First Trip to US on Qantas A380

[led-zep]

Hey guys,

so i am really glad i discovered this place it is very helpful!

Im heading to the US with my sister on saturday (first time in the US- i have flown to Europe in 2010)..

Now i am a VERY nervous flyer, and really am already panicing. With what has happened with the A380 has anyone flown this to LAX in the last month or so?

How was the flight (from a comfort and turbulence experience) and what should i expect..

How can i get rid of the nerves, i do generally think the plane will fall out or turbulence will impact the plane.

Cheers!

 

[eightblack]

My advice. Drink heavily...

You'll be fine. Ask yourself this "when was the last time you heard about a plane falling from the sky as a result of turbulence?"

Exactly.

 

[Justinf]

Planes were designed to fly in turbulence. In fact they thrive on it. Just like a premier racehorse thrives on the race, modern aircraft are equipped to deal with turbulence just as nonchalantly as you would pour yourself a morning coffee.

 

[led-zep]

Yeah i guess when you have a irrational fear its hard to see any reason and logic!

So has anyone flown the A380 in the last few weeks, and how has the overall experience been?

Im in row 67 over and 70 back so im hoping for a smooth flight (hopefully little/no turbulence!)

 

[jb747]

I fly the A380. You can't buy the seat that I sit in.

Turbulence...I'm sure you don't like it, most passengers don't, but believe me the worst turbulence that you are likely to ever experience is pretty much guaranteed to leave the airframe totally uncaring. Air pockets DO NOT exist. Aircraft DO NOT drop thousands of feet in turbulence. The bumps are at worst the equivalent of driving down an undulating road at 100 kph. You don't do that whilst trying to walk around, not strapped in...same rules apply.

I understand that logic does not really help if you really don't like flying. But the A380 is a nice, big, safe, and comfortable aircraft. Try to enjoy it.

 

[nate89]

I flew the A380 early Feb LAX-SYD.

You have nothing to worry about When I flew there was no turbulence. Comfort - depends what class you are in I flew in economy and am maybe slightly above average height-wise (183 cm) and it was a little tight, but not unbearable.

Noise was relatively less compared to other planes, but your ears should adjust to it anyway regardless of what plane you're on from what I've found.

If you have a connecting flight though make sure you leave enough time for immigration at LAX.....


Another tip if you are a bit scared of flying - sleeping pills
Careful with combining drinking and sleeping pills though haha.

 

[ShaneN]

My advice. Drink heavily...

I do not advise following this advice (which I hope was tongue in cheek). Excess alcohol consumption is never a good idea for long trips. While I do not agree, prescription sedatives or sleeping pills may be an option, but not alcohol.

 

[TonyHancock]

I flew on a 380 last Saturday, from SIN-LHR and it was a smooth flight.

 

[casanovawa]

And try not to watch Air Crash Investigations before you depart...

But yes, very safe, your drive to the airport will be more dangerous....

 

[BensAdventures]

I've flown the A380 a few times now to and from LAX, and it have each time been smoother compared to any other long haul flights (and I do enough of them).

Personally if I was a nervous flyer, in terms of flight experience I'd prefer the A380.

Enjoy!

 

[pshepvic]

I've only been on the A380 twice, but have to say they would have been the two smoothest long haul flights I've ever done. Virtually no bumping around, even down in row 80. (Most other aircraft you notice a lot more movement at the back).

Also the A380 would be the quietest aircraft I've been on - but I still never leave home without noise cancelling headphones either!

Landings are the second smoothest I've had. Believe it or not, the best landing I've ever had was on Air Pacific to Fiji a couple of years back - barely felt the 747 touch the ground!

 

[jb747]

I've only been on the A380 twice, but have to say they would have been the two smoothest long haul flights I've ever done. Virtually no bumping around, even down in row 80. (Most other aircraft you notice a lot more movement at the back).

Turbulence is sadly more the luck of the draw than anything else. I don't think the 380 rides the bumps any differently to the 747. But, the structure flexes differently, so sometimes they do feel different.

Also the A380 would be the quietest aircraft I've been on - but I still never leave home without noise cancelling headphones either!

Quiet it is.

Landings are the second smoothest I've had. Believe it or not, the best landing I've ever had was on Air Pacific to Fiji a couple of years back - barely felt the 747 touch the ground!

Landing smoothness is somewhat in the lap of the gods. Whilst passengers and cabin crew judge landings on how smooth they are, pilots tend to be critical of other facets of the landing, and care a lot less than the pax about just how smooth it is. Basically, whilst smooth is nice, it's not the measure of a good landing.

For what it's worth, I think the 747 was much easier to consistently achieve smooth...and the 767 the most difficult.

