On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 22:16:42 +0000
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 08/12/2020 20:22, Recliner wrote:
the flight, with at least the take-off hand flown. The hours in the middle
are largely on auto-pilot, with occasional ATC contact.


I know an ex BA pilot who always preferred the European routes rather
than Transatlantic as the former had more real flying and he got to go
home most nights!

Probably considerably healthier too. Sitting down for long periods plus
constant jet lag is very bad for a persons health.

On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 08:26:50 +0000 (UTC)
wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 21:20:16 -0000 (UTC)
Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
wrote:
Most of its above ground. But I suspect any driving job gets boring after
a while regardless of the vehicle, even flying a plane.


That's where having a variety of routes and different traction comes in.

By way of comparison; the gWr drivers who drove what's now Crossrail
Reading/Hayes terminator services would also have signed all the branches,
Bedwyn and Oxford, plus those based at Reading would also have signed
Basingstoke and Gatwick. Plus they would have had some variety of calling
patterns between Padd and Reading.

Something I've wondered occasionally - why can't drivers not signed on a
route drive it at a much reduced speed if some emergency comes up and no
one else can be found? 2000 ton freight trains excepted , surely most EMUs,
HSTs etc can stop quick enough if only doing 20mph for it to be safe for
someone to drive a route if they know where the next signal is?

That should have read DONT know where the next signal is. Or bends etc.

In message , at 09:43:38 on Wed, 9 Dec
2020, remarked:
On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 08:26:50 +0000 (UTC)
wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 21:20:16 -0000 (UTC)
Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
wrote:
Most of its above ground. But I suspect any driving job gets boring after
a while regardless of the vehicle, even flying a plane.


That's where having a variety of routes and different traction comes in.

By way of comparison; the gWr drivers who drove what's now Crossrail
Reading/Hayes terminator services would also have signed all the branches,
Bedwyn and Oxford, plus those based at Reading would also have signed
Basingstoke and Gatwick. Plus they would have had some variety of calling
patterns between Padd and Reading.

Something I've wondered occasionally - why can't drivers not signed on a
route drive it at a much reduced speed if some emergency comes up and no
one else can be found? 2000 ton freight trains excepted , surely most EMUs,
HSTs etc can stop quick enough if only doing 20mph for it to be safe for
someone to drive a route if they know where the next signal is?

That should have read DONT know where the next signal is. Or bends etc.

It's just as important to know *which* of the signals (eg on a complex
gantry) is the one that applies to your track.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 10:16:36 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:43:38 on Wed, 9 Dec
2020, remarked:
On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 08:26:50 +0000 (UTC)
wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 21:20:16 -0000 (UTC)
Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
wrote:
Most of its above ground. But I suspect any driving job gets boring after
a while regardless of the vehicle, even flying a plane.


That's where having a variety of routes and different traction comes in.

By way of comparison; the gWr drivers who drove what's now Crossrail
Reading/Hayes terminator services would also have signed all the branches,
Bedwyn and Oxford, plus those based at Reading would also have signed
Basingstoke and Gatwick. Plus they would have had some variety of calling
patterns between Padd and Reading.

Something I've wondered occasionally - why can't drivers not signed on a
route drive it at a much reduced speed if some emergency comes up and no
one else can be found? 2000 ton freight trains excepted , surely most EMUs,
HSTs etc can stop quick enough if only doing 20mph for it to be safe for
someone to drive a route if they know where the next signal is?

That should have read DONT know where the next signal is. Or bends etc.

It's just as important to know *which* of the signals (eg on a complex
gantry) is the one that applies to your track.

The one above the track surely.

In message , at 11:03:38 on Wed, 9 Dec
2020, remarked:
On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 10:16:36 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:43:38 on Wed, 9 Dec
2020, remarked:
On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 08:26:50 +0000 (UTC)
wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 21:20:16 -0000 (UTC)
Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
wrote:
Most of its above ground. But I suspect any driving job gets boring after
a while regardless of the vehicle, even flying a plane.


That's where having a variety of routes and different traction comes in.

