http://www.airlinerworld.com 43controller approves our departure from
the stand. The four Lycoming LF507-
1Fs are started in sequence as we’repushed back towards the taxiway,
beginning with the outboard
starboard number 4 engine followed
by inner number 3 and 2 powerplants
and finally 1 on the outboard port side.
As the ground personnel detach the
tug and tow bar from the aircraft, the
flight crew enter the pre-assigned
squawk code (a unique four-digit code
allocated by air traffic control [ATC])
into the Avro’s transponder and set
the flaps to the planned 18° before
De Ridder, as pilot monitoring (PM)
asks ATC for taxi clearance.
We make our way northeast along
the Inner Bravo taxiway towards
Runway 25R and run through another
round of pre-take-off checks.This includes a brake test, and
checking the flying controls for full
and free movement. On the latter, the
RJ100 is not equipped
with a f ly-by-wire
system but rather these
are directly, mechanically
controlled with the exception of the
rudder, which is hydraulically driven.
Sanczuk completes the departure
briefing. Our initial routing consists
of flying straight ahead before a
right turn to join the NIK3C standard
instrument departure (SID), and then
flying northwest and climbing to
FL60 (6,000ft).
Unfortunately, our afternoon
departure coincides with a rather
busy period at Brussels and, as we
make our way towards the threshold,
we join the queue of traffic and
are number five for departure behind
a Ukraine International Airlines
Embraer 190.The captain’s instrument
cluster, showing the
aircraft level at FL310 at
Mach 0.685 and heading
northeast over the North
Sea towards Helgoland.
ABOVE RIGHT • The centre
of the Avro’s yoke use-
fully details the descent,
approach and landing
checklists.
The jet was designed to
operate from short and
unpaved runways, so it
has sturdy landing gear
and podded engines
that hang under the
high wing for increased
ground clearance.
AIRTEAMIMAGES.COM/
JAN OSTROWSKI