Ask The Pilot

[jb747]

Who tows the aircraft in and out of the hangar? Or rather, who has prime responsibility for the towing of the aircraft as such? The airline, the airport, or a contract ground service?

I guess the media can sink the boot into the airline, but who really will cop the blame and the bill?

Any time an aircraft is being towed, the responsibility lies with the tug driver...

QF will cop the blame from the media, no matter whether at fault or not. And I'm sure they'll get to pay as well.

 

[jb747]

You must have had a quick turn-around back home then... or are you just not in LA?That then springs to mind a question - who does the trans-American leg of QF108 /108? Is it the second crew onboard from Oz?

The slip is about 36 hours for the return trip. The NYC crews fly in, slip for 24 hours (I think) and then go to JFK. There is no way you could safely continue from Oz, even if you'd paxed over.

 

[Melburnian1]

Have any pilots heard how long these two aircraft sitting in LAX may be out of service, or it it too early to know given that a very detailed structural assessment would have to be made?

I assume that while QF may have a lot of assistance from Boeing and Airbus with such matters, it would want to fly in its most experienced engineers from Australia to assess the damage.

jb747, wouldn't QF save money if it abolished local crews based in NYC and instead after say 48 hours rest in LAX had pilots ex SYD or MEL flights run the transcontinental flights? Or would that mean that you were then working 'too many hours' in a month?

 

[jb747]

Have any pilots heard how long these two aircraft sitting in LAX may be out of service, or it it too early to know given that a very detailed structural assessment would have to be made?

I assume that while QF may have a lot of assistance from Boeing and Airbus with such matters, it would want to fly in its most experienced engineers from Australia to assess the damage.

jb747, wouldn't QF save money if it abolished local crews based in NYC and instead after say 48 hours rest in LAX had pilots ex SYD or MEL flights run the transcontinental flights? Or would that mean that you were then working 'too many hours' in a month?

Firstly, if any pilots had heard anything, I very much doubt that they'd say anything on an open forum. I certainly wouldn't.

Secondly, there is no such thing as a local crew based in NYC. What you suggest is what already happens.

 

[strance]

just want to say this is the best thread on the interwebs, thanks jb747

i ain't the pilot but if i had to guess an answer to the previous post i'd say because the 388 don't go to nyc

 

[legroom]

... There is no way you could safely continue from Oz, even if you'd paxed over.

That's interesting.

I thought, as a layman, that paxing over would essentially be like us tourists / businessman(woman) / conference academics who are supposed to function once you hit the ground.

Would another 24 hrs on terra firma be sufficient then for the paxed over pilots to function (theoretically of course) ?

Ps: thinking back, this is an inane question as piloting a plane requires much, much more attention than intermittent dozing off in a conference.

Thanks, JB

 

[Robbi]

Any time an aircraft is being towed, the responsibility lies with the tug driver...

QF will cop the blame from the media, no matter whether at fault or not. And I'm sure they'll get to pay as well.

I am sure you're correct, but if QF wants to get serious about turning things around they should vigorously pursue this and get contractor to pay.

 

[petercr]

JB, just watched a video of a 744 landing (coincidentally -OEI which was grounded in LAX) and I noticed that the out-board gear trucks appear to be angled up relative to the aircraft prior to landing (as opposed to the main centre-line gear which appeared to be fixed) so that the rear tyres touch first.

Is this a design feature to spread the landing impact away from the fuselage so the passengers feel a smoother landing? Or is there some other engineering reason?

Thanks again...

 

[markis10]

(coincidentally -OEI which is currently grounded in LAX) .

She is currently on her way home
VH-OEI

 

[QF WP]

and has arrived home. Bet the engineers are crawling all over her tomorrow

 

[jb747]

JB, just watched a video of a 744 landing (coincidentally -OEI which was grounded in LAX) and I noticed that the out-board gear trucks appear to be angled up relative to the aircraft prior to landing (as opposed to the main centre-line gear which appeared to be fixed) so that the rear tyres touch first.

Is this a design feature to spread the landing impact away from the fuselage so the passengers feel a smoother landing? Or is there some other engineering reason?...

Undercarriage geometry has more do do with making it fold away into the available space than anything else.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Something that has been playing on my mind, given all the LCD/LED screens in the coughpit now a days, what do you do in the event one fails? Just move information around and drop off the less critical information you don't require? Have you ever encountered such a situation? Is it an easy swap for the engineers?

 

[petercr]

Undercarriage geometry has more do do with making it fold away into the available space than anything else.

Makes a lot more sense now that you say that....

 

[jb747]

Something that has been playing on my mind, given all the LCD/LED screens in the coughpit now a days, what do you do in the event one fails? Just move information around and drop off the less critical information you don't require? Have you ever encountered such a situation? Is it an easy swap for the engineers?

I've had screens fail in the 747 and 767, but haven't lost one in the 380 yet. I expect the LEDs are more reliable than the earlier screens.

Some data moves automatically if a loss is detected. Pretty much anything can be put anywhere, but sometimes you actually need a failure to happen for the switching to be enabled.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I've had screens fail in the 747 and 767, but haven't lost one in the 380 yet. I expect the LEDs are more reliable than the earlier screens.

Some data moves automatically if a loss is detected. Pretty much anything can be put anywhere, but sometimes you actually need a failure to happen for the switching to be enabled.

I'm guessing in some older types they are retrofitted.

As someone who is (obviously!) not a pilot but does step inside the flight deck every now and then, one does get an appreciation, I suppose, for the old and the new. Of course, that's speaking from a purely aesthetic point of view. Whether they are easier to fly, I doubt - but having a more complete picture about what the aircraft is doing in flight couldn't be a bad thing - as long as it is not information overload.

 

[QF WP]

jb747, given the photos that has been released by Steve Purvinas of both the A380 and 747 wingtips (in story here), what concerns as a pilot would you have with any fix by Maintenance (structural integrity, performance issues)?

 

[jb747]

jb747, given the photos that has been released by Steve Purvinas of both the A380 and 747 wingtips (in story here), what concerns as a pilot would you have with any fix by Maintenance (structural integrity, performance issues)?

I won't have any concerns about either performance or integrity. Most likely the repairs will consist of totally new parts fitted from manufacturing junctions.

i wouldn't be surprised if something like this happens to just about every big jet over the course of its life.

 

[petercr]

so someone would 'ring' Airbus and Boeing asking for a new winglet and flap and they'd pull them off production or spares? or is it likely they were kept in stock locally?

 

[anat0l]

I wouldn't be surprised if something like this happens to just about every big jet over the course of its life.

Maybe true, but doesn't stop people from sinking the boot into it.

A bit like saying a visit to the panelbeaters for your car isn't the end of the world, but hell you still look pretty stupid.

That said, I would reckon if they can fix NBW after QF32, this should be a snap in comparison (no puns intended!). Certainly not near "write off" territory.

 

[RobYg]

If a Boeing or Airbus is towed to a parking area for a number of hours before its next flight is the APU left running? If not, how is the aircraft powered up for flight?