The frequency is so busy / congested tha it’s often too time consuming to do a full co-sign etc. but, you are correct. Usually a quick response is adequate but when there is a problem (like this one), the sloppy pilots get burned

(Written on 01/28/2023)(Permalink)

Ordinarily they would have wheels down 1,000' in from the threshold. A gust of wind would shorten that but a thousand feet is a generous safety margin.

(Written on 01/20/2023)(Permalink)

That's the point. Their flight had been cancelled so the ticket / boarding pass they held was no longer valid. The unfortunate passengers were trying to rebook, yet security wanted them back out in the check in area while an agent sought a remedy. The experience sucked -- but the weather is an act of God and while it's easy to criticize Southwest this is actually a TSA issue, not the airline.

(Written on 12/30/2022)(Permalink)

I looked at the Delta website ...... what I saw in late October was that it is a code share on Air France with Air France being the operator on a 777 200 Fares are confusing .... they offer a teaser at $750 return in Y but the regular coach fare is $2500

(Written on 08/12/2022)(Permalink)

Could be a code share??

(Written on 08/12/2022)(Permalink)

I am corporate flight crew. I did a flight to Papeete in January and our organizer put me on Air Tahiti Nui, and it was horrible. The flight left at midnight, food was a verge rolled tortilla. Plane was a 787 with nine across where the plane was designed for eight across, and to accommodate the carriers' requests for nine across Boeing took about 1 1/2" out of the seat width. Because the organizer bought the flight on line Air Tahiti Nui didnot pay miles, despite being a Star Alliance member. I flat out won't fly with Air Tahiti Nui again. It was just horrible. Air France has a 7 am flight, and that's better. Delta will provide some competition which is good. There is no way Delta could be worse than Air Tahiti Nui.

(Written on 08/12/2022)(Permalink)

Back when the DC10 was designed, I visited a couple of buildings off the airport area where they had a hundred engineers designing/drawing components. My opinion is that the DC10 was built to meet or exceed design standards that applied at that time, but there is no question that the Boeing product was better quality than the DC10. In other words, it met the standard, but could have been better.

(Written on 06/03/2022)(Permalink)

Rob, the issue of modifying an existing airframe (737) versus an entirely new design was discussed decades ago --- Boeing lacked the resources to do a totally different design, so the market niche could be satisfied by stretching the 737 platform at a manageable cost. The argument seemed to make sense. Another aspect is/was the forecast of demand. Back when the Boeing 737 debate was ongoing the forecast of air travel demand was way less than the actual that we see today, so the analysis of new versus stretch an existing platform had a different view. Had the demand picture been accurate the choice of new versus stretch might have been different. In the end the accountants and capital risk always seem to rule.

(Written on 04/29/2022)(Permalink)

I'm guessing that the pilots neglected to extend the takeoff flaps, or a mechanical occurred where the leading edge flaps failed to deploy? The aircraft was lightly loaded and it appeared to reach VR but wouldn't lift so that would be a no flap situation.

(Written on 10/22/2021)(Permalink)

German Wings? Yes. What about Egypt Air out of JFK? Same suicide. What about Air France between Brazil and Paris over the Atlantic, and the pilot flying trying to get above weather and stalling three times before he hit the water? Single pilot en route is a very bad idea. Every airline has to crew its planes with five crew sets. Duty limits, sick days, vacations, bundled together requires five crew sets, so if they reduce the scarebus to two pilots (both at the seats for takeoff and landing but one en route) ill save two salaries, times five. Average salary, with benefits, US$275,000, savings of 2,750,000 for every aircraft annually. It's similar to when the airlines managed to eliminate the flight engineer on aircraft. The airlines love the concept due to the obvious savings ....... but I loathe the concept.

(Written on 06/18/2021)(Permalink)