Just Planes' Oasis Hong Kong 747-400 DVD
By Don Filer
31 August 2008
If you have ever had the desire to sit in the cockpit of a real 747 and see how the professionals fly a commercial jet, you should get your hands on this 200 minute DVD from Just Planes. The video is broken into chapters and takes you from Hong Kong to Gatwick in London and back again. Two senior pilots and teaching captains, Trevor Cox and Doug Millerin, each with 35 years of experience, present a very thorough and interesting explanation of every detail of the flight including instruments and procedures. Oasis Hong Kong was a short lived startup airline which produced the film.
The view of the Hong Kong airport from the aerial tram is breathtaking and underscores the fact that the new airport isn't even on Hong Kong Island. Scenes of the flight crew briefing as well as the purser and flight attendants briefing shows just how seriously Oasis Hong Kong takes the job of long haul non-stop flight. Three or four pilots rotate through the 12 hour flights providing the crews ample time for rest. The cabin seats are spacious and meals delightful but most of the time is spent on the actual flights in the cockpit. Preflight, take off and cruising at altitude as well as final approach and landing are given considerable exposure and explanation. Views of Holland and Southern England at night are brilliantly clear. Close ups of the instruments and charts make details of the flights quite compelling.
Use of the autopilot and flight management computer is explained however not demonstrated in a way you could learn to use them. I found the Boeing 747-400 autopilot more complex than the simulator versions I've experienced and the FMC was an integral part of the flights, controlling much of the GPS map display. Captain Cox was programming its entries while copilot Captain Millerin explained the overhead switches before takeoff so we couldn't glean any real definition on how to set it up from the video. Aside from that I was actually surprised at how similar flights I have made in Flight Simulator's 747 are to the real thing. I used to think I turned the autopilot on too soon in most cases and found the real pilots turn it on at about the same point on actual flights.
The two experienced pilots are consummate professionals and I was
intrigued by the detailed rehearsal they went through in the event of
an engine, hydraulic, or other failure on takeoff as well as their
tentative plans if they were instructed to abort a landing and go
around. During the flights they used detailed maps to make
contingency plans in the event of a serious system failure. The two
worked as a team and nothing was done without cross checking with the
other, an obvious safety feature. Air Traffic Control was easier to
pick up than expected. With the price of jet fuel these days, I was
mildly surprised that it takes 139 tons for the flight from Hong Kong
to London.
Oasis Hong Kong 747-400 is among the top DVD videos of actual cockpit flight experiences and a must have for flight simmers and frequent fliers alike. A real value at $30 and considered a model for other flight videos to emulate.
Don Filer
dfiler@rocketmail.com
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