AIRLINE PILOT

Los Angeles city of the Angels filled with the glamour of movie stars Gran's Chinese Theater and home of all Fairy Tales come true Disneyland you can fly there with Delta for the low early bird or Oly bird fair of only $88 Delta has 11 Jets at Daya Los Angeles including three non-stop Royal Service luncheon or dinner fight Delta is ready when you are that's it that's the engineer on the right first officer on the left third pilot behind Ratliff do you know him no I've never met him taking off r i did you know no I hav't here comes the captain haven't seen you for a while engine off pass we flew together once before I yes we have how do you do St you new yes I first trip so you haven't been out east before no I haven't well it should be warmer anyway the flight goes through to Delhi but you leave it at bin spend a night there then onto Bombay in another aircraft the flight really starts here first the captain checks all the data which has been prepared for him and makes his final plan what's the weather like all in bin beut all right he checks the weather at Des ation weather on Route it all looks fairly straightforward doesn't it wind speeds and directions visibility Runway conditions he looks at the all up weight and decides how much fuel to take yes we take 57,000 load sheet or or 57,000 load sheet piece by piece you build up a complete mental picture of the journey before you go out to the aircraft I think we'll get out to the airplane I'll take Steve out and start the checks gang yes I'll be along in about 20 [Applause] minutes 50 minutes to takeoff less than an hour before this aircraft with 112 passengers will be on its way to India when you're a first officer and you've been flying for more than 15 years today's flight probably won't seem much different from dozens of others but when you're just going out for the first time as the third pilot of a vc10 then it is different it's something you've spent almost 2 years working up to it started here the College of air training at a place called hamble on the south coast of England getting in wasn't easy of all those who apply only about one in 10 is lucky enough to come here for 18 18 months training one of the first things you do are these tests to find out what sort of person you are and how you behave Under Pressure everything's measured and evaluated how quick are your reactions how well can you concentrate how consistent are you they need to know all this and a lot more before they finally decide whether you're the sort of person that's likely to make a [Music] pilot if you're lucky and you pass the tests it's still some time before you have anything to do with an airplane one of these Chipmucks single engine with a propeller at the front and two seats behind not exactly a VC 10 but ideal for a beginner move so you're not standing on the flat good all right now we'll just run over the uh various ancillaries in the cockpit uh it's quite important you understand what these are because uh I won't be able to sort of lean forward from the back and do anything about it one thing about any aircraft is that the controls are all basically the same Rudder elevators aons every aircraft has them release allow to go for you like to lean forward and just put it on you'll find quite easy just pull that's the idea now the brakes fully on now down on the right hand side if you look right down there you can see a you learn where everything is and what it's for then you check it make sure it's working properly now if You' like to step in the cockpit and we'll put the harness on [Music] one two three red light St one two three right the stall system it takes quite a time to go through all the checks on a vc10 there are more than 200 to be done before takeoff 2 332 to pass you second ones a panamerican follow him for 28 laps checking on a right turn through North right turn checks on the four side flaps and slats are selected and running generators paired manual split batteries are on trus one and two on HP cck all right un locked booster pumps all on press everything's checked engine pressure stabiliz from the moment the aircraft starts to roll you somehow feel part of it it's the same whatever it is the VC 10 what a chipm there we go keep it straight with r the nose is trying to swing we're straighting it up stick going forward now the nose is coming down there we're flying along but just about to come off now check back and hold it clear the ground uhhuh your first trip you're only a p watching somebody else fly the airplane 60 70 knots hold the attitude steady here Wings level yeah positive rate of climb bear is coming [Music] up even when you're Airborne you can't relax you're still one of the crew and you must watch everything that's going on 3 2 1 throttle 91% 91% there we are nicely settled passing about 700 ft now start our turn in back to about 1300 reps little bit on the high side take off a little bit far in the nose in this attitude the way you want to judge approach the attitude of the nose related to the threshold EES off a bit more power coming up to the boundary all the power off gently checking back there's a nose coming up ground getting a bit closer stick coming back back back fully back there we're on the ground first of all considering the relationship between the resultant R of these currents and I and between fi and Theta the relative bearing of the in coming radio W you do mathematics aerodynamics physics Electronics there's more to being a pilot than just learning to fly it's not all Theory either there's the Practical side of radio communications and air traffic control sorting out one voice from another and learning to respond to your own particular call sign British United will go out London radar speed 780 frequency good morning speed 780 