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Manchester to Izmir via Istanbul Turkish Airlines TK1994/TK334 By Oliver Heaton 22 September 2009 This is my third article on FlightSim.Com, this article along with others I have written in the past follow the same theme, the theme being flights that I have been a passenger on in the real world. In this article I intend to take you on a journey to the Turkish city of Izmir. This city is located on the northwestern coast of Turkey, about 200 miles to the southwest of Istanbul. The city is important for many reasons, including historical importance, importance for business, importance for religion and of course tourism specifically in the coastal resort of Cesme where a mixture of rich culture and stunning coasts come together to form a beautiful Turkish resort. I flew to Izmir in July of this year (2009), as part of a college trip where twenty of us stayed in Izmir for 10 days and visited many historical sites and museums such as Ataturk's Museum, Ephesus, Mary's House and also we had a fantastic boat trip from Cesme which involved some belly dancing! During the stay we visited the many places with a partner school in Izmir, in the town of Gaziemir the purpose of this visit was to meet with the school for ten days and share ideas on the topic of global warming. The trip was fantastic, the Turkish were very welcoming from the moment we walked through the arrival doors at Izmir right through to our departure where we had some emotional goodbyes. I have visited many places in the world and have now been to Turkey twice but visiting Izmir has to be the holiday of a life time, I will never forget this trip. Anyway moving on now to the flight, about an hour before the departure I make my way through to the security area at terminal 1 and then head through to the operations room. In the operations room I collect the necessary paper work for the flight. This includes the flight plan, the weather forecast for Manchester, an enroute forecast, a forecast for the destination (Istanbul) and a weather forecast for the enroute alternatives which today are Esenboga near Ankara the capital of Turkey, Varna in Bulgaria and Antalya on the south coast of Turkey. Other alternatives include many airports in Germany, Austria, Croatia and Bulgaria as these all come under the flight plan but the ones mentioned above are the main alternatives. After checking the forecast for all the airports that may be used during the flight it is obvious for us to see that all the airports are possibilities and are useable which is good news. At Manchester the weather is good so the departure should be smooth and generally OK. The forecast at the destination Istanbul gives an indication of some scattered clouds, temperatures in the low 20s and winds from the northeast at 16 kt. This forecast is good and should give a smooth approach and landing into Istanbul. The routing to Istanbul today takes us initially out of Manchester's runway 23R, so a departure to the west will occur. After departure we will follow the DESIG1R SID (Standard Instrument Departure) which will take us to the east of the airport and then completing the departure at the point DESIG which is just to the southeast of Oldham. So for our routing we have received a route that takes off initially from Manchester, followed by a right turn to follow a route to a waypoint called DESIG. This is located 2.2 miles to the southeast of Oldham. Once reaching this point we will head southeast towards the coast, leaving the UK near Skegness. We will then cross the English Channel over to Holland, then the flight will pass through Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria where the descent will begin into Istanbul. The flight plan looks like this: DESIG UL603 ZAG UP735 VBA UM19 ADORU UG80 EKI So I have now left the flight operations center and I am now making my way to gate 6 at Manchester, Terminal 1 for the flight to Istanbul. I have about an hour before departure, so it's time now to make my way down onto the flight deck to start the departure procedures. I have now arrived on board the flight deck and have began the pre-flight procedures, including the entry of the flight plan and the general setup of the flight management computer (FMC) which will basically manage the automatic flying of the aircraft throughout the climb, cruise, descent, approach and landing phases of the flight. For this flight the flight time is about 3 hours and 40 minutes, so I have estimated that the left fuel tank will require about 100%, the right will require about 100% and the center will require about 62% which will balance the aircraft nicely and will be sufficient for our flight to Istanbul. From the load sheet which contains the fuel figures, I have entered the gross weight into the FMC, along with the assigned crusing level which is FL350 (35,000 feet) and the cost index of 180 which is set to define the control of the fuel and how the fuel will be burned, certain cost indexes will provide us with a more economic fuel burn and others will not however the one that I have chosen will give us the a reasonably economically friendly fuel burn for today's flight. So speeds will be kept within limits until we get lighter and it is