VAustralia New Routes
Twin engined aircraft flights from SYD to JNB would basically have to fly further north than the QF B744 flights. This would be to remain within the "still air" ETOPS range ((calculated at a fast single engine speed), which I believe is a little over 5 hours for the B777-300ER) of suitable alternate airports such as Perth, Cocos Is, St Denis, Mauritius, Durban etc. The planned route would have to look at the depressurisation case so that at all times the aircraft remains within range of a suitable airport flying at 14,000'/10,000' after loss of pressurisation.
The route flown from SYD to JNB by a twin would on most occasions be significantly longer than the four engined route - not only in the distance flown over the earths surface but also because it would require flying into stronger headwinds/jetstreams. Often, the optimum SYD-JNB route involves flying a long way south over the Antarctic land mass but QF operations limit the flights to remain north of the continent (approx 65 degrees South) due to depressurisation issues - Antarctica has a very high plateau in that area.
The twin engined aircraft would not be at a disadvantage on the return flight from JNB as the optimum route is normally further north to take advantage of the tailwinds ie within the ETOPS/depressurisation limits.
The route flown from SYD to JNB by a twin would on most occasions be significantly longer than the four engined route - not only in the distance flown over the earths surface but also because it would require flying into stronger headwinds/jetstreams. Often, the optimum SYD-JNB route involves flying a long way south over the Antarctic land mass but QF operations limit the flights to remain north of the continent (approx 65 degrees South) due to depressurisation issues - Antarctica has a very high plateau in that area.
The twin engined aircraft would not be at a disadvantage on the return flight from JNB as the optimum route is normally further north to take advantage of the tailwinds ie within the ETOPS/depressurisation limits.
In the late 1990s, QF started making patterns that had a 29 hour slip in JNB and AIPA took the matter to the Industrial Relations Commission. They were successful with the grievance due to safety/fatigue - and that was for PER-JNB-PER operations. The longer SYD-JNB-SYD ops definitely need 48 hours due to the length of the flight and the 9 hour time zone change - the biggest change in a single sector in QF ops.
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Thanks again GB. I doubt the FAAA for those of those on the other side of the F/D would be able to pull such weight with the IRC.
Let hope the patterns are 48hr+ in JNB although V Australia are saying less than 30hrs in LAX for the flight attendants and the time difference is even greater so we will have to wait and see.
Have any F/D crew who are planning to go to V Australia been told their slip time in LAX?
Cheers
Let hope the patterns are 48hr+ in JNB although V Australia are saying less than 30hrs in LAX for the flight attendants and the time difference is even greater so we will have to wait and see.
Have any F/D crew who are planning to go to V Australia been told their slip time in LAX?
Cheers
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Hey there ,
I hear 2 local nights and from what flight details say the crew would get there at 16.30 local in LA
Sydney - Los Angeles Monday, December 15, 2008
Depart Arrive Flight Via Stops Aircraft Duration Days of Operation
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su
21:45 16:30 VA1 Non-Stop 77W 13h45m
Los Angeles - Sydney Monday, December 15, 2008
Depart Arrive Flight Via Stops Aircraft Duration Days of Operation
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su
23:30 09:20 +2 VA2 Non-Stop 77W 14h50m
I hear 2 local nights and from what flight details say the crew would get there at 16.30 local in LA
Sydney - Los Angeles Monday, December 15, 2008
Depart Arrive Flight Via Stops Aircraft Duration Days of Operation
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su
21:45 16:30 VA1 Non-Stop 77W 13h45m
Los Angeles - Sydney Monday, December 15, 2008
Depart Arrive Flight Via Stops Aircraft Duration Days of Operation
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su
23:30 09:20 +2 VA2 Non-Stop 77W 14h50m
Let hope the patterns are 48hr+ in JNB although V Australia are saying less than 30hrs in LAX for the flight attendants and the time difference is even greater so we will have to wait and see.
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r3p you are correct with the 17 hr time zone change but that is because you cross the international dateline and go back a day. The 'actual' time zone change ,as far as the body clock is concerned, from Sydney is 7 hrs ahead ie 1200 Tuesday in SYD but 1900 Monday in LAX. Easily confused and one of the hardest things about flying to LA is working out the time.The other thing is staying awake.
V Oz to JNB
I don't know how V Oz is expecting to operate SYD to JNB. The performance and max uplift from JNB will be quite limited due to the airport elevation of 5558ft.
The numbers I come up with are about 302.8t T/O weight. (this is using 30C, QNH 1013 and nil wind on Rwy 03L). With 15degrees its 318.8t.
Probably not going to work very well for a least half of the year due to high temperature alone.
The numbers I come up with are about 302.8t T/O weight. (this is using 30C, QNH 1013 and nil wind on Rwy 03L). With 15degrees its 318.8t.
Probably not going to work very well for a least half of the year due to high temperature alone.