Saturday, August 17, 2019

So, that's what all those buttons and switches do

4 comments:

  1. And THIS is why we have checklists - just too darn many things to reasonably keep track of 100% of the time....

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    1. Many years ago I was a video producer helping to create training for pilots on the 767. I went to Everett, where 767s are built, to observe a first time engine start. The machinist was a rough biker looking guy called "Animal." Real nice, helpful guy.
      All he did was first time engine starts. He knew the procedure inside and out. And the first thing he did when we got settled into the seats on the flight deck was open the start procedures checklist. He let me help by confirming his call outs. Each action, one at a time, done and confirmed. Then he fired up the engine.
      Whoa! Smoke and fumaroles! The engine, of course, had all sorts of protective greases and oils on its components so the first ignition looked like a major fire! But, that is normal.
      I asked Animal if he did the checklist item by item each time. He said absolutely, because if he did one thing wrong, the first start could be a $6 million last start. Quite fun to do all that kind of stuff, back then.

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  2. If it was an 800 MAX starting would be tedious, but manageable. Flipping the 2 trim-control switches to off on the center console to cut the MCAS nose-down attitude isn't tedious, but for some it wasn't manageable.

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    1. As was said before (I think it was here) "Some pilots fly the plane, other pilots fly the computer."

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