B737 Talk

[///AMG]

What happened, was Mx got their ass jumped by their own QA people. QA had been going out to the aircraft after Mx had done a postflight, and was writing up the Mx folks and dinging them for leaving switches “on”. The idea being, if it has an on/off switch, then it must be off when the aircraft is post-flighted, turned, and secured by Mx. This clown act went on and on by QA.

I've seen that go wrong with plane captains before. The mantra they are taught is "off, safe or NORM". Which is mostly accurate. But there are some switches that should not be in OFF, so it isn't infallible. Moving everything to OFF is not really a good plan though.

 

[///AMG]

I found the entire B side spoilers off on the guarded switch in SJC yesterday. That could have been spicy.

Yeah, that could have been at least 2 stars Thai spicy. I hope I'd catch those too, though I've missed a couple Easter eggs on that upper panel that never should be off in a crew swap, internet switch being one of them, probe heat being the other. The probe heaters being on will really throw a wrench into any good FO's FMS preflight

 

[RORO]

I have a 737 question for you: How often do you activate they standby hydraulic system?

I'm asking because I suspect this is a sitaution of "same equipment operated differently."

Our procedures have us check they are normal/guarded as part of the general preflight and establishing aircraft power flows but there is no normal procedure that has you turn the standby rudder or alternate flaps switch on to my knowledge.

How often is your shop having you activate it?

 

[Minuteman]

I don't have a shop of my own, unless you're hiring.

Instead I work with many different carriers, and it it interesting to see their variations in how they define their operation. In this case, I am not aware of anyone where the pilat exercies the standby system. But it is usually at least partially pressurized, so someone is doing it.

 

[Roger Roger]

I found the entire B side spoilers off on the guarded switch in SJC yesterday. That could have been spicy.

You really got check all the switches after maintenance has been in the cockpit. They would move stuff around that never gets touched and then leave it like that.

We had that in one of the aircraft I used to fly. Switches that would never be turned off, we’d find the item not working, but no one would check the switch immediately because the switch is never normally ever off.

Crossfeed valve has entered the chat

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

Crossfeed valve has entered the chat

What a massive embarrassment

 

[inigo88]

Crossfeed valve has entered the chat

What a massive embarrassment

Someone at your carrier run a 737 wing tank dry like it was a Cherokee? Blink twice for yes.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

Someone at your carrier run a 737 wing tank dry like it was a Cherokee? Blink twice for yes.

Basically, yes and then shut down a motor because they rushed the checklist. The best part was the shock and indignation from the training department which had trained us to rush through checklists and shut down motors.

 

[Roger Roger]

is it just me or are the packs on the max weaker than the NG?

 

[Crockrocket94]

Ive found the -800 to be colder but the -700 to blow more air volume.... Max feels pretty weak at the gaspers but the temps can be dropped at least if you stay ahead of it...

 

[Roger Roger]

Ive found the -800 to be colder but the -700 to blow more air volume.... Max feels pretty weak at the gaspers but the temps can be dropped at least if you stay ahead of it...

Maybe it’s just coincidence but what I’m talking about is-on the NG it seems like once the packs are up and going, it’s pretty easy to get the duct temp down around 10° on the APU on the ground. On the max, if it’s warm at all, it seems like regardless what bleed source you use until you’re airborne it can be hard to get duct temps below about 18°. Maybe just need to use high flow more often? Not getting a lot of mentoring from captains because most of them don’t seem to care much which seems insane operating on the west coast in summer.

 

[Crockrocket94]

Maybe it’s just coincidence but what I’m talking about is-on the NG it seems like once the packs are up and going, it’s pretty easy to get the duct temp down around 10° on the APU on the ground. On the max, if it’s warm at all, it seems like regardless what bleed source you use until you’re airborne it can be hard to get duct temps below about 18°. Maybe just need to use high flow more often? Not getting a lot of mentoring from captains because most of them don’t seem to care much which seems insane operating on the west coast in summer.