more efficient for us to speed up a bit. About seven minutes have passed now and the setup of the FMC is now complete and with about 53 minutes left until departure it is now time for myself as the captain to complete the walk around. This is a check that must be done before each flight to make sure that the aircraft is mechanically acceptable for flight. I have to check the tires to make sure that they are stable, to make sure that they are not punctured and that there is enough pressure in them. So it's time to leave the flight deck and don the florescent yellow colored jacket for the walk-around. I leave the aircraft through the steps of the air bridge. The first thing that I have noticed is that there is ice build up as this is a cold night. This was really expected, this will be noted and measures will be put into place to clear the ice before departure. I continue the walk around now making sure that everything is as expected and indeed everything is. The aircraft's in great shape, considering it carries out so many long haul flights every week! The walk around lasts about 20 minutes and this time soon passes by and it is soon time to return to the flight deck with the results of the walk round now being clear. The walk around is now complete and apart from the ice build up, everything else is perfect and is acceptable for flight so it's time to leave the cold and return to the warmth of the flight deck, where it is almost time to start preparations for the passengers. Back in the flight deck, it's now time to turn on a few systems starting with the electrical systems for the cabin, so that the cabin crew can prepare to receive the passengers in about ten minutes time with now 30 minutes to go until departure. Ten minutes later, the sound of foot steps, chatter and Northerners begins to come from the cabin as the passengers begin to board the aircraft. This process takes about 20 minutes with just ten minutes left once all of the passengers are seated to complete the final checks before departure. As departure time approaches it gets rather busy on the flight deck, with lots of paper work to deal with including making sure that the correct fuel has been loaded into the aircraft, making sure that the load is correct and just generally making sure that the aircraft is ready for departure. Also air traffic control clearances have to be obtained, the latest weather forecast has to be obtained and final checks need to be made on aircraft systems before departure. Finally all the passengers are now loaded, the meals are loaded, the baggage and cargo is loaded and the dispatcher has just entered the flight deck with the load sheet for myself to sign. This is a legal document which hands over the aircraft from the engineers to the captain. So I check the figures for the fuel, baggage, cargo and passengers and then sign to confirm that all the figures are correct. The aircraft is now ready for departure, the dispatcher has now left the aircraft and I am now ready to start the procedure for push back. So I make an announcement to the cabin crew for the doors to be closed and armed. (The armed part means that in the event of an emergency the doors can be opened and the slide will open automatically.) "Cabin Crew, arm doors for departure and cross check." It is now time for the call to be made to air traffic control for the departure clearance, so I call up Manchester Tower and ask them for the clearance: "Manchester Tower, good afternoon this is Turkish 1993 requesting clearance to Istanbul." "Turkish 1993, good afternoon your cleared to Istanbul on the DESIG One Romeo Departure, initial altitude 5000 feet squawk 6504." "Cleared to Istanbul on the DESIG One Romeo departure initial altitude is 5000 feet, squawk is 6504, Turkish 1993." "Turkish 1993 read back is correct, call Manchester Ground on 121.85 when ready for push and start." The air traffic clearance has now been received with the clearance that we are departing as first thought on the DESIG One Romeo departure, with a climb initially to 5000 feet which is part of the programmed SID. It is now time to contact the ground engineers so that we can begin the push back. So I now tune the communications radio to the frequency for the ground engineers and request push back. "Hello Ground, ready for push and start." "OK, preparing the aircraft for push back." While the engineers put in place the push back tow bar, I have time to tune the second communications radio to the frequency for Manchester Ground for the push back clearance. "Manchester Ground, Turkish 1993 good evening requesting push and start clearance." "Turkish 1993 you're cleared for push and start, qnh is 1010 mb, call when ready for taxi." "Cleared for push and start, will call when ready for taxi, Turkish 1993." So we now have our push back clearance from air traffic control and after a few minutes of waiting the ground engineer comes over the radio again requesting that the parking brakes are released. So off they go and the familiar rumbling sounds begin as the push back begins. With the push back now complete it's time to start the taxi to the runway. Before this can happen the flaps need to be lowered to the flap 15 position and the taxi clearance from ATC needs to be