Upside Down in an Airliner?

Even if you don't have a clear understanding of the instrumentation, the following picture should send shivers down your spine...

This old fashion "six-pack" instrument panel...quickly becoming a rare sight...paints a dire picture.  The most alarming instrument of course is the one in the middle...the "attitude indicator" or Primary Flight Display as we call it.  This jet is in a 120 degree left bank accompanied by a 10 degree nose up attitude.  At 5,240 feet above sea level descending at 1,500 feet per minute with an indicated airspeed of 200 knots, the pilot doesn't have much room for recovery.  What you can't see in the picture is that the wing is clean (flaps and slats retracted) and the minimum maneuvering speed is 235 knots.  Alarming to say the least.

You might be wondering two things.  First...how on earth did the pilot (me) let the aircraft get into this predicament in the first place and second...how could he (again...it's me) be so derelict in his duties to stop and take a picture instead of reacting to a clearly life threatening situation.  The answer to both is that this is a simulated event.  I recently attended recurrent training, a four day refresher course that my airline puts me through every 9 months.  Day one and two consisted of ground school classes on various subjects.  Day three consisted of a two hour simulator brief followed by four hours in the sim practicing all types of approaches and emergency situations.  Day four consisted of a LOFT (Line Oriented Flight Training) during which we flew from point A to point B in real time, encountering a number of unusual situations and mechanical abnormalities along the way. 

After the LOFT, my training partner and I received two hours of "Advanced Maneuvers Training" where we were subjected to the situation pictured above.  The picture could depict one of any number of scenarios, but the most likely, especially at such a low altitude, is an encounter with wake turbulence.

An airplane makes a wake through the air much like a boat makes a wake in the water.  Except that instead of a one dimensional spread on the surface of the water, the wake behind an airplane spreads out and sinks.  The wake rolls off the wingtips, creating little tornadoes in its path, and is most severe behind large aircraft at low airspeeds.  To visualize this, picture dragging your hand through the surface of the water in a pool.  If you pull your hand through the water quickly, like a speed boat skimming across the surface of the water, the result is a relatively small wake.  Now drag your hand through the water a little slower and allow your hand to sink deeper into the water.  The result is a much larger wake.  A large airplane flying at approach speeds (relatively slow) creates the largest wake.

There are ample opportunities to encounter wake turbulence as aircraft criss-cross the skies, but there are really only three scenarios when it becomes a common threat.  The most unlikely encounter is during cruise flight.  Large commercial aircraft typically fly roads in the sky called Jet Airways.  It is possible that one airplane could fly the exact path of another, especially with advances in navigation technologies like GPS that literally put aircraft within inches of an airway centerline.  But GPS navigation has also resulted in the ability to "cut the corner" and fly direct between points, thus decreasing the chance of encountering wake turbulence while at altitude.  Also, since wake turbulence tends to sink over time, it is highly unlikely to encounter wake turbulence even when flying at the minimum required distance behind another airplane.

A more common opportunity to encounter this type of turbulence is on an approach.  As I mentioned before, an airplane creates the largest wake when it is traveling at slower airspeeds as when approaching for landing.  As the picture below suggests, there is a pre-determined glide path that a pilot is expected to fly when approaching an airport.  And again, since wake turbulence sinks, as along as each pilot follows the prescribed "glide slope," an encounter with the wake from a preceding airplane is unlikely.

ILS 25L, Los Angeles, California

However, pilots don't always fly the glide slope.  The pilot ahead on an approach may have started down late or could have been held up high by an approach controller.  Either way, if the airplane ahead is high on the glide slope, then its wake could easily sink into your flight path.  To complicate matters, it is often difficult to know if the guy ahead is high or low, so a pilot must always be prepared for such an encounter.

The last and, in my experience, most common opportunity for a wake turbulence event is during the initial climb after takeoff.  Every flight instructor tells new students to make note of the lift-off and touchdown points of arriving and departing aircraft.  Wingtip vortices begin when an airplane lifts off the runway and end when it touches down.  If you can lift off before the preceding departure and climb above its flight path, you will avoid wake turbulence.  You will also avoid wake turbulence if you fly above the flight path of an arriving aircraft and land beyond its touchdown point.

