Airliners-India.com

iflytb20 · Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:35 pm Post subject: COK-AUH-COK on IX [ABANDONED]

I thought I will do this "Slightly Different" TR for a change. As usual, all comments/suggestions welcome
PS: I am sorry for the lack of pictures. Did'nt take any
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DATE OF TRAVEL : Classified
SECTOR: VOCI-OMAA
ACFT : VT-AXP B737-8HG
FLT NO : IX 419
SEAT NO : 0A
STD : 2125 HRS ATD: 2155 HRS DELAY of 20 min
STA : 2345 HRS ATA: 0035 HRS DELAY of 50 min
LOAD : 125 PAX [67% Loadfactor]

I was scheduled to operate this flight a week earlier. So I had plenty of advance warning about it. For a 2125 LT departure, I reported to dispatch an hour early at 2025LT. After finishing the mandatory BA and Pre-Flight Medical [called PFME or Pre Flight Medical Examination by the company], i proceeded to the AI Dispatch located at the Intl terminal. After signing in on the Crew Reporting Form [Also called the CRT form], I proceeded to fill the Customs and Immigration Forms [2 separate forms]. The Immigration form is quite simple - you list you Passport details and the ID card [BCAS] details. The Customs form is not so easy. We need to fill in:
1. Type/Brand of watch [better fill in a known brand else loose you TRP rating]
2. Number of Cigars / Cigarettes being carried
3. Name / Make of Camera(s) [again, the fancier the better ]
4. Gold Jewelery [In mallu land this is more impt for the guys]
5. Number of Wine and spirits being carried [Impt for people who like to remain in "high" spirits]
6. Electronic Items [like Mobiles, Laptops etc]
7. Currency [INR/USD/OMR/etc]

Once this was finished, I proceeded to the Actual Pre-Flight Paperwork

Pre Flight Paperwork

The standard paper work for a flight includes:
1. Computerised Flight Plan [CFP]
2. NOTAMs [or NOTices to AirMen] for the Origin, Destination and enroute alternates.
3. Weather brief [Includes actual and forecast weather]
4. Performance calculation.

1. CFP : Since this document would be our best friend inflight, it has to be checked religiously. On getting our copy of we, first we check that ALL the pages are present and are for the correct flight. To help us do this, each CFP has a unique RC number, which is given at the bottom of each page along with a page number in "PAGE X OF Y" format. Once that is done, we check the routing, the fuel calculations, the weight calculation etc. If done properly, any major errors can be caught easily [they have happened in the past]

The fuel calculation includes:
TAXI fuel [200 Kgs for IX]
FLT PLAN Fuel [changes from flight to flight depending on your weight / planned level etc]
ALT Fuel [Fuel to alternate]
HOLD Fuel [for 30 min hold at ALT]
CONTingency Fuel [5% of FLT PLAN, subject to minimum of 500 Kgs]
ETOPS ADDL [Additional fuel to fly ETOPS routes]
MIN REQ Fuel [All the above, added together, give us this. Also called MRF]

MRF is the Min Fuel that we have to take for the flight. We usually carry addition fuel depending on nature / condition of operations [Weather / Tankering / expected delays etc]

Next on the agenda is the weight calculation. Before I go there, a little bit of gyaan [after all I HAVE to show-off once in a while ]. The following are some of the weights whic are used for every flight:

1. Zero Fuel Weight [ZFW] : This is the weight of aircraft plus the payload MINUS the weight of the fuel.
2.Maximum Allowable Takeoff Weight [MTOW] : The maximum certified TOW.
3. Max Landing Weight [MLW] : For all our aircrafts, this is 66300 Kgs
4. Regulated TOW [RTOW] : This is the most limiting take off weight. It could be limited by Structural / Obstacle / Field Length etc. The ATOW [Actual TOW] cannot exceed RTOW. To calculate this, we add the BURNOFF to the MLW. If this value is LESS than the MTOW, then this value becomes the RTOW. Otherwise the MTOW becomes the RTOW.
For eg: For this flight BURNOFF was 9100 Kgs. Therefore :
66300+9100 = 75400 < 77100. So our RTOW is 75400 Kgs

2. NOTAMS : We go through all the relevant NOTAMs for our flight whic include our Origin, Destination and all alternates on the way. So that meant that other that VOCI and OMAA, we also have to check the NOTAMs for VOTV, VABB, OOMS and OMDB as they are all our Alternates.

