Ask the BA Staffer and Heathrow ATC
Nov 20, 2011, 6:35 am
#76
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Apologies for returning to such a depressing subject, but a couple more points to the question of getting out of an aircraft in an emergency. Sorry if this is a bit too detailed and graphic but as has already been said, forewarned is forearmed.
1. Keep your shoes on for take-off and landing. It never fails to amaze me how many regular fliers take their shoes off as soon as sitting down. Even in a "semi-normal" evacuation, you do not want to be running around the tarmac in your socks.
1. Keep your shoes on for take-off and landing. It never fails to amaze me how many regular fliers take their shoes off as soon as sitting down. Even in a "semi-normal" evacuation, you do not want to be running around the tarmac in your socks.
I also take an aisle seat wherever possible. Better chance of getting out the row unimpeded and making it to to door! And I equally have no qualms about sitting in an emergency exit row either, especially short-haul.
Nov 20, 2011, 6:36 am
#77
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I don’t think we suffer from jetlag as we are not in a place long enough to get on that time zone. What we do get is tired and wake up in the middle of the night so getting enough sleep is important. When I travel west I always eat as late as possible as I find if I don’t I wake up at breakfast time in the UK.
Nov 20, 2011, 6:38 am
#78
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Nov 20, 2011, 6:43 am
#79
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A few short answers:
Age legislation means CC can now work as long as they are fit and able to perform their duties. Flight crew hold a license and this is only valid until the age of 65, so all flight crew must retire at 65.
In terms of flying, it depends what you mean. We 'fly' the whole sector, however manually flying may be the first 3 minutes and the last couple. Take off's are always manual, landings can be done automatically in fog etc.
However, the computer may handle the controls but they are only as good as the inputs we put in. Route changes, height changes, fuel management, radio calls, weather avoidance etc all require the pilot to act. The automatics purely do what we ask them to do and allow us the capacity to do other tasks.
Turbulence is either 'clear air' or associated with clouds/precipitation. It is often associated with jet streams which tend to be stronger in winter.
Cloud turbulence is often avoided using the weather radar but is not always possible to avoid completely. Places in the world well known for large areas of Cb clouds are northern Brazil, sub saharan Africa and the Bay of Bengal.
It is sometimes very uncomfortable but aircraft are built to withstand strains far in excess of this. The biggest danger is not being strapped in to your seat and being thrown about or something falling and hitting you.
And once again, please, it's flight CREW. Flight deck is a place.
Age legislation means CC can now work as long as they are fit and able to perform their duties. Flight crew hold a license and this is only valid until the age of 65, so all flight crew must retire at 65.
In terms of flying, it depends what you mean. We 'fly' the whole sector, however manually flying may be the first 3 minutes and the last couple. Take off's are always manual, landings can be done automatically in fog etc.
However, the computer may handle the controls but they are only as good as the inputs we put in. Route changes, height changes, fuel management, radio calls, weather avoidance etc all require the pilot to act. The automatics purely do what we ask them to do and allow us the capacity to do other tasks.
Turbulence is either 'clear air' or associated with clouds/precipitation. It is often associated with jet streams which tend to be stronger in winter.
Cloud turbulence is often avoided using the weather radar but is not always possible to avoid completely. Places in the world well known for large areas of Cb clouds are northern Brazil, sub saharan Africa and the Bay of Bengal.
It is sometimes very uncomfortable but aircraft are built to withstand strains far in excess of this. The biggest danger is not being strapped in to your seat and being thrown about or something falling and hitting you.
And once again, please, it's flight CREW. Flight deck is a place.
Nov 20, 2011, 6:48 am
#80
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Nov 20, 2011, 6:50 am
#81
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This post could get quite long....
Be observant. Know where you're sitting in relation to a door. Have a back-up plan in case that door faults. Leave your hand luggage. Listen to the crew. Know how to do a proper brace position. Keep calm. Do as you're told.
1. Doesn't really apply to me, but I never have time to read the paper/watching clouds etc.
2. Find out about the local area, look at old (and sometimes new) buildings, relax and sleep, eat, read, hang out with my colleagues if I feel like it.
3. That is the trickiest question! I can't decide! BLQ or NYC? On the 737 or 777, I'm not fussed as long as it's not that other "bus"
4. I don't commute far, so when I'm finished, I'm finished. I never shop for groceries or anything in uniform, so I avoid this question as much as possible.
