Of course you are free to "count" your time as you see fit, but as a very frequent business traveler, this seems insane to me. We all made the choice to work in jobs that require travel, and travelers often don't sleep in their own beds. This is the first time I've heard a traveler say they feel that they are working while they sleep. I cannot fathom your line of thinking here.
I've held positions in my field (not an airline pilot, I only fly for fun) involving periods of travel and, more recently, staying in one location. Frankly, I disagree with you. When I've traveled for business on a 1-2 week trip, I recall consistently being lucky to get one day a week to have some enjoyment. The rest was travel, work while traveling, eating, sleeping, customers; basically it was not my time. Even neglecting sleep I could easily imagine putting in 70+ hours a week to spend 40 engaged in business, because of the overhead required traveling from place to place. In my line of work, if I stay home and work at the office locally I am paid the same, yet I'm only putting in 40 hours a week to the company.
So I really identify with aluminumdriver's philosophy. Regardless, note that unlike a salaried position (minimum number of hours pay per month notwithstanding), a pilot who has to deal with a cancellations, weather delays, mechanical, etc., that prevent him from being able to accrue paid hours, yet may still be away from home for the purpose of work.
Granted, if I were to get paid more for a position where I traveled, my perception might be a bit different.
What are the red button of the airbus joystick seen on A380 for? Heard it's for gaining control of the plane over your co-pilot, could you please confirm that?
And what is this big round ball thingy right in front of the keypad?
And why is there a pull-up laptop like keyboard in front of you?
Are those escape rope at the roof for you to jump off the plane thru window?
what are the two different levers between joystick and side window?
I've held positions in my field (not an airline pilot, I only fly for fun) involving periods of travel and, more recently, staying in one location. Frankly, I disagree with you. When I've traveled for business on a 1-2 week trip, I recall consistently being lucky to get one day a week to have some enjoyment. The rest was travel, work while traveling, eating, sleeping, customers; basically it was not my time. Even neglecting sleep I could easily imagine putting in 70+ hours a week to spend 40 engaged in business, because of the overhead required traveling from place to place. In my line of work, if I stay home and work at the office locally I am paid the same, yet I'm only putting in 40 hours a week to the company.
So I really identify with aluminumdriver's philosophy. Regardless, note that unlike a salaried position (minimum number of hours pay per month notwithstanding), a pilot who has to deal with a cancellations, weather delays, mechanical, etc., that prevent him from being able to accrue paid hours, yet may still be away from home for the purpose of work.
Granted, if I were to get paid more for a position where I traveled, my perception might be a bit different.
I think you understand what I'm saying there. If we were salaried positions, then hours away from home would be part of the job for the salary. And if I was gone too much for the salary, I could negotiate a higher salary, just as I did many moons ago as a corporate pilot that was salaried. When you are an hourly worker like an airline pilot, and only paid when you fly, those hours away from home not being paid are work hours and included in figuring out ones salary.
Regards.
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Are the overwater A320s any different in the cockpit? For example, having a few more circuit breakers or some more information shown on the status display?
The only difference in the overwater airbuses are they have GPS onboard usually for position updates, and they carry liferafts. Other than that, no difference.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aluminumdriver
I couldn't get your link to work.
It worked fine when I clicked it... anyone who tries it, be advised the image will scale to the size of your window... try it at full screen... I had to wipe up the drool afterwards.
I heard the red buttons were the "unruly passenger ejection system." So be careful what you say to the FAs from now on, or you'll find yourself sucking non-air at FL380.
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"Three fingered monkeys with one eye could have designed a better airport."-1993gt40 on IAD
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Posts: 666
New question...
What's the "Weeee weeee wweeeeerrRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR" noise that you hear on an Airbus while still at the gate, usually just shortly before pushback? It sounds like something being screwed down or something, like with a power tool, where it spins freely at the beginning, then it takes a little more effort to get it to turn, then at the end you've...really...got..to..twist..HARD.. to get it to go any further.
A friend and I were arguing about it, he thought it was the flaps cycling, I said it had to be related to the cargo, but I don't think either one of us is right.
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"Three fingered monkeys with one eye could have designed a better airport."-1993gt40 on IAD
What's the "Weeee weeee wweeeeerrRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR" noise that you hear on an Airbus while still at the gate, usually just shortly before pushback? It sounds like something being screwed down or something, like with a power tool, where it spins freely at the beginning, then it takes a little more effort to get it to turn, then at the end you've...really...got..to..twist..HARD.. to get it to go any further.
