SWA crew names released

[madjack]

Older 300s have/had a tendency to spool up assymetrically and if too much power is added in wet conditions the tiller can avert a serious problem before the rudder is effective...

 

[humveedriver]

Older 300s have/had a tendency to spool up assymetrically and if too much power is added in wet conditions the tiller can avert a serious problem before the rudder is effective...

The 500s are worse than the 300s for some reason too. Were the throttles on these planes always so stiff? You have to move them an inch at a time. It's the craziest thing. It seems like the right engine always lags the left, leaving a healthy split at cruise. I'm guessing this is normal for 30 year old airplanes? Just wondering why mx can't make them a little smoother.

 

[Tripower455]

The 500s are worse than the 300s for some reason too. Were the throttles on these planes always so stiff? You have to move them an inch at a time. It's the craziest thing. It seems like the right engine always lags the left, leaving a healthy split at cruise. I'm guessing this is normal for 30 year old airplanes? Just wondering why mx can't make them a little smoother.

And the ATs never work either!

 

[Dan Roman]

Older 300s have/had a tendency to spool up assymetrically and if too much power is added in wet conditions the tiller can avert a serious problem before the rudder is effective...

The correct technique for any jet airplane I have ever flown is to line up on the runway, then add about 10% thrust to ensure symetrical spool up, then select T/O thrust. This technique is especially important on a contaminated runway. There is never any need to go from idle to T/O thrust without this hesitation to ensure both engines have spooled up. In fact, not doing this could simply be a result of a too hurried approach to the taxi and take off portion of the flight.

 

[HowardBorden]

And the ATs never work either!

Yes, they are very slow to respond to that "descend via" clearance.

 

[Blue Dude]

Older 300s have/had a tendency to spool up assymetrically and if too much power is added in wet conditions the tiller can avert a serious problem before the rudder is effective...

So you'd cover up a bad technique (not standing up the throttles to ensure symmetric thrust) with a worse technique (using the tiller for directional control on takeoff roll)? Fascinating. This your first jet or something?

 

[Dan Roman]

I watched many SWA CPs (including Check airman) keep their hand on the tiller until APPROACHING 60 knots on the T/O roll then transition the LH to the yoke....

That doesn't make it right. Sorry, but the simple fact is SWA has a lot more pilots than anywhere else that seem to try and make up time on the ground. We have all seen SWA crews taxiing like they just stole a 737.
A hurry up mindset maybe lends itself to blurring the distinction between taxiing an airplane and taking off an airplane?
You simply don't need the tiller for directional control. The rudder is all you need. Even if you lose an engine, your left hand is on the yoke and your right hand is going to be closing the thrust levers. You are certainly not going to be reaching for the tiller with your left hand once you have closed the thrust levers or even worse, before you have closed the thrust levers. Probably the worst abuse of the tiller would be a Captain that induces tiller input while the F/O is flying?, that could really start some problems.

Again, a hurry up mindset lends itself to trying to hurrying up the takeoff roll, which in turn could lend itself to not taking the extra second to ensure symmetrical power before adding T/O thrust.

 

[Dan Roman]

Also consider that at the low speed part of the takeoff, spool the engines first before adding T/O power, than, using your left hand for forward pressure on the yoke at slower speeds will increase directional control by making the nosewheel more effective for directional control by rudder input. All jets have a little nosewheel steering tied into rudder input and forward pressure increases it's effectiveness at low speeds. The tiller is strictly for taxiing the airplane and the rudder is all you need on the T/O roll

 

[scoreboardII]

That doesn't make it right. Sorry, but the simple fact is SWA has a lot more pilots than anywhere else that seem to try and make up time on the ground. We have all seen SWA crews taxiing like they just stole a 737.
A hurry up mindset maybe lends itself to blurring the distinction between taxiing an airplane and taking off an airplane?
You simply don't need the tiller for directional control. The rudder is all you need. Even if you lose an engine, your left hand is on the yoke and your right hand is going to be closing the thrust levers. You are certainly not going to be reaching for the tiller with your left hand once you have closed the thrust levers or even worse, before you have closed the thrust levers. Probably the worst abuse of the tiller would be a Captain that induces tiller input while the F/O is flying?, that could really start some problems.

