Thursday, August 30, 2012

Finished CBT

The PW150A of the Q400. Much bigger and looks better with 6 blades. The prop diameter is actually the same (well very similar) to the 200/300. Just 2000 extra horse power!


The flightdeck of the Q400. Nice LCD screens, less clutter and much nicer layout over all.



5 comments:

  1. Hi Mike!

    Amazing blog! I just found it randomly as I have just been typed on a C402B and am doing my first IR in 7 years! I work in the survey industry in NZ. I find your blog both fascinating and informative. Do you have any advice for someone just starting out in the 402 (5 hrs on type)? One of the main things I find interesting is the check lists and verbal call outs for both multi/single crew. Im trying to add structure for my SPIFR cockpit environment.

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  2. Hi mate,

    Thanks for the comments mate, glad you like it! It started as a way of showing my olds what i was doing, but kinda turned into a hobby.

    The 402B was a great plane to fly, although scary when heavy and not much runway! I found that some were good and wanted to get airborne and other were seriously heavy on rotate. Either way on the B models, i used to rotate at 100kts, and be virtually at blue line. Otherwise it was too scary!

    I found in many situations, checklists didn't work single pilot, when you are hand flying an approach in bad weather and its more dangerous to stop flying the plane and try to read a checklist.

    I found in the Cessna models, you could develop a good flow. I used to start at the fuel controls, move up to the throttles, over to the side panel and work my across the instruments, checking all the CCT breakers too.

    I would use TEMPFISH as my taxi out checks.. from memory, Trims, Engines, Mixture, Props, Fuel/Flaps/Cowl Flaps, Instruments, Switches, Hatches and harnesses. (I think there was another F i forgot since flying pistons.) But that used to cover it all usually.

    After takeoff i would use the checklist, and for descent much the same. I would also do BUMFISH for approach and landing which used to work..

    Brakes, Undercarriage, Mixture, Flaps/Cowl flaps, Instruments, Switches, Hatches.

    I think its all the experience and almost 'feel' of what you expect and know. You will enjoy flying the Cessna twins, they are probably the best laid out pistons.

    Thanks for reading, feel free to ask or email me mike.lesser@gmail.com if you need anything.

    Cheers, Mike

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  3. Hi Mike,
    Great blog and thanks for the updates - great to follow your progress.

    Flew in the ATR the other day (SYD-CBR) and boy, does that trailing link make every landing a sweet one!

    The -400 and ATR-72 carry about the same number of PAX but they are very different looking aircraft.

    And my REX mate still reckons the trailing link is for woosie pilots!

    All the best, and look forward to the next entry
    tony

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  4. Ive always wondered how the Q300 compares to the ATR72 from a Pilots prospective.

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