3. Weather Brief : With the monsoons in full flow here, this is a very important process. The Dispatcher usually provides us with the Actual weather for the Origin and takeoff alternate while mostly only forecasts for the Destination. Also provided is the forecast for any Significant Weather [called SIGMET] along our planned route along with the Satellite images.

4. Performance Calculations: Basically calculate the weights and the Take off speeds.

So for this flight we got one of the AI acft. This has MTOW of 77100 Kgs with a Max ZFW limit of 62700 Kgs. For this flight, with its load of 125 pax, the ZFW was given as 58000 Kgs. The burn-off was 9100 kgs. RTOW was calculated to be 75400 Kgs. A quick mental calculation [done with the help of a Casio Scientific Calculator] showed that we could take a maximum of 17400 Kgs of fuel. But in real life we very rarely take the maximum fuel. So keeping in mind the enroute weather, and the fact that I wanted Muscat as my alternate rather than Dubai, we decide that we would need 14000 Kgs for this flight. This gave us an RAMP weight of 72000 Kgs and a Takeoff weight of 72000 Kgs.

In the meanwhile, the Cabin Crew reported to us in Dispatch. Once introductions were complete, we proceeded for the briefing [figure of speech only - we did'nt move an inch. Lazy guys you see]. The main points which are covered before every flight include the Entry procedure into the cockpit and the subtle code to be used in case of an Hijack. Also briefed are the policy for seat belts, Sterile cockpit, Security measures, Enroute Weather and how to communicate with the Flight Deck incase of any trouble in the cabin. Once that was done, they proceeded to the aircraft. AS per our company, they have to be there 45 min before departure.

And once the Office copy of the documents were signed we were ready to proceed to the Aircraft.

Pre Flight Cockpit Preparation and Walkaround

As per our company policy, we have to reach the aircraft atleast 30 min before departure. As the aircraft was docked at an aerobridge, we managed to reach the aircraft much earlier - 40 min early to be exact. Once we reached the aircraft, the FO [who was the Designated PM or Pilot Monitoring - I am not yet authorised by the company to give flying. Will have to wait till I have atleast 1000 hrs PIC experience] proceeded to pre-flight the cockpit and program the FMCs while I went for the walkaround. Before stepping out, I did manage to Dry Lease an Umbrella from the AME as it was raining the entire zoo outside. Also, I did'nt want a repeat of an incident from last monsoon where I got stuck under the Tail due to the rain and me lacking an umbrella.

Our walkround starts from the nose and goes around the aircraft in a clockwise direction and then ending in the nose again. The main thing we check are for the condition of the wheels, the struts, various control surfaces etc. For a more detailed walkaround for an NG, you can download this file.

By the time I returned to the cockpit, the cockpit was fully setup and the FO was waiting for me to crosscheck the entries. As the FMCs follow a "crap-in-crap-out" logic, it becomes very important to crosscheck the entries before executing the route. I crosschecked the legs in the FMC to the legs in the CFP and the total distance as per CFP to the one calculated by the FMC. Once all this was finished, we were ready for the PRE FLIGHT Checklist.

Boarding, Takeoff Briefing, Pushback and Start

The boarding started at 2110 LT and was finished by 2120 LT. Or we thought so. At 2130 LT, the Ground staff turns up with some news - we were missing 7 more pax. They were finally traced to the Immigration queue. By the time they were "hurried" through the queue and bought on board it was 2150 LT. Finally all papers were signed and the doors closed at 2155 LT for a total delay of 20 min.

