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Cold and Dark Cockpit??

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Hello all, I was curious if anyone could fill me in on how to set up my cold and dark cockpit situation. In real life, when the Capt/FO enter the cockpit, what gauges, switches, etc, if any are "on"? I've got the excellent Boeing 757/767 Simulator and Checkride procedures manual written by Capt Mike Ray. I basically want to start up a situation and have the cockpit set up as it would be to a real flight crew coming in for the turnaround. The cockpit preparation situation PIC767 included isn't a "cold and dark" one. It'd be easy enough to set up if I knew that everything was off. Having browsed over the initial procedures in the manual, it looks as though everything is off. But I've yet to find anything in the manual referring to procedures when reaching the gate at the end of a flight......Any help would be greatly appreciated. I highly recommend Mike Ray's book. Absolutely the best manual I've come across that outlines how real pilots "behave" in the cockpit.Tony P.Manns Harbor, NC

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Guest Muppet22

Select the CYYZ flight from the PIC menu and 'Load a panel' option. Can't remember the exact names but this is about as cold and as dark as you'll get ;-)Tom EvansBAV 757/767 Training Captain

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Guest

or as a alternative method...I select my fav airport, select my fav pic a/c, shut her down myself, empty the fuel tanks, select my startup view (outside shot). Then I just save the flight.Nothing to it.Cheer's

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Guest Ian_Riddell

"I basically want to start up a situation and have the cockpit set up as it would be to a real flight crew coming in for the turnaround. The cockpit preparation situation PIC767 included isn't a "cold and dark" one."I'm not sure what you're after here, Tony.The real flight crews are rarely presented with a cold and dark cockpit. The ground engineers usually make sure that power is on well before the crew arrives (if say the aircraft had been overnighting at the airport). During a short transit, the incoming crew should have left the aircraft in a similar reasonably bright and warm condition to allow the outgoing crew a speedy departure. The cockpit preparation situation in PIC seems to be pretty cold in my version of PIC (although, last time I looked, I noticed that the battery switch was left in the ON position and some switches were in unusual positions). Why did you think it wasn't cold and dark?I posted a reasonable facsimile of a Cold and Dark cockpit file on my site recently:http://www.ozemail.com.au/~iriddell/767/Cold&Dark.zip If you like, I could prepare a transit file, but it would be airline-specific. Most operators leave their aircraft in similar conditions, but there may be minor differences here and there. For example, the APU and packs may be left running, but some airports may have readily available supplies of power and air so they would switch off the APU and use that. The IRS's may be still in NAV mode or they may have been switched to ALIGN or OFF. Leaving them in NAV gives the crews the option to fly the aircraft on another sector without having to go through the 10 minute realignment. All our international flights require a full alignment however. Of course, all the potentially dangerous stuff is switched off during a transit (Engines, Fuel Pumps and Hydraulics).Perhaps you could clarify your request?Thanks.Cheers.Ian.

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Guest captbulldog

>the incoming crew should have left the aircraft in a similar reasonably bright and warm condition Can you tell us what do they usually leave on and turn off when parked at the gate?And if you could prepare the a transit cockpit state file that'd be great.

