Tristars grounded again?
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Timmy trouble
An Aging aircraft
flying 'Unusual' operational flight profiles
Unserviceability on one aircraft being serious enough to
Necessitate fleet checks
That find more damage
That Ground all four of the aircraft at Brize
Until we get spares
Which we don't have
Which come from our 'supplier' in Canada
Which takes time on a good day
But much longer when most of the airfields in the UK are shut!
Rest assured that the boys and girls at 216 are doing everything that they can to get the aircraft serviceable especially at this time of year.
flying 'Unusual' operational flight profiles
Unserviceability on one aircraft being serious enough to
Necessitate fleet checks
That find more damage
That Ground all four of the aircraft at Brize
Until we get spares
Which we don't have
Which come from our 'supplier' in Canada
Which takes time on a good day
But much longer when most of the airfields in the UK are shut!
Rest assured that the boys and girls at 216 are doing everything that they can to get the aircraft serviceable especially at this time of year.
Witney Gazette
You do have to wonder at the naivety of the London Airport people who apparently asked whether the Covert Oxonian Aerodrome could accept some civil passenger flights during the recent snowstorms!
From the Witney Gazette:
The TriStar problem, plus the recent bad weather, will no doubt be stretching everyone's efforts to get as many people home for Christmas as they can. Attempting to handle civil aircraft at very short notice would clearly have been impossible; one wonders whether the 'Heathrow Airport bosses' have the slightest clue about the differences between military and civil aerodrome facilities or infrastructure.
Hope the TriStars are soon cleared to resume flights!
From the Witney Gazette:
Base could not help
3:08pm Tuesday 21st December 2010
HEATHROW airport bosses asked RAF Brize Norton if it could take some passenger flights during the snow storms.
The base turned down an official request from Heathrow Airport on Saturday, because it needed to concentrate on its military efforts.
Last night, teams were still trying to defrost planes and clear the base of snow in preparation for the return of hundreds of troops for Christmas.
Group Captain Dom Stamp said the base had to refuse the request.
He said: “We were not able to take any from them, because we simply would not have the ability to park them and to handle them, and obviously our output was what was crucial to us, our military output, providing the air bridge (link to Afghanistan), so we had to concentrate on that.”
There are about 23 vehicles and 20 staff keeping the runways clear, and the base has 80,000 litres of de-icer in reserve.
Staff cannot use grit or rock salt because of the damage it could cause to aircraft engines.
RAF Brize Norton uses its on-site weather station, which gives round-the-clock updates on air and runway temperatures, wind speeds, and visibility Gp Capt Stamp added: “Every single person at Brize Norton understands the crucial support that we provide to operations, and in particular the need to pull out all the stops to bring back personnel who are looking forward so much to spending Christmas with their families and loved ones."
“As the RAF’s busiest airport, it was absolutely vital we were well prepared."
“This preparation, and the excellent job that my people have undertaken, has proven to be vital in overcoming the severe weather conditions experienced so far this winter.”
3:08pm Tuesday 21st December 2010
HEATHROW airport bosses asked RAF Brize Norton if it could take some passenger flights during the snow storms.
The base turned down an official request from Heathrow Airport on Saturday, because it needed to concentrate on its military efforts.
Last night, teams were still trying to defrost planes and clear the base of snow in preparation for the return of hundreds of troops for Christmas.
Group Captain Dom Stamp said the base had to refuse the request.
He said: “We were not able to take any from them, because we simply would not have the ability to park them and to handle them, and obviously our output was what was crucial to us, our military output, providing the air bridge (link to Afghanistan), so we had to concentrate on that.”
There are about 23 vehicles and 20 staff keeping the runways clear, and the base has 80,000 litres of de-icer in reserve.
Staff cannot use grit or rock salt because of the damage it could cause to aircraft engines.
RAF Brize Norton uses its on-site weather station, which gives round-the-clock updates on air and runway temperatures, wind speeds, and visibility Gp Capt Stamp added: “Every single person at Brize Norton understands the crucial support that we provide to operations, and in particular the need to pull out all the stops to bring back personnel who are looking forward so much to spending Christmas with their families and loved ones."
“As the RAF’s busiest airport, it was absolutely vital we were well prepared."
“This preparation, and the excellent job that my people have undertaken, has proven to be vital in overcoming the severe weather conditions experienced so far this winter.”
Hope the TriStars are soon cleared to resume flights!
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The comment of them being past there sell by date!
Errr whats the sell by date of an aircraft? it was 2016 ish then they have changed it to 2013
When the FSTA comes in to service, how long before its past its sell by date?
2 years? 5 Years? 10 years?
fwiw the sqn fleeet leader has half the hours that most of the civvies one had when they went out of service.
Make a comparison, all the Quantas 380's were grounded coz of a suspect fleet prob, does that make em past there sell by date now?
Keep working on em fellas lets get the herrick back on track
Errr whats the sell by date of an aircraft? it was 2016 ish then they have changed it to 2013
When the FSTA comes in to service, how long before its past its sell by date?
2 years? 5 Years? 10 years?
fwiw the sqn fleeet leader has half the hours that most of the civvies one had when they went out of service.
Make a comparison, all the Quantas 380's were grounded coz of a suspect fleet prob, does that make em past there sell by date now?
Keep working on em fellas lets get the herrick back on track
Tri-Star troubles
The avionics upgrade will probably be binned now with these ongoing airframe fatigue issues, after a shedload of money spent at Marshalls.
No Sim or training devices are yet available, so all training would need to be carried out on real expensive a/c when not u/s.
Dedicated crews needed for this one Tanker a/c as presumably unable to 'two type' due to many glass/cockpit flightdeck differences with unmodified a/c.
A330 will be coming into service by the time any others upgraded. (two years or so so far on first upgrade a/c, and still not in service.)
No Sim or training devices are yet available, so all training would need to be carried out on real expensive a/c when not u/s.
Dedicated crews needed for this one Tanker a/c as presumably unable to 'two type' due to many glass/cockpit flightdeck differences with unmodified a/c.
A330 will be coming into service by the time any others upgraded. (two years or so so far on first upgrade a/c, and still not in service.)
That telegraph article was a right load of hoop. Makes you wonder where they find their "RAF Sources", public bar of the Beehive I shouldn't wonder!
Still, I share everyones hopes that it all gets back on track soon, our brethren on Aarse are making the most of it I see.
Still, I share everyones hopes that it all gets back on track soon, our brethren on Aarse are making the most of it I see.
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Ivan - OPSEC??
a. Its in a broadsheet with sanctioned comments by the hierarchy.
b. Absolutely everyone is aware of the problem due to the very high profile that such issues create.
As for the VC10 carrying pax again, the hypocrisy is astounding.
a. Its in a broadsheet with sanctioned comments by the hierarchy.
b. Absolutely everyone is aware of the problem due to the very high profile that such issues create.
As for the VC10 carrying pax again, the hypocrisy is astounding.