25 kts more. Gan Island is 9000ft long as is Gan
runway, at an elevation of 6ft above sea level. I can say hand on heart, I never once thought we'd a cat-in-hells chance of stopping before the
Indian Ocean if abort had been called at 124kts.
Happy days.
I flew Brize-Gan-Singapore-HK on RAF Air in the 70s as a child ....always liked the rear facing seats
Bob ,
Testament to the VC10, you talk of flying one in the 1970s - One of pilots I work with, his son has just moved from pilot VC10 and is currently
converting to the new Airbus replacement.
So maybe the end of service is approaching for the VC10, It must rank as one of the longest serving aircraft the RAF has used?
Good shout, I think the remaining proper Hercs are a similar vintage, but the longest (non-historic) has to have been the Canberra, with some doing nearly 50 years!!!
Pause and think how dangerously 'tight' it is at Heathrow. I simply don't understand how something really serious hasn't happened yet. Shame the Victorians didn't build the airport, they would've gone beyond the bare minimum...
quote:
Originally posted by T66
Bob ,
Testament to the VC10, you talk of flying one in the 1970s - One of pilots I work with, his son has just moved from pilot VC10 and is currently converting to the new Airbus replacement.
So maybe the end of service is approaching for the VC10, It must rank as one of the longest serving aircraft the RAF has used?