Today, AirBerlin had its last scheduled long haul flight from the US landing in Düsseldorf. The A330 put in an extra “round” – I suppose they flew a missed approach.
https://twitter.com/Xpressojunkie/status/919961329045254145/video/1
I’m quite emotional about the insolvency. I flew a lot with them, thought they always did a great job and I doubt this is a benefit for the German and European airline market. Hope this works out well for the crews. I also have quarter of a million “valuable bonus miles”. Anyone wants to buy them from me? 
With airfares increasing, maybe Wingly will benefit.
Video from the tower:
top gun style
There is a lot you can do when you’re not afraid to lose your job. :)
Fly310 wrote:
There is a lot you can do when you’re not afraid to lose your job. :)
Above your job, there is your professionnalism; above that, your licence, and more above that, your life.
Apparently, this flight seemed to have paying passengers aboard, from MIA.
I am not sure the banking above the airfield during G/A is the best manoeuver to perform with 200+ PAX.
Some of them may be scared of flying. A Go Around is never well received in a commercial aircraft. Add it a “moderate” banking at few ten feet above ground, supposedly unannounced, and you have a good cocktail for screaming and panicking in the cabin…
Of course, this pilot’s job is already lost.
Of course, his life was not at risk in this manoeuver.
But what about his professionnalism, and his licence ?
I am sure any turn below 400 feet on a commercial flight, non necessitated by operational or safety reasons is not very well perceived by the authorities
I agree, i think that was reckless with an aircraft full of passengers. He may already have lost his job but he won’t get a new one now.
I don’t know. To me it doesn’t look reckless. Not more than 30 degrees of bank, which is perfectly within the envelope of such an aeroplane and probably within their SOPs for circling approaches (it is in ours). He did not follow the standard missed approach procedure but turned early, so the maneuver must have been approved by ATC (“low approach followed by visual pattern”). And coming back from Miami, the tanks would have been quite empty, so there will have been an excellent power to mass ratio at that point.
But other than that, I have not much sympathy for Air Berlin (the company, not the staff). Over the years it has swallowed a lot of good airlines (most importantly LTU) all of which had better standards and conditions before the merger than afterwards. Of all pilots I know who joined Air Berlin many/most have left the company after a short while again. Not a good employer at all. Under their new management (Eurowings/Germanwings/whatever Lufthansa will come up with) they might initially get paid a little less, but overall the package is a lot better as are the rosters and working conditions.
what_next wrote:
I don’t know. To me it doesn’t look reckless. Not more than 30 degrees of bank, which is perfectly within the envelope of such an aeroplane and probably within their SOPs for circling approaches (it is in ours).
Yes but a cirlcing approach doesnt begin that low. Anyway whatever, he obviously told ATC. Unless someone complains he will be fine.
JasonC wrote:
Yes but a cirlcing approach doesnt begin that low.
Not normally. But one can go around from any altitude or even after touch-down at pilots discretion. A flock of large bird just about to settle on the runway … let’s get away as quick as we can. I guess he will have asked ATC during the approach “in case of a missed approach request a visual pattern to the left to avoid build-ups in front” and after being granted that request he could legally do what he did. (This is how I would do it )
I am sure he covered himself.
