When is an Aircraft Too Heavy to Fly?

[Mouser]

Good one Perry, but even that rule should be overridden out by experience and common sense.

I am thinking of a runway that climbs initially and then goes downhill - with no obstacles to clear.

Alternatively if the runway is downhill initially and then uphill. And perhaps there are trees to clear.

Actually that rule is potentially dangerous for inexperienced pilots who take it as gospel.

And who actually paces out, or drives along the runway to find, and then mark, the mid-point. I suspect that you might, Perry But most of us, not.

Sorry to burst your bubble - but the rule must take second place behind experience and common sense.

jim

I am no pilot Jim but is relying on "experience and common sense" the difference between the pilots of smaller aircraft and those who drive the big tin. For the large passenger aircraft, as I understand it, the numbers, procedures and training should not be exceeded or deviated from without having to make some explanation later or getting a DCM. Sim training hammers the following of procedure, rely on "experience and common sense" and you will have a difficult interview. All second hand though.

Greetings Mr McMouser. I suspect you have been misinformed - or perhaps not struggled through the whole thread.

Airline pilots stick strictly to the graphs and charts because they work. There are no unknowns.

If you look back a little in the thread you will see that I advocate experience and common sense when operating a PC (pi$$-cat, Private Craft, or Papa-Charlie) in the bush where there are a whole lot of unknowns. I am thinking of runway gradient and the height of obstacles and whether the surface is hard or soft of long grass or short grass or sandy and so on. There are no graphs for such things.

You have a lekker day.

jim

Well sort of followed and I think what you have confirmed, maybe inadvertently, is that sticking to the graphs and charts that work may be conservative but that is best when you have a few hundred passengers aboard and need repeatable safe actions on known airstrips. There are unknowns with small aircraft and uncertain airstrips for sure and therefore more uncertainty (duh), and I would say higher risk, even with "experience and common sense". I fall back on what the Emirates captain I know said (he had come up from ATC, PPL, commercial in SA then Afghanistan, Congo etc, Comair then Emirates). "You do not mess with the numbers".