GE,
Quote : "I just spoke to an Airbus skipper mate and he confirmed this, most of our 330's are fixed ( after 3 + years ) but none of the 340's."
As I have no knowledge of this situation here, seems to me CX isn't too keen on getting the fix (just a VOR receiver modification). Maybe they're getting rid of them soon ?
So your argument is moot.
Quote : "Not to mention the managed RNAV ban still in effect since an Airbus came close to a sea wall on approach. This happened over a year back.
"
Same answer. there is no managed RNAV approach ban here. You need to see your flight safety people to give an explanation on that one.
Quote : "When drunk they wish they were flying the 777 again."
Only when they are drunk ? And does it happen often with your colleagues ?
What I find very intersting is that you could find a lot of faults with the @Bus products and never say anything about your airplane. For the sake of fairness, yoiu could have told us about ADIRUs, AD (is that one corrected ?), landing gears going upwards through the wing, double engine failure on final, a number of single engine diversions...
Here, we know were the hangar queens are...their names don't start with a A or a 3...What does that prove ? Type of operation and maintenance qualities are very probably one answer...At AF, with a fleet of about 150 320/21/19/18s, they achieve so good a dispatch reliability that most of the time there is no reserve aircraft and most of the QRH items we talked about exist because of time to retrofit new boxes for old ones so fleet standardisation is an endless chore ( it will never be achieved in my lifetime ), and I am not even talking about the compatibility of new *boxes* with the old software. If anything, my main gripe with Airbus Industrie is the speed at which they incorporate improvements to their products. Not the contrary.
Quote :"... maybe you'll learn something, your nintendo destroys good piloting skills..."
I tell you what : pilot cadets join the airline with about 150 hours, of which some 40 on the KingAir...they transform into the medium haul fleet (all 'Buses now )...they fly for another three to four years ( some 2000 to 2500 hrs ) and then move into the long haul fleet,let's say 1/2 to 2/3 of them, depending on the slot availability, will go to the T7...funny enough we haven't heard of any problem getting that qualification and flying on the line ( I also have to say that the T7 is very popular with the pilots : Main reason is that it pays more than the 330/340 ). Flying skills ? Hey, they pass their sim and base checks without any problems...
Now it's time for me to say that I have no gripe with the other brand at all, having flown all types of 737s (including the -100 out of Denver ! and bar the NGs) in all kinds of countries and weather, all types of 747 with all types of engines, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them - except the 300 into Kai Tak -...but I certainly do not miss them when I sit on an Airbus flight deck.
As someone said, it's just a matter of beauty in the eyes of a beholder...
Or is it ?
Last edited by Lemurian; 14th May 2008 at 18:40.