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 #avgeek

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

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

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.

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. >>>> 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 👉🏻

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

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.

This video has been doing the rounds for a week or so and the accident report is also available as this happened in September 2018. The aircraft crashed in a lagoon 1500ft short of the runway at Chuck Airport, Papua New Guinea. This was a totally avoidable accident. #AvGeek

https://twitter.com/benwhotravels/status/1152277860943634434

During the video you hear several warnings, indeed the accident report cites that that pilots received 17 warnings during the latter part of the approach. I agree with others such as @miami_rick who state that any one of these would have necessitated a go around. Accident avoided

The next critical thing we need for landing particularly is the Gear 😳🤭 Whilst this doesnt have GEAR written on the lever it is actually shaped like a wheel and has on this version the very groves that also appear as tread on the actual tyres. Cool use of symbology. #Avgeek On this @BoeingAirplanes 747 the speed brake is on the left of the thrust levers and is shaped like a handbrake lever that you may have had on an old car. This is used to increase drag inflight or to “dump” lift and aerodynamically brake on landing. #AvGeek #Aviation

#StormErik has caused a few go arounds at #Heathrow today and the videos will undoubtedly produce some headlines that don’t actually reflect the reality for the professional crews or the measured & methodical way they make a decision to go around. Follow me on our approach >> Most approaches start an long way from the airfield. The pilots will get the weather and assess the likely “threats”. In the case of wind they will verbalise & practice manoeuvres such as a go around as well as setting acceptable & safe parameters for the day #StormErik #Aviation