continue your climb to flight level 290 level by the Victor Romeo Roger 693 continue your climb to flight level 270 flying out of London you take your instructions from air traffic controllers on the ground speed bird 780 Roger maintain flight level 290 contact trans control 1355 over [Music] good afternoon ladies and gentlemen this is Captain L speaking from the flight deck we're now at 25,000 ft climbing up to 33,000 ft on route for V we have approximately 6 and 1/2 hours to run we go to bendy roads Cyprus bout and bar flying like this nowe it's easy to forget how different it was at first I remember last time you you were overcorrecting your speeds were erratic and you weren't lined up on the landing run at all now turn in quietly relax they're overcorrecting and try and look ahead try and judge the ground this time now just relax on the controls holding them far too harshly do this two or three times and you be begin to wonder whether you'll ever make a [Music] pilot it's a problem in three dimensions keeping the aircraft straight and the wings level at the same time as you're trying to lower it down to the ground it's all a matter of coordination hands feet and eyes practice helps and so does a little encouragement now that wasn't a bad circuit let's see how you get this base leg and approach this time get your correct speed everything you do goes into the log it's a record of every flight you make and how long it took it's also a reminder of your first days in a chipmunk when the aircraft still seemed to have a will of its own in spite of everything you did apparently did quite a few things wrong you know tuned the radio wrong and his headings were off and heart keeping was bad and he landed you know I think that that's it good chop trip you know finish that K turned around to him and said um yes it's quite a good trip but he said I'm not a rubber stamp you know I have to look upon a chop test as as if this chat was my son or my brother you know I think we're you know pretty safe now you get through here you you're May don't you yeah I think so about four out of every five students who go to hle do eventually get through but there's always the thought that you could be one of those who don't well this man uh in fact you've already given him a change of instructor Harry is the second Harry is the second one the first one found similar to a problem going back in his report I see that he he uh had this he had trouble on the Chipmunk in the earliest stages well I found that he had a general inability to line up on the center line of the runway on finals um this was a problem each time and we've had similar problems to this before because when they've gone to boac they've been quite capable of carrying out an instrument approach and then of course give give them a visual approach and this is where they have the problems settling down quite suddenly everything seems to come right you find that you're flying the airplane instead of it flying you and just when you've done three decent Landings in a row there's the moment you've been dreaming about for weeks when your instructor gets out of the rear cockpit and tells you to stay where you are you know what's coming you're going to be allowed to take it up and fly it by yourself you'll be watching all you've got to do is take it up and bring it down again in one piece That's All trim two divisions forward slot of friction up tight mix to Rich carat cold fuel cook on flaps up clear for take off you're clear for takeoff here we [Music] go stick back coming off now get off the ground you're up got Al know it feels [Music] marvelous watch the Speed look at the turn and slip 2,000 revs 50 ft too high you're all alone and yet in the back of your mind there's still a familiar voice coming up to the boundary all the power off now I'm going try and hold it off the ground gently checking back there's a nose coming up ground getting a bit closer STI coming back back back fully back there we're on the [Music] ground you've made it first time that's going to cost you a few extra Bob tonight that was the day you really thought you'd become a pilot now 18 months later you realize how far you still had to [Music] go estimating the rack sh at 4 you can forget about flying solo up here but what you never forget is learning to control an airplane in any attitude [Music] approach Tang Contin level 5 the hold you can't do aerobatics in a link trainer you can learn about Flying Blind on instruments on the ground we need to subract some time for wind effect right now we have clearance to join the hold feel it may not be the most exciting part of a pilot training but nor is it the easiest it's when you move onto the larger twin engined aircraft that flying really becomes more of a science than an art the baron is not just that much bigger than a chipmunk it's very much more complex instead of a cockpit there's a flight deck with two seats up front and three behind and most of the instruments and radio AIDS you'd expect to find on an airliner [Music] [Applause] Advanced flying they call it at hble it's certainly different from what you've been used to apart from all the extra instruments you have two engines instead of one and the retractable landing gear to think about the hours build up in your log book our solo our duel ours on instruments ours at night you do more than 75 all to in the [Music] baron you learn about flight levels and control zones about beacons and qfe and q& and vet and 1013 M you leave your home base with its familiar landmarks and fly to Ireland and the [Music] continent 3 hours out from London flight Level 310 air speed 530 knots flying on across southern Europe towards the night using radar to keep a lookout for storm clouds [Applause] ahead there was no radar in the