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Old 1st Aug 2010, 20:40
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polarbearjim
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Scotland
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I agree that the 737-300 is a difficult one. If you go a few inches too far forward you crush the air data probes. If you go a few inches too far aft you're not going to get the door open! You have to know the dimensions of your bridge well.

The A310 has quite a big door so if the airbridge only has a small opening at the end it requires some accuracy.

On the 757 the engine can be close but as long as you don't go any further right than the L2 door you won't hit the engine.

The 747 is probably the hardest I've bridged and this probably because at my airport it is not possible to give the number 2 engine a wide berth as you reach the swing left limit before you get too far away from the wing. This means you have to navigate the bridge very closely around the engine. I used to have a good look at the bridge from the outside to make sure there is nothing hanging off the bottom from the lip to a good few meters back and get reaquainted with the dimensions. This way I could raise the bridge up high and move forward until I am almost over the engine and only then could I be sure I have enough swing left avaliability to continue. It's really helpful when the airline keeps their aircraft nice and clean as the reflection from a polished nacelle can give you a great view of what you are doing! I had a bridge missbehave itself once when retracting from a 747 so I just stopped and let the pushback team take the aircraft off the stand before I continued.
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