For the aeroplane loonies

It's all down to seniority. Some of you may remember Barry, the Aussie
pilot who lived in our village here, who worked for CrossAir before it
took over SwissAir and formed Swiss. He was paid something in the
order of 50 grand sterling, IIRC, but he and most of his fellow
Crossair pilots were made redundant, based on Last In, First Out,
whereas the more senior Swissair pilots, some of whom were allegedly
earning twice that, were all kept on.

Of course, the more senior ones would also be the ones most likely to
be certified for the big planes like 747s, which he wasn't, so I
suppose there's some logic in paying them more.

Mine dew, they mostly pay virtually no tax and have next to zero
day-to-day living expenses, so they're not exactly paupers even on the
lower rates.


--
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..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Does the main body gear on a 747 have the option to steer into alignment
with the runway on landing in cross winds or do they still have to "Kick
off drift". I know later 747 can steer their main gear for taxiing in
tight places.

 

Isn't that normal for Greece?

 

Err, why would it do that in Honk Kong but not in Hounslow [1]??

[1] Or indeed anywhere else on the Heathrow approach.

 

Video here:

 

Although I read, a while ago, that the island won't actually last that long
[1] and was sinking. Do you know what they've done with the old Kai Tak
site?

[1] IIRC, something like only 20 years.

 

Well they are contemplating opening up the second runway at Chep Lap Kok
so I hope it isn't sinking. An Expo style exhibition centre has also
opened a short distance from the airport terminal as well.

In terms of Kai Tak the area remains undeveloped. There are huge rows
raging in HK as to how it will be developed and for what purpose. An
ocean liner terminal is one idea but the usual skyscraper office and
retail type development has also been proposed. However the surrounding
area is very poor (in HK terms) with poor housing and there is much
pressure to secure improved social housing and beneficial development
that will bring opportunity to the locals. The final issue is the raging
environmental debate in HK - there is much resistance to anything that
will further reduce the size of the harbour as there has been continual
reclamation for decades. There is also a concern about the loss of the
view out into the harbour. There are now very few places where you can
look out from land and on to the harbour - everywhere else just has huge
buildings in the way. Kai Tak was a low rise building and therefore
there is a view there.

Given the relatively poor performance of the HK legislature (and the
Chief Executive) I can't see the Kai Tak development issue being settled
anytime soon.

 

Now there's something I wish I had done - fly into Kai Tak on Concorde.

Still the French are trying to get Concorde flying again so I might
still be able to take a flight sometime.

 

What, having fooled BA into selling theirs off to museums?

 

There was a feature on the news. The French Concordes are regularly
checked over and maintained as if they will be in the air soon even
though they are in museums. The BA ones are languishing in a museum.

As is so often the case Air France seem to be keen on trying to fly them
again while there is no such official interest here. There is obvious
interest from enthusiasts on both sides of the Channel. As we have Mr
Irish Axe Man in charge of BA I don't see BA making any moves to
resuscitate their old fleet.

 

Paul Corfield wrote

Makes sense for BA to get out of a dying industry now.

 

Have you neither been to HK nor seen the video posted up there ^^^?
Incoming planes don't generally get within a hunmdred feet or so of
Hounslow rooves.

They're still higher above any buildings when they come over the BA
buildings[1] on the perimeter next to Hatton's X than they are at HK.

[1] Worked there for a while some years back. Noisy, it was.
--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

ITYM rotting. The one I went on is on the NY barge. I've not forgiven BA for
an act of utter hooliganism.

Ali

 

Aircraft on approach are throttled back - it's on departure when they get
noisy. Unless it's a Harrier of course.

 

That may not be BA's fault. They may have sold the aircraft to other
companies.

 

IIRC the gear is locked in the straight on position for landing. The use
one hell of a big steering damper on the front though

 

They were not allowed to. When the government sold them to BA for £1
each, because of the fuss the other airlines made, a bill was passed in
parliament covering the £1 each sale, that if BA didn't want then
anymore another airline could buy them for £1 each.

Which is what pissed of Branston when he offered to buy the fleet. The
government broke their own rules.

 

More to the point is the fact that Concorde had passed it's sell by
date and was ready for retirement when they decided to stop using it.

It was a wonderful piece of engineering in its time but things move on
and the best place for it is in people memories. I can remember being
taken out of a school class to watch it flying over north Bedfordshire
when it was still being tested prior to being put into service and
being told that it was the pinnacle of aircraft technology. Not any
more.

I've worked in the aircraft industry at the design stage and Concorde
would be thrown out and laughed at if someone suggested building it
now. Cost to build, cost to operate, noise levels and fuel costs make
it nothing more than a joke.

 

Yes I did see the video. And the planes don't look that much closer than
they do to me in some parts of W London/Staines etc esp when they take off
towards London.

 

Andy Bonwick wrote

Not that much of a joke as it has still(??) more logged supersonic hours
than all the worlds military aircraft put together and we continue to
make money using/selling the knowledge gained from this.