Easy aviation entertainment/fun for the weekend....

[Blackcloud]

I liked the Math Teacher being detained for being part of the Al Gebra group carrying weapons of Math Destruction.

 

[Melanie]

There is actually a reason to fly Southwest, and here you go:

 

[InCoNvEnIeNtE]

hello, i was visiting U.S.A in 2009 and i pass at Dayton and visit the air force museum

 

[Melanie]

Nobody liked my rapping FA???

Well, as nobody seems to have a sense of humour, here is some food for thought for the serious ones. And yes, I am aware that it isn't weekend:

http://www.pdxlight.com/neomax.htm

 

[must_dash]

That's a bit more serious than usual..

 

[Melanie]

Yes, but came in very helpful for my new assignment and it is actually very interesting, well, at least I think so...

 

[Blackcloud]

Oh no another A vs B internet post
The only tragic thing is that the public will be flying these boring twin jets for at least another 30 years before these two manufacturers mismanage another design.
Spoke to a 737 pilot and he laments the fact the new Boeings will have an even more boring cockpit than the current NG models, he flew "classics" for over a decade, before converting to the 737-800. A320 cockpit was boring from the start, that is the reason they installed the food and beverage table for the crew.

 

[Blackcloud]

Yes, but came in very helpful for my new assignment and it is actually very interesting, well, at least I think so...

What was the assignment on?
The only thing I found of interest was the PW geared turbine doing much better than I thought it ever would.

 

[must_dash]

At least the A320 has some volume to the cabin and the flight deck due to the wider fuselage. The manufacturs are just trying to produce the most profitable safe plane they can. Technology is great, but look at the 787 electrical issues. Lithium batteries.... ever seem a lithium battery fire, that is scary and that was only a laptop battery and the 787 is the same technology. Cabin crew get training on them because they are dangerous.

 

[Melanie]

What was the assignment on?
The only thing I found of interest was the PW geared turbine doing much better than I thought it ever would.

The future of the rivalry between A and B. Boeing really needs to pull a finger or else....

 

[must_dash]

Yes, but all these figures are estimates. Both Airbus and Boeing have got weights and fuel wrong in the recent past. The differences are also within such a small percentage that either manufacturer could be better. At the end of the day the airline is going to go with cheapest price. In 2000? when easyJet ordered its first 319s the price was ridiculous, when you divided the sale figure by aircraft against 'list' price it was about half price. Then there is all the incentives that get thrown in on training, engine and APU lease and maintenance cost.

 

[Melanie]

Yup, but there is more to this. I am sure that both A and B earn more with parts, spares etc. then with the actual plane. Then there is As advantage as the A32X design is about 30 years younger, engine clearance as a example. Then there is the new A321NEO HD version with 236 seats. Airbus needs to do less to achieve a better plane. And it is available sooner too. Look at all the carriers that switched from B to A. And longterm it is a great benefit to A to be earlier with the NEO because once a complete new design is needed, A will most likely be earlier too....

 

[must_dash]

Do you think that the technology issues withe the 787 will put B off being so high tech? Fuselage construction is a proven technique, but the 'electric aircraft' concept and moving away from hydraulics?

 

[Melanie]

Nope, apart from new materials the new electronic design was the biggest step. What I fear is that Boeing has a serious manpower problem. 787 grounded, 747 still not legal to use one of its fuel tanks. They need to work on the MAX and as well on a 777X. I wonder where the engeneers are supposed to be coming from

 

[Melanie]

Ooops, I forgot the new tanker...

 

[must_dash]

And the engineers are going on strike.... Oh, don't forget the budget cuts in the military which is bread and butter for them.
New tanker, well it may not be the better, but we can sue our way to selling to the military.

 

[Blackcloud]

Boeing got rid of most of the "aeroman" talent pool under Stonecipher and looks to follow the way of McD.....do everything the cheapest way as airlines will buy the brand. Look at this biased article to get a flavour of what I mean.
This is what gave Airbus the opening to get their products into the door of many airlines, first as a niche, then an expanded product base. Oh and please do not think it was the common cockpit layout that attracted the airlines as no airline operates that way eg. A330 and A340 pilots operate one type not both, let alone an A320 pilot being flexibly trained to go A330 or A380! It does not happen, but the conversion course is shorter if you know how to fly with the Airbus stick (believe me the system goes against a classic control system)
I did predict that they would cock up the 787, while B fanboys savoured the A380 design fiasco, just look at the 737 AEW programme to see the precursor of what would happen. Outsourcing is fine, you just need a different type of management to be successful, but many xenophobic commentators think outsourcing = overseas is never as good as home talent
Regarding OEM making money from spares and service.....you would be surprised that this is really only a recent trend after the downturn in aircraft orders both OEM for airframes and engines realised that they need a steady income stream that they do not get from manufacturing eg. once they sold the aircraft that was generally it for the next 20 years. Solution was to sell a whole of life system stream where the equipment purchase could be discounted if you also bought the support package eg. Rolls Royce and IEA gave cheaper engines if you took the power by the hour package, which gave them a competitive advantage over the cheaper CFM/PW engines.

 

[Melanie]

Boeing got rid of most of the "aeroman" talent pool under Stonecipher

True, I really don't like him.

A330 and A340 pilots operate one type not both

False, there are several airlines that operate both types and pilots that fly both types. Ask LH for example.

let alone an A320 pilot being flexibly trained to go A330 or A380! It does not happen,

False again, it does happen. Ask the Swiss pilots.

 

[Blackcloud]

False, there are several airlines that operate both types and pilots that fly both types. Ask LH for example.

Is this what your father flies? There are differences in both types of aircraft that make doing this difficult and expensive. CX and EK do not do this but I wonder if AF, IB or AY does it too.

False again, it does happen. Ask the Swiss pilots.

What a LX pilot can fly a A320 one day and the next A340 then back again? I doubt it as you would require operational rating in both very different types that would not be considered safe. Also impact pilot's pay in many airlines? Conversion of a A320 pilot to a larger aircraft does happen as they progress through the ranks, and yes this reduces the conversion time and cost but it is not significant in the scheme of things.

 

[Melanie]

CX and EK do not do this but I wonder if AF, IB or AY does it too.

IB, I think ...

What a LX pilot can fly a A320 one day and the next A340 then back again?

yes, and nothing unusual for LX pilots. For such, rather small legacy it gives LX added flexibility in crew assignment. Seems to outweight the other costs..