Run the APU bleed to the packs with the engine bleeds off and it'll go to High flow and get pretty cold on the ground, you can go into the MX data pages and go to AC and see the zone, output temps etc and see what's its really doing. But yeah, being based in the SE in the summer we run max cool pretty much to runway and use the APU to feed the packs.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

Run the APU bleed to the packs with the engine bleeds off and it'll go to High flow and get pretty cold on the ground, you can go into the MX data pages and go to AC and see the zone, output temps etc and see what's its really doing. But yeah, being based in the SE in the summer we run max cool pretty much to runway and use the APU to feed the packs.

@Roger Roger this is the best advice here. Dive into that systems page on your MFD and try different configurations on the bleed panel. Maintenance Data Page has the data for the temperature of just about every single air system on the aircraft.

If you're flying with me anything you want to do to keep the aircraft cool is fine lol

 

[MikeD]

Run the APU bleed to the packs with the engine bleeds off and it'll go to High flow and get pretty cold on the ground, you can go into the MX data pages and go to AC and see the zone, output temps etc and see what's its really doing. But yeah, being based in the SE in the summer we run max cool pretty much to runway and use the APU to feed the packs.

Down here in AZ, it’s always bleeds off on the ground in the summer when using the APU /APU bleed for cabin cooling.

Related to this; had to do a bleeds off - improved takeoff last week. Set the bleeds appropriately post-start, but there’s always the pilot who is so ready to get the APU off during normal times while taxiing out, not thinking and just going by habit. Other guy starts to reach up to the overhead panel, and the slow motion “nooooo” couldn’t come out fast enough before the APU switch was flipped to off out of habit. Uhh…we needed that, remember?

 

[///AMG]

Down here in AZ, it’s always bleeds off on the ground in the summer when using the APU /APU bleed for cabin cooling.

Related to this; had to do a bleeds off - improved takeoff last week. Set the bleeds appropriately post-start, but there’s always the pilot who is so ready to get the APU off during normal times while taxiing out, not thinking and just going by habit. Other guy starts to reach up to the overhead panel, and the slow motion “nooooo” couldn’t come out fast enough before the APU switch was flipped to off out of habit. Uhh…we needed that, remember?

We dont do a lot of bleed off takeoffs anymore, but I have seen it a lot in the warmer temps or still winds in SAN. On my little piece of scratch paper that serves as my surrogate for the “knee board card” I’m used to, I write “LEAVE THE APU ON!” And then draw a big box around it.

 

[///AMG]

@Roger Roger this is the best advice here. Dive into that systems page on your MFD and try different configurations on the bleed panel. Maintenance Data Page has the data for the temperature of just about every single air system on the aircraft.

If you're flying with me anything you want to do to keep the aircraft cool is fine lol

I can say from a little experience, that icing out the cabin with the APU for 50 mins on a ground turn, is immediately ruined once the APU comes off and the engine bleeds have to do the work. Just say “No”

 

[Ian_J]

Down here in AZ, it’s always bleeds off on the ground in the summer when using the APU /APU bleed for cabin cooling.

Related to this; had to do a bleeds off - improved takeoff last week. Set the bleeds appropriately post-start, but there’s always the pilot who is so ready to get the APU off during normal times while taxiing out, not thinking and just going by habit. Other guy starts to reach up to the overhead panel, and the slow motion “nooooo” couldn’t come out fast enough before the APU switch was flipped to off out of habit. Uhh…we needed that, remember?

Tear off a small piece of ACARS paper. Poke a hole in it. Put it over the APU switch. It at least will make someone think before turning it off.

 

[ASpilot2be]

Tear off a small piece of ACARS paper. Poke a hole in it. Put it over the APU switch. It at least will make someone think before turning it off.

Assuming he has ACARS.

 

[Crockrocket94]

Does the -200 have the 1 minute delay for the APU if you accidentally turn it off?

 

[Ian_J]

Assuming he has ACARS.

Ha! Good point. Any piece of paper will do I imagine though.