I heard sixth hand that they didnt want to get the HUDS on the 900s but it turns out they have a tail strike warning system and thus we ordered HUDS.

Time for tail strike videos.







And by the book

I've not heard of anyone scraping the tail on our 777-200's, either on T/O or landing, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened, I just haven't heard about it if it did. It's not something anyone worries about in day to day ops.

And on the 767-200, I don't think it was an issue there either. I never say never, because surely someone could do it if they tried hard enough.

Yeah I still don't see what the big issue with a little slower rotation is. Seems much smoother and safer to me. I'm always amazed by guys who want to yank the 75/76 off the ground and right up to the pitch bars like the sim instructor is behind him looking at his initial climb speed.

When I first checked out as my fist Capt. job on the MD88, I had the FAA on the jumpseat to watch on the last leg. His one critique was that I rotated slowly...

I mentioned that since we had departed from a 10,000' runway, with no obstacles, wouldn't we be much better off, rudder control and climb wise, if we had lost an engine at V1, with the extra 10 knots...?

The only time I worry about getting up quickly and being right on V2 is if it's a very short runway or there is an obstacle to be cleared, and 99% of the time, there isn't.

If the guys in the DFW 727 no-flap takeoff (1987) had rotated slower, they might have been able to fly it off, it was a 12,000 runway. Ever since that accident I've never been in a hurry to "jerk it off"....so to speak!

+1

How many pilots have killed people due to rotating too fast and crashing either because:

a) they forgot to put out the flaps
b) they lost an engine at a critical time and couldn't save it
c) they got distracted with another issue and lost control due to low speed
d) they hit windshear with insufficient speed

Compare that number, with how many pilots have killed people because they ran off the end of the runway and/or hit something off the departure end, solely because they were rotating too slowly...

Yet, we continue to preach bad piloting, imo. This has been my biggest pet peeve with how my company tells me to fly airplanes.

Awesome, I totally agree. What was his answer to your question?

He started quoting the "Text Book" answers, about second segment climb and all that crap. I didn't argue with him, it was my Capt. Checkride, so like a good doobie, I just smiled and nodded my head and said what I always say to the FAA:

"Oh yeah, you're right, I never looked at it like that, thanks for your valuable input..."

Perhaps on takeoff....
On landing the belly provides the "skid"...

• REF -5 and a compressed strut is a tail-strike
• REF -10 and touchdown is a tail-strike

Thus the "report cards" printed on landing in the modified 800s

Cheers
George

The recent uptick in tail strikes have been on the 767.