Flying the North Atlantic Tracks
05-09-2009 | 10:43 AM
#11
seeing the country...
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From: 73N A
05-10-2009 | 07:01 AM
#12
Line Holder
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From: B747-400 Captain
In my experience, day/night is not so much a factor on the NAT tracks. It is more an east/west thing. The eastbound tracks try to take advantage of the jetstreams by flying in/close to them to reduce flight times. For the same reasons westbound flights try to minimise flight times by avoiding the mainly westerly jets. Generally more turbulence is associated with the jetstream than outside of it, hence more turbulence likely eastbound than westbound.
05-10-2009 | 11:16 AM
#13
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The biggest issue with flying the North Atlantic is that your options for changing altitudes and tracks are limited by the lack of positive radar control. It doesn't matter if your going east or west. Time of day is a factor because the available altitudes and tracks vary with time of day. There are more westbound in the morning and eastbound at night.
05-10-2009 | 12:54 PM
#15
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Doesn't the captain retain captains authority to deviate when required? I recall seeing reports of how on occasion, captains will exercise their authority to move off the track to go around bad weather on the NATs. I think some amount of paperwork is required afterwards to justify the action.
The Captain can use his emergency authority to deviate. He will have to explain that action after the flight. Ride comfort would never be a reason to exercise emergency authority unless the turbulance threatened the safety of the aircraft. It would be highly unlikely to encounter that type of turbulance on the tracks. Most pilots would never see it in a 20 year career of flying the North Atlantic.
05-12-2009 | 12:34 AM
#16
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From: Cessna 152
Well, I mentioned I was surprised the pilots apologized. But how can weather be their fault? The folks over at DAL are just a class act.
I rode a 757 back from Atlanta to Los Angeles the same day of this trip. I tend to agree (only from a passenger's perspective) that the 757 felt stiffer (we had rough weather coming back and the pilots announced a deviation to avoid weather).
I love the 757/767, of course only from an aesthetics view point. I know these were one of the first planes designed entirely with computers (if not the very first). Being a high-tech major and working in the software/hardware industry, I appreciate that.
(Secretly, I envy the pilots who fly them...)
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Bill Lumberg
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