I flew on US today that the crew referred to as new. It probably was a America West plane but wondered where I could find the details.

When I first got on I was amazed at how clean it was. Coach seats were leather also.

When it came time to leave the gate the FA couldn't get the TV down. The pilot came out and tried, other FA's tried. Finally they called the mechanics.

Mechanics came they looked they weren't sure how to get it down either. Finally a FA realized the controlled it back by the video.

So we push back only to hear the captain inform us that when they removed the tow bar they broke a landing light. We had to go back to the gate and have it fixed.

Finally we pulled out and got in the long line at PHL for takeoff. I did some looking and was amazed how clean the plane was. Even the tray tables were clean in First. Amazing!!!! No pen marks on the seats.

A personal treat was flying over the Kennedy Space Center. As many times as I have flown in/out of MCO had never flown over KSC.

So to make a long story short the N number was N643W. What is the history of this plane? Thanks.

So to make a long story short the N number was N643W. What is the history of this plane? Thanks.

I assume you mean N643UW. Was it a 757? I found this about N643UW:
First Revenue Domestic
Flight of 757-ETOPS Aircraft

The first US Airways 757-East ETOPS aircraft, registration number N643UW, departed PHL on Thursday morning at 07:43 local time on its way to CLT, marking the first domestic revenue flight for the newly acquired ex-ATA 757 aircraft. The aircraft will continue on a domestic routing of CLT-SJU-CLT-PHL. 757-East ETOPS aircraft registration numbers N642UW and N644UW will repeat this domestic flight routing on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27 respectively. These three 757-East ETOPS aircraft are scheduled to start their International ETOPS operations of PHL-GLA-PHL on May 30, PHL-SNN-PHL on June 3, and PHL-LIS-PHL on June 7. Thanks to everyone who participated in acquiring and preparing these three aircraft to enter service with the new US Airways.

---

I guess all new seating was involved, or seat coverings. And why do the First seats have pen marks on them? I saw them on my first ride up front on a 319, and a 321, on a trip to SEA out of CLT.

Thank you so much!!! Sorry for the incomplete number. I knew there had to be a story. FA wasn't very talkative or I would have asked her.

That's one of the three ETOPS 757's US acquired for additional European service this summer, and the first to go into revenue service. ATA originally operated these planes before returning them to the leasor during their BK. Read that they have been operated by a European carrier (Monarch???) before we got them.

They came to US with the leather seats - don't know which previous carrier put those in. There are only 8 F/C, which is why they'll be sold as all coach when they start TA service. The F/C seats will be used for upgrades only. Over the winter, the plan is to refit with different/more F/C seats.

The IFE is apparently a different system than we have on the other planes - might explain the problem the crew had operating it.

Jim

Thank you for more information on the plane. There was only 5 of us in F today.

Thank you for more information on the plane. There was only 5 of us in F today.

How was the interior? Did it look different than the standard US flight? And was the configuration in the back 3-3?

I would love to know the seat pitch on those flights.. would be nice if it was >32"

33 or 34 across the pond would be more comfortable, but I doubt it.

LOL! From wikipedia (because I had no idea what ETOPS was):

"ETOPS is sometimes read (humorously) as Engines Turn or Passengers Swim."

That's one of the three ETOPS 757's US acquired for additional European service this summer, and the first to go into revenue service. ATA originally operated these planes before returning them to the leasor during their BK. Read that they have been operated by a European carrier (Monarch???) before we got them.

JimHere the entire history for N643UW:

1 Nov 2000 delivered to ATA as N527AT
16 Jun 2005 to Air Horizons as F-GRNI
24 Feb 2006 to USAirways as N643UW

Air Horizons was based out of Paris and ceased operations late last year.

N642UW and N644UW have similar histories.

"ETOPS is sometimes read (humorously) as Engines Turn or Passengers Swim."
Almost - make that "Engine" (singular) and it'd be exactly right.....

ETOPS (Extended Twin-engine OPerations) is what allows all those 2-engine planes to operate across the ocean without going quite a bit out of the way (or operate across the ocean at all in the case of flights like mainland to Hawaii).

With ETOPS qualification (plane, airline, and crews), a 2-engine aircraft has to remain within 180 minutes (at single-engine cruise speed) of a suitable landing site at all times.

