R.45 (Remember those?)

[Reinz]

Compared to the Navy, was commercial pretty boring fly time wise, since you could not "freestyle" ?


I understand the hotel deal, I was on the road for 20 years.

[kjtrains]

I flew seven years in the Navy and thirty one for the airline. That's enough. One thing that will do for you is that you gain a particular fondness for your own bed. I really dislike hotel rooms, even luxurious ones..

Thirty eight years of flying.  Congrats, for sure!

[tracker]

Carrier flying is very demanding but exciting. There are a lot of downsides like six months cruises and a full time job as a Naval Officer in charge of men, resources, etc.. I liked the Navy but decided I didn't want a career, Captain of a Carrier, etc.. The quality of people the Navy and other services attract is extraordinary.
Airline flying is much more hospitable and less demanding, time and family separation, etc. Any kind of flying is like a good night kiss; the same thing but different every time. Despite the relative safety of commercial air I remember three approaches and landings in the airline that were much more demanding than any of my 300 carrier landings. Sorry for the long answer but it is a good question and not easy to answer.

[Reinz]

Very good answer

By the way, was one of those approaches San Diego?

[tracker]

Indeed it was, but not what you think; the normal approach to RWY 27 requires a steep approach discipline but not difficult if you stay ahead of it. This day, in an MD-80, the weather was terrible and below RWY 27 minimums, so they were shooting ILSs to RWY 9 over the water. The problem was  that there was a quartering tail wind that was over the tail wind limits. Since I had left STL with a LAS alternate there was no other place to land. Every airport in Southern California was deluged with rain. I flew the approach manually but left the auto  throttles on to hold the approach speed at minimum maneuvering. At 300' I broke out of the overcast and felt like a rocket going sideways toward the runway. The landing was firm but ok and took two of us to hold the ailerons down to stay on the runway. Everybody else ahead of me diverted somewhere else. That was my first leg as a qualified MD-80 Captain.

[Reinz]

That sounded Hairy

[tracker]

It was and the water was at the curb outside the terminal. I lived in Coronado for three years and never saw rain like that day. The next month I bid back to the DC-9, much more friendly.

[Reinz]

The city that never rains and you hit it duing a Typhoon.

[P7Enigma]

I landed sideways in 747 in Zurich once...thank god I wasn't the pilot or the cockpit would have been stink'in real bad.

Some of you may have seen the "chart" on some of the pics I post...Private flying in Hawaii is great stuff. (Unless you are of course Tracker who loves flying up the side of volcanoes at "rock tops" in a "Tracker obviously"....

I've been lucky I guess (where's the wood) My worst day was getting caught in a real bad IFR situation as a VFR pilot in my early days. Had about 80 hours under my belt and lost visual minimums due to one of these nasty "buildup" storms here in Florida.

[tracker]

Sounds like a vicious side wind at LSZH on the 747. The 747 approaches the runway in a "crab" for a crosswind and just before touchdown, downwind rudder, to straighten the runway alignment, has to be applied while simultaneously using opposite aileron to keep the wing down. If this is not done smoothly and correctly, you can land in a "skid" which sounds like what happened to you. The Standard Instrument Departures out of Zurich can be very challenging and must be flown perfectly under close critical scrutiny by the Swiss Radar Control. I recall that a controller told me to "tighten your turn" one day there on a departure. That was a first.

[yankee2500]

So whats the news on the R45 anyone got one yet    

John

[kjtrains]

It'll be coming, one day!    

[yankee2500]

 

John

[kjtrains]

Stay tuned.  New info may be coming soon!    

[DDGator]

Do not speak of this topic and jinx it!