Aviation Fans

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I think it's just a matter of time before someone invents a drone that people can ride in.  

 

There are already plans for unpiloted cargo aircraft. One proposal is about the size of a C-130. However, it's a lot more economical. Without having to carry all of the stuff related to keeping humans comfortable/alive and accommodating a flight crew, it needs only two engines. There is also a single engined turboprop model that can reportedly fly about 6,000 miles.

 

 

[Sully151]

I took flying lessons when I was 14 with hopes of flying my date to Catalina for dinner before prom.

Seemed like a cool idea until the process of learning to fly before ever pushing a lawn mower scared the crap out of me.

I knew piloting an airplane wasn't in my future when my instructor shut the power down to idle and asked "the plane has just lost all power. What do you do?"

My answer was "shit myself and give the controls back to you."

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Big fire at McCarran Airport yesterday. British Airways Boeing 777 had been cleared for takeoff on a flight to London Gatwick when a major fire erupted on the port side. Still trying to determine whether it was a landing gear fire (the assumption of an American Airlines pilot who saw it start) or an engine fire. The pilot aborted the takeoff safely. The plane is a total writeoff. All were evacuated safely. Fire crews performed admirably, on the scene within 90 seconds, fire was out within five minutes. Was to have been the final flight for the captain, who is retiring after 40+ years with BA. He said that it was the first emergency situation that he had dealt with. He also said that he is done flying.

Just glad that it happened on the ground.

Edited September 10, 2015 by Vegas Halo Fan

[arch stanton]

Emergency procedures are the biggest benefit of modern simulators. You should all thank your local simulator tech.

[ten ocho recon scout]

Thanks arch!

[gotbeer]

British Airways plane catches fire at Las Vegas airport; 13 injured

 

Listening to clips of the airtraffic chattI think with the bigger airlines, you can hear the professionalism in the pilots.  I have to believe that it's not an easy thing to deal with an emergency on takeoff, try to stop safely, radio in, and initiate emergency procedures.

[gotbeer]

So, what would have happened to that plane if that catastrophic engine failure happened if the plane just left the ground?  Just curious how bad it would have been if the engine failed just 2 minutes later.  

[gotbeer]

https://clyp.it/jrvdzhrw

 

This is the raw flight control chatter.  Just amazing.  

[arch stanton]

So, what would have happened to that plane if that catastrophic engine failure happened if the plane just left the ground?  Just curious how bad it would have been if the engine failed just 2 minutes later.  

The most critical time is between the time they have passed the takeoff speed that would allow for a safe abort and through the initial point of getting to a safe altitude. Engine fire is manageable. First thing is always to get to a safe altitude and airspeed then follow the firefighting procedures. By cutting off fuel you can usually keep the fire isolated to the affected engine area and knowing the controls of your particular airframe you can counteract the impact that lack of thrust and asymmetrical thrust have on aircraft handling. They would then have to burn or dump fuel to get to a safe landing weight. Engine seizure is more dangerous because if the engine doesn't allow any air to pass through it affects the handling more severely. This is when you find out if your pilot has been paying attention in the sim.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

So, what would have happened to that plane if that catastrophic engine failure happened if the plane just left the ground?  Just curious how bad it would have been if the engine failed just 2 minutes later.  

 

The port wing fuel tank might have exploded before he made it back to the airport, separating the wing from the aircraft. Had it happened on climbout - and this aircraft had already started its takeoff run - it might have gone down in the neighborhood east of the airport. Kudos to the captain for reacting quickly and saving the lives of everyone on board, plus who knows how many on the ground.

 

One of the big questions concerns the fire suppression equipment in the port engine nacelle. It was activated, but it did not stop the fire. The investigation will determine whether the equipment simply failed, or whether something else happened inside the nacelle that released so much fuel that it was simply ineffective.

[arch stanton]

Airbus guns for Boeing with new Alabama factory

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/airbus-guns-for-boeing-with-new-factory-in-alabama/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_boeing-aerospace

[Vegas Halo Fan]

An amazingly stupid story that came out of the BA Boeing 777 fire at Las Vegas: Numerous passengers ignored crew instructions to leave their belongings behind as they evacuated the aircraft. The footage shown on the evening news here clearly shows passengers walking down the runway with suitcases in tow. Idiots.

 

These morons could easily have punctured or torn one of the slides, rendering it useless. This was especially critical because there was a large fire on the port side of the aircraft, so the forward slides on that side could not be used. I also wonder how long these morons delayed other people getting off the aircraft while they retrieved their bags from the overhead bins.

 

I don't carry anything worth spending additional time aboard a burning aircraft to save.

 

Surprised that people didn't stop for selfies before they went down the slides.

[gotbeer]

 

 

Surprised that people didn't stop for selfies before they went down the slides.

 

 

They did.   

 

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_28789174/fleeing-vegas-plane-fire-passengers-defied-rules-take

 

While flight crews tell people to leave belongings behind in an evacuation, pilots say they seem increasingly inclined to grab whatever they brought on board. And sometimes even a selfie or two.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Figures. "Here is the end of my vacation! See the fire?"

[nate]

Time lapse of the dis-assembly of a U-2

 

[mrwicked]

An amazingly stupid story that came out of the BA Boeing 777 fire at Las Vegas: Numerous passengers ignored crew instructions to leave their belongings behind as they evacuated the aircraft. The footage shown on the evening news here clearly shows passengers walking down the runway with suitcases in tow. Idiots.

 

These morons could easily have punctured or torn one of the slides, rendering it useless. This was especially critical because there was a large fire on the port side of the aircraft, so the forward slides on that side could not be used. I also wonder how long these morons delayed other people getting off the aircraft while they retrieved their bags from the overhead bins.

