ALLBLACK

Want to know when Emirates get these planes will they recruite new pilots or will they ground the old planes and ask the crew to fly the A 380 heard it from a captain from EK

Prop

halas

Yep, he's on the money!

Come 2006 all the current fleet of the day will parked up against the fence and everyone will get to fly shiney new A380's.

The five dozen or so B777's, A330's and A340's will be towed out toward Hata and converted into a labour camp in the desert for all the new pilots they will need to fly the new aeroplane.

However on top of that some of the hulls have been ear marked to be sunk off the coast and turned into dive sites.

Hang on, isn't that already happening?

halas

White Knight

Very much doubt it - only a few of the 60+ destinations that EK serves will be capable of accomodating the 380 !!

rsoman

White Knight
****
Only a handful will be capable?
****

Come to think of it, EK serves HYD/DEL/BOM/MAA/COK all in India. Now all of them accomodates 747s.
Yes places like BHX will have a problem, but I guess most others shouldnt be too difficult.
And (apoligies in advance as I am more a SLF than a subject expert), but I thought the A 340 600 is "longer".

Yes I know the wingspan is much more than others in service

But since EK doesnt exactly serve the local village airport ( thinking of good old Indian Airlines when I say that), methinks it will be more than a mere handful of the current lot of destinations which should be able to accept the 380s without much difficulty.


Cheers

Fly Through

With the amount of work being done on the taxiways at DXB I suspect White Knight to be quite right.

White Knight

rsoman - the main problem is the weight of the aircraft. The weight of the aircraft is channeled down a few wheels (not sure how many the 380 will have) and the pressure on the concrete that the aircraft is on is huge - and I beleive that the load will be far higher than for 747 aircraft. Hence only a few airports can accept the 380, and those that can have all done work to strengthen taxiways and runways. Saying that I understand that LHR will have linited taxi routes for the 380, so ground will have a bit of extra juggling to do.
I rather suspect that a 380 would go straight through the surface of the runway at BOM. Even after re-carpeting its like taking off from a ploughed potato field

Point Seven

At EGLL, there will be set taxi routes for the A380 thereby negating use of the outerat the same time - and let's not forget that they need special jetties for the upper deck doors, loading carts etc, etc...

The fact is that not everywhere can afford to adapt to A380 compliance.

P7

rsoman

White Knight
Thank you . I didnt consider the weight aspect at all.And yes with a MTOW expected to be about 40% higher than a 747 400 yes I concede it can be a factor.

Bu the way (this is just "over"enthusiasm from an SLF- I am not connected anyway with BUS), the Airbus website info for A380 says "Payment Loading - no worse than existing aircraft" and it also mentions 20+ wheels.

Cheers

Fox3snapshot

Actually weight is a factor but probably not the most critical, the tyre pressure/surface area and wheel spacing are very important.

Case in example Fighters will carve up a tarmac where a A310 wouldn't because of the fighters extremely high tyre pressure (Eg. Mirage) and its weight distributed on a very small tyre surface area. I will call my theory the"Stilletto Principal". Imagine a fat babe in sneakers verses the similarly hefty individual wearing stilletto's....the result on your foot when she steps on it whilst sharing that last dance will vary from BL**%#Y painfull to catastrophic.

apaddyinuk

Just so those of you who may be interested, Airbus are to display one of the A380's in full EK livery at this years Dubai Air Show. Can anyone confirm if it will be F-WWOW or one of the next ones off the line?

Fox3snapshot

You have to be joking don't you....I mean if you have time to worry about the rego of the aircraft you possibly need to get out a little more!

The Dubai airshow is all about networking and getting into as many Chalet's as you can pretending to be interested in aviation and drinking all the "complimetary's" you can in a 15 miute window

Of course the 380 will be there, at least 3 airlines within a 150nm radius of Dubai have bought it and it is behind schedule...its all about "keeping up appearances"!

See you at the Airbus tent for a wee Chard or 6!

apaddyinuk

Dont knock someone down for being curious foxy!

Fox3snapshot

Sorry mate, people chasing rego's seriously need aviation social drugs....no offence dude but...........

Cerberus

Now then Foxy,

The long winter nights flash by at the Wheel Tappers and Shunters social club. We talk real aviation...spot registrations and decide how best to iron the flat cap and feed our whippets!


Cerberus

jetAdrinker

Hi Foxy
Check those out, BA A320 G-BUSH , and G-SPOT.

And I forgot to add, that I had beed having to much aviation social drugs ( JetAdrinking).

Fox3snapshot

Fair enough mate, just don't over do it....you will go blind!

Riker

Recently saw pictures of the Emirates-painted A380 flying at Dubai (airshow). Beautiful looking aircraft I must say.

So, who will likely crew the A380 initially? Will the pilots be sourced from the:

1. A330/A340 due to Airbus experience
2. 777
3. External hires (perhaps high-time American retirees)

Any thoughts? Will it instead be based on seniority order? Given its limited use in terms of suitable airfields, would this even be a popular aircraft to fly (maybe 6-10 routes served total)?

When is the first EK A380 slated to arrive and what is the delivery rate?

Cheers

CDRW

Riker.

You surly cannot call the A380 "A beautiful looking aircraft". It may be the worlds biggest passenger jet - but it is probably one of the ugliest that Airbus have produced. Its front end reminds of the elephant man.

Obfuscation

Have to agree with CDRW. Only one word for the new fatbus and that is fugly. Don't want to start a slanging match but pretty it aint. Saw the behemoth close up at the air display yesterday and was very impressed with its performance. I just think that it is out of proportion, the wing roots are not sleek, the double decks make it look stubby and the cockpit stuck in the mid deck looks weird. Definitely a pregnant guppy look. Wish it could be otherwise. The C17 on display shows what you could do with a fat fuselage and still look good. Definitely not asthetically pleasing to the eye IMHO. Still a thrill to see flying though...

max AB

How long's a piece of string??? From what I have heard the initial training is being done by Airbus, if so they would require previous 330/340 time, ie CCQ so that would indicate no DEC/FOs. But after that, when the tng is in house I guess you could drop the CCQ requirement, run longer courses and Boeing guys would get a look in on seniority (probabley with a max age limit). It would not make sense to train to many FOs as they would soon get a command back on the 330, therefore I would expect direct recruitment of FOs onto the 380. HI time American retirees, not sure why American but I guess an age limit would apply there as well. But in reality, who will flyit? ...Everybody else...