Hi, lately I have started to notice, increasingly, that after flying for a while at high altituted, a rattling sound appears and I start to loose flight speed and altitude. What is happening and how do I avoid it please? (I know the rattling is part of the aircraft but how do I prevent it)CheersPaul

ratling sound? thats probably the stall warning, you better watch your speed otherwise you will fall outta the sky

Indeed. That is the stick shaker and it is a warning to you that the plane is entering a stall.Look at your FMC VNAV CRZ page and ensure you aren't flying at or above the MAX ALT listed there. You want to be at or below the OPT ALT. As you climb higher the air thins and your indicated airspeed drops - if it drops far enough, you'll stall.

The following was coined by Sir Thomas Sopwith many years ago. 'Keep thyne airspeed up lest the ground rise up and smite thee'. This was written above his hanger door.No true'r words have been spoken,Bob Johnson

Imagine the crash investigation and the engineers listening to the CVR tape.(Sound of stick shaker)Captain: "Whats that rattling sound?"FO:"Surely it's supposed to do that sometimes?"Captain: "Maybe, and stop calling me Shirley!"Timhttp://members.chello.nl/t.westnutt/realair.gif

...after which the captain was taken to a hospitalFO: Whats that?well it's a really big building where they take sick people

>...after which the captain was taken to a hospital>>FO: Whats that?>>well it's a really big building where they take sick people>>"But that's not important right now!...."http://members.chello.nl/t.westnutt/realair.gif

sorry, i forgot that add that line, you might say I picked a #### of a week to quit amphetamenes ;)

Sure it's not the trim wheel - I often get a rattling sound after I select the aircraft while its storing the waypoints/fixes etc on start-up.

psouthanYour not the only one with this queryTwo days ago I was practising with the 747-400 - approached T/D - plane started on the 'downhill run' when all of a sudden all #### breaks loose with this 'rattling' - hadnt heard it beforeThanks to the above responses now I know the CAUSEHappy flyingBadbiggles2