The MD82 I fly is an old design that takes significantly more runway to takeoff than newer aircraft of similar size like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.   Even larger aircraft like the Boeing 757 often use less runway than my old MD82.  The result is that I often find myself in the danger zone after lift-off and during the initial climb.  In this scenario, the best course of action is distance and the passage of time.  When taking off behind the heaviest of aircraft, five to six miles in-trail and/or 2 minutes, is usually enough time for the wake from a preceding departure to sink and dissipate to a point that it is no longer dangerous.   

What you see above is the most probable cause of the situation I found myself in.  Air rolls off the wingtips of just about any airplane and forms a spiral flow of air like a small tornado.  The "vortex" formed by a significantly heavy aircraft is large enough to completely envelope an MD82.  When encountered, this little tornado will roll the airplane on its longitudinal axes and could easily flip the aircraft upside down.  I went from level flight to what you saw in the top picture in two seconds...and as I mentioned before, the proximity to the ground combined with my speed left little room to recover.

Speed and altitude are your friend!

The proper recovery technique involves a combination of aileron and rudder inputs in the opposite direction of the roll in addition to pitch and power management.  It is also important to note that most any airplane is structurally designed to withstand full authority rudder input.  But it is not designed to accept a full reversal...that is, to push one rudder to the floor, then immediately reverse inputs and push the other rudder to the floor.  In the event pictured above, I pushed on the right rudder and commanded almost full aileron input to the right to counteract the roll caused by a wake turbulence encounter.  I pushed the nose down slightly below the horizon in order to control speed and increased power on the engines.  If managed correctly, you should be able to safely exit the wake with minimal altitude loss.  In this event, I lost less than 1,000 feet before recovering to straight and level flight.

We refer to this as "Unusual Attitude" training.  Wake turbulence is just one example of an event that could induce an unusual attitude, but the training is invaluable and is something we practice frequently during our regular training cycle.  As is the case with many aspects of aviation, avoidance is the best policy, but rest assured, your pilot has been well trained.

Read More

Video: American Airlines' First Boeing 777-300 Takes Flight

Food for thought...and speculation.  Back in May, American Airlines announced flight numbers and markets for its new Boeing 777-300 that was expected to enter service this December.  Due to issues with the production of new first class seats, the new airliner's introduction has now been pushed back to late January.  Dallas/Fort Worth – Sao Paulo will be the first route to feature the newest addition to American’s fleet, with planned service from both Dallas/Fort Worth and New York to London Heathrow expected in February.

In addition to the B777, American also has a recently delayed order for the Boeing 787 and a significant order for the Airbus A320 family of aircraft.  It is believed that American will primarily order the A319 and A321 variants.  These new airplanes do not have aluminum skins, but are constructed with composite materials that are essentially super-strong plastics that must be painted.  Although American has owned and operated Airbus aircraft before (A300-600), it has been long rumored that the company will change its livery as it emerges from bankruptcy protection.  

At this year’s Global Business Travel Association convention, American Chief Executive Tom Horton hinted at a new look when he stated “We're working on modernization of the American Airlines brand and we'll unveil something in the future. We're also thinking about the look of our airplanes, stay tuned on that.’’

Last week, I posted the following design from Anthony Harding as one of many suggestions for what the new American may look like.  Like it or not, the video suggests this one may not be far off.  

Below is video of American's first Boeing 777-300 undergoing high speed tests then taking flight.  Clearly the paint is not complete, but it will most certainly lead to more speculation.

Read More

Early Morning Departures

Four days ago, I was packing for the next day's early morning departure when I got a call from another pilot begging to trade trips. I had a long layover in New Orleans and he commutes from there. I've commuted four times in my career and hated to deny the guy a night at home, so even though I was looking forward to a night in New Orleans, I agreed to the trade.

I'm still glad I did, but oh my goodness, the early morning departures on that trip were a little too much. I've always been a morning person, often to the detriment of those around me. My parents are quick to recall memories of me as a child, wide awake before 5am...and not quietly either. Apparently, my favorite 5am activity was whistling.  My parents take great joy in the fact that my own children have inherited the trait.

I have since outgrown my propensity for early morning living and have learned to appreciate waking after the sunrise. That isn't to say that I don't like to fly in the morning, because I do. I just wish getting up was a little easier.

I love the early morning smooth air.   In the summer, the temperature is still pleasant and the thunderstorms haven't yet had a chance to mushroom. I enjoy the brilliant orange color of the sky as the sun peeks up over the horizon. And I absolutely cherish the fact that the proverbial you-know-what has rarely had time to hit the fan when the sun has yet to cast a shadow.

I took these pictures on the second and third mornings of the trip. On day two, we departed Philadelphia, PA at 6:25am.  We taxied out to spot 8 where we waited our turn behind the EMB-175 parked in front of us in the picture. Our total taxi time was under ten minutes. Unusual for delay-prone Philly.

Day three was an even earlier morning with a 6am departure out of Atlanta. Let me help you with the math on this...a 6am departure requires a 5am show at the airport. That means we left the hotel at 4:40 and woke up at about 4.  Granted, some could get ready faster, but I need time to look this good.  Also, since we live in the central time zone, 4am was really 3 body time.  Of course, I don't have it as bad as our west coast crews, whose body would think it was 1am on the same trip.  Early.

For me, half the battle is getting to sleep early enough to get the rest my body needs.  For the trip I'm describing here, I'd need to be asleep by 8pm in order to get the 8 hours of sleep I'm hoping for.

I have a routine that usually works.  I almost always work out on a layover, but I exercise early.  Do this too close to bedtime and getting to sleep is difficult.  I eat a light meal around 4pm and rarely consume alcohol.  (That one only applies to early departures:) Then I retire to my room by 6 and start winding down.  I close the drapes in an attempt to fool my head into thinking it's later than it really is, take a shower and get in bed as early as I can.  Then I read or watch TV until I my eyes get heavy.  For me, the next step is key.  At the first sign of drowsiness, I turn the light off and go to sleep.  I've found that if I power through heavy eyes at any time, falling asleep later in the evening is exceptionally difficult.

Of course, the hotel is almost never quiet at this time of night.  So even if I'm able to fall asleep early, someone or something usually disturbs my slumber.  Slamming doors and loud TV's are the usual culprit.  It isn't easy, but it's important.  Studies have shown that driving (or flying) while sleep deprived can be as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.

This last picture was taken at the top of descent into DFW. Two hours into the flight and the sun was just showing interest in the day. If you look closely, you can just see my wingtip in the right side of the picture. (As a side note, the wing tip is quite difficult to see from the cockpit of an MD80 unless you have your face pressed firmly against the cockpit windows.)

So I'm back at home now, recuperating from the last three days.  That trip really didn't look so bad on paper, but I'm so tired right now that I actually feel a little sick.  My goal for the evening is to find some way to stay awake until my normal bedtime.  Like most pilots, I have young children at home, so sleeping in isn't an option.  I'll sleep until around 6 and it will feel like a luxury!

Three days off and I'll be back for more.

Read More

New Livery for American Airlines?

For decades American Airlines has flown unpainted, polished aluminum airplanes. But that may soon change.  American’s livery has been in use since 1967, outlasting mergers, failures and shifting tastes across the industry. A new exterior also may mean dropping the signature bare-metal skin that dates to the era of propeller-driven airliners, which the airline has called a fuel-saver because an unpainted plane weighs less.

Months ago, American Chief Executive Tom Horton hinted at a meeting of corporate travel managers that a new logo and new paint scheme for jets are coming, likely as the company emerges from bankruptcy-court reorganization and tries to set a new course.  Given the events of the past month, emerging with a new image is as important as ever.

“This is going to be a new airline,’’ Mr. Horton said at the Global Business Travel Association convention in Boston. He was referring to American’s plans to emerge from bankruptcy as an independent carrier, not to an ongoing exploration and evaluation of a possible merger with US Airways or some other airline.  “ We're working on modernization of the American Airlines brand and we'll unveil something in the future. We're also thinking about the look of our airplanes,’’ Mr. Horton said. “Stay tuned on that.’’

Besides image and fuel savings, there’s a structural reason American is going to have to start painting its planes. The Boeing 787s American has on order don’t have aluminum skins, but are constructed with composite materials that are essentially super-strong plastics that must be painted. Large portions of the new Airbus planes American has ordered are also fabricated with composite materials.

Change is rarely easy and almost never pleases everyone.  But it's almost a certainty that American Airlines will emerge from bankruptcy looking much different than it does today.  Hopefully the change will be more than skin deep.

A quick google search produced a handful of creative ideas for what the "new" American may look like.  In no particular order.  Take a look and see what you think.  