I'll try to make this as simple as possible, as it's easier that way. Turbulence is basically the disturbance of airflow in one way or the other. So wind from different directions (no buildings or mountains to shield to only get wind from one direction), wake turbulence (if you're behind a larger aircraft, very much similar to being in a small boat and a larger one comes past you) or Jetstreams (the way the wind blows around the world) What you feel is much less than what is actually happening. If the aircraft moves up and down a bit, you may feel like it's "dropping" or rising by 100s of feet, but in reality, it's more likely just a few feet at the most. Us humans have an instinctive fear of falling, so you'll feel the descent more than going back up again.
An aircraft can sustain and handle a phenomenal amount of turbulence without getting damaged. We don't fly through thunderstorms (min 20 miles away from them, in fact), although the bumps can still be felt. We have limits given to us by the aircraft manufacturer and these limits are far less than the aircraft can handle.
If you like being on large boats, lay back, fasten your seatbelt, close your eyes and pretend you're on a boat. It's very much the same feeling. Actually, aircraft and boats are very similar, it's just that you can see the water when you're on a boat but you can't see the air on an aircraft.
Feel free to ask more details or go "Huh?" if what I've written doesn't make sense or help. I'll try to explain it in a different way.
After a long haul flight: "Are you going straight back?" (as mentioned by BBB) or on boarding: "Can I have an upgrade?"
Answer to both is "No"
In a nutshell, sleep when you can. Limit alcohol intake (zero for us on duty of course). Drink plenty of water. Eat when you're hungry. Going West, stay up until local bedtime. Going East, have a nap (no longer than 2 hours) then get up and go for a walk/have a shower/eat/ anything as long as you do something to take your mind off being tired. What tends to work for me is that I refuse to believe that jetlag exists I won't give in to it. It can be confusing and disorientating, especially if I do 4 or 5 long haul night stops in a row. Pattern: LGW-IAH n/stop IAH-LGW night flight. 2 days off. Repeat as neccessary. (I know we don't do IAH anymore, but an example). You do end up knackered in that scenario, because effectively you miss a night's sleep every 3 days or so. 2 long haul flights a month is plenty for me, thanks
That's page 1 taken care of... Bear with me, I'll get started on page 2 shortly.
You've all done the safety courses. You have a far better idea what it would be like to try and get out of a smoke filled, wrecked cabin. We all hope it will never happen of course, but based on your training what would your top tips be to make us one of the ones that survives?
I have a couple of questions, mainly for flight deck crew:
1. When you are flying long haul e.g. LHR-SIN, LHR-HKG, how much of the time are you actually "flying" and not sitting watching the clouds or reading a newspaper?
2. What are your favourite things to do downroute?
3. For all cabin crew and flight crew - if you could fly any one route in the world continuously for the rest of your career, what would it be and on which aircraft?
4. Do you ever get annoyed with passengers asking where you have just come in from if you are travelling home, on say a domestic sector?
1. When you are flying long haul e.g. LHR-SIN, LHR-HKG, how much of the time are you actually "flying" and not sitting watching the clouds or reading a newspaper?
2. What are your favourite things to do downroute?
3. For all cabin crew and flight crew - if you could fly any one route in the world continuously for the rest of your career, what would it be and on which aircraft?
4. Do you ever get annoyed with passengers asking where you have just come in from if you are travelling home, on say a domestic sector?
2. Find out about the local area, look at old (and sometimes new) buildings, relax and sleep, eat, read, hang out with my colleagues if I feel like it.
3. That is the trickiest question! I can't decide! BLQ or NYC? On the 737 or 777, I'm not fussed as long as it's not that other "bus"
4. I don't commute far, so when I'm finished, I'm finished. I never shop for groceries or anything in uniform, so I avoid this question as much as possible.
I find it very difficult coming to terms with turbulence, so much so that even with a flat bed I am reluctant to lie down, as I feel I would feel disorientated if turbulence struck.
Have you any tips on dealing with / understanding turbulence and which, if any routes, are more likely to be subject to this phenomenon?
Have you any tips on dealing with / understanding turbulence and which, if any routes, are more likely to be subject to this phenomenon?
An aircraft can sustain and handle a phenomenal amount of turbulence without getting damaged. We don't fly through thunderstorms (min 20 miles away from them, in fact), although the bumps can still be felt. We have limits given to us by the aircraft manufacturer and these limits are far less than the aircraft can handle.