obtained. "Manchester Ground, Turkish 1993 requesting taxi clearance." "Turkish 1993 taxi to Holding Point Juliet 1 via taxiways Lima and Juliet for runway 23R." "Taxi to holding point Juliet 1, via taxiways Lima and Juliet for runway 23R, Turkish 1993." With the flaps lowered to the flaps 15 position, the ATC clearance obtained and the departure checks complete it's now time to start the short taxi to runway 23R. Just before, though, I will make a quick PA announcement to the passengers: "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome onboard this Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. Flight time today is expected to be about 3 hours and 40 minutes. Our cruising altitude today will be 35000 feet, at a cruising speed of about 550 miles an hour and our route today will take us out of Manchester, towards the southeast of England, leaving the UK at Skegness. At this point we will cross the English Channel, where we will begin to cross through Holland, followed by Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia and finally Bulgaria where we start the descent into Istanbul in about 3 hours and 20 minutes time. The weather in Istanbul is forecast to be a warm and bright day. In terms of turbulence none is expected so it should be a smooth descent and landing into Istanbul, but we will have a better idea when we get closer. From the flight deck, we hope that you have a great flight with us today and we welcome you onboard, thank you." With the PA Announcement now complete the taxi commences, proceeding straight ahead along the Lima taxiway before reaching the start of Juliet, when I will commence a left turn onto Juliet and then proceed to Juliet 1. The taxi to the runway is short and is soon reached so it's now time to make a final check before takeoff. This includes making sure that the transponder is set to an 'Active' mode which basically tells Air Traffic Control that the aircraft is on a runway or are in the air. I also have to make sure that the landing lights are on which is a legal requirement while on the runway or below 10000 feet. The flight director is also turned on, on the autopilot along with VNAV, LNAV and the speed selector being changed to 240 kt. As we are now at the holding point it is time to contact Manchester Tower for the takeoff clearance: "Manchester Tower, good evening Turkish 1993 at holding point Juliet 1 requesting takeoff clearance." "Turkish 1993, you're cleared for takeoff, surface winds 240 at 10 kt." "Cleared for takeoff, Turkish 1993." Finally, a call is made to the cabin crew, informing them that they must be seated for takeoff: "Cabin crew, seats for departure please" With all the checks complete and the cabin crew seated for takeoff, it's time to line up on runway 23R for takeoff. So the brakes are released and a small amount of power is applied to taxi into position on runway 23R. The line up is now complete so a final check is made to make sure that everything is as it should be. This includes a spoilers check. With everything finally completed. I release the brakes and slam the thrust levers forwards causing the fully loaded 737-800 to accelerate down the runway. As the aircraft reaches 80 kt, an electronic voice calls "80 knots" and then at 110 kt a voice calls "V1", followed shortly by "Rotate", which informs me to pull up the yoke and raise the nose into the air. At last the aircraft is airborne and the flight to Istanbul has reached its airborne stage. Shortly after takeoff, air traffic control informs us to contact Manchester Control which is the next air traffic control center that will track our progress. So the contact is made: "Manchester Control, good evening Turkish 1993 with you on the DESIG One Romeo Departure climbing 5000 feet." "Turkish 1993, identified, maintain 5000 feet until reaching DESIG." "Maintaining 5000 feet until reaching DESIG, Turkish 1993." As the aircraft climbs above 4000 feet it is time to raise the flaps to the 'up' position so the lever is brought up as the aircraft climbs higher, until the flaps display shows 'up'. The flight is progressing nicely now and the aircraft has now reached DESIG, so the altitude restriction has been lifted and the aircraft continues to climb to the cruising altitude of 35000 feet. As the flight reaches the southeast coast, Manchester Control hands the flight off to Amsterdam Radar so a call is made to the control center in Amsterdam: "Amsterdam Radar, good evening Turkish 1993 with you, flight level 350 inbound DIBAL." "Turkish 1993, maintain flight level 350, continue as filed." "Maintaining flight level 350, continuing as filed, Turkish 1993." About an hour into the flight the cabin crew began serving the in-flight meals and complimentary drinks. The cabin crew arrive in the flight deck and deliver my in-flight meal which today is pasta with cheese and broccoli, fried zucchini, fresh salad with balsamic vinaigrette, bread roll, crackers, butter and spread cheese and for dessert apple and cream pie. The screen shots below show the progress throughout the flight: About 2 hours and 10 minutes later the flight had progressed nicely and in about 20 minutes the descent point would be reached. In preparation for descent I acquired a METAR (METAR is a coded aviation