Read More

One Frequency - Two Airplanes - Same Call-Sign

Pilots quickly learn to speak clearly, to say only what needs to be said and to pay close attention not only to what is being said to them, but to the communication between other aircraft and air traffic control as well. We refer to this as situational awareness...an awareness of what is going on round you. Accidents have been avoided and lives saved by pilots and controllers who paid close enough attention to those around them to identify mistakes and misunderstandings early enough to prevent disaster.

A few weeks ago, I began a three day trip with a short flight from Dallas to San Antonio, Texas. There was a passenger in every seat and a cockpit jumpseater along for the ride. The jumpseat is an extra seat in the cockpit intended for FAA observation of the flight crew, but when it isn't being used for that purpose, a pilot is allowed to occupy the seat for personal travel.  Sometimes, having an extra body in the cockpit is an annoyance, especially on long flights, but the up side is an extra set of eyes and ears. 

We closed the cabin door and pushed away from the gate for an on-time departure.  As we approached the end of the runway, the tower cleared us for takeoff. "Flight 123, RNAV GVINE, runway 36R, cleared for takeoff."  It was my leg, so as we lined up on the runway centerline, I advanced the throttles. But before the engines had time to spool up, the captain reached up and pulled the throttles back to idle.  "We don't have a takeoff clearance" he said.  He misunderstood the clearance and thought we had been told to "line up and wait" on the runway. "Line up and wait" is a clearance to line up on the runway and stop until cleared for takeoff.

"Line up and Wait" 

I glanced over my shoulder at the jumpseater who I could tell had heard our takeoff clearance, but anytime there's confusion over a clearance, the thing to do is ask. I was about to clarify with the tower, but before I could get the words out, we overheard an aircraft on final approach call the tower.  "Tower, Flight 123, visual 36L," to which the tower responded "Flight 123, wind 330 at 15, runway 36L cleared to land."  Well now we were really confused.

Obviously, I'm not using the real call sign or flight number here, but there was a guy on final to runway 36L who had our exact call sign. Two airplanes...on the same frequency...one landing…one taking off...both with the exact same call sign. How could that possibly happen?

This was the first leg of a three day trip for me and my crew, but Flight 123 originated in another city earlier in the day.  Off the top of my head, I can't remember the actual details, but let’s say Flight 123 was scheduled to leave San Diego, California at 7am, but was delayed and didn't actually leave until 8.  Let’s say Flight 123 was originally scheduled to arrive in Dallas at 12 o'clock noon (two hour time difference), but due to the late departure, didn't actually land until 1pm. 

Flight 123 was a thru flight, originating in San Diego with a stop in Dallas before continuing to San Antonio.  The San Antonio flight (mine) was scheduled to leave Dallas at 1pm. The original plan was probably for the jet from San Diego flight to land at noon and continue on to San Antonio.  But the original flight was late, so the airline decided to use another aircraft in order to keep the operation running on time. 

Have I lost you yet?

Since this was the first leg of my trip, I knew nothing about the late arrival from San Diego, and the flight crew working the flight from San Diego to Dallas knew nothing about me.  My flight should have been identified as a "stubbed" flight and the flight number should have been changed.  Usually, this is accomplished by adding a letter to the end of the original call sign.  In this case my new call sign might have been Flight 123P. But somehow, the fact that these two flights would intersect was not noticed by anyone and my flight number was not changed.  

The captain set the parking brake right there on the runway.  He had no intention of moving the aircraft until we clearly understood the situation.  I'm a little surprised that the tower controller didn't chime in with some clarifying instruction at this point, but he didn’t.  Sometimes, I think we get so accustomed to the normal flow of things, that we don't notice slight irregularities.  So I keyed the mic and asked for clarification.  “Tower, Flight 123, please confirm we're cleared for takeoff on runway 36R.” 

There was long pause before we got response.  I'm guessing the guy in the tower was a confused as we were at that point.  He finally responded. “Flight 123...airborne on final to runway 36L...you are cleared to land.  Break.  Flight 123...on the ground on runway 36R...RNAV to GVINE, runway 36R, cleared for takeoff.”

I’m not sure exactly what went wrong or who was supposed to catch this, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't me.  At any rate, we were now confident in our clearance so I pushed the throttles up and away we went.  In hindsight, it would probably have been better to wait until the other Flight 123 had landed before we tookoff.  I can only imagine the confusion if the other flight had been forced to go-around and we had both been in the air at the same time.  Insert cliche about hindsight here...

Read More