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May 9, 2018, 12:38 pm
#3091
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Probably because allowing them to fall into place is not good on the system when done repeatedly. Also, would assume the motor is used for raising the wheels in the first place.
May 9, 2018, 12:56 pm
#3092
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
I like this. A solution to a non-problem. 
I would like the landing gear properly [and consistently] placed and locked in the correct position for landing, without relying on the vagaries of aircraft attitude, airspeed and crosswinds.
I would like the landing gear properly [and consistently] placed and locked in the correct position for landing, without relying on the vagaries of aircraft attitude, airspeed and crosswinds.
May 9, 2018, 1:54 pm
#3093
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Hello Bellslea and welcome to FlyerTalk.
We do have quite a few readers who are visually impaired and rely on screen readers—which either enhance text to a large size or audibly speak the text aloud—to follow the community. Screen readers cannot interpret images and therefore the text in your images will be illegible to them. Please be mindful of this when posting text within images.
We do have quite a few readers who are visually impaired and rely on screen readers—which either enhance text to a large size or audibly speak the text aloud—to follow the community. Screen readers cannot interpret images and therefore the text in your images will be illegible to them. Please be mindful of this when posting text within images.
May 9, 2018, 3:51 pm
#3094
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,065
The gravity extension solution does have a few drawbacks. Normally hydraulic pressure opens the gear doors, releases the unlocks and powers the landing gear legs down, then closes the gear doors. When the hydraulics fail we use a mechanical backup. This isolates the hydraulics, mechanically relmeases the gear doors and unlocks and allows the gear to fall with gravity. The gear cannot be raised once this is done. Nor can the gear doors. Should a go around and subsequent diversion be required the fuel burn would be astronomical due to, not only the gear being down but also the gear doors, which are substantial. Climb rates are adversely affected too. So we use it as an emergency system, a back up not for normal operations.
May 9, 2018, 4:01 pm
#3095
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BA Premier (Level 1), Marriott Platinum Premier, Hilton Diamond (via BA)
Posts: 40
Hello Bellslea and welcome to FlyerTalk.
We do have quite a few readers who are visually impaired and rely on screen readers—which either enhance text to a large size or audibly speak the text aloud—to follow the community. Screen readers cannot interpret images and therefore the text in your images will be illegible to them. Please be mindful of this when posting text within images.
We do have quite a few readers who are visually impaired and rely on screen readers—which either enhance text to a large size or audibly speak the text aloud—to follow the community. Screen readers cannot interpret images and therefore the text in your images will be illegible to them. Please be mindful of this when posting text within images.
This was the reason it was done in this way, to prevent indexing. Please allow this not to happen again.
My apologies
Regards
The gravity extension solution does have a few drawbacks. Normally hydraulic pressure opens the gear doors, releases the unlocks and powers the landing gear legs down, then closes the gear doors. When the hydraulics fail we use a mechanical backup. This isolates the hydraulics, mechanically relmeases the gear doors and unlocks and allows the gear to fall with gravity. The gear cannot be raised once this is done. Nor can the gear doors. Should a go around and subsequent diversion be required the fuel burn would be astronomical due to, not only the gear being down but also the gear doors, which are substantial. Climb rates are adversely affected too. So we use it as an emergency system, a back up not for normal operations.
Thank you for this, much appreciated.
Thank you Madfish.
May 10, 2018, 2:14 am
#3096
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Milton Keynes, UK
Programs: BA Gold (OW Emerald), TK Elite (*A Gold)
Posts: 576
The other day I flew on an A320 in an exit row seat and noticed that the adjustable air vents above the exit seats were different to the rest of the plane. The two photos below show that they were 'chunkier' and less 'curvy' than the others. What's the reason for the difference, since the effect they produced seemed exactly the same?
Exit row vents:
Vents in the rest of the plane:
Exit row vents:
Vents in the rest of the plane:
May 10, 2018, 2:42 am
#3097
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,990
what about this air vent? bonus marks if you can identify the plane registration, it is in BA fleet
May 11, 2018, 4:32 am
#3098
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,669
Pilot Rostering
A pilot rostering question. Today I was on the BA2688 from LGW to Genoa at 06:40 and we boarded on-time only to be told that the First Officer scheduled to fly had become ill and a replacement was on his way to the aircraft and expected to be here in around 10 minutes, 15 minutes maximum. The Captain explained this is why we had still all boarded on-time as the delay should be minimal.
40 minutes after scheduled departure the Captain again made an announcement that the First Officer had just called him and was just going through security so was now around 10 minutes away! So in the end we pushed-back pretty much 1 hour late.
My question is why could BA not re-roster another First Officer from another flight that was scheduled to depart some 45 minutes or so after ours in order to keep the on-time departure? Then when the replacement First Officer arrived he would then take the place of the one re-rostered to ours? Seems so simple (it probably isn't though) and could wel have kept both flights on-time @:-)
40 minutes after scheduled departure the Captain again made an announcement that the First Officer had just called him and was just going through security so was now around 10 minutes away! So in the end we pushed-back pretty much 1 hour late.