weather forecast) for Istanbul, which gave me a good idea about the wind speed, QNH and the temperature and general weather condition. The METAR was as follows: LTBA 261920Z 01013KT 9999 SCT035 25/19 Q1014 NOSIG Decoded this means: LTBA (ICAO code for Istanbul) 261920Z (26 for 26th of the month, 1920Z is 7:20pm Zulu time or GMT) 01013KT (wind speed and direction the wind here is 10 at 13 kt) 9999 (this means that the visibility is better than 30 miles) SCT035 (this means that there are scattered clouds at 3500 feet) 25/19 (this means that the day time temperature is 25 degrees, while the dew point is 19 which refers to the humidity, so it is quite a humid day in Istanbul as 19 degrees refers to high humidity) Q1014 (this means that the QNH is 1014, the QNH is a measure of atmospheric pressure which changes from time to time in specific regions or specifically at an airport, this change must be entered into the altimeter to ensure that the altimeter is showing the correct altitude, especially important in high terrain areas) NOSIG (this means that within two hours there are expected to be no significant changes). The forecast shows that the weather will give a smooth arrival into Istanbul without too much if any turbulence. I made a note of the QNH which will be changed as the flight descends below transition altitude which is 6000 feet. About 20 minutes later, Istanbul Center come over the radio and gives the flight clearance to begin the descent into Istanbul and give the flight clearance down to 19000 feet or flight level 190. As the flight approached 19000 feet or flight level 190 air traffic control gave me further clearance down to flight level 150, so the altitude selection was changed to 15000 feet and the aircraft commenced descent further. As the flight descended below 16000 feet, the cabin signs were turned on and the passengers were asked to return to their seats for landing, the cabin crew were also informed that our landing would be approaching and so they prepared the cabin for landing. As we entered the approach phase of the flight we were handed off to Istanbul Approach Air Traffic, who turned us slightly to the south to fit in with other traffic and they informed us that we should expect a landing on runway 36R. I programmed the Flight Management Computer with the approach for runway 36R and selected a flaps 30 landing. This allowed for the final approach speed of 137 kt to be calculated. The aircraft flew towards the south for about 5nm, before air traffic control gave us instructions to turn to a heading of 360 degrees and descend to 6000 feet at this point I entered 6000 feet into the altitude selector on the autopilot and turned the heading selector to 360 degrees. At this point I also reduced the speed to 220 kt and selected the flaps to the 'flap 1' position which allowed us to streamline the aircraft for landing. After flying in the direction of 340 degrees, further instructions were given to descend further to 3000 feet and the FMC was used to fly the final part of the approach, as instructed by Air Traffic Control we were then given instructions by air traffic control to intercept the 'localiser', this means that we had to line the aircraft up with the runway correctly by using the instrument landing system, this works by sending out radio signals on a frequency and we tune our navigation radio to this frequency, along with the heading of the runway and then select the approach mode on the autopilot so that the aircraft can intercept the 'localiser'. The Instrument Landing System also allows the aircraft to perform a fully automatic landing and that is exactly what we chose to do during our landing. I then reduced the speed at this point all the way down to 134 knots and I extend the flaps to the flap 20 position and also arm the spoilers which will be deployed automatically once the aircraft touches down. After a short while the aircraft has now become fully established on the localiser for a landing and we are now instructed by air traffic control to contact 'Yesilkoy Tower'. So we dial the frequency for Yesilkoy Tower and then speak to the controller: "Yesilkoy Tower, good afternoon Turkish 1993 with you established runway 36R" "Turkish 1993, cleared to land runway 36R, surface winds 010 at 13 kt" "Cleared to land runway 36R" It is now time to lower the landing gear and extend the flaps fully to the 'flaps 30' position and this will complete the procedures for landing. We now have the clearance to land and so down we go as we get closer and closer to the runway. Below are a few shots of the landing: As we begin the final descent to the runway, electronic voices count us down to the runway, starting with "1000", followed by "500", "400", "300", "200" and finally "100". As we reach 100 feet, we disengage the autopilot and the autothrottle as we complete the landing into Istanbul, manually. The throttle is reduced fully and we allow the aircraft to float slightly down to the runway before lifting the nose slightly so that the aircraft can smoothly touch the ground. Finally the main wheels touch down on runway 36R and then gradually we lower the nose to complete the touchdown. As this happens reverse thrust is engaged, the spoilers are deployed and I gently tap the