According to this article, you get fastidious pilots who correctly react to fire/smoke indications with decisiveness.

(Written on 24/06/2015)(Permalink)

Maybe they can put several A320's that are all paid for and waiting to fly, but just sitting on the ground to good use... http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/jetstar-hong-kong-planes-stay-grounded-as-wait-continues-20140319-351av.html ??

(Written on 19/09/2014)(Permalink)

By all appearances and reports, the passenger was "DRIVING" the truck, and the designated person meant to be driving the truck was watching the passenger drive (while in the passenger seat of the truck)?

(Written on 02/05/2014)(Permalink)

An Virgon Indigo Brazilian-built Airbus 777-300 SuperMassive Jumbo Jet was hijacked. The drunk hijacker threatened to go to the toilet and the Bali-bound flight was forced to divert to Bali. After rampaging all over the cockpit. ...door the hijacker was heroically taken out by a 22 year old flight attendant. single handedly. with a. um... hand. The passengers had to endure punishing hours after landing at the remote and hostile "parts away from the Terminal" airport, and then had to make their own way from the landing site in Bali to their intended destination "Den Pasar" in a place called "Indonesia". Reports state that this location was the Ngurah Rai Wadd airport, which is probably very far away from Bali. Many passengers reported being transported by Bus. An Indonesian Court released the man after his hearing, determining that he was probably just confused, and wasn't a flight risk, but probably just a stupid drunk man. He returned to Brisbane shortly after. By some counts,

(Written on 02/05/2014)(Permalink)

I don't see how a diversion to an Alternate would be a problem. The diversion would most likely go to an airport in the USA, rather than Mexico, due to there being many many more airports to choose from in USA, and far less airport density in Mexico. Regardless, it would be treated like any other diversion in an international airport. Passengers don't leave the terminal, and get back on the replacement aircraft after some delay & re-screening. As far as customs go, they never entered the country, & the airline is responsible for getting the passengers to the airport they purchased a ticket for. Besides, if LAX isn't an option, then how about Los Alamos, or Santa Ana John Wayne. or San Diego El Canjon. or Palm Springs (INTL, Bermuda Dunes OR Jacqueline Cochran Regional). or Imperial IPL. or Twentynine Palms. or Ontario. or San Bernadion. or Burbank. or Santa Barbara. or Long Beach Dougherty... to name a few in the area. The only Mexican airports inside that kind of range are Tij

(Written on 25/04/2014)(Permalink)

There's 2 things you need to look at during a visual approach. 1: The runway 2: The airspeed indicator. You really should be darting your eyes down to the airspeed indicator once every few seconds to check.

(Written on 13/12/2013)(Permalink)

"Becomes a tailwind during the takeoff roll?" lol. really? I know Wello is a bit windy and unpredictable, but this isn't Microsoft Earth X.

(Written on 10/08/2013)(Permalink)

Either there was a landing gear deployment failure (ie hydraulics or mechanical) or ... there's 2 test pilot jobs that just became vacant at Sukhoi. Landing Checklist: Gear down; 3 green, (various other items) Flaps - set (landing flap setting). Someone forgot The landing gear, then the landing checklist. That involves both pilots up the front end and would be a massive oversight.. or there was some kind of failure in the landing gear deployment (which should have resulted in a go around, and a declaration of emergency so that emergency/fire/rescue could be on standby for the gear-up/partial deployment landing.) Isn't this the same aircraft type that did a CFIT in Indonesia recently? That was poor pilot judgement and lack of any planning. Bit too much "The Right Stuff" type of test piloting going on with this testing program perhaps? Not enough caution and procedure? I know that Flight Testing isn't standard ops, but sitting there fat dumb and happy as the aircraft lands its

(Written on 26/07/2013)(Permalink)

Being grounded for months due to a tendancy to catch fire isn't really all that "Small" a problem.

(Written on 08/02/2013)(Permalink)

Here's a list of aircraft that I know of that don't have fuel dump capability: A320 (18, 19, 21), B737 (-100 through -900ER inclusive), DC9, MD80, MD90, B717-200, CRJ, ERJ, Dash-8, Saab SF340, EMB120, E170, E190. Anyone wanna add to the list? (I mean apart from really obvious things like Cessna C172's and the like). But of course when it's an A320, it's just WRONG.

(Written on 22/06/2012)(Permalink)