Scott Bateman MBE Profile picture
Jan 3, 2023 6 tweets 6 min read Read on X
I managed to walk about 12km yesterday and throughout the walk was constantly looking up as aircraft landed on runway 27 @SanDiegoAirport. As @Airbus A350 destinations go this one is a little unusual approach wise… Follow on my walk as I explain…#WePilots #aviation #SanDiego
Unlike other major #airports San Diego doesn’t have an Instrument Landing System (ILS) on R27,I’ll explain why later.The approach is also a little steeper than the norm to avoid small hills on the approach. It’s stunning day or night as you fly through the city to land. #WePilots
From Balboa Park most aircraft descend using a GPS approach that follows a descent angle of 3.5 degrees from a approach fix to the runway. An imaginary descent path to follow to the runway using GPS rather than an ILS beam from the ground. But why is SAN an unusual destination?
A car park.The building would interfere with an ILS and makes 540m of the runway (hidden here) unusable for landing but usable for takeoff. It’s also a wide runway at 60+m. So short, wide, higher descent angle, no precision approach, all require some thought & planning. #WePilots
It’s a great place to fly into but like all airports it has its quirks. In our briefings why endeavour to identify all of these and discuss how we as a team will manage them. Everything from the approach, landing, stopping, parking, and of course a go around if we have to.
It’s a favourite destination of mine as it’s a gateway to other adventures. Hope you enjoyed the little explainer and happy to answer questions whilst I wait for the sun to make an appearance on the West Coast. #TimeDifferenceInsomnia #WePilots #aviation #Travel #traveling

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More from @scottiebateman

Mar 30
A little thread about @SanDiegoAirport and the approach to runway 27. The approach to 27 is unusual at a major international airport as it doesn’t have an instrument landing system or ILS. This is a couple of radio beams that are transmitted from the ground, down which the aircraft follows to touchdown. San Diego can’t have these as the yellow car park would interfere with them. So it has a single beam (localiser) giving centreline guidance or GPS (internal) approaches that use the aircraft systems. #aviation #Pilot #SanDiego #avgeek
These “non-precision” approaches have higher decision heights (the height at which you must see the runway) so when the weather gets bad, the airport will switch to 09 which has an ILS but is often not the wind favourable runway. So what other impact does the car park have? ….two major ones. #aviation #Pilot #SanDiego #avgeekImage
Firstly the position of the car park means the to get to the runway the angle of the approach needs to be slightly steeper at 3.5 degrees (2.5-3 is more normal) which has a secondary effect of meaning that a significant amount of the runway is unusable for landing, with the threshold being waaaay down the runway. This restricts the weight of some big widebody aircraft here. Although I’ve landed 747’s and A350 here, no problems. Thanks to @PJMastracchio for yesterday’s picture. #aviation #Pilot #SanDiego #avgeekImage
Read 4 tweets
Sep 24, 2022
I often post pics of the @Airbus #A350 flightdeck and get lots of questions about what is where and what does that do…so a little thread to help explain the screens and options that #WePilots have with them using my limited knowledge. First… the middle #aviation #airbus #Pilot
The two centre screens are electronically split into four. The upper two give information such as systems on left and anomalies on right. Lower are used to give the aircraft information from the pilots, such as route, weather, speeds, performance details, etc. #aviation
The displays in front of either pilot are configurable as the pilot wishes. The inboard display is seen here with camera and airfield navigation system displayed but it can also be primary flight instruments and navigation. The outboard is our Electronic Flight Bag. #aviation
Read 6 tweets
Nov 8, 2021
A dual departure by @VirginAtlantic & @British_Airways from the westerly runways at @HeathrowAirport this morning to mark the opening of the #USA to double vaccinated travellers. But why did one #aircraft go North (the long way) and the other go West? Thread… #Airport #WePilots
The simple answer is, that if both take off at the same time and go west towards @JFKairport, they will eventually get in each other’s way. So the aircraft (@VirginAtlantic) on 27L continued straight ahead on a CPT departure & the (@British_Airways) turned north on an UMLAT.
This also allows the #aircraft to both climb to the optimum cruising level and cross the #Atlantic Ocean almost side-by-side. The more northerly track will obviously add more miles and therefore time to the journey. Whilst it was never a race, the more direct routing always wins.
Read 6 tweets
Jul 17, 2020
It has been an unusual day today as I have reflected on 13 years of flying the #Boeing747 for #BritishAirways with a few people. I woudl ask for your indulgence as I take a short walk down memory lane from Boeing 747 No 1 to Air Force 1. #BA747 #BritishAirways747. >>>> Image
It all started in 1969 when Joe Sutter an engineer working for #Boeing launched the first #Boeing747 from Boeing Field in #Seattle. The aircraft was the first widebody airliner & over 50 years later it is still be flying. Join me visiting No1 here 👉🏻 Image
This year has seen @BoeingAirplanes announce the end of the line for the #Boeing747 as they will stop manufacturing the freighter version soon. The venerable aircraft hasn’t changed much since 1969 but it will be around for many years to come. Read here 👇🏻 theavgeeks.com/2019/02/09/rep…
Read 11 tweets
Jan 16, 2020
Just received this #drone from @DJIEnterprise to get familiar with prior to an adventure in a week or so. There is so much in this little package. Searchlight (very bright BTW), speaker to communicate, zoomable 4K camera, and a long battery life. Built for #LawEnforcement use.
This #drone requires #pilots or operators to be registered with the @UK_CAA if used in the UK. If you use a #UAV over 250g then you are required to do this by law. This requires a short bit of learning of the fundementals and then your are off!! Click here register-drones.caa.co.uk
If you use your #drone for a commercial purpose, or u get any valuable consideration for your use of it; OR you fly your drone within 150m of a congested (urban) area. Then you will require a CAA permission for commercial operations. Click here to explore bit.ly/2TsTIMI
Read 6 tweets
Dec 3, 2019
I have seen and commented about on a number of threads about this video and the low level manoeuvre of the 727. Whilst it is unusual, this airport also presents some risks which are unique. Let me explain here. #avgeek #B727 #aviation #africa
I first came to Mogadishu just before Xmas ‘92. It was dark and we landed at the airport the evening before the US Navy Seals were caught by CNN coming up the beach just to the north. It’s was then, and still is, a challenging place to aviate into.
Weapons are plentiful and when combined with the use of narcotics they are often fired randomly at anything, including aircraft. So it’s worth avoiding flying over any built up areas, period. This was the results of a food for weapons “swap meet”.A great way to mitigate threats
Read 10 tweets

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