Boeing 777 Pilots: It's Not Easy To Disable Onboard Communications (No idea)

NPR ^ | March 14, 2014 | Scott Newman

[maggief]

“Boeing 777 Pilots: It’s Not Easy To Disable Onboard Communications”

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/font-color-red-missing-mh370-font-father-of-mas-engineer-shocked-over-news-of-son-missing-1.503035

MISSING MH370: Father of MAS engineer shocked over news of son missing

BERA: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) engineer Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat was assigned to Beijing to carry out repair works on MAS aircraft but unfortunately, the 28-year-old never made it to his destination.

(snip)

[ALPAPilot]

If ACARS on say a routine flight quits working or trips a breaker does the crew get any notificiation? Audible or visiual cue?

Sort of. If the Satellite voice goes out, we get a message on the EICAS (engine instrument display). If Satellite data goes out, we get the message and a link to the short checklist. Out of VHF range if we lose satellite data, we lose the ACARS.

With other types of failures, we would figure it out when we went to use it. It's used all the time. Takeoff Data, weather, release verifications, ATIS etc. all come through the ACARS. Consequently, ACARS problems create a big increase in workload.

[Rockpile]

Thanks. Had one of my brothers been hired after when he applied at
that big desert overhaul field in Calif.-— but they only wanted big jet Maintenance experience and his was F4—F16—F111-—T38 and F5; OR when he applied at Renton with Boeing( but they were about to do layoffs) ; then I’d have been querying him on stuff.

[Uncle Chip]

That’s why he had a flight simulator at home — so that he could practice doing those things that most pilots would never do in a lifetime of flying.