A high pucker factor 747-8 landing

[slo town]

Subject line says it all. Pilot worked hard for this one!

Look at all the departures that are stacked up on the left because of all the go arounds by previous arrivals.

Scott

 

[Astro14]

With thousands of hours, and several years of experience, on the 747, I can say that this pilot worked way harder than they needed to because they were over controlling the snot out of that poor airplane.

Some pilots are smooth.

Some are rough.

Then, there are some like this guy… hands of stone.

I’m just glad he’s not a neurosurgeon!

 

[slo town]

With thousands of hours, and several years of experience, on the 747, I can say that this pilot worked way harder than they needed to because they were over controlling the snot out of that poor airplane.

Some pilots are smooth.

Some are rough.

Then, there are some like this guy… hands of stone.

I’m just glad he’s not a neurosurgeon!

I wouldn't know. There is a longer video of this landing that shows several go arounds. Wind was crazy.

One of my life long friends had a career flying for UPS, including two decades as a Captain on their 747 freighters. He told me he did a some CAT-3B landings at Narita, which he said were a bit stressful.

Scott

 

[slo town]

The longer video...

Scott

 

[gman2304]

Speaking of stones…! Four bars on his shoulder tells me it ain’t his first rodeo!

 

[IndyFan]

With thousands of hours, and several years of experience, on the 747, I can say that this pilot worked way harder than they needed to because they were over controlling the snot out of that poor airplane.

Some pilots are smooth.

Some are rough.

Then, there are some like this guy… hands of stone.

I’m just glad he’s not a neurosurgeon!

I have a small amount experience from many years ago in little Pipers and I thought exactly the same thing because I've done that. Fortunatley, I had a great instructor teach me to use smoother, calmer control inputs. WIth practice and experience, it worked great and lowered my stress dramatically.

 

[IndyIan]

With thousands of hours, and several years of experience, on the 747, I can say that this pilot worked way harder than they needed to because they were over controlling the snot out of that poor airplane.

Some pilots are smooth.

Some are rough.

Then, there are some like this guy… hands of stone.

I’m just glad he’s not a neurosurgeon!

I was trying to correlate his inputs to how he was getting thrown around in the seat. But it seems for all his inputs, the turbulence was moving the plane around much more than his inputs were?
Is there an option to lock down the seats securely? Seems like having the seat moving so much makes it more difficult to actually feel what the plane is doing and reacting, or even keep a steady input on the stick or pedals?
Is there some force feedback on the controls, like can you feel through the stick as the load builds up on a control surface with a gust before the plane reacts?

 

[Astro14]

I was trying to correlate his inputs to how he was getting thrown around in the seat. But it seems for all his inputs, the turbulence was moving the plane around much more than his inputs were?
Is there an option to lock down the seats securely? Seems like having the seat moving so much makes it more difficult to actually feel what the plane is doing and reacting, or even keep a steady input on the stick or pedals?
Is there some force feedback on the controls, like can you feel through the stick as the load builds up on a control surface with a gust before the plane reacts?

Well, I’ve seen a 747 land in near typhoon conditions, and the Captain was nowhere near that rough, so, I reckon that part of the reason that this one is being thrown around is - his own rough control inputs!

The airplane is stable, but with ailerons that are bigger than the wings on many airplanes, it is responsive to control inputs.

Big, violent, rough inputs like those in the video lead to big, rough movements of the airplane, instantly translated from the controls, through the large control surfaces (aileron, elevator, spoiler, likely rudder, as well) on the 747.

The seats are locked down - but the cushion itself allows some movement - and there is the equal/opposite reaction to his violent pushing, pulling, sawing Yoke motion.

 

[Astro14]

Speaking of stones…! Four bars on his shoulder tells me it ain’t his first rodeo!

Doing a thing for a long time doesn’t always mean that you’re good at it.

 

[dnewton3]

Disclaimer ... I'm not a pilot. So that's a big grain of salt to understand regarding my comments.

