Reply to: Why some flights are cheap

[hyperD]

The Q400 is a turboprop not a jet and IRRC doesn't have autoland.

Obviously... the 6 bladed props give it away, and you are right, it doesn't have autoland yet, although equipped with the Rockwell avionics it does have Cat III capabilities as I mentioned beforehand.

Must admit, it's always nice to look up from the dials at 200ft and see the numbers on a cloudy day. Sometimes it's even in front of you if you're lucky!

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Isn't it just a case of pressing the big 'Land' button - thought these things could do it all themselves.

It's a non-story sadly, more to do with licencing and legalities than some maverick scamming a ride on a faster jet

The Q400 is a turboprop not a jet and IRRC doesn't have autoland.

[SantaClaus]

According to a documentary I once saw (called Airplane! I believe), you just inflate the autopilot.

Love that film!

You mean thats not how its done?

[hyperD]

It's a non-story sadly, more to do with licencing and legalities than some maverick scamming a ride on a faster jet.

It's all down to visibility and landing specifications in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) using the aircraft's autopilot for the airport's Instrument Landing System (ILS).

Airport ILS systems are broken down into several categories of precision, visibility and decision heights.

Roughly Cat I (vis 550m and above), Cat II (vis 350m) and Cat III (vis 200m).

Cat III is further subdivided into various viz limits until Cat III C which allows suitably equipped aircraft to autoland.

It looks like the pilot was fairly new on type and had not finished his qualifying 3 practice approaches in the Bombadier 400 or whatever the training requires for a low viz approach and landing for Cat II/III at Paris CDG (Charle de Gaulle).

It's nothing to do with his actual ability to fly the aircraft, just the legality of undertaking that type of precision instrument approach landing.

[TimberWolf]

Isn't it just a case of pressing the big 'Land' button - thought these things could do it all themselves.

According to a documentary I once saw (called Airplane! I believe), you just inflate the autopilot.

[Durbs]

Isn't it just a case of pressing the big 'Land' button - thought these things could do it all themselves.

[expat]

Landing is dead easy. It's being able to walk away from a landing that is the tricky bit...

That's the definition of a landing, as opposed to a crash.

[TimberWolf]

I'm sure that various government agencies would be interested in any pilot who learned to fly but not to land.....

Ditto for the Japanese government circa 1940.

[TimberWolf]

Landing is dead easy. It's being able to walk away from a landing that is the tricky bit...

If it's a runway landing, walking away would probably be easier accomplished on roller-skates.

[expat]

Pilots should be taught to land a plane before being taught to take off. After all, once you've taken off you're committed to do a landing sooner or later.

I'm sure that various government agencies would be interested in any pilot who learned to fly but not to land.....

[expat]

The problem was that the pilot wasn't qualified to land in foggy weather. Which is a bit like passing your driving test but not knowing how to get out of a packed Ikea car park on a Xmas Eve.

Which in fact you don't, when you have just passed your test.

[PM-Junkie]

Landing is dead easy. It's being able to walk away from a landing that is the tricky bit...

[eyetie]

The problem was that the pilot wasn't qualified to land in foggy weather. Which is a bit like passing your driving test but not knowing how to get out of a packed Ikea car park on a Xmas Eve.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

flybe have always been expensive and chav free (apart from me of course) when I've used them.

[Mich the Tester]

Pilots should be taught to land a plane before being taught to take off. After all, once you've taken off you're committed to do a landing sooner or later.

That's how I learned to fly a glider. Taking off's the easy bit; just pull back on the lever and tense you neck muscles. Landing is an altogether more skilful and scary business.