QF32 diverts to Perth
I thought that QF32 is usually an A380 service. What was wrong with the A380???
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: here
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Apparently QF32 LHR-SIN-SYD diverted to PER, was there for just under 1 hour, not sure why
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: France
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Diversion airports and other Qantas flights
Changing the topic from this particular flight, but remaining with QANTAS and diversion airports, I am wondering about the possible implications of such a fuel leak occurring on a much more isolated QANTAS route. In particular I am thinking of QF 17/18 Sydney non-stop to Buenos Aires. Once past the south of New Zealand this flight, which can sometimes dip down to 70 degrees south and beyond, has no diversions possible until South America (discounting McMurdo base in Antarctica) with the possibility of being 5-6 hours away from any possible safe harbour at maximum distance from airport!!!!
Okay, the probabilities are slight but what about issues of:
- Fuel leaks such as QF32 or the Air Transat flight over the Atlantic compromising the ability of the aircraft to reach a suitable diversion airport (not many options in Antarctica if a fuel line starts spilling fuel....)
- A cargo hold fire, smoke in the cabin etc etc. The advice of land ASAP rings a bit hollow 5 hours away from an airport...
- A cabin decompression, can a 747 descend to 14000 feet (or whatever is required to allow the passengers to breathe normally) and have enough fuel to motor on to Sthn America or back to New Zealand if the decompression happens at maximum distance from an airport?
- Medical emergencies, best not to have a heart attack on this flight 6 hrs from Sydney.....
- etc etc
Does anyone know if particular fuel requirements, additional redundancies (e.g. additional navigational instruments), additional mechanical checks are required for such outrageously isolated flights?? Do QANTAS's South America flights require particularly stringent flight planning and safety margins given their distance from possible diversion airports? I guess this is all a bit personal as I am supposed to fly QF17 to Buenos Aires on Monday, but it’s really freaking me out at the moment......
Okay, the probabilities are slight but what about issues of:
- Fuel leaks such as QF32 or the Air Transat flight over the Atlantic compromising the ability of the aircraft to reach a suitable diversion airport (not many options in Antarctica if a fuel line starts spilling fuel....)
- A cargo hold fire, smoke in the cabin etc etc. The advice of land ASAP rings a bit hollow 5 hours away from an airport...
- A cabin decompression, can a 747 descend to 14000 feet (or whatever is required to allow the passengers to breathe normally) and have enough fuel to motor on to Sthn America or back to New Zealand if the decompression happens at maximum distance from an airport?
- Medical emergencies, best not to have a heart attack on this flight 6 hrs from Sydney.....
- etc etc
Does anyone know if particular fuel requirements, additional redundancies (e.g. additional navigational instruments), additional mechanical checks are required for such outrageously isolated flights?? Do QANTAS's South America flights require particularly stringent flight planning and safety margins given their distance from possible diversion airports? I guess this is all a bit personal as I am supposed to fly QF17 to Buenos Aires on Monday, but it’s really freaking me out at the moment......
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looks like the A380 will be the standard for the route then?
sorry for the bad source site
QANTAS will retire the troubled jumbo jet involved in a mid-air explosion last year and an engine shutdown that forced the pilot to divert to Perth on Wednesday.
The airline says the 18-year-old Boeing 747 will be paid off from commercial service in November along with four other ageing jumbos as part of the carrier's fleet replacement program, reports The Advertiser.
They will be replaced by brand new A380 super jumbos that will enter service on the Melbourne-Los Angeles and Sydney-London routes the following month.
A Qantas spokeswoman claimed the looming retirement of the plane, which stranded passengers branded as jinxed after the two incidents, has nothing to do with the two mid-air incidents during the past year.
The airline says the 18-year-old Boeing 747 will be paid off from commercial service in November along with four other ageing jumbos as part of the carrier's fleet replacement program, reports The Advertiser.
They will be replaced by brand new A380 super jumbos that will enter service on the Melbourne-Los Angeles and Sydney-London routes the following month.
A Qantas spokeswoman claimed the looming retirement of the plane, which stranded passengers branded as jinxed after the two incidents, has nothing to do with the two mid-air incidents during the past year.
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Stuck in the middle...