Again, a hurry up mindset lends itself to trying to hurrying up the takeoff roll, which in turn could lend itself to not taking the extra second to ensure symmetrical power before adding T/O thrust.

Explain why 30knots in a jet designed to taxi at 30knots is somehow unsafe under the right conditions such as taxiing C to 25R at LAS? Please use small words.

 

[madjack]

Dan, I see your point, and yes my background (big wing landing in small places) does lend itself to anality when it comes to Center Line control, thanks for the explanation...

All I can say about taxiing fast, and its impact on tiller use on T/O is that the company does give us the option (to save fuel) to do a rolling take off and the tiller is helpful to me to get around the corner...

 

[madjack]

"So you'd cover up a bad technique (not standing up the throttles to ensure symmetric thrust"

Not to offend, but I was referring to the case where the other guy is flying and cobs on the power before you can react...thought that was obvious...

 

[SWA Bubba]

That doesn't make it right. Sorry, but the simple fact is SWA has a lot more pilots than anywhere else that seem to try and make up time on the ground. We have all seen SWA crews taxiing like they just stole a 737.
A hurry up mindset maybe lends itself to blurring the distinction between taxiing an airplane and taking off an airplane?
You simply don't need the tiller for directional control. The rudder is all you need. Even if you lose an engine, your left hand is on the yoke and your right hand is going to be closing the thrust levers. You are certainly not going to be reaching for the tiller with your left hand once you have closed the thrust levers or even worse, before you have closed the thrust levers. Probably the worst abuse of the tiller would be a Captain that induces tiller input while the F/O is flying?, that could really start some problems.

Again, a hurry up mindset lends itself to trying to hurrying up the takeoff roll, which in turn could lend itself to not taking the extra second to ensure symmetrical power before adding T/O thrust.

Scoreboard has a point, Dan. What is your fascination with the taxi speed of Southwest jets? You try to tie it to every instance you can, even when it has absolutely no bearing. YOU are the one who started the 20-page thread "Slow down SWA!", blaming "Southwest's ridiculous taxi speeds" for an incident where a guy knocked down a light pole in DEN while swinging around into a parking spot (with one essentially stationary wheel, and the other moving about 3 kts). You don't even wait for a single fact, before you attempt to tie every damn thing to your particular pet peeve.

The fact is, that Southwest has NEVER had an accident or incident that was found to be related to taxi speeds. Never. Our manual says to taxi at a maximum speed of 20 kts in general, or 30 kts on long straight taxiways. And, more importantly, at the bottom of that page, is says "FAA approved." That means that we taxi at FAA-approved speeds.

The fact that a lot of carriers taxi at ridiculously-slow speeds to pad their paychecks (or piss off their employers) has absolutely NO bearing on Southwest operations, or for that matter, what is safe.

Give it a rest. Please.

Bubba

 

[madjack]

"The fact that a lot of carriers taxi at ridiculously-slow speeds to pad their paychecks"

Paid by the hour vs paid by the trip...

 

[Dan Roman]

Explain why 30knots in a jet designed to taxi at 30knots is somehow unsafe under the right conditions such as taxiing C to 25R at LAS? Please use small words.

Ok I'll try...I don't want to use too many pleonasms lest I sound pedantic, erudite or verbose.

Taxiing faster in a straight line is not, by itself always unsafe. But when being in a hurry becomes your norm, it opens the door for incidents like, say......oh I got one! You're cleared for takeoff and you rush on to the runway, cob the power without even waiting to see if you have symmetrical power, which you momentarily don't, and the next thing you know you are all **************************************** and elbows with the rudder pedals or god forbid, you actually are grabbing at the tiller, which in turn can cause all kinds of problems on the T/O roll. Like the Tower Air or CO incident proved.

 

[madjack]

Dan, that is a stretch, taxi speed and overuse/misuse of the tiller on the runway...I think at this level we all know and recognize unsafe taxi speeds and overcontrolling the tiller and avoid doing both...at the end of the day we all have actionable licenses, sounds like ur hating SWA a little...