No, pelmet, my statement is not misleading in the slightest. As usual you are just talking out of your rear orifice.pelmet wrote: ↑Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:57 pmMisleading at best.....complexintentions wrote: ↑Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:43 pm Well, yes. And no. On our aircraft we cannot physically see our wingtips so we do have to depend on marshallers, wing walkers, and electronic guidance systems. If they give faulty guidance there are definitely situations where we'll hit things without being able to prevent it. Not sure how you could claim that we "messed up" in such a situation.
In the end, it is really just good judgement and average skill that is required. The idea that not being able to see your wingtips means that you "have to depend on marshallers" is not entirely true. I have been on a tight-spaced ramp plenty of times in an aircraft with no wingtips visible from the cockpit where a 180 degree turn was required. It was a regular stop for us with aircraft parked very close to where we were maneuvering and no marshaller available for guidance until you have turned around and are facing him at which point you finally get some marshalling for the least risky portion of the entire parking maneuver....straight to the final stopping point. Meanwhile there have been wing clearance issues and blast issues during the majority of the maneuver into the ramp that was done without the marshaller.
Bottom line(and to clarify), there are operations and situations out there on a regular basis where aircraft having wingtips their pilot can't see are maneuvering in relatively confined locations. Admittedly, this is normally airlines at smaller airports or business jets on tight ramps intead of the widebodies which seem to have mostly major airport/airline style taxi-in situations. And depending on the situation, these aircraft do not necessarily require marshallers for all maneuvering in confined areas as was stated earlier. If things look tight, then most of us have stopped at one point and gotten help. There may be a lot more to this incident than simply misjudging wing clearance.
Speaking about the standard parking at the gate maneuver, I do try to remember to look for the aircraft type on the electronic guidance and that the ramp is clear even if being marshalled/guided in. Here is what can happen if you completely "depend" on marshalling/signals and don't take a look for stuff accidentally left on the ramp(usually inside angled yellow demarcation lines)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu2xQLEE8a4
There is no way we would ever be doing a 180 degree turn on any ramp as our operations don't permit it. Even on a runway, a 180 is a captain-only manoeuvre as it's considered higher-risk due to the turning radius. (You need a minimum of 185 feet of width, and that's standing on the inside brake with the mains planted along one edge - not much fun in the dark on a shitty night somewhere like MLE.) As such your little anecdote is completely irrelevant to my comments. And there is no way we "try to remember" to check the electronic guidance for proper type: if it's wrong, or not displayed, we are mandated to stop immediately and wait until it's either correctly displayed or a human marshaller is dispatched. We can't just taxi until the "final stopping point". All of this to say, it just doesn't sound like your operations resemble mine in the slightest. We absolutely DO require marshalling for ALL maneuvering in confined areas - contrary to your statement.
What type are you flying that you claim to not be able to see your wingtips from the cockpit? I don't think you really grasp what I mean by that. I mean there is no angle whatsoever from which any part of the wings are viewable from the cockpit of a B777, and the wingspan is 212 feet. I'm not talking about not being able to see them because it's dark, or they're too far away, or the sun is in my eyes. There is no possible way to see them. Judging distance with depth perception is a tad difficult if you can't see something. Using visible cues in a tight situation is a possibility in most types, every other one I've every flown, in fact. A poor idea in some situations, but at least a possibility. It simply isn't for us, and thus yes, we do have to depend heavily on marshallers/wing walkers, as I said, more than on other types. How is that "misleading"?
And, as you typically do, you've gone on a tangent to address things no one commented on, such as checking the area as you approach the stand. I guess it's just easier to win debates that you start with yourself?