Why only Capts should do the initial walkaround.

[Rwy in Sight]

Boac, I am starting a new thread. If Ex-A reads that his input would be rewarded

[om15]

That fueling is going to last until after your cockpit checks are completed so unless you are super cautious you rely on the worker to do his job and close the panel correctly.

A few years ago a Citation 560XL took off with the refuelling panel open and the refuelling cap hanging on the chain, located on the front fuselage in line with no 2 engine the cap detached shortly after rotation and completely trashed the fan, happened a second time with another operator who luckily got away with a dented vertical stabiliser.

Cessna approached and asked why a warning light system wasn't fitted to alert crew if the panel was open, no need was the reply, the AFM requires this to be checked on the pre flight.

In my earlier years I remember that a crew taking an aircraft off maintenance would allow time for a through check, full and free, correct sense and so on, not so much now, the recent Luftwaffe Global incident could have been prevented by a through control check.

[Alisoncc]

How does the Co get on to the wing? Up a platform lift?

Have you never heard of sky hooks? The best way to gain access to the ILS antennas on a Vulcans rudder was to be lowered from a sky hook.They were essential for carrying out any external work on Beverleys. Especially when they were located out on a desert strip. Dial up a sky hook and you could be up on top of the tail in minutes.

Alison

[Boac]

Do, however, make sure the sky-hook is put back in the right position or the aircraft will not get off the ground.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Coincidentally .... Small World ! The NZ CAA publish a quarterly magazine and I have just received the latest edition, which includes a story relevant to this thread. Apparently the Air New Zealand Flight Engineers (sadly of yesteryear now ) always demanded a ladder to check the oil filler caps after the - in this instance - American service crews at LAX, and were chided for it, "Don't you trust us ? " sort of riposte.

On the occasion related it was a wet night, and the F/E had taken refuge on the flight deck for awhile, and with everything reaady for departure announced that he still had to check the oil caps. "No Problem" said the LAX refueller, who had just delivered the fuel log, "we did all that". Nevertheless the F/E insisted, so the departure slot was lost for a start and a 30 minute ATC delay imposed, but he returned soaking wet and announced that all four caps had been left hanging by their chains, and had he not completed his checks then they would have been handling a very silent glider two hours into the Pacific flight to Tahiti.

The article ends ... 1) Be consistent and always follow operating instructions fully. 2) Never delgate tasks to unknown, unqualified personnel 3) Never try to persuade other crew members to deviate from standard operating procedures and 4) Never allow others to persuade you to shortcut SOP's

But then - we know all that, don't we ?

[Pontius Navigator]

How does the Co get on to the wing? Up a platform lift?

Have you never heard of sky hooks? The best way to gain access to the ILS antennas on a Vulcans rudder was to be lowered from a sky hook.They were essential for carrying out any external work on Beverleys. Especially when they were located out on a desert strip. Dial up a sky hook and you could be up on top of the tail in minutes.

Alison

Having a fear of heights the safety razor was as high as I went. In the Shacklebomber our approved ditching exit was upper escape hatch or over wing. In practise I got as far as head and shoulders out of each, acknowledged that I did indeed know what to do before retreating into the womb. Others bravely did a bum slide off the wing. Oddly I had no problem using the role exit in the Nimrod, memories of school fire practice perhaps.

[ian16th]

How does the Co get on to the wing? Up a platform lift?

They were essential for carrying out any external work on Beverleys. Especially when they were located out on a desert strip. Dial up a sky hook and you could be up on top of the tail in minutes.

Alison

I once replaced the HF aerial on a Bev.

Wearing a safety harness, I exited via the astrodome and walked along the top of the fuselage, adding lengths to the harness.

Reaching the tail I do the spanner job of removing the old aerial and fitting the new one.
I returned to the astrodome, picking up my safety line hand over hand.

When I get inside, my mate who had watched all this asked me why I had worn the safety harness, to which I replied, "In case I fell!"

He took my harness and threw it over the side and I watched it hit the pan!

This was when I learned that a Beverley is longer than its height.

[TheGreenGoblin]

How does the Co get on to the wing? Up a platform lift?

I believe it was the lack of small ladder that was the root cause of the accident as it resulted from the use of an over-wing emergency exit to access the wing. He fell almost as soon as he stood up on the wing root as he didn't see the thin film of ice that had formed. Not the recommended method for reaching the over-wing refueling port (can't remember the type but he used to fly Gulfstreams). Twas a decision he regretted almost immediately. He still walks with a limp some years after the accident hence his reluctance to clamber up ladders.

[Pontius Navigator]

I wondered about the overwings as we only ever practised on a Nimrod that was due to go into the shed and pressurisation checks were required. I might be wrong about that though.