Take-off

A take-off can be done by the Captain (sitting on the left) or the first-officer (sitting on the right) in the cockpit. The pilot who does this take-off is called the “Pilot Flying” (PF) the pilot who is assisting is called the “Pilot Monitoring” (PM). Today the first-officer/co-pilot will be the Pilot Flying (PF) in our example to show how a normal take off in the Challenger 300 cockpit is done. (as in the photo above)

First, a takeoff briefing has been done by the pilot flying. This briefing can look like this in a standard situation and is given mainly for safety reasons: This will be a ROLLING/STANDARD take-off from RWY 01-36 with FLAPS 10/20. Initial climb altitude is ……….. FT and the MSA is …………. FT for us applicable. For take-off we need ………… FT runway length and runway length available is ………….. FT, Speeds are: V1 130 KT, Vr 140 KT, V2 150 KT. Jeppesen briefing (everything from the charts) Emergency briefing: In case of an abnormality before 80 kt either of us calls STOP STOP, Reject the take off by applying full brakes, max reversers after a stop set the parking brake, you inform ATC, we assess the situation and decide the following action. Between 80 kt and V1 I only reject for WARNING messages, Engine failure, fire, directional control problems, obstructed runway. After V1 we continue the take-off, no actions below 400ft except GEAR UP and silencing the warnings. In case of an engine failure, we climb, set HDG/NAV and FLC speed V2. Asses and when required perform the memory actions. Further actions after acceleration.

The Captain drives the aircraft up to the runway onto the Holding position of the runway. Here we wait until the tower tells us by the radio to Line-up runway 09 and wait. The captain confirms clear to line-up with the first-officer and drives up onto the runway and calls out “Line-up checklist” in this checklist items are checked and set like the probe heat, engine and wing anti-ice if needed, transponder to TA/RA so it gives an altitude reading, lights and if no messages are shown on the displays that prevent us from take-off. If all of this is done and the aircraft is lined up with the runway. The captain switches the controls to the First officer who now becomes the pilot flying (PF). The PF takes over controls by telling the captain “My controls, your radio”

The tower will tell us that we are cleared for take-off runway 09 and the captain (PM) will confirm with the tower. Then the first officer (PF) will say once more: “Cleared for take-off, setting take-off thrust” than when thrust is set he says: “Take-off thrust set”. The hand of the PF will stay on the thrust levers until the V1 speed is reached. The aircraft starts rolling and there will be no calls until 80 knots to confirm the speed. In some operations airspeed alive is also called. The PM will tell “80kt” and crosscheckes it with the standby instrument while the PF will quickly check his speed indicator. Thereafter again silent until the V1 speed is reached. The PM will call out “V1” and the PF will take his hand off the thrust levers. This call you can see as the point of no return. From this moment on you are going to fly in any case. The next call from the PM will be to the PF is: “VR” or “V rotate” with this speed the PF pulls the controls to rotate the aircraft and will start to fly. When a positive rate is seen on the display, the PM will call: “positive climb” and the PF will answer with: “Gear UP”. The PM will answer with the same call and will tell the PF that the “gear is up, indicating up” as soon as the display shows us 3 times a UP message. The pilot flying will climb with a speed of V2 + 15kt during initial climb. At 400″ Above ground level the PF will tell the PM to set the navigational modes that he wants to have selected like NAV and VS (this followed the routing as programmed in the computer FMS and gives a manually given Vertical Speed). At 1500″ feet above ground level climb power is set by the PF and askes for “FLAPS UP” and will be acknowledged by the PM. The Autopilot will be selected on by the PM whenever the PF tells him.

This is how a standard take-off looks like in a Challenger 300. The calls may variate between companies and configuration of the aircraft.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please let me know in the comment section below or if you want me to write about anything else you can contact me in the contact page on the website.

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