 

I don't carry anything worth spending additional time aboard a burning aircraft to save.

 

Surprised that people didn't stop for selfies before they went down the slides.

 

idiots.

everyone knows you don't go running for your carry-on bags in a time of chaos.

you head straight to fridge and raid the liquor cabinet.

[Tank]

love the U2. absolutely great plane. 

 

i wish the SR-71 was still in service.

[mrwicked]

reminds me of that story told by the SR-71 pilot:

 

There were a lot of things we couldn't do in an SR-71, but we were the fastest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the jet. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Intense, maybe. Even cerebral. But there was one day in our Sled experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be the fastest guys out there, at least for a moment.

It occurred when Walt and I were flying our final training sortie. We needed 100 hours in the jet to complete our training and attain Mission Ready status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the century mark. We had made the turn in Arizona and the jet was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the front seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because we would soon be flying real missions but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Ripping across the barren deserts 80,000 feet below us, I could already see the coast of California from the Arizona border. I was, finally, after many humbling months of simulators and study, ahead of the jet.

I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Walter in the back seat. There he was, with no really good view of the incredible sights before us, tasked with monitoring four different radios. This was good practice for him for when we began flying real missions, when a priority transmission from headquarters could be vital. It had been difficult, too, for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my entire flying career I had controlled my own transmissions. But it was part of the division of duties in this plane and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. Walt was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding smooth on the radios, a skill that had been honed sharply with years in fighter squadrons where the slightest radio miscue was grounds for beheading. He understood that and allowed me that luxury.

Just to get a sense of what Walt had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Los Angeles Center, far below us, controlling daily traffic in their sector. While they had us on their scope (albeit briefly), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to descend into their airspace.

We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied: "November Charlie 175, I'm showing you at ninety knots on the ground."

Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the " Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that, and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios.

Just moments after the Cessna's inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. "I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed." Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren. Then out of the blue, a navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios. "Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check". Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol' Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: "Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground."

And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that Walt was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere seconds we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Hornet must die, and die now. I thought about all of our Sim training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn.

Somewhere, 13 miles above Arizona, there was a pilot screaming inside his space helmet. Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the back seat. That was the very moment that I knew Walter and I had become a crew. Very professionally, and with no emotion, Walter spoke: "Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. "Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground."

I think it was the forty-two knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that Walt and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most fighter-pilot-like voice: "Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to nineteen hundred on the money."

For a moment Walter was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when L.A.came back with, "Roger that Aspen, Your equipment is probably more accurate than ours. You boys have a good one."

It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable sprint across the southwest, the Navy had been flamed, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Speed, and more importantly, Walter and I had crossed the threshold of being a crew. A fine day's work. We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.

For just one day, it truly was fun being the fastest guys out there.

[Homebrewer]

Have never seen this thread.

I sort of grew up in an Airline family. Two Aunts were United Airlines employees, so I used to get shipped around as a kid (NRUM ..Non-Revenue Unaccompanied Minor) One lived in NYC and the other in Chicago. I flew in everything from DC3s to Lockheed Electras to 747s before I was in High School.

Got my single engine ticket in Humboldt County while I was going to school up there. Never made it much farther than that, as I got into boating and sailing, so flying sort of fell by the wayside. Still, I had friends that kept moving up the ratings ladder, so got to fly right seat in a lot of different aircraft from a Piper Tri-Pacer...to a Beech King Air...and quite a few in between. (and a few I've forgotten)

Worked for a couple different airlines..Wein (in Alaska) and the Original Frontier Airlines.

Mostly in operations, doing things like weight and balance calculations and assorted FAA paperwork...moving aircraft around...I have taxied 737's and DC9s, and sat right seat and jump-seat on flights on both of those.

Night approaches and landings were a favorite..

Mostly did it as a way to travel, and travel I did! 

[Homebrewer]

When I would work mornings at SNA (The old 80's SNA, back before jetways) My first job of the day was to go out to the overnight DC9 super 80, toggle down the back stairs, walk through the plane to the cockpit, sit down in the left seat and run through a checklist to start the APUs and power up the electricity and AC through the plane. The instruments and gyros would come alive...but really the main reason the flight crew had us do that was so that we could make coffee in the 1st class galley, and have it ready for them when the van brought them over from the hotel. 

Still it was always a cool way to start my day.  

I was the guy with a set of headphones plugged into the nose of the plane. I'd be listening to the pilots talking to ATC, waiting for clearance, and getting ready to back them out.

I miss working around airplanes sometimes..

[Adam]

My favorite plane is the one that is on time and void of screaming kids

[arch stanton]

The video shows the U2 at PDM. That was my all time favorite airplane job. I worked the post dock doing all the avionics checks after the plane was reassembled but still had no seats or canopy so easy cockpit access. The mod dock guys were sloppy so they left me plenty to fix before it went out to the paint barn and flight prep.

[HaloCory22]

Wicked, that's an awesome story.

[Tank]

My favorite plane is the one that is on time and void of screaming kids

 

my favorite plane is the one that isn't packed to the gills with humanity.

 

sadly, i don't think such a plane exists any more.

[mrwicked]

Wicked, that's an awesome story.

 

great huh!?

everytime i see the story posted online, i always end up reading it.

its so fun.

i remember being so into the sr-71 as a kid.

that except is from a book Sled Driver, but good luck finding it.

last i heard it's discontinued and super expensive.  

http://www.amazon.com/Sled-Driver-Flying-Worlds-Fastest/dp/0929823087

Edited December 8, 2015 by mrwicked