Sliceback

I don't recall seeing Deadhorse on our list of approved diversion airports. It might have been but I don't recall seeing it. Barrow was the north slope airport of choice...all 6500' (7100' paved) of it. Nothing like taking a heavy 777/787 into a 6500' airport in the winter. At least it's never windy up there. :-/

JamesNoBrakes

The wind is your friend there. The different minimums for the different directions on the runway are not.

Lady Speedbird

Heathrow is my base. On the 27L it is very common to experience a microburst. Having said that, the T7 is shaky during decrab at the best of conditions. And if we're being honest, there's a lot of incidents lately where excessive vertical stabilizer action has been performed.

Sliceback

Microbursts are random locations. More common in geographical areas, like KDEN or where convectice activity, especially in dry areas, are common. But associated with specific runways? Ah, no.

The 777, like almost all aircraft that don't start with an 'A', is a great crosswind landing airplane. Hardly 'shaky'.

Lady Speedbird

The T7 is an excellent airctaft and in my 11 years on it I never felt uneasy. However, the 777 loses quite alift after a sudden decrab manoeuvre. It lacks stability in lateral wing loading of the outboard engine. It's got a long wheel base and combined with what I said about sudden decrabbing it can lead to a heavy landing, although it's hardly the case, it just feels that way. It also tends to overflare if you're not carefull and to avoid a bad landing durind X-Wind you need all the drift you can get. I won't continue, it will be too technical. I stand by my professional opinion that it's an excellent machine, it just has some quirks.

Sliceback

It doesn't 'overflare'...that's a result of the pilot's input.

You "need all the drift yoiu can get" in a crosswind? I've done, or watcher FO's do, plenty of nice crosswind landings. I forget the exact number but I think the 777-200 can do full wing low technique up to 32(??) kts of crosswind? That means only on the very rare occasion of crosswinds exceeding 32 kts do you need to use any crab. Max for us was 38 kts so at worst you'd need to crab for 6 kts of crosswind. Drift is the exact opposite of what you want in a crosswind landing. Alignement with the runway, enough wing low to offset lateral drift from the crosswind, and the airplane lands tracking straight. Any drift or crab shakes the aircraft from slightly to fairly harshly at greater crab or drift values.


Every airplane with wing mounted engines has an 'outboard' engine.

The 777 is literally a big teddy bear and a great airplane to produce great landings including, or especially in, crosswinds.

Yeah, no technical stuff for other pilots to read.

JohnBurke

I'd like to know more about a particular runway that is prone to microbursts.

Is this runway some kind of thunderstorm magnet?

Sliceback

I was in contact with a Boeing test pilot. He said the 777 does slow more quickly *while solely relying on the autothrottles* during a crosswind landing. That's true to every airplane cross-controlling or putting in a large rudder input. He said due to the autothrottle retard software it's more noticeable on the 777 and can lead to harder landings. Most guys just set the landing attitude before going to idle. The slight speed decay isn't an issue for guys using manual thrust. Or if the pilots are autothrottle dependant they just override the retard throtlle a bit during the last portion of the flight. It's similar to every cross-control landing but a bit more noticeable on the 777.

He mentioned that the increased probability of a hard landing is true but the reasoning ('loss of lift', 'lack of stability', long wheel base, etc) aren't the cause. "It is a teddy bear

Other planes have similar issues, like 727-200's, 737-800's using Flaps 40, etc. It's more common for guys to not go to idle starting the flare. Instead they set the landing attitude/cross control and once that is established and touchdown is about to occur then power is reduced to idle. Let's say it's 'power to idle at 10'' becomes 'hold your power until just prior to touchdown.' It's a small delay in thrust reduction.

EyeKantEven

...isn't that something you need to see a doctor for?

Lady Speedbird

I'll gladly take the contact details if your doctor. Send them over