AVB Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) During a quiet spell at work today I brought up the Flightradar24 app. The majority of heavies appeared to be freight but boy was there a significant number of pleasure/light airplanes out. The sky appeared full of them. Every Tom, **** and Harry with a plane must have been out enjoying lockdown and the clear weather. Edited January 22, 2021 by AVB Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 It's a lovely day for some air time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 We are on a low fly area and also on the exit from East Midlands, I think we are also under one of the routes for light aircraft as we usually get a steady stream of traffic but recently in fact in the last 10 months traffic has been almost non existent. A couple of private helicopters a week and thats it. No contrails in the sky heading for London either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry136 Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 Light aircraft have to fly, it has something to do with maintenance issues and pilots are required by the CAA to keep up a minimum number of flight hours per year to retain their qualifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 A nice excuse to be able to get out and fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted January 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 56 minutes ago, figgy said: A nice excuse to be able to get out and fly. Essential travel! I’m sure somebody will bring it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SO3isme Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 Commercial pilots have to keep their hours up too. If there is any work for them in the future, many will have to 'requalify' before they can fly again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted January 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 Just now, SO3isme said: Commercial pilots have to keep their hours up too. If there is any work for them in the future, many will have to 'requalify' before they can fly again Not sure I want my A380 pilot practicing in a Cessna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 I think they have to log hours in in type, twin engine jet etc I could be way off the mark. Sure Jaymo can clarify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) If fighter jets is your thing YouTube Mach Loop 😍 Edited January 23, 2021 by blackbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTaylor91 Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 Unless anything has changed and if I remember rightly private licence wise you need to fly 12 hours a year or you lose your rating. To get your rating back you just need to do a flight with an instructor that will sign you back off. ATPL wise the person that takes you on holiday isn’t keeping his rating current during the lockdown by buzzing your house in a Cessna. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaymo Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 JTaylor has it right regarding the validity of a PPL ( last time I actually instructed, the hours requirements were five hours but I was informed that it had changed) Regarding Commercial aviation, were bound by Annual Proficiency checks carried out in the Sim- usual fires/failures and certain approaches flown by hand. In between and whilst on line, there is a requirement for 3 take off’s and landings in a 90 day period to maintain ‘Currency’. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyefor Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 (edited) Lockdown: Pilot fined after landing at RAF Valley 'to see beach' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55739524 Edited January 23, 2021 by Eyefor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted January 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 2 hours ago, JTaylor91 said: Unless anything has changed and if I remember rightly private licence wise you need to fly 12 hours a year or you lose your rating. To get your rating back you just need to do a flight with an instructor that will sign you back off. ATPL wise the person that takes you on holiday isn’t keeping his rating current during the lockdown by buzzing your house in a Cessna. I remember reading that the Red Bull Air Race champion was a BA pilot. I always worried about getting on a BA flight and him being the pilot in case he forget what plane he was flying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, AVB said: I remember reading that the Red Bull Air Race champion was a BA pilot. I always worried about getting on a BA flight and him being the pilot in case he forget what plane he was flying. Damned good pilot and paid to fly Spitfires too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, AVB said: I remember reading that the Red Bull Air Race champion was a BA pilot. I always worried about getting on a BA flight and him being the pilot in case he forget what plane he was flying. He was, I went to one of the very first ones at longleat years ago when they actually flew pretty much over the crowd, not over water....he was massively impressive as he did a live commentary over the PA system as he flew and he didn’t sound at all out of breath, despite pulling very high G turns and talking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted January 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 7 minutes ago, oscarsdad said: He was, I went to one of the very first ones at longleat years ago when they actually flew pretty much over the crowd, not over water....he was massively impressive as he did a live commentary over the PA system as he flew and he didn’t sound at all out of breath, despite pulling very high G turns and talking. I remember flying back from Madrid one evening, we were running late and I reckon the pilot was on a promise. We came down the Thames and banked around the Canary Wharf tower like one of the Red Bull planes. I’d swear the wings were vertical. Then shot off back towards Heathrow. Landed as though we had been shot down and then raced to a pier. I was sweating as were most of the other passengers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 The worst landing I ever had was flying from Heathrow to New York with Air India 🇮🇳 bloody hell he touched down with such a crash I thought he had forgot to use the wheels, but no kidding the food we had was superb would put many curry houses to shame 😀 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 24 minutes ago, blackbird said: The worst landing I ever had was flying from Heathrow to New York with Air India 🇮🇳 bloody hell he touched down with such a crash I thought he had forgot to use the wheels, but no kidding the food we had was superb would put many curry houses to shame 😀 I flew air India on an internal flight once (when I worked for a very large aerospace company too) - never again. It was the oldest most knackered aircraft I’ve ever been on. Inside wasn’t cleaned, it appeared they just painted the inside to make it look clean, including over the vents etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUNKS Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 For hairy landings have any of you landed at the old airport in Hong Kong? Passing over the high rise buildings one wing down. Interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyefor Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 (edited) 20 minutes ago, DUNKS said: For hairy landings have any of you landed at the old airport in Hong Kong? Passing over the high rise buildings one wing down. Interesting! I've sat in several aircraft cockpit's arriving at the old HK airport and watched the marker boards on the hill align before "Sharp right NOW"! No direct ILS approach in them days. Put "Kai Tak" in to YouTube for some interesting approaches. Also (allegedly) a plane out of Kai Tak landed at Heathrow with a washing line attached to its tail where occupants of the high rise flats used to string their washing between buildings!! Edited January 24, 2021 by Eyefor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 An old friend of mine used to take Britannia's in to the old HK airport! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old man Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 Slightly off topic....... A while ago i had the pleasure of missing a few clays with a new acquaintance, it soon became apparent he had about 100 times more ability to locate, track and destroy the clays despite being new to the sport. In conversation one day he admitted to having spent his working life as a pilot, first RAF then involvement with development of the Nimrod for spotting at sea. He said 100 knots at 100 ft in a Rod sharpened the senses...lol He lived and was based HK at the end of career training new pilots. A very good companion on the clays and a joy to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUNKS Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 46 minutes ago, Eyefor said: I've sat in several aircraft cockpit's arriving at the old HK airport and watched the marker boards on the hill align before "Sharp right NOW"! No direct ILS approach in them days. Put "Kai Tak" in to YouTube for some interesting approaches. Also (allegedly) a plane out of Kai Tak landed at Heathrow with a washing line attached to its tail where occupants of the high rise flats used to string their washing between buildings!! Actually people lived in shanties on top of the high rise hotels and yes they did approach a bit low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 1 hour ago, Eyefor said: I've sat in several aircraft cockpit's arriving at the old HK airport and watched the marker boards on the hill align before "Sharp right NOW"! No direct ILS approach in them days. Put "Kai Tak" in to YouTube for some interesting approaches. Also (allegedly) a plane out of Kai Tak landed at Heathrow with a washing line attached to its tail where occupants of the high rise flats used to string their washing between buildings!! Tail wheel? How far are you going back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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