My question is why could BA not re-roster another First Officer from another flight that was scheduled to depart some 45 minutes or so after ours in order to keep the on-time departure? Then when the replacement First Officer arrived he would then take the place of the one re-rostered to ours? Seems so simple (it probably isn't though) and could wel have kept both flights on-time @:-)
May 11, 2018, 5:25 am
#3099
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,130
The other day I flew on an A320 in an exit row seat and noticed that the adjustable air vents above the exit seats were different to the rest of the plane. The two photos below show that they were 'chunkier' and less 'curvy' than the others. What's the reason for the difference, since the effect they produced seemed exactly the same?
Exit row vents:
Vents in the rest of the plane:
Exit row vents:
Vents in the rest of the plane:
May 11, 2018, 5:59 am
#3100
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,065
A pilot rostering question. Today I was on the BA2688 from LGW to Genoa at 06:40 and we boarded on-time only to be told that the First Officer scheduled to fly had become ill and a replacement was on his way to the aircraft and expected to be here in around 10 minutes, 15 minutes maximum. The Captain explained this is why we had still all boarded on-time as the delay should be minimal.
40 minutes after scheduled departure the Captain again made an announcement that the First Officer had just called him and was just going through security so was now around 10 minutes away! So in the end we pushed-back pretty much 1 hour late.
My question is why could BA not re-roster another First Officer from another flight that was scheduled to depart some 45 minutes or so after ours in order to keep the on-time departure? Then when the replacement First Officer arrived he would then take the place of the one re-rostered to ours? Seems so simple (it probably isn't though) and could wel have kept both flights on-time @:-)
40 minutes after scheduled departure the Captain again made an announcement that the First Officer had just called him and was just going through security so was now around 10 minutes away! So in the end we pushed-back pretty much 1 hour late.
My question is why could BA not re-roster another First Officer from another flight that was scheduled to depart some 45 minutes or so after ours in order to keep the on-time departure? Then when the replacement First Officer arrived he would then take the place of the one re-rostered to ours? Seems so simple (it probably isn't though) and could wel have kept both flights on-time @:-)
Last edited by Waterhorse; May 11, 2018 at 6:11 am
May 11, 2018, 6:13 am
#3101
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,669
May 11, 2018, 6:32 am
#3102
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: London
Programs: Mucci Blue, BAEC Gold, Blockbuster Video card
Posts: 1,378
No. Pilots would not just be lounging around in advance of their normal report time. Particularly at LGW this summer they will be working pretty close to their legal limits. Time at the airport “kicking their heels” simply does not happen. Also taking them off their rostered duty will have knock on effects - they may well not be able to carry out their duty tomorrow etc. That is why there are standby crews. It sounds like a home standby was used and they got there pretty quick. Experience has shown that one flight going late can be managed, throwing a hand grenade into the rostering system for every minor delay leads to no flights going in a few days.
Indeed the pilots I speak to generally seem of a mind that this is one of the key draws of a SH career - you just turn up, prep, fly, and go again. Not too much to worry about outside rostered hours, and most nights spent in your own bed.
That a fair reflection Waterhorse / other staffers?
May 11, 2018, 7:17 am
#3103
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IC Hotels Spire, BA Gold
Posts: 8,669
Quite how this was interpreted by either yourself or another as implying BA pilots would be "lounging around" or "kicking their heels" or "sitting drinking coffee waiting for a call" is really beyond me. It was polite question with no direct or or even implied criticism.
May 11, 2018, 7:25 am
#3104
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 448
Was that ever even implied / suggested / stated when the question was asked? I just re-read my question....and it was whether a First Office rostered on a plane leaving some 10s of minutes after the one I was one (as in a BA plane of the same type in the same LGW terminal) could easily be switched to the BA2688 and then the First Officer still on the way put on the 10s of minutes later flight (also a BA plane of the same type in the same LGW terminal).
Quite how this was interpreted by either yourself or another as implying BA pilots would be "lounging around" or "kicking their heels" or "sitting drinking coffee waiting for a call" is really beyond me. It was polite question with no direct or or even implied criticism.
Quite how this was interpreted by either yourself or another as implying BA pilots would be "lounging around" or "kicking their heels" or "sitting drinking coffee waiting for a call" is really beyond me. It was polite question with no direct or or even implied criticism.
May 11, 2018, 7:39 am
#3105
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: London
Programs: Mucci Blue, BAEC Gold, Blockbuster Video card
Posts: 1,378
Indeed, and even if not, no offence was implied, taken or anything in between.
And without being the staff expert here, in general terms what Waterhorse said makes complete sense in general logistical terms. Grabbing an FO off a later flight is probably robbing Peter to pay Paul. Messes with the max hours, messes with the stability of said pilot's day (ie they may not unreasonably have expectations of a home life based on published roster) and also STILL doesn't mean that you can do away with the standby pilots, except now they'd know that they're even less likely to be actually called to fly.
So having a standby system and using it seems like the more robust option to me.
And without being the staff expert here, in general terms what Waterhorse said makes complete sense in general logistical terms. Grabbing an FO off a later flight is probably robbing Peter to pay Paul. Messes with the max hours, messes with the stability of said pilot's day (ie they may not unreasonably have expectations of a home life based on published roster) and also STILL doesn't mean that you can do away with the standby pilots, except now they'd know that they're even less likely to be actually called to fly.
So having a standby system and using it seems like the more robust option to me.