REVIEW - Martinair MD-11 by ITVV

Martinair MD-11 Flight Deck by ITVV

A review by Marlon Carter

Many of you may recall the aviation DVDs produced by ITVV many years ago. These documentaries have been hailed as some of the best-documented aviation moments of our time. ITVV has recently revitalized their products by allowing Flight One Software’s Simstop website to be the exclusive distributor of the ITVV brand of DVDs worldwide. These DVDs come with a newly designed packaging and lower pricing so that all can enjoy these flight deck programs once more.

Today, we will be looking at the Martinair MD-11Flight Deck Experience to see whether or not this program is worth adding to your collection. Before we examine some of the highlights, here are a few interesting details about this program.

Join Martinair on a round trip from Amsterdam to Palma de Mallorca!

ITVV are proud to present Part One and Part Two of this program featuring the Boeing MD-11, presented by Captain Ruud Bakker and First Officer Robert Lenz.

Welcome on board for a round trip from Amsterdam to Palma de Mallorca. This remarkable three hour DVD gives a fascinating view of flying the world’s only modern wide-cabin tri-jet airliner. Join the crew for their pre-flight briefing at Amsterdam, then take your seat on the flight deck to find out about the aircraft systems including an ‘autoland’ back at Schiphol.

AMS to PMI to AMS

Amsterdam – Palma de Mallorca – Amsterdam

You will join Ruud and Robert in the Flight Operations briefing room at the Martinair building at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.

There you’ll be first given a full briefing about the flight, the route, weather and fuel. We then go out to the aircraft (PH-MCS) for the start of our journey from Amsterdam (EHAM) to Palma de Mallorca (LEPA). Departure is from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport using runway 19L on a Lekko SID, call sign Martinair 341.

Ruud explains in great detail the whole departure as he is actually flying it. Once settled in the cruise at 37,000 feet, Ruud introduces you to the FCP (Flight Control Panel), FMA (Flight Mode Annunciator), FMC (Flight Management Computer), FMS (Flight Management System), Climb Thrust and Pitch, Pilot Selection Mode verses FMS Mode, Nav Mode, PFD (Primary Flight Display), PLI (Pitch Limit Indicator), and FPA (Flight Path Angle). We then follow Ruud and Robert in the descent and make an approach to Palma de Mallorca using runway 24L. Hear the Air Traffic Control for the flights and follow the checklists as you discover this state of the art aircraft from a very privileged perspective – the cockpit!

• Multiple camera views inside cockpit
• Hear ATC communications
• Cockpit views on takeoff and landing
• Captain explains instruments, systems and procedures
• Preflight briefing, checklists and aircraft walkaround
• Running time: 183 minutes (Prts One and Two total)
• DVD features 170 chapter points
• DVD VIDEO  (Parts One and Two) – All Regions – PAL ONLY

Please note that this DVD will work on PAL systems only and is not NTSC compatible. Please ensure your system can play this format, before purchase. Thank you.

About the Aircrew

Captain Ruud Bakker, Martinair's Senior Chief Pilot, was born on August 24, 1954 in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Ruud started his flight training in September 1973 at the Government Aviation School (RLS, Rijksluchtvaart school) in Eelde, The Netherlands, where he flew the C-150, Saab-Safir and C-500. He finished school in May 1976 with a CPL, theoretical ATPL and a C-500 rating. From May 1976 Ruud flew sightseeing trips in a C-172. In September that year he left for Kenya and briefly flew part time for Sight by Wings, an organization that transports eye-doctors to places in Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and the Comores Islands.

In March 1977 Ruud returned to The Netherlands to take up an invitation by Martinair's Director of Flight Operations to start a job as crew-scheduler, with the option of getting a job as a pilot as soon as a vacancy became available. During September 1977 Ruud started as a co-pilot on the DC-9-30 and in February 1979 a co-pilot on the DC-10-30 and progressed in May 1986 to his first captaincy on the A310-200.