Posts: 1,638
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
QF 31/32 - 747 or A380
The dugong will eventually be standard for QF 31/32 (or some daily London rotation, whatever the flight number), but as yet the company doesn't have enough to run a daily service. So for a while, some days it'll be a Bus, others a 744. The same goes for SY and ML to LAX.
The fourth airframe was delivered only in recent days, Nancy's got some maint coming up and hulls 5 & 6 should join the flock before year's end. Then we'll be getting closer to daily dugongs to London. Bit hard to run dailies to London and LAX (the latter from both SY and ML) when you've only got 3 or 4 airframes.
Logic, people.
The fourth airframe was delivered only in recent days, Nancy's got some maint coming up and hulls 5 & 6 should join the flock before year's end. Then we'll be getting closer to daily dugongs to London. Bit hard to run dailies to London and LAX (the latter from both SY and ML) when you've only got 3 or 4 airframes.
Logic, people.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Australia
Age: 24
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tell me it isn't so
The diversion itself - usual non-story - expected stuff when you run an airline.
As for the photo, Top Marks to the engineers from the west,
*Both safety rods are in place holding the cowl open,
*High Vis vests on all and sundry,
*Plenty of PPE/earmuffs in shot,
*One of the absolute BEST bump hats I've ever seen.
Big Dick and Big K must be immensely proud of their engineers who are so dedicated to safety!
Pay rises all 'round.
As for the photo, Top Marks to the engineers from the west,
*Both safety rods are in place holding the cowl open,
*High Vis vests on all and sundry,
*Plenty of PPE/earmuffs in shot,
*One of the absolute BEST bump hats I've ever seen.
Big Dick and Big K must be immensely proud of their engineers who are so dedicated to safety!
Pay rises all 'round.
What concerns me though is the rumour i heard from one of the boys today, that after doing a long day and a bloody good job, the poor old SO got a friendly reminder from one of the wheels in QCC to wear his hat next time on the walkaround!
This could only happen in Qantas!
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Australia
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm pretty sure QF31/32 is not an A380 every day. I think that by the end of the year one daily SYDLAX will be an A380, the MELLAX A380 services will increase and so will SYDLHR.
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Come late this month schedules show A388 equipment on 6 out of 7 days on the LHR run.
This would be with VH-OQD (I assume) coming on line.
It is all showing the QF31/32 flight number.
Best all
EWL
This would be with VH-OQD (I assume) coming on line.
It is all showing the QF31/32 flight number.
Best all
EWL
Nunc est bibendum
Baltique, the flight can depressurise at any point along the route and divert to a 'suitable airfield'. It won't be a drama.
In terms of an engine shut down, the flight can shut one down at any stage along the route and divert to a 'suitable airfield'. Most of the time we have a couple of ton extra on board above and beyond the 'critical' fuel. I'm not sure of the specifics of the QF32 diversion into Perth but an 'engine fuel leak' doesn't necessarily mean that fuel was flowing out of the wing, it could well have been isolated once the engine shut down. So even if we lost a bit of extra stuff with the engine fuel leak, it would have to happen at exactly the wrong place for it to cause significant issues. Even then there are options available to solve this. The fuel calcs for this are based on QF approved 'mains' or 'alternates' and so use of a closer 'emergency' field would solve that.
As to your cargo fire question, QF 744 flights are often 3-4 hours away from an alternate as it is. In this respect if you're not particularly worried about these things going SYD or MEL-LAX then don't worry about them going SYD-EZE. If you're worried about it SYD-EZE then you need to consider giving away flying. Similar advice applies to the medical situation.
The Air Transat guys ran out of fuel because they balanced the tanks without questioning why there was an imbalance and thus sent fuel overboard that could have otherwise gotten them somewhere safely. I've never seen a QF crew balance a tank without doing some sort of confidence check to determine why the imbalance exists and to ensure that we're not sending fuel out of a leak on the other side and leaving ourselves short.
I hope this assists. Seriously, don't stress about it. If you're happy to fly SYD-MEL with QF then you can be happy flying SYD-EZE with us.
In terms of an engine shut down, the flight can shut one down at any stage along the route and divert to a 'suitable airfield'. Most of the time we have a couple of ton extra on board above and beyond the 'critical' fuel. I'm not sure of the specifics of the QF32 diversion into Perth but an 'engine fuel leak' doesn't necessarily mean that fuel was flowing out of the wing, it could well have been isolated once the engine shut down. So even if we lost a bit of extra stuff with the engine fuel leak, it would have to happen at exactly the wrong place for it to cause significant issues. Even then there are options available to solve this. The fuel calcs for this are based on QF approved 'mains' or 'alternates' and so use of a closer 'emergency' field would solve that.