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Guest Ian_Riddell

Hi, Preston.You may like to try the situation file(s) I've just posted at: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~iriddell/767/Transit.zipI've modified one of the standard PIC situations to show what a typical 767 looks like during a transit.It's a "beta"... so it may need some fine tuning (Comments welcome).You can, of course, reposition the aircraft to your favourite airport and resave the situation.I've enclosed a text file in my zipped package with comments similar to the following:"These files will set up PIC to reflect the state of an typical 767 during a short transit.Things to note:OVERHEAD PANEL#The IRS's are usually left in NAV or ALIGN. However, you may need to do a full alignment for your flight. Is the aircraft going on a long overwater sector? How long have the IRS's been in NAV mode? (Over 18 hours?) Most pilots simply switch off the IRS's and switch them back on again to start a full alignment. However, if the IRS switches have been put to ALIGN by the previous flight crew and they have been in this position for more than a few minutes and the aircraft is not moving, the IRS's will start a full alignment process without you having to go to OFF. After 10 minutes, they will be "just as good as new" (although you will have to reenter an accurate PPOS before going back to NAV).#All hydraulic power is removed from the aircraft during the transit for safety reasons. Most Hydraulic Pumps will be selected OFF. However, because the Engine pumps are not active until engine start, these remain in the ON position (irrespective of ground time).#Yaw Damper switches are usually left on. However, you may need to make your own selections depending on how you control the rudder in PIC.#No Smoking Signs should be in either AUTO or ON, depending on your airline's policy with regards to allowing smoking in flight. Seat Belt Signs will be OFF to allow the pax to get out of their seats ;-)#If the transit is short, usually the APU is left running and the aircraft will be fully powered using the APU generators. Ensure that you have enough fuel to power the APU during the transit.#There are two engine ignitors (spark plugs) per engine. Normally only one is used to start an engine. It is important to even out the wear and tear on both ignitors. There are different ways of doing this. Some companies simply ask their outgoing pilots to select whatever system wasn't used on the previous flight. Some airlines select the ignitor to be used based on inbound/outbound flights or Flight Number.#Start Switches seem to be left in either the AUTO or OFF position. It may be safer to leave the switches in OFF, but the ground engineers should select these to OFF or pull circuit breakers anyway if they are to work on the engines.#All Tank Fuel Pumps are switched OFF.#Depending on how soon the pilots get to the aircraft, the tanks may be full or they may still be being refuelled.#All Anti-Ice switches should be OFF#Airconditioning may be left on if the temperature in the cabin is too hot or too cold. The cabin can get quite warm with the packs off even on a cold day. There are lots of lights and electronics in the cabin which generate a lot of heat. Trim Air must be on and APU bleed valves and Isolation Valves must be open for the Airconditioning Packs to operate properly. Recirc fans may be left running.#Engine Bleed Valves are usually left in the open position, but because there is no air coming from the engines, the OFF lights will be illuminated. PEDESTAL#The EEC Switches (shown on the pedestal in PIC) are left on at all times.#The Park Brake is usually found in the parked position. However, the engineers may need to release the brake for maintenance purposes (brake changes, tire changes, etc). Be sure to ask for their permission before setting the park brake if it is off.#The Speedbrake Handle should be in the DN position. The Flap Handle should be in the UP position.#The DH setting will probably have been left as it was for the previous landing#The ATC may have been turned to STBY or OFF by the incoming crew for safety reasons.#Rudder Trim should have been set in the neutral position for the previous landing.FMCThere may be a route or part of a route on the ROUTE 2 page left over from previous flight. I have not shown this in my example file.MAIN INSTRUMENT PANEL#The Wing/Tail Nav lights may be on, depending on the visibility outside. It may help prevent cargo loaders, mobile step drivers and catering truck drivers running into the wingtips with their vehicles. Most of the other external lights are usually turned off.#Navigation panels usually remain in their last positions from the previous flight. The MCP will probably still have the settings required for landing. Some flight crews may switch off both the FD's and A/T, others don't. This may be airline policy.#The white/red bugs on the Airspeed Indicator should be bunched together at the top of the dial so that the outgoing crew don't accidentally use the previous landing settings for takeoff.#The Baro setting on the Altimeter will have been left in the last position. Be sure to set this up correctly for the next flight. Barometric pressures can change quite rapidly at times.#The EFIS control panel selections will probably not have changed from the last flight. The EICAS display will most likely be found in the position desired by the engineers (Hydraulic fluid and oil quantites will have to be checked. Oxygen levels may also have to be checked). Some crews will turn down the brightness on the displays to prevent the image on the displays being permanently burnt into the screens. The screens are interchangeable. In certain light conditions, you may see that your EADI or EHSI was once an EICAS screen."Hope this helps.Cheers.Ian.

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Guest captbulldog

Awesome! Getting the file now! :D

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Guest

Ian, Outstanding! That was exactly what I was looking for......Thanks.By the way, are you a real-life commercial pilot???Tony P.