 

[pshepvic]

Landings are somewhat in the lap of the gods. Whilst passengers and cabin crew judge landings on how smooth they are, pilots tend to be critical of other facets of the landing, and care a lot less than the pax about just how smooth it is. For what it's worth, I think the 747 was much easier to consistently achieve smooth...and the 767 the most difficult.

I'd have to agree from where I sit that 767's are the worst ... often it feels like one's backside has ended up on the opposite side of the seat cushion

A friend of my parents was a 747 Captain with Singapore Airlines for the best part of his career, and always said the harder the landing the better - that means it's definitely on the ground! (with softer landings meaning more chance of skidding)

 

[jb747]

I'd have to agree from where I sit that 767's are the worst ... often it feels like one's backside has ended up on the opposite side of the seat cushion

A friend of my parents was a 747 Captain with Singapore Airlines for the best part of his career, and always said the harder the landing the better - that means it's definitely on the ground! (with softer landings meaning more chance of skidding)

There's always been lots of discussion amongst the pilots as to just why the 767 sits down the way it does. Generally though, most feel that it something to do with the way the spoilers activate as soon as the rear tyres have touched down..in which case the suspension may not yet be compressed, so it forces the aircraft that last few inches of travel. It's a surprising 'feature' as it converts a greaser into a firmish touchdown. On the other hand...the aircraft actually sits down more comfortably if you have a slightly higher sink rate at touchdown. The 747 and 380 both have a tendency to float, and that often translates into a smooth (good) but long (bad) touchdown.

A smooth touchdown on a wet runway is something that you should not be trying to achieve, nor will they often be smooth in crosswinds.

I once had a female passenger have a go at me as she was disembarking, after a firm touchdown in a 35 knot crosswind. I guess she could have done better.

Oh, and if you want firm...in the A4G we did not flare AT ALL. 700 feet per minute straight into the ground.

 

[pshepvic]

Oh, and if you want firm...in the A4G we did not flare AT ALL. 700 feet per minute straight into the ground.

Owch! All passengers please assume the brace position!

 

[led-zep]

This is a bit more reassuring i guess!

What is the deal with flying through heavy cloud, eg the awful weather we are experiencing in Sydney today?

Does that affect the overall comfort and or increase the likely hood of a bumpy flight? I have checked weather reports and it seems that it will be cloudy with rain on saturday here in Sydney, i am not sure of the flight over the pacific, but will this have an overall affect on the flight?

 

[pshepvic]

This is a bit more reassuring i guess!

What is the deal with flying through heavy cloud, eg the awful weather we are experiencing in Sydney today?

Does that affect the overall comfort and or increase the likely hood of a bumpy flight? I have checked weather reports and it seems that it will be cloudy with rain on saturday here in Sydney, i am not sure of the flight over the pacific, but will this have an overall affect on the flight?

Well it seemed to cause a few bumps last night! DJ880 Syd-Mel was one of the roughest domestic flights I've had in a quite a while!

 

[jb747]

What is the deal with flying through heavy cloud, eg the awful weather we are experiencing in Sydney today?

I'm not in Sydney, so I don't know what you are experiencing.

The only clouds that you really need to go around are thunderstorms. But, even then, there will be times when going around just doesn't happen, and as long as everyone is strapped in, there are unlikely to be any repercussions at all. Anything that looks nasty (either by a peek out the window, or from the radar) you just go around.

Does that affect the overall comfort and or increase the likely hood of a bumpy flight? I have checked weather reports and it seems that it will be cloudy with rain on saturday here in Sydney, i am not sure of the flight over the pacific, but will this have an overall affect on the flight?

Normally the departure or arrival weather only affects you for the few minutes that you're in the vicinity of the airport. Once you get under way, and climb to some reasonable altitude, then you're mostly out of the weather, and you can then go around anything you need to.

It's a long flight...the weather at Sydney is a tiny component of it.

Clear air turbulence is often experienced over Australia, generally on the leg between Perth and the east coast. It's also quite prevalent over the Honolulu to LA sector (which you'll most likely be a very long way south of). In any event, it's really just the mixing of the airlayers, with winds going in different directions at differing levels. It's an annoyance, but again it represents no danger whatsover to the aircraft.

The only people who are ever hurt in turbulence are the ones who undo their seat belts. I have mine fastened any time that I'm seated, whether that may be in the coughpit, the crew rest or the cabin...everyone should do the same.

 

[blu]

I think you will be amazed how uneventful it is.
If you think it will be problem carry some Zanax (see your doc).

 

[Fantic125]

You're more likely to have an unpleasant experience visiting your doctor or dentist than flying.

(Disclaimer; I have both in my family, and I wouldn't recommend either.)

Flying, I would recommend.