If you like being on large boats, lay back, fasten your seatbelt, close your eyes and pretend you're on a boat. It's very much the same feeling. Actually, aircraft and boats are very similar, it's just that you can see the water when you're on a boat but you can't see the air on an aircraft.
Feel free to ask more details or go "Huh?" if what I've written doesn't make sense or help. I'll try to explain it in a different way.
One for Cabin Crew: what is the one question you are sick of being asked by passengers?
Answer to both is "No"
On long-haul flights - how do you guys deal with jet lag? I mean, if you're hopping time-zones all over the place all of the time, surely there comes a point at which you end up functioning in your own personal individual timezone, ignoring the world around you :-). I have trouble enough after one or two changes per week! Do you have any particular strategies or methods that you use?
I won't give in to it. It can be confusing and disorientating, especially if I do 4 or 5 long haul night stops in a row. Pattern: LGW-IAH n/stop IAH-LGW night flight. 2 days off. Repeat as neccessary. (I know we don't do IAH anymore, but an example). You do end up knackered in that scenario, because effectively you miss a night's sleep every 3 days or so. 2 long haul flights a month is plenty for me, thanks That's page 1 taken care of... Bear with me, I'll get started on page 2 shortly.
Nov 20, 2011, 6:50 am
#82
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Nov 20, 2011, 6:51 am
#83
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Thanks, JetSet Lady. Good points. I will change my habit of removing shoes and putting on the BA socks as part of my settling-in routine on LH.
Nov 20, 2011, 6:55 am
#84
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Nov 20, 2011, 6:59 am
#85
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I find it very difficult coming to terms with turbulence, so much so that even with a flat bed I am reluctant to lie down, as I feel I would feel disorientated if turbulence struck.
Have you any tips on dealing with / understanding turbulence and which, if any routes, are more likely to be subject to this phenomenon?
Have you any tips on dealing with / understanding turbulence and which, if any routes, are more likely to be subject to this phenomenon?
Failing that, just bounce up and down in your seat. You brain won't be able to distinguish the difference...
Nov 20, 2011, 7:04 am
#86
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Nov 20, 2011, 7:06 am
#87
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), although I have no idea what that could be.
Nov 20, 2011, 7:08 am
#88
Join Date: Feb 2010
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From Page 2 & 3
Too many to mention, but a printable example would be "Can you put my socks on please?"
Positioning: 0.
"Normal" flight: 5
Yes. Several times. Never the ones I want to ask me out though. Sigh. Have had some thoroughly unsuitable chaps give me their business cards. Straight in the bin (not in front of them - I'm not that cruel)
[QUOTE]Ok one for the cabin crew and flight deck, whats the best and worse crew meals ?[/QUOTE
Best: Sweet chili chicken
Worst: Salmon Kedgeree (where's the puking emoticon?)
There are routes like this, but I'm not going to divulge for same reasons as others have said previously (on both this and other threads). It'll just come back and bite me on the hebind.
What is the weirdest, strangest thing you have ever been asked by a passenger?
For cabin crew, what is the least number of passengers you've ever had on one of your flights?
"Normal" flight: 5
Has anyone ever asked you out or for your phone number?
[QUOTE]Ok one for the cabin crew and flight deck, whats the best and worse crew meals ?[/QUOTE
Best: Sweet chili chicken
Worst: Salmon Kedgeree (where's the puking emoticon?)
What's the most difficult route to operate on? I don't mean necessarily the busiest but is there one that that the flight/cabin crew really hate for demanding passengers, lots to get done in 30 minute flight time, difficult approach, nasty approach controllers, etc, etc.?
Nov 20, 2011, 7:17 am
#89
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Nov 20, 2011, 7:18 am
#90
Join Date: Jan 2009
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But just a few weeks ago I had a passenger demand he be upgraded as he was a gold card holder and Willie Walsh had arranged an upgrade on every one of his flights with BA, of which he'd taken 20 this month alone. If I didn't do it I wouldn't have a job by the end of the day after he'd spoken to Willie.
The passenger was a blue card holder, had no other flights booked with BA (nor any flights taken in the previous few months) and flew in the cabin he'd paid for, ie. economy. I still have my job I'm pleased to say.
The passenger was a blue card holder, had no other flights booked with BA (nor any flights taken in the previous few months) and flew in the cabin he'd paid for, ie. economy. I still have my job I'm pleased to say.