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Guest Ian_Riddell

"By the way, are you a real-life commercial pilot???"I wish! :-)No, actually, I'm quite happy to be a real-life ground engineer ;-)Cheers.Ian.

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Guest captbulldog

Hey, at least you get to work with aircrafts :)BTW, I found the A/T to be in the armed position from your sit file. Shouldn't it be in the off position after landing as per checklist?

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Guest Ian_Riddell

I've seen very few A/T switches switched off, Capt, but if your airline has this step as part of the checklist, please feel free to modify my file ;-) It may be done for additional safety, but I think the chance of something untoward happening is rather remote. The engines would have to be running and the N1/EPR button would have to be accidentally pushed*.Actually, the way some pilots leave their aircraft can be less than confidence-inspiring sometimes (Strobes running, flaps still out, Wx Radar running, etc. Rumour has it that the flight crew of one DC10 (MD11?) in KJFK left their aircraft with one of the engines running!). I'm sure the pilots are equally impressed by some of the things that careless engineers do :-lolCheers.Ian.* BTW, the 747-400 also has a requirement for flaps-greater-than-zero, so there would be even less chance of anything happening.

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Guest captbulldog

Heh. Cool :-lolI'm using the checklist by Eric Sarkissian found on PIC home page. I thought A/P and A/T would be turned off on approach anyway as the pilots fly hand approaches. Anyway, I trust you because you know a lot more about the real procedures than I you. We're all here to learn! :)Take care.

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Guest Ian_Riddell

"Anyway, I trust you because you know a lot more about the real procedures than I you. We're all here to learn!"Thanks for the vote of confidence Preston :-)... but pilot/flying procedures are definitely not one of my strong points. I'm just viewing things from a ground-based perspective. I really don't mind second opinions (especially when it comes to 767's). Through forums like this (and studying the Boeing wiring schematics), you soon learn that "normal" is a myth. Every airline has their weird and wonderful "normals". BTW, our airline has (767) maintenance contracts with Air New Zealand, Asiana, All Nippon, Air Pacific, British Airtours and Air Cananda (to name but a few), but these airlines only represent a small percentage of those which fly 767s (my views may be somewhat biased). ;-)"I thought A/P and A/T would be turned off on approach anyway as the pilots fly hand approaches."It's important to note here that turning off the A/P and A/T can be done in degrees. You can hit one of the two A/T disconnect switch on the thrust levers, yet still leave the A/T switch on the MCP in the armed position. Similarly, you can disconnect the A/P using the disconnect switch on one of the control columns yet still leave the bar on the MCP in the up position. I'm told that some airlines, when making non-precision approaches, do completely disable the A/P with this bar .... and the F/O announces that he/she has done so. However, I can't say I've seen the bar in the down position (at the gate). Perhaps this is a rigid policy amongst the airlines to have the pilots put the bar back up before they leave the cockpit.Anyway, hope this helps :-)Cheers.Ian.

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Guest captbulldog

Ah ha! Here's where the differences come in. In PIC the A/T switch inhibits manual throttle movements (when this option selected). So to fly manual appraoches in PIC, I have to actually disarm the A/T switch to get controls back. Thanks for the info.Take care.

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Guest Ian_Riddell

>Ah ha! Here's where the differences come in. In PIC the A/T >switch inhibits manual throttle movements (when this option >selected). So to fly manual appraoches in PIC, I have to >actually disarm the A/T switch to get controls back.Ah, ha! (Time I spent more time flying PIC manually, I think. I didn't realize this, Preston).This makes things a little trickier then. Dusting off my manuals yet again, I see that, depending on what A/P mode you have selected, it is possible to control the throttles manually with the MCP A/T switch in the ARM-ed position (even in the absence of an A/T switch on the throttles). I see that if the A/P pitch mode is "ALT", "V/S" or "G/S" and the A/T switch is cycled from Arm to Off to Arm, the A/T will not re-activate (unless you start pushing other buttons). This leaves you free to control the throttles manually.Perhaps as you are coming down the Glideslope, you could do a quick Shift+R (x2) and have a hand ready on the throttles to take over?Hope this helps.Cheers.Ian.

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