While we were waiting for the pax, we managed to finish our Takeoff briefing. This is done before each flight and works both as an refresher and task allocation method. It helps us refresh our Emergency procedures and also clearly outline our various duties in the cockpit in such an situation. Major points which are covered are the Reject Takeoff procedures, Engine failure procedure, Lost Communication Procedure, Weather avoidance procedures amongst other things. Since there were lot of CBs around, the Weather avoidance part was really stressed upon.

Once we managed to get the Wight & Balance Sheet [aka TRIM sheet], we were able to calculate our takeoff speeds. With our ATOW of 72000 Kgs and an OAT of +29 C, we were able to use an "Assumed Temp" of +40 C and this gave us an Reduced Takeoff N1 of 95.2%. The "V Speeds" were calculated for an WET runway and this gave us an V1 136, VR 145 and V2 of 152 Knots. Once these were entered into the FMC, we were all set to go.

Before pressurizing the Hydraulics, we have to get confirmation from the Ground Crew whether the Lock pin for Nose Wheel is installed or not. This prevents unwanted movement of the nosewheel and [if it is attached to it] the Tow bar. Once we got the clearance, we finished our procedures and carried out the BEFORE START Checklist.

Cochin Tower was contacted on 118.80 and our clearance for Pushback and start obtained. We were cleared to Push and Start facing East and once this info was passed on to the Ground Staff, our flight was finally under way.

Our normal start sequence in Engine #2 first and then #1. And that is we did for this flight. With an average time of 40 seconds each, we had both engines up and running within 2 minutes. Once the procedures were completed and the Ground Crew Tata-ed off, we were ready for the BEFORE TAXI Checklist.

Taxi and Takeoff

Once the checklist was complete, we asked for our taxi clearance. We were cleared to taxi to holding point R27 via A and C. Once on Taxiway C, we switched on our Weather Radar to take a look at the weather around the airport. And soon enough, we could see the Reds and the Yellows on the ND. And enroute to the runway we got our clearance -

Express India 419 is cleared to Abu Dhabi, FL 340. After departure from R27, proceed direct to IGAMA via Radial 312 CIA. Initially maintain 5000 feet till 15 DME, squawk 0654"

Our normal routing involves flying via R340 CIA to overhead CLC [Calicut VOR] and then via R307 CLC to IGAMA, which is the FIR boundary between Chennai and Mumbai. The Direct IGAMA cuts almost 60 NM off our normal route, and saves us about 5-8 minutes of flying time. And this Direct routing is something we get 95% of the time while departing from Cochin. So when we got it, we were happy that we could makeup atleast 10 min of the delay. And as we were approaching the holding point, we were cleared to lineup.

Once we were cleared to line up, we asked for one minute on the runway before rolling to take a look at the Wx on our take off path. And there she was - a beautiful, growing and not-yet-mature CB right on our path to IGAMA. Infact even R340 [our original route] was occupied by her. Ditto to the South as well. So the only remaining option for us was to go North - North-East to be exact. We asked for, and were cleared to proceed via R025 CIA. Even though this was almost 70 degrees off our route. But with the wx being close to Cochin, we knew that at the most we would be going for about 30NM only on R025 before we could resume our normal routing. So once BOTH of us agreed with our planned deviation, we informed ATC that we were ready to depart. And soon we got that in the form of "Express India 419 is cleared for take off R27, and re-cleared initially 10000 FT". And once that was read back, we could do the BEFORE TAKEOFF Checklist.

Once the checklist was done, we were ready to go. The throttles were advanced to 40% N1 to let the engines stabilise, and then the TOGA button was pushed. This signaled the Auto Throttle [AT] to advance the thrust levers to our Takeoff N1 of 95.2% N1. The takeoff thrust was set by 60 Knots, and soon we were at 80 Knots. Now lot of things happen at 80 Knots. Firstly, it indicates that we are in the High Speed Regime of takeoff. Upto 80, we basically Reject for ANY Malfunction. But above 80, we Reject ONLY for an Engine Failure, Fire Warning, Windshear Warning or if the airplane is unable or unsafe to fly. Second thing is that at 80 Knots we crosscheck the ASIs to make sure that they are working properly.