Without ETOPS (like our 737's), the plane must remain within 100 nm of land at all times when operating at the northern latitudes (where the trans-Atlantic flights operate) or 162 nm when further south. That's about 20 minutes up north or 35 minutes further south.

Jim

Almost - make that "Engine" (singular) and it'd be exactly right.....

ETOPS (Extended Twin-engine OPerations) is what allows all those 2-engine planes to operate across the ocean without going quite a bit out of the way (or operate across the ocean at all in the case of flights like mainland to Hawaii).

With ETOPS qualification (plane, airline, and crews), a 2-engine aircraft has to remain within 180 minutes (at single-engine cruise speed) of a suitable landing site at all times.

Without ETOPS (like our 737's), the plane must remain within 100 nm of land at all times when operating at the northern latitudes (where the trans-Atlantic flights operate) or 162 nm when further south. That's about 20 minutes up north or 35 minutes further south.

Jim

Jim-

In my book, you get MVP on this board. You don't talk about US hype and US failings. So, If I am on a fully loaded westbound 757 ETOPS headed from PHX to HNL, and one engine fails 181 minutes out of HNL, will I make it to HNL? And, will I lose elevation for all of those minutes? Also, what makes the north different from the south in your 737 example?

So, If I am on a fully loaded westbound 757 ETOPS headed from PHX to HNL, and one engine fails 181 minutes out of HNL, will I make it to HNL?

Obviously, since I fly the 737 I haven't flown that route so this is just off the top of my head.....

Since the flight can't be more than 180 minutes from a suitable airport, that would mean you'd be no more than 179 minutes from a west coast airport (probably less since I don't think it's a 6 hour flight from the west coast to HI).

Aside from that technical detail, as long as the remaining engine keeps running you won't get wet no matter how far from land you are (unless you're so far that you run out of fuel, of course). On the other hand, you're gonna get wet if the second engine quits even if you're only 60 minutes from land.

And, will I lose elevation for all of those minutes?

Quite possibly only for part of them. On one engine, the plane won't be able to maintain the same cruise altitude as it could on two engines, so it would "drift down" (a very slow descent, ATC willing) to the single-engine cruise altitude. Then you'd obviously have to descend from that altitude to land. Depending on the distance remaining, that could end up being a continuous descent.

Also, what makes the north different from the south in your 737 example?

That one I honestly don't know. It's the FAA requirement, but I don't know why.

If you're interested, a website called Great Circle Mapper (http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=phl-lgw%2C+phx-hnl%0D%0A&RANGE=&PATH-COLOR=red&PATH-UNITS=mi&SPEED-GROUND=300&SPEED-UNITS=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=navy&MAP-STYLE=&ETOPS=120&ETOPS=180) will show a great circle route and the unusuable area under different ETOPs time limitations. The link should show both PHX-HNL and PHL-LGW with both 120 minute and 180 minute limits. You'll notice that the PHL-LGW line is fine with 120 minutes but the PHX-HNL isn't.

I can hear the question - what's this about a 120 minute limitation? Originally, as ETOPs was developed, the approval was for less than 180 minutes. As time passed and more experience with ETOPs was gained, the limit increased. There is talk of going as high as 330 minutes for certain aircraft that are designed with ETOPs in mind.

Also, as I mentioned, not just the airplane but the airline has to be ETOPs approved. In the past, when an airline first started ETOPs, the FAA would impose a lower limit initially. As that airline gained ETOPs experience, the limit was raised. I think Piedmont started with either 60 or 90 minutes when we started the CLT-LGW service in the 80's. Of course, the whole ETOPs concept was relatively new, and PI was starting ETOPs with an airplane we'd never flown before.

Jim

I have no idea what the seat pitch was but they were 3x3 leather seats. The bulkhead wall in F. was not the US carpet on the wall but heavy wall paper maybe.

Aircraft Description

Serial Number 30886 Type Registration Corporation
Manufacturer Name BOEING Certificate Issue Date 02/27/2006
Model 757-23N Status Valid
Type Aircraft Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Type Engine Turbo-Jet
Pending Number Change None Dealer No
Date Change Authorized None Mode S Code 52071067
MFR Year None Fractional Owner NO


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Registered Owner

Name US AIRWAYS INC
Street 4000 E SKY HARBOR BLVD
City PHOENIX State ARIZONA Zip Code 85034-3802
County MARICOPA
Country UNITED STATES