By way of comparison; the gWr drivers who drove what's now Crossrail
Reading/Hayes terminator services would also have signed all the branches,
Bedwyn and Oxford, plus those based at Reading would also have signed
Basingstoke and Gatwick. Plus they would have had some variety of calling
patterns between Padd and Reading.

Something I've wondered occasionally - why can't drivers not signed on a
route drive it at a much reduced speed if some emergency comes up and no
one else can be found? 2000 ton freight trains excepted , surely most EMUs,
HSTs etc can stop quick enough if only doing 20mph for it to be safe for
someone to drive a route if they know where the next signal is?

That should have read DONT know where the next signal is. Or bends etc.

It's just as important to know *which* of the signals (eg on a complex
gantry) is the one that applies to your track.

The one above the track surely.

No, that's where you don't understand how it works.
--
Roland Perry

On 09/12/2020 08:27, wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 22:16:42 +0000
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 08/12/2020 20:22, Recliner wrote:
the flight, with at least the take-off hand flown. The hours in the middle
are largely on auto-pilot, with occasional ATC contact.


I know an ex BA pilot who always preferred the European routes rather
than Transatlantic as the former had more real flying and he got to go
home most nights!

Probably considerably healthier too. Sitting down for long periods plus
constant jet lag is very bad for a persons health.


Aeroflot got round that by getting crews to maintain Moscow time
regardless of where they were in the world.

--
Graeme Wall
This account not read.

On 09/12/2020 08:27, wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 22:16:42 +0000
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 08/12/2020 20:22, Recliner wrote:
the flight, with at least the take-off hand flown. The hours in the middle
are largely on auto-pilot, with occasional ATC contact.


I know an ex BA pilot who always preferred the European routes rather
than Transatlantic as the former had more real flying and he got to go
home most nights!

Probably considerably healthier too. Sitting down for long periods plus
constant jet lag is very bad for a persons health.

What about radiation levels?

wrote:
On 09/12/2020 08:27, wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 22:16:42 +0000
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 08/12/2020 20:22, Recliner wrote:
the flight, with at least the take-off hand flown. The hours in the middle
are largely on auto-pilot, with occasional ATC contact.


I know an ex BA pilot who always preferred the European routes rather
than Transatlantic as the former had more real flying and he got to go
home most nights!

Probably considerably healthier too. Sitting down for long periods plus
constant jet lag is very bad for a persons health.

What about radiation levels?


Yes, it's a risk of being an airline pilot, but of course it affects all of
them, not just long haul. The risk may be slightly greater with long haul.

In message , at 18:46:43 on Wed, 9 Dec
2020, " remarked:
On 09/12/2020 08:27, wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 22:16:42 +0000
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 08/12/2020 20:22, Recliner wrote:

the flight, with at least the take-off hand flown. The hours in the middle
are largely on auto-pilot, with occasional ATC contact.

I know an ex BA pilot who always preferred the European routes rather
than Transatlantic as the former had more real flying and he got to go
home most nights!
Probably considerably healthier too. Sitting down for long periods
plus
constant jet lag is very bad for a persons health.

What about radiation levels?

One of the case studies I did when at University was the radiation
levels experienced by Concorde crews (because it cruised at 60,000ft),
so it is something they've been taking into account for a very long
time.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 17:41:36 +0000
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 09/12/2020 08:27, wrote:
On Tue, 8 Dec 2020 22:16:42 +0000
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 08/12/2020 20:22, Recliner wrote:
the flight, with at least the take-off hand flown. The hours in the middle
are largely on auto-pilot, with occasional ATC contact.


I know an ex BA pilot who always preferred the European routes rather
than Transatlantic as the former had more real flying and he got to go
home most nights!

Probably considerably healthier too. Sitting down for long periods plus
constant jet lag is very bad for a persons health.


Aeroflot got round that by getting crews to maintain Moscow time
regardless of where they were in the world.

Thats one approach, but the subconcious isn't fooled that easily - if its
dark outside then we tend to get sleepy.