1. On a cross-Europe flight, what is the typical weight of baggage carried by each passenger? What about long haul flights?2. Is it true that autolands may only be used with CAT III ILS approaches? If not, when is a manual landing required? How can I find out if an approach is CAT II or CAT III?3. When during the climb is the PAX seat belt light switched off? When during/before the descent is it switched on? Is it switched on at any other time other than for turbulence or the like?thanks

1. On a cross-Europe flight, what is the typical weight of baggage carried by each passenger? What about long haul flights?2. Is it true that autolands may only be used with CAT III ILS approaches? If not, when is a manual landing required? How can I find out if an approach is CAT II or CAT III?3. When during the climb is the PAX seat belt light switched off? When during/before the descent is it switched on? Is it switched on at any other time other than for turbulence or the like?thanks

Hello Andqui.Replying to your questions:1. If you are asking about specifical weights, the airlines might tell you a somewhat accurate response. If you are asking operational weights, airlines, at their start-up, they do a research about their costumers' average weights (and their baggage) and then take those values as their operational rules. They will send those numbers in the respective operations manuals to their country's Civil Aviation Authority and if the numbers are satisfactory, they will be approved. So actually, pax and baggage weights are standard to each airline. For some info about the case, take a look at the accident involving an Air Midwest B1900 in 2003.2. Autolands may be performed even in Cat I ILS, BUT CANNOT BE MADE IN WEATHER CONDITIONS BELOW CAT I MINIMUMS. AFAIK, you can do manual landings up to Cat IIIA , but usually airlines SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) require to perform autolands when certain wx conditions are present. You can find out if an approach is Cat I, II or III on the approach chart, where the type of approach is mentioned (VOR, ILS, NDB). If the approach is Cat II or III, it will read "ILS Cat II" or "ILS Cat III", on some charts even "ILS Cat II/III". BTW, I wouldn't be so calm if I have to fly an ILS into a 0 miles/meters visibility and a 50ft ceiling...real instrument proficiency required here.3. Per airline SOP, I think you are able to turn off the seatbelt sign during climb after performing the Climb Checklist and if no Turb (bad wx) is anticipated. Same thinking on descent issue. You can turn on the sign again way after the descent has been initiated, again, if no turb is anticipated. I don't know of any other reason to turn the sign on apart from turbulence and critical phases of flight (read: ground, takeoff, landing).Best regards.

ok, thanks.Does anyone have a good rule of thumb for passenger weights/baggage weights that I can use?

ok, thanks.Does anyone have a good rule of thumb for passenger weights/baggage weights that I can use?

Usually, standard pax weight in airlines is around 170lbs. Baggage weight around 30lbs for domestic flights, 60lbs (maybe a bit more?) for international flights.Best regardsEd

* Category I (CAT I) - A precision instrument approach and landing with a decision height not lower than 200 feet (61 m) above touchdown zone elevation and with either a visibility not less than 800 meters (2,625 ft) or a runway visual range not less than 550 meters (1,804 ft). * Category II (CAT II) - Category II operation: A precision instrument approach and landing with a decision height lower than 200 feet (61 m) above touchdown zone elevation but not lower than 100 feet (30 m), and a runway visual range not less than 300 meters (984 ft) for aircraft category A, B, C and not less than 350 meters (1,148 ft) for aircraft category D. * Category III (CAT III) is further subdivided Category III A - A precision instrument approach and landing with: + a. a decision height lower than 100 feet (30 m) above touchdown zone elevation, or no decision height; and + b. a runway visual range not less than 200 meters (656 ft). Category III B - A precision instrument approach and landing with: + a. a decision height lower than 50 feet (15 m) above touchdown zone elevation, or no decision height; and + b. a runway visual range less than 200 meters (656 ft) but not less than 75 meters (246 ft). Category III C - A precision instrument approach and landing with no decision height and no runway visual range limitations. A Category III C system is capable of using an aircraft's autopilot to land the aircraft and can also provide guidance along the runway surface.In each case a suitably equipped aircraft and appropriately qualified crew are required. For example, Cat IIIc requires a fail-operational system, along with a Landing Pilot (LP) who holds a Cat IIIc endorsement in their logbook, Cat I does not. A head-up display which allows the pilot to perform aircraft maneuvers rather than an automatic system is considered as fail-operational. Cat I relies only on altimeter indications for decision height, whereas Cat II and Cat III approaches use radar altimeter to determine decision height.[2]An ILS is required to shut down upon internal detection of a fault condition as mentioned in the monitoring section. With the increasing categories, ILS equipment is required to shut down faster since higher categories require shorter response times. For example, a Cat I localizer must shutdown within 10 seconds of detecting a fault, but a Cat III localizer must shut down in less than 2 seconds.Autoland can and must be performed in CATIIIIn the UK all approaches to major airports like Heathrow must be instrument approaches unless VMC conditions exist AND traffic density allow AND ATC have given permission to the crew which must be given before entering the TMAHave a look here at a real CAT III approachVololiberista

also the landing rate is reduced in low visibility conditions. At Heathrow (EGLL) the rates are:IRVR 1000 - 600m...expected landing rate 34/hrIRVR 600 - 150m.... expected landing rate 24/hrIRVR < 150m......... expected landing rate < 20/hr