Ask the staffer
Oct 18, 2015, 11:13 pm
#1336
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, Club Carlson Gold, HHonors Gold, Best Western Diamond Select, BA Blue
Posts: 1,335
How do the ovens work on board an aircraft? Are they microwave or heat-type ovens? And the hot-meals, are they part-cooked or fully cooked so just need warming up in the ovens?
Oct 19, 2015, 12:10 am
#1337
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: LHR Air Traffic Control
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 881
On the parallel runway point:
The ICAO guidance is that simultaneous parallel departures are considered to be separated when the runways are 760m or more apart and the aircraft diverge by 15 degrees or more immediately after take off. This would apply in non-visual conditions and relies on radar being available.
In visual conditions, provided traffic information is passed to each aircraft, then no divergence is necessary that close.
760m is generally the limit in terms of proximity, as wake vortex separation must be applied if the runways are closer. Having said that, in the USA there are various ways that ATC can relax the wake separation requirement that are not available in the UK.
The ICAO guidance is that simultaneous parallel departures are considered to be separated when the runways are 760m or more apart and the aircraft diverge by 15 degrees or more immediately after take off. This would apply in non-visual conditions and relies on radar being available.
In visual conditions, provided traffic information is passed to each aircraft, then no divergence is necessary that close.
760m is generally the limit in terms of proximity, as wake vortex separation must be applied if the runways are closer. Having said that, in the USA there are various ways that ATC can relax the wake separation requirement that are not available in the UK.
Oct 19, 2015, 12:24 am
#1338
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,997
Just taxied by T5... as per usual there are a few aircraft sat on stand surrounded by the usual ramp/servicing equipment (i.e, not on the move) but with their strobe and beacon lights on.
Is it just the pilots forgetting to switch them off or engineering tests? Seem to see it a lot at T5 but nowhere else!
Is it just the pilots forgetting to switch them off or engineering tests? Seem to see it a lot at T5 but nowhere else!
Oct 19, 2015, 12:33 am
#1339
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 43,143
Just taxied by T5... as per usual there are a few aircraft sat on stand surrounded by the usual ramp/servicing equipment (i.e, not on the move) but with their strobe and beacon lights on.
Is it just the pilots forgetting to switch them off or engineering tests? Seem to see it a lot at T5 but nowhere else!
Is it just the pilots forgetting to switch them off or engineering tests? Seem to see it a lot at T5 but nowhere else!
The beacon/anti-collision lights are the Orange ones on top and underneath the aircraft fuselage and can be on when on strand.
Oct 19, 2015, 1:03 am
#1340
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,071
As pilots we are very careful with both the strobes - they can damage eyesight, and the beacon as it means we are likely to move or start engines to ground crew, so it means get clear. The engineers doing daily checks just seem to turn them on willy nilly.
Oct 19, 2015, 1:55 am
#1341
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: LHR Air Traffic Control
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 881
If we in ATC see an aircraft taxiing well away from a runway with strobes on, we will do a quick, one or two word broadcast "strobes" or "check strobes" to avoid identifying the guilty!
Oct 19, 2015, 3:12 am
#1342
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 597
Heat-type ovens. Most of the meals are pre-cooked, much like a ready-meal you can buy in a supermarket. Some of the food in F is part cooked.
Oct 19, 2015, 3:49 am
#1343
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,997
Are you sure the strobes lights were on, i.e. the ones that are on the wing tips and flash? Or do you mean the nav lights so the steady red and green lights at the end of the wings? Strobes don't go on until entering the runway and don't come off until exiting the runway at the destination.
The beacon/anti-collision lights are the Orange ones on top and underneath the aircraft fuselage and can be on when on strand.
The beacon/anti-collision lights are the Orange ones on top and underneath the aircraft fuselage and can be on when on strand.
Indeed. The white flashing strobe lights on each wing and behind the tail were turned on, as well as the red flashing beacon on at least two aircraft parked on stand.
It's really strange... regularly only ever see it at T5!
Oct 19, 2015, 3:53 am
#1344
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 43,143
Oct 19, 2015, 3:56 am
#1345
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,246
Most likely the engineers performing the daily check. Common to see at other UK airfields late at night as aircraft return to their home base. At LHR you would see the 320s strobing away, just there are no flights at that time. The Long Haul hulls get the 'once over' whenever they happen to pop home to mum with a pile of dirty washing to be done.
Oct 19, 2015, 4:21 am
#1346
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
Is the A380 painted with a different kind of paint?
Just watching one of them in the lineup (can't see the reg from the first lounge) and it's distinctly whiter than every other BA plane near it - and I've seen quite a few skip past it in the queue.
Or maybe one of them has just been cleaned recently?
Just watching one of them in the lineup (can't see the reg from the first lounge) and it's distinctly whiter than every other BA plane near it - and I've seen quite a few skip past it in the queue.
Or maybe one of them has just been cleaned recently?
Oct 19, 2015, 6:04 am
#1347
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Mucci de la Cuisine Arienne du Rseau Courte Dure de British Airways
Posts: 4,704
Is the A380 painted with a different kind of paint?
Just watching one of them in the lineup (can't see the reg from the first lounge) and it's distinctly whiter than every other BA plane near it - and I've seen quite a few skip past it in the queue.
Or maybe one of them has just been cleaned recently?
Just watching one of them in the lineup (can't see the reg from the first lounge) and it's distinctly whiter than every other BA plane near it - and I've seen quite a few skip past it in the queue.
Or maybe one of them has just been cleaned recently?
So you may notice some of the older planes also in this new brighter white.
Oct 19, 2015, 6:19 am
#1348
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,192
Is the A380 painted with a different kind of paint?
Just watching one of them in the lineup (can't see the reg from the first lounge) and it's distinctly whiter than every other BA plane near it - and I've seen quite a few skip past it in the queue.
Or maybe one of them has just been cleaned recently?
Just watching one of them in the lineup (can't see the reg from the first lounge) and it's distinctly whiter than every other BA plane near it - and I've seen quite a few skip past it in the queue.
Or maybe one of them has just been cleaned recently?
Oct 19, 2015, 6:30 am
#1349
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: HPN
Posts: 352
Ah, so that would be what the BA Source fleetlist means by livery "White Union Flag with Crest" then.
Oct 21, 2015, 2:38 am
#1350
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Mucci de la Cuisine Arienne du Rseau Courte Dure de British Airways
Posts: 4,704