V-Flyer

Out of curiosity, do any insiders on here know how much actual hand flying is typical on VS flights?

For example, what proportion of approaches and landing plus takeoff and climb to altitude are flown by the pilots?

I'm interested as I see a lot of debate these days suggesting that in many airlines, lack of stick and rudder time is reducing the capability of the pilots to hand fly if the automation throws a wobbler or there is a technical issue.

Many airlines appear to think that the route to safety and efficiency is via automation, but this is perceived as degrading the skills of those that would need it the most once the automation quits for any reason. Tere is also a suggestion that it could lead to complaisancy meaning unusual events aren't always spotted in time.

For example, I know that many airlines used to encourage pilots to fly the takeoff and climb, engaging automation at cruise level, then on decent, fly from say FL15 to landing by hand. Many of those same airlines now have sops (standard operating procedures) that engage autopilot at 1000/5000 etc, and only disengage on approach at 2000.

Anyone have views or info?

Interesting question!

I am currently completing my full ATPL and have done quite a few simulator hours on the B737 400 and A320.

I cannot speak for VS but the norm is for the pilots to carry out the take off, once a positive climb is established and at around 300ft, gear up is called, then between then and 1000ft the automatics are activated (L Nav and V Nav)

The decent is again handled on auto and most of the approach; the auto pilot is disengaged once the aircraft is fully established on the ILS on a stable final approach, usually around 3 miles to 4 miles out. There are of course exceptions to the rule, for example poor visibility etc.

I believe Ryanair do allow their pilots to hand fly the take off, climb, decent and approach, but I do not know how widely this is done.

I know some airlines have SOPS on take off's and landings for certain weather criteria - for example, if the crosswind is more than 30 knots. then the captain must carry out the take off or landing - I guess most are there as a safety precaution

Sounds more of a PPRUNE question ... but then the folk there would get suspicious!

Don't ops require a certain number of manual t/os and landings p.a. too?

I would say 99% of take off's and landings are manual, the only automatics I know of that are sometimes used is the auto throttle.

If you do a search on youtube there is a video of a LHR-SFO flight, it pretty much walks you through everything.

Scrooge wrote:If you do a search on youtube there is a video of a LHR-SFO flight, it pretty much walks you through everything.

There's also a DVD. We have it here at home

slinky09 wrote:Sounds more of a PPRUNE question ... but then the folk there would get suspicious!

Don't ops require a certain number of manual t/os and landings p.a. too?

I did think about posting there, and maybe still will, but I don't find PPRune a very welcoming environment these days!

Anyway, it was just a point of curiosity more than anything else, it would just give me a pointer as to VS attitude to such things.