My-Your chance of flying steam gauges?

[CF34-3B1]

The best thing about flying glass is just clicking all the stuff off prior to TOD and flying everything the way we used to do it. You can tell by the body language of the new FO next to you that he thinks the airplane is going to fall out of the sky..... then he goes to the safety committee and the chief pilot.....Next I get called in for a discussion that results in a great get together going over old times. Yes, I love glass........................Tri-star driver don't worry about it, it is a piece of cake once you learn where to look for everything.

Gotta love that.

When the weather is good and I'm feeling frisky I like to hand fly raw data.

The other day, I was flying with a very new FO. As we took the runway for takeoff, he noticed I hadn't brought up the flight director command bars.

"Do you want the command bars up?"

"Nope, I'm gonna fly it raw data for a while." (Curious look from FO)

After being given a heading by ATC to join the departure FO asks "Do you want NAV mode?"

"Nope." (Another puzzeled look from FO)

"But how are you going to intercept the radial?"

 

[TurboS7]

When I was in Europe I was on my final leg of OE getting checked out with a British airline(last year prior to 911) We were cleared to hold at Kavala(Turkey in the mountains, Kavala might be in Greece but the border is right there) at FL100 in thunderstorm. Just 5 miles from the VOR we lost all our FMC's,CDU's and all four ND's. I entered the hold using the RMI and raw data, held then completed the approach. The checkairman was extremely happy and said there are pilot's in Europe that couldn't have pulled that off. You have to have the confidence to use the basic's, that means practice, practice, practice. Majic jets are that until they mess up, then there are just like the jarassic classic's in the desert with a CFM-56 under each wing. When we did our checkrides with the CAA they insisted on a raw data NDB with a 25 knot crosswind, both myself and my first officer split the runway-they were impressed.

 

[BigFlyr]

Just 5 miles from the VOR we lost all our FMC's,CDU's and all four ND's.

You mean "both" FMC CDU's and "both" ND's... since there are only two of each... I doubt you lost the PFD's though... that would have left you with nothing but the "peanut" standby instrument... A very scary thought. I'm just busting your chops because I know who you are.

By the way, in the short time I flew the 737-800, the only time the "majic" failed was on final approach...TWICE!... Funny how that happens! It is necessary to fly raw data for proficiencey purposes... BUT that doesn't mean you have to turn everything off!

 

[TurboS7]

Yeah we lost the PFD's too, you know the whatchamacallit, it was on 733, of all airplanes. Joff just loves me, thanks for covering for the brain fart.

 

[aggiepilot87]

Some of my favorite airplanes were built during or before the second world war. The last 4Y was built in 1945. Still a great airplane.

The Lone Star Flight Museum is restoring a PB4Y-2 to new condition. If you're ever near Galveston, you should stop by and take a look. All their planes are 10's.

 

[con-pilot]

I’m got to agree with BigSky (I think it was BigSky) the good old 72 is going to be around for a long time.

And there is not a darn thing wrong with the glass-automated cockpit. The older I gets the easier I wants it. I love auto throttles and them auto land thingies.

 

[inline]

Good post Ak737FO. Flying steamgauges can be challenging. As for avbugs comments to your post, take it with a grain of salt.

 

[popilot78]

I wanted more than anything to fly 727's, dc-8, etc. And still do, but I got to admit I'm getting used to my new glass cockpit. Who knows, the way this industry is maybe someday I will get my chance.

 

[bigD]

I still see a lot of UPS DC-8's around here. If they're getting phased out, what kind of plane would take their place?

 

[avbug]

I'm familiar with the Lone Star project. I haven't seen it; I hear it's really come along. That airplane used to be one of ours. So did the one at YIP; they got it after the wing broke.