MYT DC-10 Engine Start up

[EGCC]

Just something i observed at MAN today, MYT DC-10, G-TDTW, was at stand 22 being prepared for its flight. Alsorts of unusual noises were coming out of what appeared to be the tail engine, ending in what I can best describe as a 'pop' noise and a bit of exhaust fumes.

Then just before it was about to be pushed back, a big blue servisair truck pulls up which has some sort of generator on the back and two flexible pipes leading from the truck were placed into the forward part of the fuselage.

The generator then started and the noise was tremendous for about 5 minutes with a huge amount of black fumes coming out of the generator. The aircraft then pushed back and started the other two engines I just wondered what was actually going on here never seen it before, not really comforting for a passenger on board.

My only thought that it was compressed air in order to start the tail engine (as that seemed to be the result of the whole process). But I really don't know at all, any info guys?

Cheers

EGCC

[woderick]

You witnessed the demise of the APU. Bleed air from the APU is used to start the engines, and the effort was too much for that one ! The APU is located in the aft fuselage.
The Big Blue Servisair truck is an Air Start unit. A mobile compressor that provides 40 psi air to start the engines in leiu of the APU, usually only when the APU is not available.
Two hoses are required to provide the volume of air needed to start the larger fan engines such as the CF6, RB211, Trent etc. The smaller engines on 737 series or similar only need a single hose.
That particular Servisair unit is the loudest one I have ever heard.

[BAe 146-100]

Hi,

Are they bleeding the engines in the picture below of Spanair MD-82?

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/373347/

Thanks
BAe 146-100

[woderick]

No, that is a ground air conditioning air supply, the hose is at least twice the diameter of an air start hose. and plugged in there on a MD is being fed straight into the Airconditioning area.

[BAe 146-100]

Hi,

Thanks woderick :ok:.

BAe 146-100

[EGCC]

Thanks for the info Woderick. So is this a common problem with many aircraft, or is it just a sign that MYT's DC-10's are coming to the end of their working days with the company? They've deffinately seen better days.

[woderick]

Common is not a word I would use, It's not unknown for the things to shutdown on engine start, it's the sudden demand you see. But to fail catastrophically is much rarer.
That particular APU has been ?difficult? for the last couple of weeks.
Yes the '10 might have seen better days, but it remains a solid, reliable, simple, Airframe/Engine combination being let down by 30 year old systems that are difficult to keep operating properly.

[cirrus01]

At EGKK, ( and probably lots of other airports as well ) there are certain Stands where you should not use the APU between 23.00 and 0700 Hrs.

So, to comply you have to run a conditioner truck to keep the cabin cool during boarding and then have two dirty great big air start trucks screaming away just to start the engines....if its a really bad day and the fixed ground power is U/S , you will have to have a GPU as well....... all instead of an efficient APU !

OK, the APU on the 747 makes quite a lot of noise but its still less than the lot above ! and most other types now have extremely quiet running APUs

Never liked using Ground start trucks........not when you've seen a hose burst......... of course ground equipment is always kept in A1 condition ..........NOT !

:= :=

[BAe 146-100]

Hi,

The Embraer 145 has a fairly noisy APU.

http://www.csdl17613.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/thumbs/g-embe-101-0130.jpg

BAe 146-100

[Hand Solo]

Especially when you've got both of them running.

[Skytrucker87]

MYT's DC10s may be lots of good things but they will never replace real aircraft. They are unreliable, continually tech, almost impossible to provision spares for and a total nightmare.

[BAe 146-100]

Hi,

Thats why 3 MYT DC-10's (except DC-10-30 G-BYDA) are not going to be operating for the Winter 2003/2004 season. The 3 DC-10-10's (G-DPSP, G-TAOS and G-TDTW) are being placed on care and maintenance programme from September onwards.

BAe 146-100

[Golden Rivet]

Hand solo - I found that funny.

[HZ123]

Surely a household vacuum is as noisy as an angry EMB145 and quite powerful. At LHR we still do a number of airstarts as a/c are permitted to carry over u/s apu faults. Recently started a 757 with 20psi as the airstart was not functioning correctly and we had already dispatched a u/s one. To minimise noise only one engine started by the airstart the other cross feed on the taxiway and there is a lot more smoke which I assume as the punters can hear the airstart the pilot probably tells them what is going on.

[cirrus01]

Of course ....the 146 or should that be RJ has got a total of 5 APUs .:ok: :ok: :ok: