Indeed, KV. I watched the touchdown on the news tonight and it looked very good. Ditching jet airliners have been quite rare. The airlines will be looking very closely at how this one was carried out and they will be using it as an example of how it should be done in emergency procedures training for years to come. We were told that they would float for some hours if the wings stayed on, even when full of fuel (kerosene is less dense than water). Ditching is not an emergency you can simulate or practice so, unless you have flown seaplanes or flying boats, your first one will be a bit exciting. The usual visual aids for judging height above the surface are not present and it is difficult to judge your height above water. The advice was to make no attempt to flare, but to set up a minimum rate of descent and hold it until touchdown. Praise must be given to the cabin crew too, because they are the ones that have to get the passengers out safely onto the wings and into the dinghies. A 100% safe evacuation is a great achievement. I guess we will all be paying more attention to the emergency procedures briefing next time we fly. After 33 incident-free years as a pilot, I still check out where the emergency exits are when flying as a passenger.
Skeeter. In our spare time can't we devise the final one and for all fool proof 'bird eliminator' to ensure that birds are not in range of plane engines within 10 klms of airports. Ideas...a taped recording at bird only frequency of ululating Iranians etc. Mehaul.
"Ranee Sadler, the Seven reporter in the US should stop talking through her clenched teeth."
Hah. The first time I saw/heard that woman on TV, I thought she was a parody on one of those comedy / fake news shows. Both she and "Geoff Parry, Sssssssssssseven News" sound like bad caricatures.
And Mehaul, off-topic but speaking of ululating, I'm still laughing over this reply to Paco at Tim's place:
Mehaul, the most effective anti-bird measures have involved making bird habitats on and near airports uninhabitable. That doesn't solve the problem of migratory birds passing through, and there seems to be no solution to that. Our neighbourhood is presently experiencing weird attacks on house windows by crows. I have had one success with the .412 solution, but they are becoming very wary of any movement inside the house. I might try your ululating idea on them if stuffed cats don't work.
Skeeter. Who's going to ululate for you? I looked up Muslim women/ululating services in the yellow pages and there are no references on the Gold Coast, let alone the wild, lawless hills of the hinterland. Mehaul.
6 comments:
Great work by the pilots concerned. KV
Indeed, KV. I watched the touchdown on the news tonight and it looked very good. Ditching jet airliners have been quite rare. The airlines will be looking very closely at how this one was carried out and they will be using it as an example of how it should be done in emergency procedures training for years to come.
We were told that they would float for some hours if the wings stayed on, even when full of fuel (kerosene is less dense than water).
Ditching is not an emergency you can simulate or practice so, unless you have flown seaplanes or flying boats, your first one will be a bit exciting. The usual visual aids for judging height above the surface are not present and it is difficult to judge your height above water. The advice was to make no attempt to flare, but to set up a minimum rate of descent and hold it until touchdown.
Praise must be given to the cabin crew too, because they are the ones that have to get the passengers out safely onto the wings and into the dinghies. A 100% safe evacuation is a great achievement.
I guess we will all be paying more attention to the emergency procedures briefing next time we fly. After 33 incident-free years as a pilot, I still check out where the emergency exits are when flying as a passenger.
Skeeter. In our spare time can't we devise the final one and for all fool proof 'bird eliminator' to ensure that birds are not in range of plane engines within 10 klms of airports. Ideas...a taped recording at bird only frequency of ululating Iranians etc. Mehaul.
"Ranee Sadler, the Seven reporter in the US should stop talking through her clenched teeth."
Hah. The first time I saw/heard that woman on TV, I thought she was a parody on one of those comedy / fake news shows. Both she and "Geoff Parry, Sssssssssssseven News" sound like bad caricatures.
And Mehaul, off-topic but speaking of ululating, I'm still laughing over this reply to Paco at Tim's place:
Steve Skubinna replied to Paco
Mon 19 Jan 09 (03:58am)
Dude, I’d come over and ululate on your lawn if I weren’t half the globe away now.
Mehaul, the most effective anti-bird measures have involved making bird habitats on and near airports uninhabitable.
That doesn't solve the problem of migratory birds passing through, and there seems to be no solution to that.
Our neighbourhood is presently experiencing weird attacks on house windows by crows. I have had one success with the .412 solution, but they are becoming very wary of any movement inside the house. I might try your ululating idea on them if stuffed cats don't work.
Skeeter. Who's going to ululate for you? I looked up Muslim women/ululating services in the yellow pages and there are no references on the Gold Coast, let alone the wild, lawless hills of the hinterland. Mehaul.
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