Fedex planes auto land?
02-08-2015, 05:16 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by PurpleToolBox
CAT IIIc is a precision approach with no decision height and no RVR requirements. I don't think any airline has been approved for that but I could be very wrong. However, all of the models flown by FedEx including the former 727 can autoland.
02-08-2015, 07:04 PM
#13
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Originally Posted by TallWeeds
I can't speak to the regular 727s but the Valsan conversion could not autoland.
Perhaps the Valsan airplanes you are familiar with were converted from planes equipped with older, less capable autopilots.
02-09-2015, 05:42 AM
#15
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Originally Posted by fdx727pilot
The Valsan conversion was done on many 727s, both for FedEx and other companies. The autopilot capability of the donor aircraft determined whether the plane was auto land capable. All the 727-S2Fs, which Fedex ordered new from Boeing and were the only 727s we converted to Valsan configuration, were all capable of CatIIIa (auto land with no rollout) approaches, requiring 600 RVR. These airplanes were the best factory equipped 727s, and were the last 17 planes off the Boeing 727 line.
Perhaps the Valsan airplanes you are familiar with were converted from planes equipped with older, less capable autopilots.
Perhaps the Valsan airplanes you are familiar with were converted from planes equipped with older, less capable autopilots.
02-09-2015, 05:56 AM
#16
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Originally Posted by TallWeeds
I stand corrected then. I had the opportunity to fly two of the ex-FedEx Valsan 727s at my previous company. I thought they were not autoland capable with the removal of the autothrottles. They only operated them as Cat 1 birds anyways. I will agree with you that they are some of the most capable 727s ever made. We even added a GPS to them when we picked them out of VCV. The added performance made the job much easier.
Btw - I took N209FE out to VCV, when we returned it to the leasing company. Really sad to see those jets go.
02-09-2015, 01:52 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by TallWeeds
I stand corrected then. I had the opportunity to fly two of the ex-FedEx Valsan 727s at my previous company. I thought they were not autoland capable with the removal of the autothrottles. …………………………………………………………….. We even added a GPS to them when we picked them out of VCV. The added performance made the job much easier.
The former FDX SIBA 727's had GPS installed.
02-09-2015, 02:09 PM
#18
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Originally Posted by RedeyeAV8r
It has been a while since I flew a FDX 727, but as I recall, none of them had auto throttles activated (The FO or SO was the Auto Throttle). They were still Cat 3.
The former FDX SIBA 727's had GPS installed.
The former FDX SIBA 727's had GPS installed.
As long as we are on memory lane, none of the 100s were Cat 3 and some of the older 200s were only Cat 2. I think there were some 100s that were Cat 3 capable in theory but we're not maintained to that standard. I think all of the airplanes had GPSs but they only bought x number of FMC like control heads. They could swap them out.
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