Thank you all for your replies. Sat back at my window seat I really love to know everything that is going on.
The haze had a definate 'organic' smell to it, so it seemed immediately obvious that it was not just associated with depressurisation. (As an aside, the effect Mr Levitator describes I did see, quite impressively in fact, during the summer on one of Siberia's TU154's.) 'Organic' could indeed cover urea and knowing what I know about Russia (wearing my environmental scientist hat here) if it works they would use it and not bother about the environmental consequences. Furthermore, the aircraft was an Airbus 319, so lowish slung engine a la 737.
EFP058, I am happy to say I did already know about the purpose of spoilers, although rereading my initial post I can understand why it is possible to assume I was falling into a misconception. However, what you write does help clarifying my understanding and I thank you. It would be better if I wrote that in this case we had a very smooth, almost imperceptable, touch down followed by minimal use of spoilers. As I understand it, with icy runway conditions making firm contact is risking trouble, so the minimal use of spoilers will allow some residual lift followed by using the full runway length to allow speed and residual lift to decay with only minimal use of active intervention (reverser/brakes). Am I on the right track?
rate of erection (I hope this doesn´t sound bad in english, because it sure does in german...
Worthy of Jet Blast
