No worries mate, I’ll do my best to answer any questions, I may not always know, and it may not always be true, but I’ll do my best to pass on any knowledge I have.

Rgds

Dean

Q2.

Your slot time is irrelevant when you talk about your schedule (as has already been mentioned). An ATC slot restriction normally comes into force due to high volume of aircraft in a certain sector that the a/c is due to fly in.
Companies don’t request a slot, all that happens is that a Flight Plan is filed for your a/c to be off blocks on schedule. If there is too much capacity enroute then a slot will be issued. This can be for a number of reasons, weather, as stated, is one of those reasons but it can be anything such as a closed airport etc.
The reason you are boarded on time is because we as pilots can put in what is called a “Ready Message”, we basically tell ATC to put in said ready message to the sector that is restricting our departure. The purpose of this ready message is because invariably a new slot time could come available when they can accept you (as capacity eases slightly), sometimes we will not get a new slot time but alot of the time we do. So incase the slot gets moved forward it’s better to have the pax on board waiting just incase the slot comes forward after the ready message has been placed.

With a slot time there are restrictions, the slot time is your airbourne slot time, and you cannot be airbourne more than 5 mins before this slot, or 10 mins after. If you miss the slot you could wait hours (which happened to me out of Amsterdam once).
You’ll normally push back 15 minutes before a sot time, 10 mins to push, start & taxi to be ready for takeoff that 5 mins before the actual slot time.

Hope this helps

Dean

If you take a laptop you can use skype, providing you can borrow someone’s net connection.

Every time I’ve gone to Australia I’ve bought a phone card, can’t remember which, or how much it cost but it was considerably cheaper than using a mobile.

Dean

Have a read of James Lovelock’s latest book.

I think Moggy is basically saying this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ

27vet, even if they were slow to react they wouldn’t lose more than 50-100ft. We are very often out of trim when disconnecting on the ILS, this is because when you disconnect you should do it when the plane has “settled” and is not chasing the Glideslope. I cannot see that 2 pilots would be slow to react, because the jolt it gives you wakes you up in a split second.

uh….it’s a former commercial airport might be changed into a mountain.

Ok KTYS, I admit I was a little hasty, but the title and content is not that obvious to the eye (even though you put Templhoff in it). If you can do a wee edit I’ll move it back.

Rgds

Dean.

Deano

Will you stop beating around the bush and tell us what you really mean:D

spitfire.

What I really feel is not publishable in line with the CoC of this forum 😀