#pilotlife #long-haul #layover
I would like to start by thanking everyone who has been following my pilot journey so far. Unfortunately, the last month has been busier than usual. As you might know, I recently changed airline to experience something very special for a pilot: long-haul flying :)
This change came with additional professional challenges such as operator conversion course (OCC), A350 cross-crew qualification (CCQ), pilot observation flights (POF) and line flying under supervision (LIFUS). In one of my last posts, I also shared my relocation journey, which you can check here. Lots of things going on that kept me a bit far away from blogging.
So what have I achieved so far? I am halfway through the qualification process: I completed half of my OCC, got rated on the A350 and started the observation flights. For those of you who are curious about my first impressions of the A350, let me know if you would be interested in reading a detailed post in the future!
I was lucky enough to have my first observation flight to New York!✈✨
Let's go together through some of my first impressions as a long-haul pilot.
Flight preparation
Paris-NY took only 7 hours 30. WOW! Really fast when you think that some of my ''short-haul'' European flights could be as long as 6 hours 30. Flying at a cost index of 120 compared to 0 shows some results.
Flying short-haul means that most of the time, the crew returns to base every night. So, in my previous airline, duty times of over 14 hours were common, especially during the summer season. This 7 hours and 30 minutes flight time felt like a blessing, especially thinking about the 24-hour layover in NY waiting for me!
But flying from Paris to the USA is not comparable to flying a short flight within Europe.
North Atlantic High-Level Airspace (NAT HLA) and Extended Twin Operation Performance Standards (ETOPS) are strictly regulated, so operators must ensure they comply with applicable regulations before each flight. The aircraft has to pass through a series of additional maintenance checks before the flight to ensure its airworthiness and suitability for the intended route. The crew also has to perform additional checks, especially in terms of aircraft equipment and navigation capabilities. As the North Atlantic is mostly a non-radar environment, aircraft are generally separated by using the Mach technique (time-based). The crew is therefore responsible for the route and navigation accuracy. NAT document 007 is a very helpful document, if you want to know more about.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance/ Contract (ADS-C) and Controller Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) assist the flight crew-air traffic control coordination by sending reports or messages regarding the state of the aircraft and the evolution of the flight. However, in case of equipment failure or adverse weather, the flight crew should be familiar with applicable contingency procedures.
Cruise phase
Flying long-haul is synonymous with planning! But what are we planning for? Firstly, the A350-900 or 1000 has a maximum take-off weight of 275/308 tons. And that's a lot, especially in case of immediate return just after departure. In case of overweight landing, in single-engine conditions, following structural failures or adverse weather conditions (wet runways, contaminations), the aircraft might be limited so careful performance assessment is required. Also, in the case of ETOPS, the aircraft might be at more than 1 hour the distance at one engine inoperative speed from a suitable airport, in still air conditions. That's why, at the planning stage: take-off, ETOPS, en-route or destination alternates have been assessed and selected by the flight operation team. Unfortunately, weather can be very dynamic so in-flight performance assessment and planning is crucial :).
To add up, there are also additional communication and navigation procedures to comply with, to make the cruise phase spicier. 🙊😏
Approach and descent phase
There are many airports around NY: Newark Liberty (KEWR), Kennedy INTL (KJFK), LAGUARDIA (KLGA) etc. and as you might expect, they are extremely congested and prone to rapidly deteriorating weather. From personal experience, I am sure that you spent countless hours laughing when JFK ATC was trying to communicate with British Airways or Air China. If you still haven't seen the YouTube videos, please grab some popcorn! 😎😁That's one of my favourites!
Jokes aside, the American controllers were great! Really professional, patient and helpful :) Controllers are highly trained people, always ready to assist pilots when required. I find the American ATC easier to understand than when I used to fly to Bari or Roma... maybe the short-haul flying taught me some good lessons in the end.
The good news with heavy aircraft is that, thanks to the planning, you get to know your stand well in advance so no surprises for the taxi-in.
Accommodation
Our crew hotel was on the New Jersey side, and despite the jetlag, I couldn't stop admiring the view!
STUNNING! I couldn't believe my eyes. After all this training I finally got to enjoy this view. My only regret was the breakfast - as I am not a big fan of pancakes or potatoes in the morning I had to skip this part. One additional challenge : keep blogging about health and nutrition while flying constantly to the USA!🤣🤣
If sleeping seems hard during the first night, NY can offer some great places to explore, especially during the early mornings when there are fewer tourists around!
In these 24 hours I got to experience a bit of NY's vibrant lifestyle, went for a short training at the gym and studied the flight folder for the way back. I can only say I enjoyed my first long-haul flight. It was a good learning opportunity for me to get familiar with the operations aircraft and routes. Next month I will discover a new destination, on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean! Until then, back to studying and thank you for sharing this journey with me :)
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