NightIP

Flew with a CA this last trip (great CA, by the way...not bashing him in any way) who was big on spooling the reversers whenever we'd fly an EP, regardless of runway conditions or length. He said that it's due to the EP's weaker brakes, which I can understand, but I've never seen it done this way before. Is this common practice? I've always just spooled the TRs on shorter runways and/or contaminated runways.

RBower

I use the TR for quick turns to keep the brake temps down. The ERs heat up quick even using normal braking effort, and it can take awhile for the brakes to cool especially when its warm out.

pscraig

The brake discs are a smaller diameter on the EPs, and can get very hot. I don't "always" use the TRs but factor in runway length, condition, etc...if I'm doing a DFW turn from IAH and have 10,000+ feet of dry runway I see no need to either spool the TRs OR hit the brakes all that hard. Places like LCH might be a different story. Taking the first high speed isn't the Holy Grail.

I think the guy you flew with might be trying to come up with a one-size-fits-all policy to make things simpler, but I don't think that is necessary.

Randy Brodbeck

I use the brakes as aggressively as anybody and I have never had to delay a departure for brake cooling; even while operating an ER/EP or whatever we are calling them this week. I don't deny there is some stopping effectiveness gained by using reverse thrust. That being said I really don't think aggressive thrust reverser use keeps the brake temperature that much cooler. If you operate the aircraft responsibly and manage you energy properly (land on speed) the brake temperature really shouldn't be an issue.

?

i spool every time cuz i like the sound it makes

heph224

While I do agree that the LR has differant breakes, it's not only that which shows a higher break temp indication.

MFD INDICATIONS
1 - BRAKE TEMPERATURE INDICATION

- The scale ranges from 0 to 500°C.
- The scale and pointer are green when temperature is below
200°C, and amber when equal or greater than 200°C.

NOTE: For EMB-145 airplanes equipped with LR brakes, the scale and
pointer are green when temperature is below 250°C, and
amber when equal or greater than 250°C.

So on the ER's, the amber starts at 200 and on the LR at 250. What the captain is doing is technique. I personally do not spool the TR if the runway is long in length, the temp outside is cold, and I don't have a quick turn.

Take Care.

yasir1212

Like everyone has said, what the captain is doing is technique and what he prefers or feels comfortable. If the runway is long, cool temps, etc. there really is no need to spool up the TRs, granted I wasn't there so I don't know the real situation or rational behind it. Even on a warm day, you really don't have to spool them up, but if someone chooses to do so, are they wrong, not at all. Even if you have a quick turn, if you take a look at the Quick Turn-Around Charts in CFM 1, in many cases all the brakes need are about 20 minutes or so, and many times a "quick turn" takes just about that long.

juice

couple things:

first off... the quick turn around chart is only good if you have a brake temp indicator inop.

second, looking at the quick turn around charts for an EP, with flaps 45 (page 5-150) where do you get 20 minutes? there is no time table for these charts. the note section in the bottom left reads that if you land with a weight exceeding those from the chart you must not take off for 33 minutes. (now for some stations, i realize, that IS a quick turn!) take a 20C day in IAH, with no headwind and no slope for argument sake, you get about 37,000 lbs on the chart... with load factors in the 70s to 80% depending on time of year, we are rarely that light (seems i'm always right at 41,226 in the d*mn thing )

anyway, i agree with you on the TR use, usually not a factor, but I have had a few people get slightly aggressive with the brakes and had to really, really watch the taxi on the way out to avoid amber after a normal turn, and had one get a brake overtemp after landing, for what was aggressive, but not over excessive braking. so personally, depending on the situation, i do use some TR in EPs sometimes.

D-Luv

Once I over temped the breaks on an ER and MX came to the airplane for something else... When I was doing the walk around I watched them dump a 1/2 bottle of water onto each of the main gear tucks, cooled them off pretty quick.

erj-145mech

I'm callling BS on this! Anything to do with the brake parts that get hot are in the wheel cavity. The only parts that are visible are the cylinder/pistons and the temp probe. Those are the cold parts of the brake assembly.

This is unless you are talking about the mech's breaks, as in coffee. And then, I hate to tell you, wasn't water that was being applied to your brakes, but another human generated liquid.

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