Littlegirl

It could be that it is heading off in a different direction.

Sometimes they let a few heavy aircraft off in a row as smaller aircraft need more separation as air gets disturbed by a large aircraft and this can affect small ones.

It may have been waiting for it's turn in another area, there can be more than one line of planes waiting.

DYKWIA

Thanks. That makes sense. I wish I was on it, rather than a flight to MAN

ardboe

I've always wondered that too DYKWIA. A few times on EI we've skipped the queue, I always thought as we were in a wee airbus and didnt need the full runway they just let up skip ahead.

DYKWIA

Yep - I've done it a few times like that (smaller plane jumps in while the larger plane lines up).

This seemed strange that it was a larger plane jumping in.

Disappointed not to have seen an A380 yet!

JetSet Lady

They seem to often do this at JFK too. When we first started the LCY-JFK route, we'd often get a bit of gentle ribbing from the 747's when we rocked up in our little "toy" plane. But it soon went quiet when we skipped up the outside of them with all the other 'littlies'...
(We're still working on a way to get the baby bus to tuck its wings in, so we can queue jump by sneaking underneath the big boys when they arent looking.)

However, it doesn't always work and unlike DYKWIA, I have been lucky enough to see the A380. We were sat in the queue directly behind it, with a 747-800 behind us. It looks very, very big when peered up at from the windscreen of a A318.

sigma421

I think (and I'm butchering the detail here so I apologise in advance to ATC people) that Heathrow departures are separated into those going north or east and those going south and west.
If there are too many westbound aircraft then it's likely that an eastbound A/C will be able to 'skip' the queue and takeoff first in order to keep the traffic moving smoothly.
I had the same experience last week when leaving on a bmi A319 to Edinburgh. We (along with an Aer Lingus flight) were able to skip ahead of a load of heavies preparing to cross the Atlantic.

1010101

I was probably in that queue... the captain of our HKG bound 747 kindly explained it to us.

Us, and a few other long haulers in the queue were heading East and at that time the sectors we were due to fly through in Northern Europe were pretty full. So to help rectify this issue ATC were letting the small planes jump ahead of us to spread the long haulers out.

Heathrow Tower

DYKWIA

See post 187 above.

Hopefully that will answer your questions!

IAMORGAN

I have just seen this video which shows an easyjet NITS briefing and the steps crew go through for a planned emergency landing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...8gZ92t3kw&NR=1

One thing that struck me is the way the SCCM briefed the cc and then got them individually to read back the briefing. I understand this is achievable with a single-aisle jet with maybe 4 or 5 crew, but how does it work on the twin-aisle aircraft where there could be 14 or 15 cc? Would the CSD really round ALL the crew up in one galley and then get each of them to read back instructions, or would the CSD brief Pursers (?+ an upper deck crew member?) who would then be responsible for communicating that info on to the other crew?

Or does BA do things totally differently?

Just curious -and I understand if you can't answer!

Littlegirl

On BA on most aircraft the briefing is given on the inter-phone system to all door crew simultaneously. All confirm or ask for clarification when the SCCM calls out their door position. They then brief the other crew in their galley area.

IAMORGAN

Thank you -this seems like a sensible way of doing it and presumably means the crew can get on with preparing for the situation quickly.

Littlegirl

Yes, all the crew that are not door operators would be doing just that and of course those listening to the NITS briefing are already in their cabin area ready as you say to start preparing straight away after the briefing.

BingBongBoy

I dread the day I hear the Alert call...

Yahillwe

My apologies if it has been already asked, but why do the FAs need to reiterate what the captain has announced? Do they think that we haven't paid attention?

Littlegirl

If you are talking about the normal welcome pa's. Most are laid down by BA and the format has to be followed. The only PA that is of a more personal level is the one done by the SCCM but even that has certain sections that have to be mentioned like for instance, the recommendation to keep your seatbelt done up, even when the signs are off etc.

During the flight the Captain might say he is going to put the seatbelt sign on but once he does, the crew have to give a more formal version asking passengers to return to their seats and not use wash rooms etc.

So that is maybe why they both often say the same.