9JAN DL 201 JNB-ATL diverts to the Ascension Island
Jan 11, 2013, 11:02 am
#76
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You guys are acting like Ascension Island is the end of the universe or something. After all, you can book a flight and visit as a tourist.
But Shemya is a bit different.
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/4864455/
But Shemya is a bit different.
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/4864455/
Jan 11, 2013, 11:07 am
#77
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Does anybody know, when there are very long ferry flights with only pilots or pilots and mechanics needing to fly, would the airline also send one or a few FAs to serve miles to pilots and be responsible for the operation of doors?
ADDED. This sounds like tough but interesting duty for the father, and even more so for the mechanics (working outdoors in the heat under less than ideal conditions) but someone has to do it. I wonder how DL decided who to send for this mission? The lowest seniority guys with the needed skills in ATL? I'm assuming that DL wouldn't have waited to fly mechanics into ATL from elsewhere, delaying the ferry flight of the rescue aircraft.
ADDED. This sounds like tough but interesting duty for the father, and even more so for the mechanics (working outdoors in the heat under less than ideal conditions) but someone has to do it. I wonder how DL decided who to send for this mission? The lowest seniority guys with the needed skills in ATL? I'm assuming that DL wouldn't have waited to fly mechanics into ATL from elsewhere, delaying the ferry flight of the rescue aircraft.
Odds are the 777 mechanics are more senior ones, as seniority tends to relate to aircraft size. Plus a serious incident like this always gets involvement from the higher-ups, I'm sure.
As for complaints, funny how if one ends up in the Hudson River, you are extremely grateful, but if handled smoothly, it immediately becomes "I want my compensation!" (and biscoffs!
)
Jan 11, 2013, 11:18 am
#78
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Jan 11, 2013, 11:29 am
#79
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^^^^^^
Absolutely right. You're talking about a 777 here. That is a big mother freaking plane. To manuever that bird from 35K+ feet down to a tiny island in the middle of the atlantic ocean all on one engine aiming for 10k feet of runway space. Incredible feat I say. Good Job delta pilots.
not to mention ASI isn't exactly equipped to handle 300 pax who unexpectedly arrive. Thanks for the report african7
Absolutely right. You're talking about a 777 here. That is a big mother freaking plane. To manuever that bird from 35K+ feet down to a tiny island in the middle of the atlantic ocean all on one engine aiming for 10k feet of runway space. Incredible feat I say. Good Job delta pilots.
not to mention ASI isn't exactly equipped to handle 300 pax who unexpectedly arrive. Thanks for the report african7
The great circle path from JNB to ATL passes right by Ascension - I can't help but think that they have this somewhere in their playbook - or they better!
Jan 11, 2013, 11:30 am
#80
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And the expenses increase. I bet this is due to the wing clip (or maybe they discovered a need for more parts for the engine repair after the 777 mechanics were on the ground at ASI), which might well have happened after the rescue 777 left ATL. Would DL's insurance cover this? I wouldn't think there would be much chance of having the British air force pay, especially since that bird dropped in as their unexpected guest and might not have been parked properly.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; Jan 11, 2013 at 11:35 am
Jan 11, 2013, 11:45 am
#81
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And the expenses increase. I bet this is due to the wing clip (or maybe they discovered a need for more parts for the engine repair after the 777 mechanics were on the ground at ASI), which might well have happened after the rescue 777 left ATL. Would DL's insurance cover this? I wouldn't think there would be much chance of having the British air force pay, especially since that bird dropped in as their unexpected guest and might not have been parked properly.
Jan 11, 2013, 11:54 am
#82
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The latest seems to be that a new engine is being flown in on the 747. It sounds like it will be tough work for the DL mechanics to change a 777 engine in such an outpost. I wonder whether they can/will get any help with the heavy lifting from the military. If one week is an accurate estimate, this must be a nightmare for DL, but at least it's during a low period of the year for air travel.
Jan 11, 2013, 11:55 am
#83
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and I'm sure the Brits didn't provide their services pro bono, but I doubt the pilot had to put the expenses on a credit card.
What's ironic is the Boeing 787 issues have made the news, but this story hasn't and maybe that's good news compared to the coverage a water 'landing' would have brought!
Bob H.
Jan 11, 2013, 11:56 am
#84
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Would insurance cover loss of use for about ten days? What about all of the expenses on ASI such as landing fees, fees for the care of passengers and now room and board for the mechanics and pilots who seem to be stuck there waiting. (I hope they like adventure!)
Jan 11, 2013, 12:01 pm
#85
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Since FHAW is outside of the US, the approach charts are not readily available on the internet. I found these on a flight sim site. They look to be taken from the original military charts from 2003. VOR and NDB approaches are all that are there.
http://www.fscharts.com/?action=sear...icao&term=FHAW
Not sure what you're looking at on the satellite picture. All I see is the approach lighting system and the above-ground (white) water pipes.
You can't have an ILS because the "mountain", adjacent to the runway at mid-field, would interfere with the localizer signal. (Both the VOR and control tower are on the shorter two peaks)
Jan 11, 2013, 12:47 pm
#86
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The latest seems to be that a new engine is being flown in on the 747. It sounds like it will be tough work for the DL mechanics to change a 777 engine in such an outpost. I wonder whether they can/will get any help with the heavy lifting from the military. If one week is an accurate estimate, this must be a nightmare for DL, but at least it's during a low period of the year for air travel.