So our takeoff was proceeding normally. Soon the call "Vee One" was made. This indicated that no matter what happened next, we were committed to continue the takeoff. A few seconds later, at "Vee R", the aircraft was rotated to an initial pitch attitude of 15 degrees. Once a positive rate of climb was indicated on the Altimeter, the Landing Gear was retracted. We were on our way to Abu Dhabi.

Climb

The moment we crossed 400 feet, the Autopilot was engaged and passing 1000 feet, the right turn initiated. As per our company policy, the thrust reduction and the acceleration altitude are now 1000 Ft AGL.

Thrust Reduction Altitude [TRA - my creation of initials], or the height at which the engine power is reduced, is mostly linked to Noise Abatement procedures. The Takeoff is done with Takeoff Thrust [Full or Reduced]. At the TRA, the engine thrust is reduced to the Climb Thrust, which is ALWAYS lower that the Takeoff thrust. Our FMCs calculates the Takeoff thrust, and accordingly, calculated the Climb Thrust to make sure that there IS a thrust reduction. The minimum height for Thrust Reduction is 800 feet. Normally it is done at 1500 feet.

Acceleration Altitude is the height at which the aircraft is accelerated [duh] or in other words, cleaned up. This process includes a reduction in pitch. This causes the speed to increases and thereby, allowing us to retract the Flaps [cleaning up]. The minimum acceleration altitude is 400 feet.

So at 1000 ft, the nose was lowered and the speed allowed to increase. And as it increased, the Flaps were initially raised to 1 and then to UP. Once the Flaps were fully retracted, the speed was allowed to increase to 250 knots. Now as per the Regulation, the maximum permissible speed below 10,000 feet is 250 knots. This is for the "see and avoid" method to work. In the earlier days, this was to see and avoid other metal birds. But in today's TCAS equipped world, this is almost seems an un-necessary step. But till ALL planes become TCAS equipped, this is a MUST Do in my humble opinion. That is why all aircraft keep their Landing lights ON till 10000 feet - to make them more visible. Besides the metals birds, this also helps us to avoid bumping into the living birds [provided we see them in time]

So once the speed reached 250 knots, our nose was raised to appx 10 degrees, and out climb continued.This was also the perfect time for us to complete our AFTER TAKEOFF Checklist. By now if felt as if we were flying inside an washing machine due to the turbulence. The crew and pax had been pre-warned on the ground about the expected turbulence, and thankfully, they followed the instructions to the letter. Passing 9000 feet, a further climb was requested and we were re-cleared to FL160 and instructed to contact Trivandrum Control on 125.95. Passing 10000 feet, we did our "10000 feet procedures". This involves turning off all exterior lights, and switching off the Seat Belt signs. Since we were still being tossed around, we opted to keep the signs ON.

Passing 10000 ft, the aircraft is again accelerated to the final climb speed, which for this flight, was 280 Knots. This speed is calculated by the FMC and varies with the Aircraft weight and the selected Cost Index. In the meantime contact was established with Trivandrum and we were cleared to climb to FL240 and to proceed direct to the CLC VOR. Approaching CLC, we were handed over to Mangalore Control on 127.55. On contacting them we good our first piece of good news - FL360 was indeed available and we were cleared to climb till there.

Passing 20000 feet, the PM contacted AI dispatch and gave them our departure message. This message includes our Cleared Level, Airborne Time, ETA Destination and our Operational Status. And 28 minutes after departing from R27, we were leveling off at FL 360.

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TO BE CONTD

Hey guys...i'm sorta abandoning this thread due to memory failure [i forgot what else happened on the flight]. So as a way of saying sorry, i'm starting a new one right next door. Please feel free to comment on it.

Psstt: there are pik-chures on that thread Wink