easyJet single engine taxi

[TotalBeginner]

Have easyJet introduced a new SOP that requires engine 2 to be shut down after landing. If so, what is the advantage of this?

The other day I was meeting an aircraft that was taxiing with only the No1 engine running. Due to a faulty AGNIS the aircraft was forced to stop while making a left turn onto stand. When the marshaller showed up, the aircraft struggled to get moving again because he was applying power against the direction of the turn, not to mention the noise and spray!

This is not a one-off, seems to be the norm with the 319, but what's the point, especially if you know that a left turn is required onto stand?

[sir.pratt]

fuel saving? pretty poor airmanship to stop mid-turn with the inboard engine running.

[A Very Civil Pilot]

It's SETI, single engine taxy in. My company has proposed we do it as the suggested fuel savings will be in the region of several hundred thousand pounds a year.

Decide which engine to shut down which will give you the easiest turning depending on the route to stand.

[Aussie]

Soon, the aircraft will be met by a tug when exiting the rwy and will be towed to stand!
Aussie

[BOAC]

SOP on the 737 fleet in BA. As 'AVCP' says - think about the advisability of it, choose the engine carefully with a view to the turn on stand and check hydraulics/elec/weight considerations too. I seem to recall also that the 200 series lost the cabin lights if you shut ?number 2?

Wait then for the stand change with AGNIS u/s, no ground staff and an opposite turn-on.................:). Good for a laugh.

[Aussie]

Is this a common practice with most airlines in Europe?

I know they dont (yet) do this in Aus!

[HZ123]

Viscounts were turning off two engines for the taxy 25 years ago so it is not a new idea. Last year as I understand it a 767 in the USA has been fitted with electic motors to drive the wheels with the plan that the a/c would taxy to the start-up point just short of the runway. that said I have seen no mention of it since. Has anyone heard or seen any of the results of these trails.

The issue is large as there are vast amounts of fuel burnt off at the major airports. At times at LHR & LGW it is a scandel.

[747-436]

A lot of companies operating the smaller Airbus aircraft are turning off an engine on the taxi in to stand. The reason behind it is to save fuel. Not much on one flight but add it up and it is a considerable saving.

An A320 can easily start moving under idle power on only one engine when it is taxying in. I have been on the flight deck on such an occasion and the parking brake was released and the idle power from the number one engine was enough to get the plane moving.

I understand it is now standard practice for some 747-400 operators to shut down one of the engines after landing before coming on to stand.

[Dave Gittins]

I'd have thought a 747 could manage with 2 shut down. Perhaps a three engine could manage with 2 off. (411 A ???)

When I was a lad and aeroplanes had props it was almost standard for 2 to be turned off on the taxi in. Became a bit harder to determine when the new fangled jet became popular.

DGG

[Aussie]

Im sure a 747 can taxi on 1 engine.... Ive done it on flight sim....:} :}

Aussie

[eyeinthesky]

QUOTE
Im sure a 747 can taxi on 1 engine.... Ive done it on flight sim
UNQUOTE

Real life can be a little different. Two engines usually the minimum, and make sure they are the ones which power the hydraulics for the brakes. Otherwise you could end up like this:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0191286

[Old Smokey]

For the 3 and 4 engined aircraft that I've operated, symmetric 2 engine taxy in was a normal SOP, provided that the good caution mentioned by eyeinthesky is observed with respect to hydraulic systems.

Interesting to note that Aussie mentions that they don't do this in Australia, TAA/Australian Airlines DID single engined taxy in for the DC9 aircraft some 20 or so years ago, saving about 30 Lb of fuel per sector.

The DC9 and it's family, of course, have fuselage mounted engines, making little difficulty in a tight turn into the live engine, a different matter altogether for 2 engined aircraft with wing mounted engines (I've been caught in this situation in an F27).:eek:

Regards,

Old Smokey

[TheColonel]

I think youll find aussie was reffering to airlines at present...

[Dan Winterland]

Shutting down 1 (or 2) on a 747 (both Classic and 400) is usually done to prevent the taxy speed getting too extreme. Number 3 is the engine of choice as there are no brakes powered by the number 3 hydraullics.

My company has introduced single engine taxi in, but as there is a 3 minute cooldown required between de-selection of reverse and shutdown, it's only useful if you are expecting a longish taxi in.