toe brakes to bring the aircraft to a stop. From 130 kt at touchdown, we quickly reach 60 kt, where the reverse thrust is no longer required and so this is disengaged by setting the throttle to idle thrust and then we slow the aircraft using the toe brakes reaching 10 kt to taxi off the runway. The first leg of the flight is almost over now, for the final time air traffic control call and hand the flight off Yesilkoy Ground and so I dial the frequency for the ground controller and speak to the ground controller: "Yesilkoy Ground, Turkish 1993 good afternoon requesting taxi to the gate." "Turkish 1993, taxi to stand 206 via taxi ways Delta, Hotel and Kilo" "Taxi to stand 206 via Delta, Hotel and Kilo, Turkish 1993" So I now taxi the aircraft off the runway and make our way down taxiway Delta. While doing this the flaps are selected to the 'up' position, the landing lights are turned off and the taxi lights are turned on. I made a PA announcement as the taxiing continued: "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Istanbul where the local time now is 5:15 in the evening and the outside temperature is 25 degrees. We would like to thank you for flying with Turkish Airlines today and we hope to see you onboard again in the near future. On behalf of Turkish Airlines and the crew we wish you a good onward journey. Thank you and good evening" The journey is short and we soon reach the stand where we end this flight. As we arrive on the stand we are greeted by a number of service vehicles ready to service the aircraft for its return flight. As the parking brakes set, it is time to start the shutdown procedure, which involves shutting down the engines, turning off unnecessary lights and systems and mainly finishing off the job for the night! As the sounds of the engines fades out, the air bridge moves into position and our passengers begin to disembark, while myself and the rest of the crew stay onboard for the second and final leg of the flight to Izmir. Below is a shot from the stand, of the parked aircraft: As the final passengers leave the aircraft, I complete the paper work for the first leg and this is sent off with the gate attendant, who will return with the paper work for the second and final leg. About 10 minutes later, the gate attendant returns with the new data, which includes a flight plan, METAR, an estimate of load figures and some other data. I take the flight plan and begin setting up the FMC for the second leg, the route is below: BIG G80 BERGO For this flight the cruising altitude will be 25000 feet as the flight is so short, with a distance of only 198 nm so a lower cruising altitude is required. I began by entering the departure ICAO into the initial page of the FMC which is LTBA and the destination ICAO which is LTBJ and I also set the departure runway which is 36R. Next I move onto the route page, programming the short route into the FMC and then confirming the route by pressing the EXEC button. Once the route was confirmed I moved onto the takeoff page, where I set the flaps to 15, the v1 speed to 115, vr speed to 117 and v2 speed to 121. This completed the FMC programming. Now I ran through a few pre-departure procedures, which involved running through checklists and setting up the aircraft for departure. While this was being done the passengers began to board, it was now 20 minutes before departure. The time passed quickly and soon all the passengers had boarded and were seated, with the doors almost closed the final pre-departure checks were completed and I requested the departure clearance from Air Traffic Control. "Yesilkoy Tower, Turkish 334 requesting clearance to Izmir" "Turkish 334 cleared to Izmir, BIG One Delta Departure, squawk 7604" "Cleared to Izmir, BIG One Delta Departure, squawk 7604, Turkish 334" "Turkish 334, read back correct contact Yesilkoy Ground when ready for push and start" With the departure clearance obtained from Air Traffic Control I spoke to the ground engineer over the intercom system to obtain push back: "Hello Ground, ready for push and start" "Okay, preparing the aircraft for push back" While the ground engineer prepared the aircraft for push back, I contacted the ground controller for push back clearance. "Yesilkoy Ground, good afternoon Turkish 334 requesting push and start clearance" "Turkish 334, push and start approved, QNH 1010" "Push and start approved, Turkish 334" Shortly after receiving the push and start clearance the ground engineer came over the intercom again requesting that I release the parking brake: "Please release the parking brake" "Okay, brakes released" "Okay, all hatches and doors are closed and secured, starting push back" The familiar rumbling noises began and the aircraft began pushing back from the gate, soon the push back was complete and the engineer came over the intercom once more and asked for the parking brake to be set. "Okay, push back complete please set parking brake" "Parking brake is set" "Okay, all tow equipment is removed, wave to you from the right hand side, have a good flight goodbye" With the message above I requested taxi clearance from Air Traffic Control and I set the flaps to 15. "Yesilkoy Ground, good afternoon Turkish 334 requesting taxi clearance." "Turkish 334, taxi to holding