A friend and I were arguing about it, he thought it was the flaps cycling, I said it had to be related to the cargo, but I don't think either one of us is right.
That is the yellow hydraulic systems electric pump. The cargo doors use the yellow electric pump to close the doors.
__________________
These views are my own and do not represent the views of United Airlines or the ALPA.
What are the red button of the airbus joystick seen on A380 for? Heard it's for gaining control of the plane over your co-pilot, could you please confirm that?
And what is this big round ball thingy right in front of the keypad?
And why is there a pull-up laptop like keyboard in front of you?
Are those escape rope at the roof for you to jump off the plane thru window?
what are the two different levers between joystick and side window?
We don't fly the A380, and I still couldn't get the link to work, so I went to a different photo.
1) The red button is called a Priority Switch. It is for either pilot to take control away from the other stick by holding it in. If the flying pilot's stick were to malfunction, the other pilot pushes this in to take control in their stick, no matter what the other stick is doing. Remember, it's a fly by wire jet, so if say the captain's stick malfunctioned and wanted a constant left turn, you could move the right stick all you wanted and nothing would happen. However, pushing in the button transfers control over you and now the other non-malfunctioning stick is controlling the jet.
2) My guess by looking at it, is a wrist pad to set your wrist on as you type on the keypad.
3) Because that's cool?
4) Yes, there are escape ropes in the ceiling on both the pilot and co-pilot's side.
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These views are my own and do not represent the views of United Airlines or the ALPA.
Fortunately the link works for me. And it is a truly amazing panoramic view!
There looks to be at least 3 jump seats. Would these double as crew rest seats or are those outside the cockpit?
And in the Captains left armrest and the FO's right armrest, there appears to be built-in ashtrays. Do they still put these in new aircraft?? Are there still airlines that permit smoking in the cockpit?
And what is this big round ball thingy right in front of the keypad?
Hand rest/wrist support.
Quote:
And why is there a pull-up laptop like keyboard in front of you?
That's not a keyboard, it's a table. With the side-stick arrangement there's room for the pull-out table on Airbus aircraft. They're used for doing paperwork, eating, etc.
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Are those escape rope at the roof for you to jump off the plane thru window?
Yes. Standard equipment in airliner cockpits.
what are the two different levers between joystick and side window?[/quote]
The curved handles are the tillers. They turn the nose wheel for steering when on the ground. Not sure to which other lever you refer. There is a hand-held microphone and the big handle for operating the clear-view window.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cholula
There looks to be at least 3 jump seats. Would these double as crew rest seats or are those outside the cockpit?
That would be up to the airline and applicable regulatory authority. They would not qualify as rest seats for a US airline operating under FAA guidelines.
A jumpseat is required by certification rules. It must be provided to FAA inspectors who are conducting line checks. In cockpits with room for more than one, more than one jumpseat is usually installed.
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And in the Captains left armrest and the FO's right armrest, there appears to be built-in ashtrays.
Don't know if those are ashtrays but it is a French built airplane...
What's the "Weeee weeee wweeeeerrRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR RRRR" noise that you hear on an Airbus while still at the gate, usually just shortly before pushback?
If you're really still at the gate, it's probably the yellow hydraulic pump that AD mentioned. But the much more noticeable noise on the Airbus is from the Power Transfer Unit (PTU). The PTU is a pump that uses pressure from either the left or right side hydraulic system to pressurize the opposite side, after the pump on that side has failed. So if you lose the left engine, and therefore the left (green) hydraulic pump, the PTU will operate to use right side (yellow) hydraulic pressure to operate the left system and bring the landing gear up. When the pump is operating, it sounds kind of like a barking dog.
The PTU gets tested during the second engine start, so you should hear it briefly on every pushback, but not while you're still at the gate. Also, if the crew doesn't shut the engines down simultaneously after the flight, you'll also hear it after arriving at the gate. You shouldn't hear it during a single engine taxi because the F/O will turn the pump off, but after shutdown they often turn the switch back on, and it will operate for a couple of minutes as the engine spins down.
That's not a keyboard, it's a table. With the side-stick arrangement there's room for the pull-out table on Airbus aircraft. They're used for doing paperwork, eating, etc.
Actually, there is a keyboard in the tray table of the A380.
So is this "yellow" hydraulic pump always yellow for some reason? You both called it the yellow hydraulic pump instead of the pump or whatever. Just wondering