I'm sure that I speak for everyone at DL that they much prefer this situation to years of investigation of a plane on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This situation ended very well, considering the circumstances.^
Jan 11, 2013, 12:53 pm
#87
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The logistics of all of this are very interesting - this has been a fun thread.
^
^
Jan 11, 2013, 12:57 pm
#88
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This is relatively minor in the scheme of things, not much different that if a large plane landed at a remote military base in the continental US or Canada (except for the distance involved).
I'm sure that I speak for everyone at DL that they much prefer this situation to years of investigation of a plane on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This situation ended very well, considering the circumstances.^
I'm sure that I speak for everyone at DL that they much prefer this situation to years of investigation of a plane on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This situation ended very well, considering the circumstances.^
Jan 11, 2013, 1:09 pm
#89
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In my Navy flying days before Delta, I spent a fair amount of time on Ascension Island....trust me, it's not going to become a tourist mecca anytime soon.
The airport (Wideawake Field) is a military field. The only way for non-military to get in there is aboard a biweekly Royal Air Force transport flight that they reserve a handful of seats on for paying civilians. There's no Skyclub there. There's one 'hotel' in Georgetown (see the link in the post above) which has a dozen or so rooms. There is no public transportation, but I believe the hotel operator has a few rental cars. The majority of the people on the island are military/contractors. There are some 'workers' who are imported from the island of St Helena a couple hundred miles away.....Ascension itself had no indigenous population when it was discovered.
The island is formed almost entirely by red volcanic rock and dust. A while back they imported mesquite and prickly pear from the US just to get some scrub brush to grow there. At higher altitudes on Green Mountain, there is a lush rain forest and that's worth a trip. There's very limited beach area as a lot of the shore is clifflike and rocky, but there are at least two small coves where you can swim and the snorkeling is very good. Of course when I was there the male to female ratio was about 20-1, so the beach was a little light on "scenery". There was a also a stretch of sandy shore that was a famous nesting ground for sea turtles.
The final highlight of the island was its Golf course which had been voted the "Worst Golf Course" on earth for something like 20 straight years by some magazine. Its fairways were completely made up of the same red volcanic rock and dust that characterizes the whole island. When you started play, they would hand you a small square of 'astroturf' that you could carry with you and place your ball on to limit damage to your club. The greens were volcanic rock and dust, but they would mix in some diesel oil and tamp it down to give it a smother surface.
I think there might be one small bar in Georgetown. I remember a few decent nights knocking back a couple at the 'Volcano Club' bar on the military base playing shuffleboard with my crew. Those detachments made a good story to regale my future grandkids with, but I surely wouldn't pay to go there.
The airport (Wideawake Field) is a military field. The only way for non-military to get in there is aboard a biweekly Royal Air Force transport flight that they reserve a handful of seats on for paying civilians. There's no Skyclub there. There's one 'hotel' in Georgetown (see the link in the post above) which has a dozen or so rooms. There is no public transportation, but I believe the hotel operator has a few rental cars. The majority of the people on the island are military/contractors. There are some 'workers' who are imported from the island of St Helena a couple hundred miles away.....Ascension itself had no indigenous population when it was discovered.
The island is formed almost entirely by red volcanic rock and dust. A while back they imported mesquite and prickly pear from the US just to get some scrub brush to grow there. At higher altitudes on Green Mountain, there is a lush rain forest and that's worth a trip. There's very limited beach area as a lot of the shore is clifflike and rocky, but there are at least two small coves where you can swim and the snorkeling is very good. Of course when I was there the male to female ratio was about 20-1, so the beach was a little light on "scenery". There was a also a stretch of sandy shore that was a famous nesting ground for sea turtles.
The final highlight of the island was its Golf course which had been voted the "Worst Golf Course" on earth for something like 20 straight years by some magazine. Its fairways were completely made up of the same red volcanic rock and dust that characterizes the whole island. When you started play, they would hand you a small square of 'astroturf' that you could carry with you and place your ball on to limit damage to your club. The greens were volcanic rock and dust, but they would mix in some diesel oil and tamp it down to give it a smother surface.
I think there might be one small bar in Georgetown. I remember a few decent nights knocking back a couple at the 'Volcano Club' bar on the military base playing shuffleboard with my crew. Those detachments made a good story to regale my future grandkids with, but I surely wouldn't pay to go there.
Jan 11, 2013, 1:52 pm
#90
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Understood, but the mechanics will be changing the (big heavy awkward) engine far away from a maintenance base with equipment for the job and without the benefit of a hanger providing shade if not air conditioning. It's not obvious to me that ASI would have appropriate equipment such as craines and pulleys to help move the engines; I'm not sure how well equipped the ASI base would be for heavy maintenance of this sort. Maybe DL is changing the engine on ASI because it's faster/easier/cheaper to do so than to repair the current dysfunctional engine away from base, including uncertainty regarding what parts and tools would actually be needed.