Europe (International) Flying???

[TxPilot0878]

Hey guys/gals,
About 9 yrs ago I was flying Lance's all over Arizona...for Ameriflight and now I have the oppurtunity to fly in Europe and the pay will make up for all the shi* that has happened since. What should I be aware of...FMS? Terrain? Procedures? Approaches? Wx? Comm?
I would greatly appreciate any and all experiences that will keep me from bending metal...I wanna do good but have ABSOLUTELY no international experience except for Canada, Mexico, and South America!
Thank you for your time...and even though this isn't "Major" flying...your expertise will help!!!

Regards,

Tex

 

[AA717driver]

Learn JAA ATC phraseology and USE it! That's one thing that will get you shunned is to fail to use proper terminology.

The SID's/STAR's are insanely complex and there are 30 of them for each airport. There are STARS to intermediate approaches to final approaches (yeah, I LOVE dicking around with three plates in a 5 mile stretch... ).

The Europeans are convinced that the JAA/JAR is the be-all and end-all in aviation. Don't try to tell them otherwise--just nod your head and admit you're an inferior aviatior because you can't figure the descent rate necessary to maintain the G/S on a particular approach (why would you need to?).

Get used to low approaches and greet the controllers in their home language when you check in and life will be easier. You will have a blast. TC

 

[whymeworry?]

It's really not all that different... just different.

Study up your SIDs STARs, read the Jepp Airways manual for info on each country. Study up standardized phraseology and, if crossing the Atlantic, read up on procedures on the Atlantic charts. Plus, listening to the aircraft ahead of you and their check in procedures helps.

Once you do the first 3 or 4 flights it will be old hat.

 

[SkyWestCRJPilot]

Here are some differences:

Cleared Direct XYZ is said "Route Direct XYZ"

FL100, FL200, FL300 is often referred to as Flight Level 1 hundred, 2 hundred, 3 hundred.

Position and hold is "Line up and wait" or just "Line Up"

Taxi to runway 22 is "taxi holding point 22"

Taxi to gate 15 is "taxi to parking stand 15"

They often say "good day" when you first check on as apposed to when you are saying goodbye.

Fly heading 270 is often said "radar heading 270"

Instead of cleared ILS they may say "descend via the ILS"

In many places you won't get cleared to land till you are short final.

I don't know about GA flying over there but whenever we do a walkaround we have to wear a yellow or orange vest while on the ramp.

There are tons of noise abatement procedures and if you don't follow them a noise sensor will catch you and fine your company.

Radio frequencies use one more digit. 132.72 is 132.725.

Transition altitudes and transition levels are low, anywhere from 3000' to 14,000'. Make sure you change over to standard on passing through them on climb out. And makes sure you set in millibars (hectopascals) on descent. 992 millibars not 29.92" which is about 400' different.

Some airports require alt. off transponder while taxiing.

They don't call enroute control agencies "centers" and sometimes approach control isn't called "approach". Centers are often just called control: Shanon Control, Scottish Control, Brest Control. Sometimes approach is called "director": London Director.

The hardest part is understanding their accents. Scottish is hard (plus their radios suck), but so are the French, Germans, Spanish, Portuguese, Italians, Scandinavians, everybody.

Oceanic procedures are different with Oceanic clearances, HF positions reports, selcal (selective calling), and/or CPDLC (controller pilot data link communication) and/or ADS (automatic dependent surveillance) but with GA you may or may not have the last two.

One other difference is the radio frequency hardly is as congested as in the U.S. especially when going into any major U.S. airport where the controllers talk at machine gun-like speed.

Lastly remember the airplane flies just the same over there as over here, they just do things a little different. Good luck and enjoy it over there.

 

[XJTAv8r]

Here are some differences:

Cleared Direct XYZ is said "Route Direct XYZ"

FL100, FL200, FL300 is often referred to as Flight Level 1 hundred, 2 hundred, 3 hundred.

