If BA can make it (almost) across the pond and to LHR, on 3 donks, why can't an A380 continue across Asia on 3 .... even if it needed a fuel stop en route ?
The BA 744 did make it across the pond; just needed to land earlier in the UK.
And they've been copping a shellacking for it ever since.
Leewan,
IIRC , following earlier issues with the early JT9s, PAA lined up two airframes for their first 747 revenue service, one primary and one reserve.
Primary indeed had a donk problem at start-up so they shifted to the reserve, which fired up fine and they got away safely, albeit a tad late.
Sadly, that airframe which actually operated that first revenue service was the PAA 747 later destroyed at Tenerife.
Rainboe,