point Golf One via Kilo and Sierra for runway 36R" "Taxi to holding point Golf 1, via Kilo and Sierra for runway 36R, Turkish 334" I then released the parking brake and moved the throttle forward and began rolling down taxi way Kilo for the short taxi to Runway 36R, during the short taxi I carried out a short PA Announcement to the passengers: "Ladies and Gentlemen welcome onboard this Turkish Airlines flight to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport, flight time today is approximately 50 minutes and our cruising altitude today will be 25000 feet. The weather in Izmir is forecasted to be warm, with temperatures of 29 degrees, with little cloud and light winds making the landing fairly smooth. Thank you ladies and gentlemen and welcome aboard." The screen shots below show the taxi to the runway: With the short taxi complete, I was now holding at Golf One and I contacted Yesilkoy Tower for takeoff clearance: "Yesilkoy Tower, Turkish 334 is at Golf One requesting takeoff clearance" "Turkish 334, cleared for takeoff runway 36R, winds 060 at 10 kt" "Cleared for takeoff runway 36R, Turkish 334" With the takeoff clearance obtained I turned on the landing lights, activated the transponder to active mode, I called the cabin crew to ask them to be seated for takeoff and I lined up on the runway. Once lined up on the runway, I carried out a few final checks and applied full throttle. A screen shot of lined up on the runway is shown below. After a few moments the flight was airborne, this is shown below: After takeoff, I retracted the flaps to the up position and after climbing above 10000 feet I turned off the landing lights, turned off the seatbelt signs and removed the speed restriction. The flight progressed quickly and it was soon time to begin the descent into Izmir. As the flight reached about 130 nm from Izmir, I reset the MCP altitude to 15000 feet and began the descent down to Izmir. About ten minutes after starting the descent I reached 10000 feet and the aircraft's speed was reset to 240 kt. At this point I turned on the landing lights and briefed the cabin crew for landing. I had already turned on the seat belt signs and carried out the final checks for descent and landing. Shortly the flight entered the final descent phase of the flight and Izmir Approach contacted me giving me a STAR to follow and a descent to 5000 feet. "Turkish 334, arrival into Izmir is the BERGO One Delta, descend to 5000 feet" "BERGO One Delta arrival, descending to 5000 feet, Turkish 334" About ten minutes later Izmir Approach handed me off to Izmir Tower for landing clearance. Prior to this I turned on the landing lights, briefed the cabin crew and completed the final checks for landing. "Izmir Tower, good evening Turkish 334 with you final runway 34 Right" "Turkish 334 you're cleared to land runway 34 Right, surface winds 360 at 15 kt" "Cleared to land runway 34 Right, Turkish 334" As the final 1000 feet approached, I disengaged the autopilot and manually landed the aircraft, the electronic voice counted down the altitude "1000", "800", "500", "400", "300", "200" and finally "100" as the aircraft touches down after a short and smooth flight. Touchdown! As the aircraft touches down the reverse thrust is applied and gradually the speed drops from 130 kt to 100 kt, then to 60 kt at which point the reverse thrust is cancelled and then further the speed drops down to 10 kt where a short taxi is commenced off the runway. Once off the runway I contacted air traffic control for the taxi clearance to the gate: "Izmir Ground, good evening Turkish 334 requesting taxi to the gate" "Turkish 334 taxi to gate 32 via Hotel, runway 34 Left and Charlie." "Taxi to gate 32 via Hotel, runway 34 Left and Charlie, Turkish 334" As I begin taxiing to the gate, I turn off the landing lights, turn on the taxi lights, retracted the flaps to the up position, turned on the APU, and made a short PA announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport where the local time is 7:15 in the evening and the outside temperature is 29 degrees. We thank you for flying with Turkish Airlines today and we wish you a safe onward journey." The taxi is short and so just before arriving at the gate I call the cabin crew to tell them to unarm the doors so that the slides do not deploy when the doors are opened: "Cabin Crew unarm doors for gate arrival" I also turn the taxi lights off so that the marshaller is not blinded and slowly pull into the stand, as I reach the stand position the marshaller directs me in to the stand and I reduce the throttle and begin braking to come to a halt. Eventually the aircraft arrives on the stand and I apply the parking brake, turn off all the external lights except the navigation lights, turn off the seat belt sign, switch power over to the APU and shut down the engines. Parked at the gate, at Izmir. Well that's it then, the end of the flight. I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. Any comments are welcomed by e-mail (address below). Thank you for reading. Credits: EGCC Manchester - UK 2000 Scenery Manchester LTBA Istanbul - BIBER'S Istanbul Attaturk 2008 LTBJ Izmir - BIBER'S Izmir 737-800 - PMDG 737-800 Oliver Heaton oliver2005_cca@hotmail.com Read other articles by Oliver Heaton