Position and hold is "Line up and wait" or just "Line Up"

Taxi to runway 22 is "taxi holding point 22"

Taxi to gate 15 is "taxi to parking stand 15"

They often say "good day" when you first check on as apposed to when you are saying goodbye.

Fly heading 270 is often said "radar heading 270"

Instead of cleared ILS they may say "descend via the ILS"

In many places you won't get cleared to land till you are short final.

I don't know about GA flying over there but whenever we do a walkaround we have to wear a yellow or orange vest while on the ramp.

There are tons of noise abatement procedures and if you don't follow them a noise sensor will catch you and fine your company.

Radio frequencies use one more digit. 132.72 is 132.725.

Transition altitudes and transition levels are low, anywhere from 3000' to 14,000'. Make sure you change over to standard on passing through them on climb out. And makes sure you set in millibars (hectopascals) on descent. 992 millibars not 29.92" which is about 400' different.

Some airports require alt. off transponder while taxiing.

They don't call enroute control agencies "centers" and sometimes approach control isn't called "approach". Centers are often just called control: Shanon Control, Scottish Control, Brest Control. Sometimes approach is called "director": London Director.

The hardest part is understanding their accents. Scottish is hard (plus their radios suck), but so are the French, Germans, Spanish, Portuguese, Italians, Scandinavians, everybody.

Oceanic procedures are different with Oceanic clearances, HF positions reports, selcal (selective calling), and/or CPDLC (controller pilot data link communication) and/or ADS (automatic dependent surveillance) but with GA you may or may not have the last two.

One other difference is the radio frequency hardly is as congested as in the U.S. especially when going into any major U.S. airport where the controllers talk at machine gun-like speed.

Lastly remember the airplane flies just the same over there as over here, they just do things a little different. Good luck and enjoy it over there.

That's a pretty good synopsis :beer:

 

[720persecond]

Hey guys/gals,
About 9 yrs ago I was flying Lance's all over Arizona...for Ameriflight and now I have the oppurtunity to fly in Europe and the pay will make up for all the shi* that has happened since. What should I be aware of...FMS? Terrain? Procedures? Approaches? Wx? Comm?
I would greatly appreciate any and all experiences that will keep me from bending metal...I wanna do good but have ABSOLUTELY no international experience except for Canada, Mexico, and South America!
Thank you for your time...and even though this isn't "Major" flying...your expertise will help!!!

Regards,

Tex

PM me if you want more details such as layover fun places. I had layovers in pretty much every European country in a past life.

 

[rod farva]

Dude,

It's not as hard as people make it out to be. Go have fun.

 

[VVJM265]

Dude,

It's not as hard as people make it out to be. Go have fun.

Yep, plus everything SkywestCRJPilot said is right on. Just stay on your toes going into London!

Enjoy and have a beer for me!
:beer:

PS Be sure to checkout with the Italian female controllers with "Ciao bella!"

 

[AMDFlyer]

Hey guys/gals,
About 9 yrs ago I was flying Lance's all over Arizona...for Ameriflight and now I have the oppurtunity to fly in Europe and the pay will make up for all the shi* that has happened since. What should I be aware of...FMS? Terrain? Procedures? Approaches? Wx? Comm?
I would greatly appreciate any and all experiences that will keep me from bending metal...I wanna do good but have ABSOLUTELY no international experience except for Canada, Mexico, and South America!
Thank you for your time...and even though this isn't "Major" flying...your expertise will help!!!

Regards,

Tex

You should call me, to fly with you over there...I'll give you indoc on the ground: breweries in Deutchland, wineries in Italia, Champagne and Seafood in La ville de lumiere, Metaxas shots in Greece, Sangria in Barcelona etc. etc.:beer:

 

[Patriot328]

excellent post

My God.. did we.. no.. it didn't just happen... did we just use flightinfo for some actual... well INFORMATION?

Wow... just wow..



And I agree, Scottish sucks. It sounds like they're using surplus WWII radios. I picture them down in a bunker directing Spitfires to shoot down the Huns during the Battle of Britain....