Now that was real flying – stick and rudder in a 737

Occasionally, while training pilots who have booked practice sessions because of forthcoming interviews and simulator assessments, I have started, “How about we first do some circuits and landings?”

Some immediately go heads down into the computer display, typing a circuit with downwind waypoints, base leg turning points and final intercepts. Finally, a work of art, like a Pablo Picasso painting, is built up on the computer screen. After that, all the pilot needs to fly a perfect circuit is to keep the flight director needles centered.

Well that is the theory, of course.

A good pilot knows how to use it, but isn’t a slave to it.

Each booking is usually for one hour and, because simulator time is expensive, every minute wasted in unnecessary actions is money out of their pocket. As their fingers flash over the keyboard, I gently remind them they have already lost five minutes of flying practice when all that was needed was an HSI, ADI, altimeter and ASI to fly the aeroplane.

Yet, many of today’s pilots are usually so addicted to the automatics, that the thought of switching off the autopilot and flying manually is practically a Mayday situation. These pilots may already have hundreds of hours on 737s with most of the time on autopilot and flight director. Yet, when coaxed into switching off the automatic features and told to fly by looking out of the cockpit on the downwind, base and final leg, afterwards the almost universal reply is “Jeez – I enjoyed that – I haven’t done circuits since flying a Cessna 172.”

Many years ago, I was a contract captain with a German charter operator based in Hamburg, Germany, flying the 737-400 and 500 with German first officers. It was there that I crewed with my first female first officer. She was relaxed after flying with other British contract captains as they seemed less strict than their German counterparts.

We were flying back from Spain into Hamburg on a beautiful moonlit night and I was mesmerised at the sight of all the city and village lights over that part of Europe. The final track to Hamburg was by coincidence lined up with the duty runway from 100 miles out and Anya as Pilot Flying (for that was her name) had everything set up in the FMC and of course the automatics did a good job.

Top of descent came up on the screen and my mind went back to the long straight-in approaches I had done into Pacific island atolls in my previous job. In those days, we used the venerable 737-200. There was no FMC and we simply used DME vs. height to fly the descent on profile. Our aircraft had a FD108 flight director but most of us never bothered to use it. It became a matter of personal pride to fly the descent profile without resorting to use of the speed brakes. There was a satisfying sense of achievement if all worked out nicely to over the fence, on slope and on speed.

Sometimes it’s healthy to turn off those magenta lines.

“Anya,” I said at 100 DME Hamburg straight ahead, “How about you take out the automatic pilot and fly a profile descent straight into Hamburg with no flight director and no autothrottles?” Anya wasn’t sure what I meant, probably because being German, English was her second language and I talked too fast anyway. “You know, DME vs. height or three times the height plus 10,” I said.

Anya looked aghast at my suggestion and covering the cockpit voice recorder with one hand, she whispered “Shhh.” She seemed scared of Big Brother.

With some cajoling and promising not to tell anyone about this shocking decision not to use LNAV and VNAV, I talked Anya into the descent profile, manual flying, manual throttle and FD off. From 100 miles out she flew it beautifully all the way to touch-down with just a little help from me with flap/speed control towards the end. A greaser landing topped it all off and we heard the passengers clapping in admiration (or was it relief) at Anya’s smooth landing.

As we taxied towards the Hamburg Terminal, Anya looked over at me said, “Now that was real flying, wasn’t it? And thank you very much, but please promise me you won’t tell anyone, will you?” pointing to the CVR microphone.

“I won’t tell a soul, Anya, and you flew beautifully,” I replied.

Now 25 years later I have broken my promise. If Anya happens to read this story, I know she will understand and forgive me.

• Author
• Recent Posts

John Laming

It would be difficult to describe an aviation career more colorful and varied than that of Captain John Laming. His first job in aviation was in 1948 as a “general dogsbody” (that’s British slang for someone who does menial work) for Sydney Morning Herald Flying Services. One of his jobs back then was to throw newspapers out of Lockheed Hudsons and DC-3s as part of a newspaper delivery route throughout New South Wales, Australia. He began a distinguished career in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1951 where he flew a wide variety of airplanes including the Mustang, Vampire, Lincoln, Convair, Viscount, Dakota, and HS748. In addition, he spent some time as a flight instructor and accumulated time in Wirraways, Winjeels and Tiger Moths. His wide experience also led to a stint as an aircraft accident investigator. After 18 years in the RAAF, he worked in Melbourne as an Airways Surveyor, and later flew DC-3s and F.27s performing airways calibration duties. In 1976, Captain Laming was hired by Air Nauru, flying F.28s and later 737-200s on routes throughout the South Pacific. His next move was to England in 1989 where he flew 737s for Paramount Airways, covering European and Middle Eastern routes. He continued flying until 1992 when he had to retire due to the “age 60” rule. He returned to Australia where he kept flying as a flight instructor and charter pilot.

Latest posts by John Laming (see all)

• Like overtaking on a blind corner and hoping nothing is coming the other way - June 17, 2019
• Flight directors – a fatal attraction - April 18, 2018
• The day I learned I’d never be a fighter pilot - September 22, 2016