News.com "QF A380's running on empty"

[medhead]

Answer all the questions that NONEWS raised in my mind!

Except for the fuel usage ranking graph of pilots.

Ah, now that isn't true at all. There is a little bit of paper, called the 'fuel fly spec' that appears in mail boxes every now and then. It is basically an exercise in RETROSPECTIVE fuel planning. It provides no information that will help me make informed orders, but it does rank me amongst other captains on the same type. Add to that the constant letters about discretionary fuel ordering. There's plenty of low level pressure.

 

[FlyboyAl]

Yesterday, on QF11, as we were waiting to taxi out, the captain came on the PA and told everyone not to believe what they read in the media. He told us all that we had "truckloads" of fuel for he trip.
There was quite a little chuckle through the cabin at the time.
Was that you JB?

 

[jb747]

No, not me. I prefer even more fuel (than truckloads).... I've only ever had too much once, and that was on the way to Manila.

 

[Moody]

If Qantas put too much pressure on pilots to minimise additional fuel then it will lead to more diversions, so I doubt they will do that. But there is probably a large difference in cost between a flight piloted by someone wearing a bowling hat and operated with minimum fuel load, compared to a petrol-head who always says "Fill her up!"

When I drive the family car we always arrive sooner than if my wife drives, and we use 1-2 litres/100km less fuel. Extrapolating that to an A380 would see me saving a few tonnes of fuel on a typical trip. Ok - so the maths is pure ballcrup, but what I am saying is that Qantas will reduce any cost they can (safely) and not carrying additional fuel for that 1 in 1000 event is reasonable.

If it becomes more like 1 in 100 then we have a problem.

 

[jb747]

Let's start by saying that the QF fuel policy is quite safe. I have no issues at all with them presenting me with a flight plan that is based on the use and carriage of the minimum possible fuel. It's then up to me, and not some faceless person in an office to decide what the actual fuel carried with be. Whilst they do provide what could be described as low level pressure to carry the minimum, that's the end of it. And, quite honestly if you can't withstand (ignore) a bit of low level pressure, then you're in the wrong job.

The A380 that started this thing off honestly had absolutely nothing to do with discretionary fuel, or the fuel policy. I know for a fact that the aircraft departed with an additional amount of fuel. The issues that caused the diversion were a combination of the aircraft burning more than planned, the weather in Melbourne not quite being what was forecast, and runway works that precluded the use of the main runway.

Runway works, associated with a need to carry an alternate, can be so restrictive as to totally preclude the operation. Mostly though, they give an extremely narrow window of arrival fuel figures. A slight wind change may be all that's needed to make it unavailable.

 

[FlyboyAl]

I know its a little off topic, but what IS going on in Melb with the runway? In the last 12 months, I seem to recall more delays/holdups than ever, both leaving and arriving into Tulla.
When will it be finished, if ever!

 

[Robert K]

I wouldnt mind if my plane ran out of fuel and we had to land on the ocean. Have always wanted to try on the life jacket. And I just adore slides.

But we have to land where I can get phone reception because what's the point of having something cool happen to you if you can't brag about it on facebook

 

[jb747]

I wouldnt mind if my plane ran out of fuel and we had to land on the ocean. Have always wanted to try on the life jacket. And I just adore slides.

But we have to land where I can get phone reception because what's the point of having something cool happen to you if you can't brag about it on facebook

Whatever it is that you are smoking, you should stop.

Deep ocean ditching. You won't be ringing anybody. Probably ever.

 

[anat0l]

Thanks jb747 for your explanations again.

I really wish you were our pilot on QF10 SIN-MEL which departed on 17 May 2011. I went up to the flight deck after the flight (and after having to be pushed back onto the runway in MEL in order to taxi the way back to the terminal), but the captain (who was madly brushing his teeth and freshening up in one of the F bathrooms) had the initials SB.

Luckily we only had the runway works in MEL to contend with. No fog (as it were, but I did get out of MEL before the security scare happened).

 

[jb747]

I really wish you were our pilot on QF10 SIN-MEL which departed on 17 May 2011.

I am doing the 9, 31, 32, 10 over the next week though.

 

[Simon Hackett]

Yesterday, on QF11, as we were waiting to taxi out, the captain came on the PA and told everyone not to believe what they read in the media. He told us all that we had "truckloads" of fuel for he trip.
There was quite a little chuckle through the cabin at the time.
Was that you JB?

Hah! I was on that flight too, listened to the same comment.

The aircraft arrived safely and slightly ahead of its scheduled arrival time.

I was also sitting behind Russell Crowe on the flight - which was its own sort of amusing (Kept wondering - does Russell Crowe watch Russell Crowe movies in flight? ).

 

[harvyk]

I have a feeling that someone over at no.news doesn't like QF. A few months ago, there were 3 incidents in one day at SYD, yet only Qantas made the pages. Go figure...

What ever could have given you the idea nonews doesn't like QF?

I wouldnt mind if my plane ran out of fuel and we had to land on the ocean. Have always wanted to try on the life jacket. And I just adore slides.

But we have to land where I can get phone reception because what's the point of having something cool happen to you if you can't brag about it on facebook

There is a far easier way to see what this would be like, go to your local boating store, buy a life jacket (they vary in price, but since your not actually getting one to save your life you could get away with a cheap one) then go to a toy store and buy a slide, and find a swimming pool somewhere...

Same experience, without the death and destruction which usually follows a plane crash...

 

[Robert K]

what about that plane that landed in hudson river not that long ago. he got to go on OPRAH!

 

[jb747]

what about that plane that landed in hudson river not that long ago. he got to go on OPRAH!

Poor cough.

 

[mannej]

what about that plane that landed in hudson river not that long ago. he got to go on OPRAH!

That outcome was nothing short of a miracle. You should see footage of the Ethiopian 767 that ditched to see what happens more often then not.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Here it is;

[video=youtube;R3RkU0i5IPk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3RkU0i5IPk[/video]

 

[nlagalle]

what about that plane that landed in hudson river not that long ago. he got to go on OPRAH!

Surely you can't be serious*???


(*and don't call me Shirley)

 

[jb747]

That outcome was nothing short of a miracle. You should see footage of the Ethiopian 767 that ditched to see what happens more often then not.

Actually, that's not really the case at all. Daylight, onto calm water, a ditching is a relatively straightforward event (please note, I did not say easy). It hasn't happened all that often, but the Hudson event isn't the only successful one.

The 767 you've shown the video for is a very different animal, because the Captain was involved in a fight with one of the hijackers as he was trying to ditch it. The outcome would have been quite different if he'd been left alone to ditch it wings level.

The most important part of Captain Sullenberger's ditching was not the flying of the aircraft....but the DECISION to make the ditching. Once he'd made that decision, everything else followed.

 

[anat0l]

I wouldnt mind if my plane ran out of fuel and we had to land on the ocean. Have always wanted to try on the life jacket. And I just adore slides.

But we have to land where I can get phone reception because what's the point of having something cool happen to you if you can't brag about it on facebook

what about that plane that landed in hudson river not that long ago. he got to go on OPRAH!

Dear God, please may I never be on the same flight as the author of these aforementioned posts :shock:

 

[LiamR]

I am doing the 9, 31, 32, 10 over the next week though.

I'll have to check back with you in Nov/Dec... I've already booked those sectors in J. I don't get the chance to chat with the guys upfront anymore...

Dear God, please may I never be on the same flight as the author of these aforementioned posts :shock:

I don't see any Elite FF programs in his profile. So the lounges should be safe.