baron but you're still expected to fly accurately even when you can't see out [Music] ahead there are the instruments and voices in your headphones to guide you you fly on radio Compass tuning on to the right Beacon and listening in for ground stations making sure you arrive where you want to be [Music] at everything under control captain on the left co-pilot on the right and an automatic pilot in the middle to make life easier cruising at 31,000 ft listening in for the next control point well we've got about 19 minutes to road is that right that's right yeah problem now well how about getting our young Mr R to do some work about time certainly it's more than 3 hours since you took off from London all that time you've been sitting behind two men watching them fly this aircraft without the slightest fuss or bother now is third pilot it's your job to step into the right hand seat and take over as co-pilot without anyone noticing the difference [Applause] it's only the first time you feel at all apprehensive like the day 5 months ago when you just left hle nearly 250 hours in your log book and you were on the way to start earning a living R straight into the camp please qu still next one please you were not the only one to start that day [Music] penw straight up the camera thank you next one please line you become part of an organization not so much an individual fuel as one of a team calling nothing speed 780 go ahead 14 you're never alone on the flight deck day or night you're always in contact with someone outside it may be a pilot in another aircraft you can hear over the radio or one of the ground stations along the Route there's always someone down below listening and Advising come stand by okay speed 780 Roger stand by tell him that we'll maintain 31 370 as far as bayout at least and we can go up to 41 after bay route but not before okay a speedbird 780 we're unable to climb to 410 at this time maintaining 37 beout below first stop Bahrain then Bombay now would you like to try them for me while I just F this when you first join an airline it's not just a matter of putting on a uniform and flying off around the world you get the uniform all right but the closest you're likely to get to an airplane for several weeks is in the classroom the red light and the bell tell you that an engine's on fire it's back to school again learning about systems and controls and procedures on the VCT 10 and long before they'll let you near the real thing there's the simulator we're going to simulate this afternoon an abandoned takeoff at heavy weight on a wet Runway it cannot be stressed too strongly that the decision to abandon a takeoff at a speed close to V1 shouldn't be taken lightly we have uh just end some rain on the runway some water on the runway and a slight up front the simulator is exactly like a real airplane it's only behind where the passengers normally sit that it looks different it will do the takeoff briefing now U engineer Captain but once you're in the pilot seat you forget it's just an elaborate box firmly fixed on the ground scent and take over the flotes at V1 it's a wet Runway so we'll have ignit it on and engine anti-icing understood okay before takeoff check it looks and behaves just like a real aircraft noise controls movement everything and apart from flying normally it could be made to reproduce just about every emergency anybody's likely to think ofen Heat going to high and checked predo probes all on check and checked TPI check 4 and a half Rudder trim zero HB stock valves shut engine anti-icing on igniters on when we roll doler is set transponder you working peirs taking it in turns to do the captain's and co-pilot jobs okay stand by for take off stand [Music] by 85% full ping air speed building 80 knots a speed building both sides 8 Bing take off first okay I'll turn off to the right ATC ATC Victor off I had to abandon that takeoff to an engine right that was very nice Steve uh don't put the brakes on remember and uh for you John when you're canceling reverse come out to the idle position first and pause and wait for the RPM to die before coming out otherwise very good alt together you do about 40 hours in the simulator before they reckon you should be ready to fly the real thing and as from tomorrow some of you will be going across in ones and twos to Shannon to fly the real aircraft the super vc1 that we'll have for you you may be feeling a little apprehensive you may think that this is rather a large handful for you to cope with having come off light aircraft such as the Chipmunks and the Barons down at hble it's an extraordinary easy airlane to land as you will discover uh mainly because the thing is in the landing attitude already all the way down the approach and all you have to do is to check the rate of De sent as soon as you see it react pull the power off and then you do nothing just sit there and hold the nose and then you wait for the Applause from the steward a British European Airways announced the arrival of their flight 893 from London you arrive at Shannon on the west coast of Ireland one Sunday afternoon as two passengers on a normal commercial flight you must be R isn't it R my name's St together here this is one of the chief training captains one of the men who has to decide whether two new recruits from the College of air training are good enough to be airline pilots or not he's a man you're never likely to forget the airplane is Airborne in the morning at 7:00 we fly 7 days a week and you will fly every day as a couple until you finish here as far as Landings go and this is obviously in large measure depends on you yourself but I would say probably not less than 25 or 30 could be as many as 40 we're not terribly interested in numbers what we are looking for is proficiency that you can do it and above all consistency walking out to the aircraft the first morning can be a pretty sobering experience you realize how far you've come in 2 years not just from hamble to Shannon but from Chipmunks to a VC 10 and in a few minutes you're going to be taking it off flying it and Landing it [Music] [Applause] yourself although you're wearing the uniform of a Second Officer you're still not an airline pilot yet you've got to prove that you can be no one doubts that you'll be able to fly a vc10 how well you'll do it is what they're going to find [Music] [Music] out this is it 150 tons more than 150 ft long and taller than a house all set for takeoff it was Pen's turn first prob going on R's checked TPI and R is zero TPI is set to 5° HP stop valves are shut igniter not required are off Doppler is going on transponder is set as required EO before takeoff check is complete right stand by for takeoff [Applause] 80 knots your control 31 rotate stra back to about 12° now we not using full don't let the up by you you accelerate slowly through to about 200 5 knot we try and get lined up as far out as possible getting the speed settled and getting in what is known as the slot that is in the right speed the right configuration the right race percent so that we just motor straight down to the touchdown Point marked by those two large white lines just near the far VY lights we want to be getting fairly close to our speed and today we're adding seven knots for the crosswind and saying up about 143 [Applause] knots watching someone else landed for the first time it looks easy but you still have to find out for yourself in the GL [Music] SL watch that speed tending to drop very slightly 3 82% biggest trap perhaps in flying is there falling Earth speed well let's put on half a unit of trim there I make life difficult okay we're on the final White of the touchdown still 400 ft a minute bre now slowly back on the rway that Wing level and all the way down the runway that right wing in holded level because the very narrow Landing here rotate very nice number three engine power time don't ever for anybody to do anything for an engine below 400 ft can't say our plane is so stable be able to take your hands off and never be afraid to do that I've left it in up and round and down and up again you do it so often you lose count you fly it every day on into the night so we turn slowly into wind it raises the right wing will hold the wing level spoilers spoilers first part keep the nose whe [Music] on how many more trips would you say have we got to go this is U keeping it again round figures is about halfway I would think that three days you know given weather like today for instance [Music] [Applause] [Music] come in over the threshold the speed is right on the right R descend first [Music] pop all told you probably do more than 40 takeoffs in land Landings each but when it's all over you leave the aircraft for the last time you know you flown it well enough to satisfy one of the most experienced pilots in the world that's what really matters now all you need is his word for it in writing right well that completes you John right thank you right and now you Steve will just have a run through your paperwork and make sure that it's all done instrument rating as we did the other day everything okay signed up don't ever fly without your license it's like a pilot's Bible he should never leave it behind he should always know where it is and remember those magic words on the front of it which says you can use that instead of a passport to return to the United Kingdom this signature will allow you to fly a VCT as third pilot but it's by no means a qualification for life from now on you still have to pass performance and medical checks like every other pilot or lose your license and again don't forget to fill in the front of that I have no idea where your route flights will be but generally speaking the first flights tend to be the longer ones in order to get more sectors so this is likely to mean uh they certainly not Atlantic flights but they tend to be either to South Africa or to the gulf India Far East you do go east first to Bahrain then to Bombay but it's not so much where you go that matters as the satisfaction of getting there of being one of the crew and doing one of the best jobs in the world and knowing you'll be going on tomorrow from where you left off today [Music] for a few hours between flights there's time to relax on the ground like other [Music] people but it's never long before the next flight is due to leave for somewhere else the sector favorable or unfavorable it's unfavorable sector one half well we take flight plan fuel on that one and the flight time FL well I'll see you not about 45 minutes all right we'll see when you come up fine bye byebye Bom Bay Kolkata Singapore and Tokyo London Hong Kong Rome New York you visit just about every place on the travel agent books you start work in one place and end up in another not many people about here it's a bit early time change it takes a bit of getting used to well tomorrow we'll be back here again yes it is 13 hours off all together the M that's airport to airport about get the shops in Singapore young Steve's camera [Music] [Applause] I give check right turn right turn checks on the for side TPI and redit trims zero four HP stop BS check that's anti icing oh ignius off doler on transponder complete completed 85 check full checking full power on all 80 knots he one t positive clim gear selected up claps up in the take off check there's only one first trip for any pilot after that it's different you may still be many years and several thousands of hours away from the captain seat Engineers have to takeoff check take you're part of the team and you're on your way [Music] [Music]