[Mr Levitator]

Saw EZY do this onto stand H6 at AMS a few days ago. In my opinion, certainly for A320/B737 size aircraft, the issue is not to work out which turns where, but to try and gurantee a no-stop route. How often do we get the stand number from handling during descent, only to have GND control clear you to another, taxi routes always change.

One question, does anyone know if there is a requirement for EZY to run the APU whilst SETI'ing?? What happens if the remaining eng's HYD or ELEC fails??

Mr L.

[Wing_Bound_Vortex]

Yup on the 73 we have the apu running and on both busses before shutting down an engine, with due consideration to taxi route, stand, ramp condition, slope etc etc you get the picture.
However a late change of stand, or as has been mentioned guidance failure, lack of ground staff or a stand you can't self position onto can sc#ew you over a bit.

3 min cool down if using reverse thrust above rev idle, otherwise 1 min.

WBV

[A Very Civil Pilot]

Ours is with the APU as well. (Can't remember but do you lose half the cabin lights on one engine?).

Works OK in AMS from 18R, taxying all the way to the H stands, even with the big uphill slope to get to A19 - just don't plan to stop halfway up!

[foxmoth]

Stopping and getting going again is not actually a problem, neither is turning against the engine. I am surprised no one has pointed out that on the 320 variants it should be the number 1 engine that is shut down as it supplies the hydraulics for the brakes!

[BitMoreRightRudder]

Usually shut down no.2 in my company (A319) with the yellow elec hyd pump switched on first. 3 min cooling period as WBV mentioned.

[foxmoth]

We do not normally do SETI (though I have done it when told a long wait for a stand) - why do you do it this way round ? I would have thought simpler to just shut down the no.1 engine.

[Right Way Up]

Foxmoth,
We don't shutdown no 1 eng as it means the PTU is running all the time to supply Green Hyd. However with no2 eng shut down the yellow elec pump can supply the yellow sys with the PTU dormant as backup. This also means we get less people on PPrune asking what the barking noise is!:}

[G-Dawg]

Doesn't seem to be an sop in our company but down to capo's discretion, the one captain that i've seen doing it a number of times always shuts down number one engine, we always have the apu on bus before hand of course....

[pumaknight]

Been flying alot to Belfast Int from Luton recently and have noticed that Easyjet like to shut down both engines and coast into the jetway. This only happens at Belfast. Big ramp and no real tight turns, so no real issues.

There is part of me that wonders if we will ever run out of inertia and stop short :) . Oh the humility!!!

[TotalBeginner]

shut down both engines and coast into the jetway

Just my opinion (and I wait to be corrected), but I find this very unlikely. This has some obvious safety implications!

[Sky Wave]

Just my opinion (and I wait to be corrected), but I find this very unlikely. This has some obvious safety implications!

Pumaknight is either joking or is mistaken. I'm sure that EZY do not shut down the last engine prior to getting onto stand and applying the parking brake. If it's a downhill run then they will coast in with idle power on the working engine.

[pumaknight]

Certainly sounds like both. No engine noise and the distinct humm of engine cut off.

Very noticable. The ramp crew are able to approach the aircraft as soon as it stops. I am used to hearing the engines spool down once we have stopped.

Although, they didnt do it today, normal spool down once on stand.

Oh and an excellent X-wind landing, a real stagger - top crew on the Easyjet 7.55 from Luton to Belfast. Thanks guys for an enjoyabke flight.

[scanscanscan]

1.Dan Air B727 new sop required a taxi out with only two engines running but unfortunatly in the rush the crew failed to start the centre engine for takeoff and rang all the noise abatement bells...result a new sop.
2.A new Cathay sop on B707 was to taxi in with two engines shut down....one dark night when required to stop on the taxi way just as the two engines were shut down resulted in cabin crew opening the doors and several chinese passengers being first onto the taxiway a mile short of the terminal ramp..result a new sop.
3. 411A.....I recall reading a Saudi national F/o that lost his foot due the bird strike....always thought it was a Saudi B707 involved.
4. Always found management that messed around with engines shut down on taxi out or in found themselves in hot water and had to eventually desist.
About as good an idea as the flight engineer being required to help out with the meal cooking and inflight service and the Captain of a two man crew making a social meet and chat the passengers stroll through the cabin when crewed up with a 300hrs f/o.