From 1987 he became a TRI (instructor), and in 1988 a chief-instructor, from 1990 till the end of 1993 he also became chief pilot. In 1994 Ruud helped prepare Martinair for the introduction of the MD-11, along with his MD-11 training with Swissair which lead him on to a position as chief instructor on the MD-11 Fleet.

In January 1997 he was made chief-pilot MD-11 Fleet and in September 1999 he became Martinair's Senior Chief Pilot. Ruud is married and has two children.

About the Airline *

In 1958, former airforce pilot Martin Schröder started his own company called 'Martin's Air Charter'. Nowadays, Martinair has a modern fleet and a worldwide workforce of around 3000. At Martinair, the spotlight is on flexibility. Over the decades, short and long distance passenger transport, cargo, ad-hoc flights and aircraft leasing to third parties formed the historical cornerstones of Martinair's operations.

Few people know that Martinair transports cargo all over the world. Depending on the season and market trends, an average of six aircraft flies the busiest routes each week. Currently, the fleet consists of 15 wide-body aircraft with double aisles: 2 Boeing 747-200C, 1 Boeing 747-200F, 6 MD-11 and 6 Boeing 767-300ER. With their ease of adaptability from passenger plane to cargo carrier, the aircraft characterize Martinair’s flexibility.

*Please note that the airline information may be outdated.

Highlights

Martinair has had quite an interesting history. The first portion of this program focuses on the background of this company that has played significant role in Dutch aviation. In addition to the history of the airline, the corporate movie highlights the fleet and other subsidiaries of the company that included a Catering Service, Maintenance, Business Travel and even a Flight School! The corporate movie provides a valuable insight into the history of Martinair that many may not be aware of. Today, Martinair is significantly different to what it once was since it centers mainly on cargo operations. In the past however, the operations of Martinair centered on both passenger and cargo transport to many intriguing destinations.

The next segment of these programs feature one of these destinations on a flight from Amsterdam to Palma de Mallorca onboard the MD-11. The first leg of our round trip features a detailed discussion on many of the procedures and checks that are involved with cockpit preparation, startup and takeoff. During the cruise, the Captain talks extensively about some of the flight instruments that shows his in-depth knowledge of various displays and systems. After an uneventful landing at Palma, the crew begins their preparation for the return flight to Amsterdam, which features many interesting highlights. Prior to departure, the Captain discusses some interesting details about the flap selector wheel and the various settings used for best performance. The MD-11 is very unique in that it is one of the only aircraft that allows pilots to dial a flap setting to suit their performance needs. During the cruise phase of the flight more is discusses on this top that you will find equally enlightening. In addition to the discussions related to the flaps, the captain also presents information on the Engine Instruments, Level 0 -3 alerts, Systems such as Hydraulic, Air, fuel and much more! An interesting detail about the MD-11 is that the aircraft has a fuel tank located in the tail section, which is used for gaining better economy by transferring fuel to the main tanks.

The final cockpit presentation centers on the overhead panel that was quite extensive and informative. By far, this is the only DVD I have come across that has discussed so many details about the MD-11. Prior to landing back at Amsterdam, we take a short break from the cockpit to join our First Officer as he demonstrates CAT 3B approaches in the MD-11 simulator with the both aircraft and ground equipment failures. These scenarios are very intense as the visibility on these approaches was near zero. After this presentation was completed, we join the flight crew once more for the landing at Amsterdam, which was viewed from both the cockpit and from the ground.

One of the things I appreciated the most about this program was the calm, clear and well organized presentations done by Captain Ruud Bakker. In addition to this, the numerous camera views in the cockpit and on the ground at both airports made this program enjoyable from all vantage points. ITVV has done an amazing job at delivering a professional product that can be enjoyed by fans of the MD-11 for years to come. The quality may not be HD, but it overall presentations certainly make up for any visual deficiencies. At a price point of $16.95 US, this is a program well worth having!