Text 15991, 164 rader
Skriven 2011-09-22 23:55:00 av Glen Jamieson
Kommentar till en text av Michael Loo
Ärende: PARANOIA 931 10922
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-=> Quoting Michael Loo to Glen Jamieson <=-
ML> exactly. What had happened. The airport had closed all the runways
ML> but one for some reason (claimed: maintenance), and the open one was
GJ> Did anyone believe that?
ML> No, but rather than terrorism we figured it was another case of
ML> airline idiocy.
Idiocy, yes, whether from fright or maladministration.
ML> off to one side and wasting gas for an hour. Why on earth would
ML> they not (plan A) taxi back to the gate and siphon off half a ton
ML> of fuel, saving time and money; (plan B) taxi back to the gate and
GJ> They were unlikely to be set up to take fuel out of planes, but only
ML> Back in the olden days, the planes could be divested of their fuel.
ML> I think that it was a 727 or DC-10 in which I saw this happen.
That would have been long, long ago...
ML> Airbuses are not equipped to do so either on the ground or in
ML> the air, with the result that an Airbus in an emergency must
ML> circle for a huge long time before landing, presumably because
ML> some loony EU parliament members were afraid of hydrocarbon
ML> droplets falling on their heads. It is possible (also I read
Usually that is done over the sea, but in any case I would expect JP4
to evaporate before hitting the ground. I have been in a PAL 747
which had to return to Manila when less than an hour out, after its
second to last inertial guidance platform failed. That landed with
most of the fuel still in its tanks. There was a Hell of a thump when
it hit, and the lockers burst open and women screamed, but a lot of
fuel was saved. After the navigation equipment was fixed, which took
12 hours, we resumed out flight to Melbourne. While waiting we got
free hotel accommodation and meals. The Qantas A380 that had that
bit of bother near Singapore managed to dump a lot of its fuel -
through the hole in the wing tank.
ML> somewhere) that the new generation 737s have been constructed
ML> according to the EU standard.
Someone should tell them that the circumstance could arise (engine
failure, fire, heart attack) where it was necessary to land quickly,
and the ability to dump fuel could save lives.
GJ> Upgrades given as a reward to those passengers would probably be
GJ> cheaper than the cost of the burned off fuel ($800?).
ML> But there are denied boarding rules as well, so that people
ML> bumped off the plane automatically receive a bandaid of $200
Is that a general USAn rule, or just domestic?
ML> or more each. Upgrades are an additional perk, but as there are
ML> so many elites on these flights, seats in first are hard to
ML> open up. I estimate that the cost to the airline of catering me
ML> in first is about $25 - a bottle of wine or three or four
ML> Courvoisiers plus food. The food cost is negligible: they set
That could be given to bumped passengers, even if seated in cattle.
And maybe a cuddle from the FA.
ML> up to cater the capacity of the front cabin (plus crew), no
ML> matter how many first seats they actually sell; the cost of
ML> that many meals is almost the same as that of 10 or 15 (the
ML> number of seats they actually sell, plus crew), because the
ML> expense is largely in the storage, handling, and transport of
ML> the product.
Enough front cabin meals are pre-prepared as to allow the nobs a good
choice of menu, so there are always lots of left overs. When I worked
in the Nauru hotel, a kitchen there catered for Air Nauru, so when the
meal trolleys were taken back to the kitchen for re-charging, all the
left over, un-served meals were still in them. The workshop staff
knew that, so we all pigged out on those meals. Best of all were the
flights returning from Manila, as the meals were very good,
particularly the desserts.
GJ> I wonder how many other aircraft were held up in the queue for that
GJ> single runway???
ML> Word has it, and this is unverifiable, zero. Certainly few, see below.
So as there was no need to use the other runways, traffic was lighter
than usual.
ML> closure happening in the 15 minutes between our pulling off the
ML> gate and our getting in line for departure. This all leads me to
ML> imagine that Continental's operations management is worse than
ML> United's.
GJ> Or, more likely, there had been a terrorist scare of some kind, and
GJ> Continental's management reacted predictably.
ML> No terrorist scare. We heard and/or saw regular takeoffs of the other
ML> airliners, from Delta, United (now part of Continental but still
ML> under different management), American, Jet Blue, Southwest, and
ML> AirTran (now part of Southwest but still under different management).
That must have been rather frustrating.
GJ> Did you hear of the passengers and crew burnt in a Canadian Air flight
GJ> from Vancouver to Sydney, when the plane dropped suddenly just as the
GJ> tea and coffee trolley came out, and boiling hot water showered over
GJ> people? Two crew and about 7 passengers had to be treated on arrival
GJ> in Sydney. Not the sort of hazard that would be expected on a flight.
ML> I presume you mean Air Canada. I don't think Canadian Air has been
Yeah, one of them... Canuks.
ML> flying for at least a decade. I have had flights with coffee spillage,
ML> and it hasn't been enjoyable. Worse was the one with alcohol spillage.
Particularly if it was Courvoisier. Best to drink up quick. If
spilt, I would expect your glass to be refilled immediately. Mine was
when the Virgin FA spilt it on the flight to NZ.
-=> Glen Jamieson said to Dave Drum <=-
GJ> That is all very interesting, but as has already been indicated on
GJ> this Echo, confusion can arise in your supermarkets or greengrocers
GJ> when you ask for such things as "chilli peppers", as distinct from
GJ> "bell peppers" or "sweet peppers".
ML> There you go again spouting about things about which you
ML> have scant experience. 1. At the supermarket, you needn't ask
ML> for anything - it's either there or it's not. If there is
If, as result of a periodical re-organisation of the shelves, I can't
find something, I ask a passing shelf-stacker. Invariably they stop
what they are doing and conduct me to the requested item.
ML> 2. At a greengrocer's, if there were such a thing, you'd
Of course there are green-grocers! At least in civilised society.
ML> be hard pressed to find an idiot working who didn't know
ML> about peppers. By the way, nobody asks for "chilli"
ML> peppers unless they want hot peppers. It's waiters in
ML> downscale restaurants who wouldn't know, but that's because
ML> they're from Queensland or someplace like that.
Do you get them in USA as well? Sorry for you.
ML> Of course if you ask for "the only
GJ> cultivar group of the genus other than Capsicum Rhomboideum that does
GJ> not produce capsaicin," the counter attendant would know immediately
GJ> what you wanted!
ML> Why would one ask for such a thing?
Because one might be Dave Dirty.
GJ> Here in Fantasy Land we are a simple lot, so we just use the one word
GJ> name that everybody knows - capsicum - and no one is confused.
ML> In fantasy land, it appears everyone is confused. Anyhow.
Maybe, but they are unaware of being confused...
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