Some Wind Over The Atlantic

[SkyPup]

Took a few shots of the instrument panel during our eastbound Atlantic crossing Friday night.  In the second photo, in the upper left corner of the nav display "GS626  TAS463  288/174"  is ground speed 626 knots, true air speed 463 knots, wind from 288 degrees at 174 knots.  With that nice tailwind, we arrived in Rome in record time.  Of course, coming home the next day was another story....

[DD_Bongodriver]

I take it was a Jetstream, is that a 747? do you guys typically cross the pond at FL350 ish? can you get higher to get out of the jet?

[SkyPup]

Hi Bongo, it was a 767-400.  Crossing altitude depends mostly on our weight, but we usually cross anywhere between 32000-37000.  Yes, sometimes you can avoid a headwind by climbing.

[DD_Bongodriver]

DOH!!! looking again I should have realised it's a 2 engine job, there is me looking for thrust levers and there's EICAS staring back at me.

[DD_Fenrir]

School boy error. 

[DD_Bongodriver]

I know.......shameful.

[SkyPup]

Bongo, which Lear do you fly and how high can it get?  I've heard a Lear is close to fighter performance.

[DD_Bongodriver]

Lear45 with a max operating ceiling of 51000', I believe the entire Lear range have this ceiling, we are limited to not above 49000' because of cosmic radiation but I have never gone above 45000', shame because if you take a pic of the altimeter at FL510 Bombardier will issue a '51 club' pin.

Lovely little jet and it has fighter like performance because the wing is actually from a swiss fighter design P19 I think, though Mmo is only .81 Vne 330kts..........fanfuckingtasticwheel brakes though, it's like hitting a wall so not bad short field performance for landing and we still have TR's

[BadAim]

I love it when you boys talk dirty.

[DD_Bongodriver]

I was rubbing my nipples as I typed too

[DD_Bongodriver]

Found a video of the P-16, if you are familiar with the Learjet you will recognise the wing planform and distinctive tip tanks, the Lear 45 has winglets instead of tip tanks but the basic wing I believe is unchanged.

 

 

P-16

 

Early Learjet

 

Learjet45, an actual one from my company fleet.

 

 

45 cockpit, not my photo

 

[SkyPup]

Nice, Bongo.  Very sharp-looking cockpit in the Lear 45.

[BadAim]

Looks like it takes a bit of athleticism to get in and out of those seats, but they sure do look comfy once you get in them........

[DD_Bongodriver]

A bit cramped for my fat 6'3" ass, I really want to move on to something bigger with a flight attendant.

 

Acyually the Learjet seat should be banned under some sort of anti-torture legislation, it is one of the most uncomfortable, it only takes 1.5 hours sat in before the eyes well up with tears from the pain.

[DD_Fenrir]

Crikey! That centre console certainly has lots of expensive - and important - looking pots, buttons and LCDs to put ones foot through if one was clumsy enough to do so...

[DD_Bongodriver]

That red switch visible in the centre console is the primary/secondary pitch trim selector, seen a few of those bent forward.

[CaptJackG]

My highest GS I got one day in a 747-200 from Hong Kong to Chitose, Japan. We leveled off at 330 doing 720 kts. Had a TAS of 500.

[DD_Bongodriver]

Sweet, nearly got 700 GS once on a flight to Reykjavik, just hovered at 699 the whole time.

[SkyPup]

Yipes,  you guys are speed merchants!

[Snacko]

Hmm... I didn't realize how many real pilots we had here.. I knew about CaptJack, Squawk, and one or two others.. 

 

How many guys in the squad actually fly for a living?

[DD_Bongodriver]

I think that's all if you include me and Skypup, I think I'm the only one outside North America.