As to your cargo fire question, QF 744 flights are often 3-4 hours away from an alternate as it is. In this respect if you're not particularly worried about these things going SYD or MEL-LAX then don't worry about them going SYD-EZE. If you're worried about it SYD-EZE then you need to consider giving away flying. Similar advice applies to the medical situation.
The Air Transat guys ran out of fuel because they balanced the tanks without questioning why there was an imbalance and thus sent fuel overboard that could have otherwise gotten them somewhere safely. I've never seen a QF crew balance a tank without doing some sort of confidence check to determine why the imbalance exists and to ensure that we're not sending fuel out of a leak on the other side and leaving ourselves short.
I hope this assists. Seriously, don't stress about it. If you're happy to fly SYD-MEL with QF then you can be happy flying SYD-EZE with us.
] that Airbus dropped number 5 off jacks so will be delayed!
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
¤KAL/S05SEPSYDLHR/QF«
KE **** INFO ONLY ****
5SEP- 2OCT MTWTFSS SYD LHR LONDON.GB
1234567 1530SYD 0545LHR*1 QF/BA 319 777 FAJCD 1
28SEP 1...... 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 744 RFAJC 1
29SEP .2..... 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 388 RFAJC 1
30SEP ..3.... 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 744 RFAJC 1
...4567 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 388 RFAJC 1
1234567 1635SYD 0620LHR*1 QF/BA 301 744 FAJCD 1
7SEP 1....67 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
9SEP 15SEP 1234567 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
17SEP 21SEP 1..4567 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
23SEP 1234567 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
That is the current schedule SYDLHR straight out of the GDS.
388s operate SYD LHR Tues Thurs Fri Sat Sun on the current schedule.
Apologies for the slightly scrambled display as it is for info of the system operators, not the public.
Best all
EWL
KE **** INFO ONLY ****
5SEP- 2OCT MTWTFSS SYD LHR LONDON.GB
1234567 1530SYD 0545LHR*1 QF/BA 319 777 FAJCD 1
28SEP 1...... 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 744 RFAJC 1
29SEP .2..... 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 388 RFAJC 1
30SEP ..3.... 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 744 RFAJC 1
...4567 1625SYD 0640LHR*1 QF 031 388 RFAJC 1
1234567 1635SYD 0620LHR*1 QF/BA 301 744 FAJCD 1
7SEP 1....67 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
9SEP 15SEP 1234567 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
17SEP 21SEP 1..4567 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
23SEP 1234567 1700SYD 0700LHR*1 QF 001 744 RFAJC 1
That is the current schedule SYDLHR straight out of the GDS.
388s operate SYD LHR Tues Thurs Fri Sat Sun on the current schedule.
Apologies for the slightly scrambled display as it is for info of the system operators, not the public.
Best all
EWL
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Oz
Posts: 754
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by rrramjet
What concerns me though is the rumour i heard from one of the boys today, that after doing a long day and a bloody good job, the poor old SO got a friendly reminder from one of the wheels in QCC to wear his hat next time on the walkaround! This could only happen in Qantas!
Yes, indeed, our managers really have their finger on the operational pulse, don't they?
And they wonder why they aren't getting enough responses from the engagement survey......
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: In Frozen Chunks (Cloud Cuckoo Land)
Age: 17
Posts: 1,521
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Someone should write up wearing hats during walkaround as OHS issue. The brim prevents you from seeing the gear doors and other dangly bits, and you could walk straight into them.
Actually bugger that thought - it will allow someone to get some money from QF when they accidentally do bang their head.
Actually bugger that thought - it will allow someone to get some money from QF when they accidentally do bang their head.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: here
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
That is the current schedule SYDLHR straight out of the GDS.
7SEP as QF001
9SEP as QF001
15SEP as QF001
17SEP as QF001
21SEP as QF001
23SEP as QF001
28SEP as QF031
30SEP as QF031
fwiw this is when I've seen it in Sydney over the last couple of months but I haven't been watching full time (times are GMT not local):
