Half way there.
Being a Captain entails a lot more responsibility than sitting in the right seat. There is a saying out there that if the shit hits the fan, look to your left for help. That's all well and good if your sitting in the right seat. Now every time I look left, I'm looking at my reflection in the window.
Groundschool was interesting. The instructor had a unique approach to teaching the class. On the second day of class he started asking us questions. They were questions that we should have known, but didn't. Questions such as " You are on a 3 mile final into MEM, the tower controller wants you to switch runways from 18C to 18R. Can you switch runways with out getting new landing numbers?" I think most of us answered correctly, but when he asked us if we were sure, we all backed down. He then got pissy with us and for the first of many times over the next week and a half, he let loose with his trademark saying " C'mon now, ya''ll is Captains now, you need to know this shit". He was right, but teaching by fear is not something any of us were used to, nor had seen before. There was a standing joke in class. We would make a big deal out of what time it was when we got stumped for the first time. We made it to 9:30 once. The rest of the time he'd always get us before 9. It took us a few days to realise his teaching technique. He was using the knock em down then build them back up approach. It worked. By the time groundschool was over, we were impressing him with our vast wealth of knowledge and even stumping him with a few questions of our own.
At my company, they do the checkride a little differently than other places. Typically when you do a checkride, you have an oral exam for a few hours then go hop in a plane or simulator for the flight portion of the test. At my company, they split it up into separate events. After completing the ground school, you then take the oral part of the type ride. For a lot of us, me especially, its a nerve wracking event. For Captain type rides (we call it a type ride because we get a type rating at the completion of the checkride) anything is fair game. The examiner can ask anything they want about the plane, our flight manuals, regulations, weather, systems and so on and so forth. For me, this is the hardest part. There is a vast amount of knowledge that needs to be memorized. On first officer orals, they are pretty relaxed and easy. Captain orals are a whole different ballgame. You are expected to know the aircraft and every little rule that applies to it forward and backward. My oral exam was on Thursday. Thankfully I passed with flying colors and can now move on to the fun part of the training, the Sims!!! The way I see it, if I can get through the oral, I'm 90% done. The flying is the easy part, I can make this plane do what I want, when I want. On fire, single engine, bad weather, no auto pilot, bring it on. I love this part of the training. Its all down hill from here :)
Groundschool was interesting. The instructor had a unique approach to teaching the class. On the second day of class he started asking us questions. They were questions that we should have known, but didn't. Questions such as " You are on a 3 mile final into MEM, the tower controller wants you to switch runways from 18C to 18R. Can you switch runways with out getting new landing numbers?" I think most of us answered correctly, but when he asked us if we were sure, we all backed down. He then got pissy with us and for the first of many times over the next week and a half, he let loose with his trademark saying " C'mon now, ya''ll is Captains now, you need to know this shit". He was right, but teaching by fear is not something any of us were used to, nor had seen before. There was a standing joke in class. We would make a big deal out of what time it was when we got stumped for the first time. We made it to 9:30 once. The rest of the time he'd always get us before 9. It took us a few days to realise his teaching technique. He was using the knock em down then build them back up approach. It worked. By the time groundschool was over, we were impressing him with our vast wealth of knowledge and even stumping him with a few questions of our own.
At my company, they do the checkride a little differently than other places. Typically when you do a checkride, you have an oral exam for a few hours then go hop in a plane or simulator for the flight portion of the test. At my company, they split it up into separate events. After completing the ground school, you then take the oral part of the type ride. For a lot of us, me especially, its a nerve wracking event. For Captain type rides (we call it a type ride because we get a type rating at the completion of the checkride) anything is fair game. The examiner can ask anything they want about the plane, our flight manuals, regulations, weather, systems and so on and so forth. For me, this is the hardest part. There is a vast amount of knowledge that needs to be memorized. On first officer orals, they are pretty relaxed and easy. Captain orals are a whole different ballgame. You are expected to know the aircraft and every little rule that applies to it forward and backward. My oral exam was on Thursday. Thankfully I passed with flying colors and can now move on to the fun part of the training, the Sims!!! The way I see it, if I can get through the oral, I'm 90% done. The flying is the easy part, I can make this plane do what I want, when I want. On fire, single engine, bad weather, no auto pilot, bring it on. I love this part of the training. Its all down hill from here :)
posted by Windsor at 9:18 AM
2 Comments:
So, what's the answer? Can you change runways on 3 mile final?
On the practical side, consider the following. Approaching KSFO in a King Air, single pilot, the ATIS says ILS 28R, the controller says "Expect ILS 28R," the FMS is programmed for the ILS 28R, and then you hear "Turn right heading 250 maintain xxxx until established cleared ILS runway 2 8 LEFT." Do you scramble to make the change or say "unable" and take a 40 minute delay for resequencing?
The answer is yes, you can change runways, if.... the runway you are changing to is longer than 5400', the landing weight is less than 47,000 (MLW), OAT is less than 40C, airport pressure altitude is less than 2000', runway is dry and the aircraft is 1000'AGL or higher and we will be able to be on a stabilized approach to the new runway by 500' AGL. Obviously this is for visual approaches only. If it were a sidestep approach (ILS36C Sidestep to 36R) we would have gotten the landing data for both runways just in case.
In your example, the first thing I would do is query the controller. I'd state the previous controller gave me 28R, thats the approach I'm set up for, you sure you want me doing that approach? I've had controllers do that to me several times. The first approach controller will tell us to expect one approach, then the next will clear us for a differing approach. We just ask if thats really what they want.
If your controller was serious about switching the approach on you, if I had the time, I'd load up the appch to 28L, if not, tell them unable. If they start holding you for longer than you'd like. Declare "Min fuel" and that'll get you back in line.
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