BBC programme "City in the Sky"

[mary meagher]

There may be another forum appropriate to discuss this programme broadcast this evening - astonishing revelations, which deserve PPPruNe comment. Siberian turnaround conditions to keep the aircraft from feezing, the Thanksgiving hordes in Atlanta, and bringing the separate parts of the Airbus 380 from Spain, Wales, and Germany for assembly in France...through the medieval streets of Europe at night....and the refueling arrangements in Europe, thanks to the American military, where do you begin making intelligent comment on this programme? How detached from reality does it feel to drive an Airbus 380, after all???

I hope the planet can survive! Does anybody care?

[bnt]

I think it's fair to say that the readers of this forum are not the target audience. I think it could have been worse - how often do you get an explanation of V1 and VR on TV?

[NWSRG]

Just seeing the baggage handling in Dubai was actually quite impressive...although, as with so much these days, was all dumbed down too much. Now, perhaps, if BBC 4 had taken charge...?

[Consol]

Any program with Dr. Hannah Fry is worth watching. Thinking man's crumpet and all that.

[Station_Calling]

Freezing tyres...

...so if those tyres would freeze solid at the reported -47, How do they go on underneath a B737 at FL390 - i.e. about -56?

[Tech Guy]

Originally Posted by Consol

Any program with Dr. Hannah Fry is worth watching. Thinking man's crumpet and all that.

Indeed.

[G0ULI]

The graphics are astonishing. The details glossed and prettied up to appeal to a mass audience. The sheer amount of resources devoted to transporting people around the planet are breathtakingly unsustainable in the long term.

Visually it was a most attractive programme, but it disguised the horrible amounts of pollution and waste being generated, and I love aviation and anything to do with aircraft.

Certainly worth a watch.

The tyre freezing problems in Siberia are more likely to be related to the tyres freezing to the ground and becoming immobilised rather than just the low temperature to which the tyres are exposed.

[A Squared]

Originally Posted by Station_Calling

...so if those tyres would freeze solid at the reported -47, How do they go on underneath a B737 at FL390 - i.e. about -56?

Not having seen the television program, I can't really comment on what was said, but I do have a little experience in extreme cold temps. A tire (Airplane or car) which has been sitting overnight in really cold conditions will have a flat spot. the low temps makes the rubber less flexible, so the part of the tire which was in contact wit the ground will stay a bit flat. As it starts rolling, this flat spot is noticeable. As you roll along, the tire will start to warm up from the flexing (the tire is not completely rigid) and eventually the "flat spot" will diminish and go away. This isn't a concern for tires which have become cold at cruise altitude, because they aren't bearing any weight, so no flat spot.

[john_tullamarine]

Guess we can leave it here for a while until interest wanes ...

[handsome goafer]

Prof Alice Roberts. Now that's totty

[Evanelpus]

It reminds me of a modern day version of Diamonds In The Sky, something that came out back in the good old days.

I enjoyed the first episode and look forward to the rest of the series (albeit only two more)

[Skornogr4phy]

I thought that it was quite good for a show designed for the average public. The annoying texting graphics were a bit much though.

[25F]

As moderately well-informed SLF I have been watching this on catch-up. Lots of it is not new, but then lots of it is really quite fascinating behind-the-scenes stuff I was not previously aware of or have not seen - the huge automated baggage handling systems, for example.

A couple of questions though.

1. I was under the impression that in-flight cockpit access was (since 9/11) strictly crew only, not even off-duty crew allowed - have the rules changed to allow the presenter access?

2. On the flight into Paro, Bhutan, the Captain in the left hand seat only had three stripes on his shoulder. Can't afford a new shirt? Do I not understand the stripes business?

You can watch that bit from about 2:14 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWsigCEIJvc
It is really quite an extraordinary approach, with the runway only visible fifteen seconds before landing.

You guys and gals are most definitely not the target audience. But I think I may try it on my kids (7 and 8) to see what they make of it.

[Flying Wild]

Originally Posted by 25F

As moderately well-informed SLF I have been watching this on catch-up. Lots of it is not new, but then lots of it is really quite fascinating behind-the-scenes stuff I was not previously aware of or have not seen - the huge automated baggage handling systems, for example.

A couple of questions though.

1. I was under the impression that in-flight cockpit access was (since 9/11) strictly crew only, not even off-duty crew allowed - have the rules changed to allow the presenter access?

2. On the flight into Paro, Bhutan, the Captain in the left hand seat only had three stripes on his shoulder. Can't afford a new shirt? Do I not understand the stripes business?

You can watch that bit from about 2:14 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWsigCEIJvc
It is really quite an extraordinary approach, with the runway only visible fifteen seconds before landing.

You guys and gals are most definitely not the target audience. But I think I may try it on my kids (7 and 8) to see what they make of it.

1. It was a Lufthansa aircraft so operating under German CAA rules. I've sat on the cockpit jump seat of a European carrier in the last couple of years just showing my airside pass and having a word with the flight deck. Dallas was probably vetted and approved by the airline for the flight.

2. Could have been a captain under training?