But ... there's no way the mass of that plane is reacting to those (near violent) inputs of the control surfaces. He's way over-correcting in every motion, IMO.

You can do the same thing in a semi-tractor or large piece of farm equipment. You can wildly generate inputs into the steering system (controls), but there's no way the mass of huge vehicles (planes) reacts to those relative to the timing of the inputs.

IMO, this pilot isn't smooth and isn't doing any good for the craft or the landing.

Just my two cents.

 

[IndyIan]

Well, I’ve seen a 747 land in near typhoon conditions, and the Captain was nowhere near that rough, so, I reckon that part of the reason that this one is being thrown around is - his own rough control inputs!

The airplane is stable, but with ailerons that are bigger than the wings on many airplanes, it is responsive to control inputs.

Big, violent, rough inputs like those in the video lead to big, rough movements of the airplane, instantly translated from the controls, through the large control surfaces (aileron, elevator, spoiler, likely rudder, as well) on the 747.

The seats are locked down - but the cushion itself allows some movement - and there is the equal/opposite reaction to his violent pushing, pulling, sawing Yoke motion.

Thanks for sharing! I think I'm seeing it better now especially just before touch down, hands forward and back is making him go up and down.
I guess there are some pilots who like "wring the neck" of the plane once in a while? Or is he putting on a bit of a show for the pilots on the ground with all the control surfaces flapping around? I guess in a cargo plane, only your crew can complain?

 

[IndyFan]

I will point out one thing in the pilot´s favor....no damage, no one hurt....walked away happy.....Good Landing!!!

 

[50yr Street Mech]

I won't be flying to Japan anytime too soon after watching those videos. That runway needs to be closed when wind shear is that bad. No reason to make Pilot's work that hard to land a plane safely. Engineering changes needed at that airport. Re-design the runways around the windshear.

 

[tbm5690]

Re-design the runways around the windshear.

That might take the cake for the most ignorant comment I've seen to date.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

OK, then close the airport, and build a new one where the wind is more stable. Is that better ??? Geez, some of you guys are just plain cruel !!!!!!!!!!!! Didn't momma ever teach you if you have nothing good to say, don't say it ?? Obviously not.

 

[Astro14]

OK, then close the airport, and build a new one where the wind is more stable. Is that better ??? Geez, some of you guys are just plain cruel !!!!!!!!!!!! Didn't momma ever teach you if you have nothing good to say, don't say it ?? Obviously not.

I see.

Where the wind is more stable?

That’s not really how wind works.

Some days it is windy. Some days it is not. You cannot build an airport anywhere on this planet, where it never gets windy.

In your first statement come as you said you wouldn’t be flying to Japan anytime soon, so should the Japanese not build airports on their islands? I mean, they all get wind, right?

Where is the nearest place to New York that doesn’t get windy? Should we move New York’s three major airports to that place, even if it’s hundreds of miles away?

 

[97prizm]

With thousands of hours, and several years of experience, on the 747, I can say that this pilot worked way harder than they needed to because they were over controlling the snot out of that poor airplane.

Some pilots are smooth.

Some are rough.

Then, there are some like this guy… hands of stone.

I’m just glad he’s not a neurosurgeon!

Geanted a 747 has an incredibly wide wing but I'm surprised that some airports that encounter significant winds don't have fencing designed to dissipate winds.

 

[Astro14]

Geanted a 747 has an incredibly wide wing but I'm surprised that some airports that encounter significant winds don't have fencing designed to dissipate winds.

That is not really how wind works.

You could not build the fence high enough to significantly change the surface winds, without building it so high that the airplanes can’t land there because it is blocking the Approach path to the runway.

 

[50yr Street Mech]

Yeah, I've had and heard enough on this post fellas. Have a Great Day

 

[97prizm]

That is not really how wind works.

You could not build the fence high enough to significantly change the surface winds, without building it so high that the airplanes can’t land there because it is blocking the Approach path to the runway.

Well apparently it exists. I wasn't sure that a company called Fort-a-wall and windbreak offer wind reduction fencing available for airports.