Beaurepairs at Melbourne airport?

[munitalP]

Anyone on this flight this morning? Left gate 22 at approx 9.10 after ground crew spotted a flat tyre after getting pushed off... see photo (sorry taken on my phone) at http://munitalp.bigblog.com.au

:shock:

 

[serfty]

A few years ago I was sitting on a Qantaslink 717 in MEL as is was being pushed back from gate 4 (IIRC). The aircraft nose swung out and around as normal. The tug departed, the engines were started and all seemed well until the engines powered down.

The pilot then announced one of the nose tyres was flat (of two) and it would need to be replaced; however we were to remain seated. We were towed back in and waited. After about 20 minutes the pilot made another announcement that we would need to disembark to reduce the weight on the nose wheel; so off we all trooped.

From the terminal I watched as personnel wearing Impulse gear worked on replacing the tyre. I noticed these 717 nose wheel tyres look far larger when being manhandled than they look when attached to an aircraft. (Or maybe the Impulse guys were rather small )

Anyway, 65 minutes later we pushed back again and took off to HBA. ...

 

[NM]

The pilot then announced one of the nose tyres was flat (of two) and it would need to be replaced; however we were to remain seated. We were towed back in and waited. After about 20 minutes the pilot made another announcement that we would need to disembark to reduce the weight on the nose wheel; so off we all trooped.

They could have saved some time and effort by asking all the passengers to gather at the rear of the aircraft and jump at the same time, this raising the nose wheels off the ground .

 

[serfty]

They could have saved some time and effort by asking all the passengers to gather at the rear of the aircraft and jump at the same time, this raising the nose wheels off the ground .

Not sure there would have been enough room down the back; not a lot of fuselage behind the rear wheels on those beasties ...

www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/flying/inTheAir/ourAircraft/717-115Y.pdf

 

[NM]

Not sure there would have been enough room down the back; not a lot of fuselage behind the rear wheels on those beasties ...

But very much an aft centre of gravity. Pilots of the DC9/MD80s has to be careful when using reverse thrust to manoeuvre the aircraft on the ground. Too much speed and jump on the breaks too hard and you are shouting the next round of drinks to the painters just as soon as they finish touching up the skid marks on the rear stairs. Twas only a problem for the shorter versions.

So it would be interesting to see how many passengers (and cabin crew) can fit into the rear lavs of a 717 :shock: .