Planespotting II
#1186
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2010
Location: 1.2 East
Posts: 762
Re: Planespotting II
Would need another button or lever to select gear up.
#1187
Re: Planespotting II
What are you expecting ? A little TV camera that watches the gear ? ;-)
Its pretty standard. redlights show the gear isn't down, green show it is, and you need three of them. The fact that two people BOTH missed it is interesting.
Another report added "Contributing factors for the pilots' failure to lower the landing gear were the copilot's task over-saturation; the copilot's urgency to complete a long mission; both pilots' inattention to instrument readings and the Descent/Before Landing Checklist; and the copilot's false belief that the pilot had lowered the landing gear."
Its pretty standard. redlights show the gear isn't down, green show it is, and you need three of them. The fact that two people BOTH missed it is interesting.
Another report added "Contributing factors for the pilots' failure to lower the landing gear were the copilot's task over-saturation; the copilot's urgency to complete a long mission; both pilots' inattention to instrument readings and the Descent/Before Landing Checklist; and the copilot's false belief that the pilot had lowered the landing gear."
Last edited by steveq; Aug 8th 2020 at 10:24 pm.
#1190
Re: Planespotting II
It seems somewhat ironic that a plane designed to beat the 747 was only manufactured for about 11 years and went out of production before the 747, which was manufactured for over 50 years, and outnumbers the A380 by more than 6:1.
I am not sad to see it go - the 747 design was iconic, whereas there is little distinctive about the A380 other than to say "it's big, really big".
Last edited by Pulaski; Aug 12th 2020 at 3:49 pm.
#1191
Re: Planespotting II
Well obviously there was some demand for it (but more than 80% was in Asia, and 50% was just one airline, which should have been a red flag for the economic risks), but I think the economic argument to design and build it was questionable and clearly Airbus expected to sell considerably more of them than it ultimately did. I think the truth is that Airbus wanted the prestige of having built such a large aircraft, and allowed that thought to blind them to the exonomic risk.
It seems somewhat ironic that a plane designed to beat the 747 was only manufactured for about 11 years and went out of production before the 747, which was manufactured for over 50 years, and outnumbers the A380 by more than 6:1.
I am not sad to see it go - the 747 design was iconic, whereas there is little distinctive about the A380 other than to say "it's big, really big".
It seems somewhat ironic that a plane designed to beat the 747 was only manufactured for about 11 years and went out of production before the 747, which was manufactured for over 50 years, and outnumbers the A380 by more than 6:1.
I am not sad to see it go - the 747 design was iconic, whereas there is little distinctive about the A380 other than to say "it's big, really big".
Kinda reminds me of Concord(e); economic value eclipsed by desires for prestige.
#1192
Re: Planespotting II
Kinda reminds me of Concord(e); economic value eclipsed by desires for prestige.
Last edited by civilservant; Aug 12th 2020 at 8:12 pm.
#1193
#1194
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Planespotting II
I remember the debates back in the day on forums, over the A380, some of them got very heated as well, some were 100% airlines would want bigger planes into the future.
Looking back at those old times, some of those forum debates were interesting, there was one guy who insisted San Diego would get a new airport, the marines would move from Miramar and everyone else was a fool to think the airport would stay where it is. Well here were are in 2020 and the airport has never moved, the Marines have not moved, and voters didn't support moving the airport, he kind of vanished not to be heard from again.
I'd be surprised at this point if San Diego ever gets a new airport in my lifetime. It will take the military shutting down a base to do it, or the airport will need to be out in the desert 90-100 miles from downtown or up in Riverside County, really nowhere within San Diego near the city where an airport could realistically be built.
Biggest regret was not taking a one way trip on the Concord, our pass agreement with BA allowed space available ticket on Concorde for 2,500US$ which of course was a lot of money considering we made under $8/hr but it would have been awesome to have done it.
Looking back at those old times, some of those forum debates were interesting, there was one guy who insisted San Diego would get a new airport, the marines would move from Miramar and everyone else was a fool to think the airport would stay where it is. Well here were are in 2020 and the airport has never moved, the Marines have not moved, and voters didn't support moving the airport, he kind of vanished not to be heard from again.
I'd be surprised at this point if San Diego ever gets a new airport in my lifetime. It will take the military shutting down a base to do it, or the airport will need to be out in the desert 90-100 miles from downtown or up in Riverside County, really nowhere within San Diego near the city where an airport could realistically be built.
Biggest regret was not taking a one way trip on the Concord, our pass agreement with BA allowed space available ticket on Concorde for 2,500US$ which of course was a lot of money considering we made under $8/hr but it would have been awesome to have done it.
#1195
Re: Planespotting II
I lived under the flight path at Heathrow for a few months, to the east, so usually the side for arriving aircraft, and Concorde was the only plane that made a racket on it's way into Heathrow. l also lived a few miles further south and east from Heathrow, both before and after living directly under the flight path, and when the wind was from the east Concorde would loop over SW London .... and shake everyone's windows. One year in June it flew over Wimbledon during the tennis tournament, and Concorde was audible on the TV coverage, and of course people looked up to see it. A moment later I went outside and saw it fly past my house - I lived only about two miles from the Wimbledon Tennis Club. .... But there was also horse racing on TV from Kempton Park, west of my home and just south of Heathrow, and Concorde could be heard passing overhead, on its way to .... Wentworth, a few miles further west where a televised golf tournament was being played, and Concorde put in an appearance there too.
Last edited by Pulaski; Aug 12th 2020 at 9:09 pm.
#1196
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Planespotting II
Like many planes, I think Concorde was as enjoyable to see as it would have been to fly in it (note: I haven't flown in many aircraft - 777, 737, A340, 787 twice (to date), a 747 once, a few Embraers, maybe another unmemorable regional jet or two, and perhaps a 767, with the 777 being the only plane I have actually enjoyed flying in), and while flying in Concorde would have been memorable, it would not have been comfortable for you, as the cross-section of the plane is no greater than a touring coach, and you would not have been able to stand up inside - I have been in the protype at the FAA Museum, in Yeovilton.
But never managed a trip to Europe at all, I spent too much time flying around the US, Mexico.
#1197
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Planespotting II
Like many planes, I think Concorde was as enjoyable to see as it would have been to fly in it (note: I haven't flown in many aircraft - 777, 737, A340, 787 twice (to date), a 747 once, a few Embraers, maybe another unmemorable regional jet or two, and perhaps a 767, with the 777 being the only plane I have actually enjoyed flying in), and while flying in Concorde would have been memorable, it would not have been comfortable for you, as the cross-section of the plane is no greater than a touring coach, and you would not have been able to stand up inside - I have been in the protype at the FAA Museum, in Yeovilton.
#1198
Re: Planespotting II
Biggest regret was not taking a one way trip on the Concord
#1200
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Planespotting II
It would have taken 318 work hours to earn 2,500 at my then wage, probably why I never seriously did it...
I don't remember much about where I was when I heard about other aircraft accidents, but I know exactly where I was when I first heard of the Air France accident, was at the Super 8 Motel in Gila Bend, Arizona, turned on the TV and it was all over the news, the pass agreement was suspended after that crash and never reinstated.
I think I was 24 when it retired.
Last edited by scrubbedexpat091; Aug 12th 2020 at 10:05 pm.