http://www.airlinerworld.com 45The Crew
In command of flights SN2305 and 2306 was
36-year-old Captain Michaël Sanczuk (left). He
started the theoretical integrated ATPL course in
1999 at the Sabena Flight Academy, graduating in
November 2001 just days before the flag carrier
filed for bankruptcy.
After a four-year hiatus, Sanczuk landed a job with
SN Brussels Airlines serving as a First Officer on the
Avro fleet and has remained on the type ever since,
accumulating 5,600 flying hours in the process.
He gained his command in 2010, becoming Fleet
Manager for the type shortly afterwards. In this
role, he splits his time equally between the flight
deck and the office, working with the Technical Pilot
and the Chief Flight to ensure the safe, legal andefficient operation of the Avro.
Alongside Sanczuk in the cockpit was First Officer
Tom De Ridder. Initial training was undertaken
with the Nationale Luchtvaartschool at Maastricht
Airport, including a multi-engine rating and, later, a
MCC on the Boeing 737 was completed in 2004.
His first paid flying job came two years later – after
self-funding a Fokker 50 type rating – with Dutch
charter specialist Denim Air operating the turboprop
across the world in destinations as diverse as
Senegal, Albania, Spain, Norway and Nigeria. He
moved to Brussels Airlines in 2008 and has accrued
5,850 flying hours.
Both pilots are expecting to transition on to the
Airbus A320 Family later this year.the constant chatter on the radio sug-
gests the controllers have their hands
full at this frenetic period in the day.
Approaching FL250 and a little way
south of the Spijkerboor (SPY) VOR we’re
handed over to Maastricht Radar’s Delta
sector on 135.960. The controller
clears us to JUIST, a waypoint lying on
the small German island of the same
name, and allows us to climb to our
initial requested flight level of FL310.
He also advises that a better direct
routing will become available soon, but
for the time being at least we must
continue to the waypoint and remain
clear of military airspace.
A Question of Power
Each of the Avro’s Lycoming engines
produce just 7,000lbs of thrust, so the
RJ100’s top-end performance is not
quite on par with other, more modern
airliner types, despite it having four
engines. As such, we settle at a cruising
speed of Mach 0.69 (in terms of indicat-
ed airspeed, the RJ100 is approved up to
a maximum of 290kts). However, while
overall speed may not be the British
aircraft’s forte, it does have some party
pieces of its own. The jet was designed
to operate from short and even unpaved
runways, so it has sturdy landing gear,
thick wings mounted on top of the
fuselage to increase ground clearance,
and a highly effective, split petal
airbrake, all of which make for rather
impressive short-field performance.
Shortcut
The Maastricht Radar controller soon
calls us back and, as promised, offers us
a revised routing to MIKNA, a direct line
of more than 360nm (667km) taking us
through German, Danish and Swedish
airspace to our initial approach fix.
As we near the Helgoland (DHE) VOR,
the aircraft is now light enough to climb
further, so the crew calls ATC to request
a higher cruising level. The Avro has
a service ceiling of FL350, but they are
rarely flown so high and, even then,
only when the all-up weight falls below
36 tonnes.
The clearance takes rather longer than
expected however – we’re talking to
Maastrict’s Jever sector but it’s so busyseveral minutes pass before the pilots of
SN2305 can pass their message.
By the time we reach Danish airspace
we’re well above and ahead of the cloud
layer in beautifully clear conditions and
with great visibility. From our vantage
point, we can easily make out
Denmark’s many islands (and several
airfields) as we make our way northeast.
Closing in on our destination,
the crew sets to work planning the
descent phase. Unlike many
contemporary types, the Avro doesThe ILS plate for
Bromma’s Runway 30.
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beautiful day in Sweden
with clear skies, light
winds and excellent
visibility.