No gate, no APU

saxman

Well-Known Member
This happened to me the other day. We land and its about 108º F outside. The APU won't start either. It's a small outstation, and no one is answering the radio so we're unsure of what gate to go to. We assume its where the other aircraft is parked, but it looks like he's not going anywhere either. Again no one is answering the ops frequency. No one is answering the ops phone. (yes, I called them from my cell) The cabin is starting to get extremely hot. I'm getting hot. If I'm hot, I know the cabin is way hotter. i wonder if we should pull up to an empty gate and just open the door. But that's a FAR violation. There were no wing walkers.

In all we were sitting on the ramp for about 25 minutes, which was way too long. Luckily none of the passengers passed out, but I was wondering what I would do if the FA called and said we needed to get off the airplane now.

What would you do? Pull up to an empty gate without ground staff? Evacuate right there on ramps? Is a hot airplane enough to risk doing that knowing you might be doing the carpet dance or worse, the FAA?

Just thinking about what I would have done, had we been out there too much longer.
 
What kind of plane we talking? I know on the CRJ we could just spool the engines up to 50% or so and it would get decent airflow through the PACKs. Just tell ground you're going to need to do an engine run-up.
 
Yup, find a place where you can bring up the PSI in the packs and wait.

I've long said that if the airlines really want to save gas, they should have a place for us to park and the people ready to park us when we get there. The ramp crews in IAD hustle, but there aren't enough of them and there is such a turnover that everyone is new all the time. I really wish that after a plane pushes, they get the area prepared for the next plane. Make sure all carts and what not are behind the red lines, put the chocks next to where the nosewheel will stop. Then as soon as we show up, they can bring us right in instead of running around like crazy trying to get everything set up.
 
Yup, find a place where you can bring up the PSI in the packs and wait.

I've long said that if the airlines really want to save gas, they should have a place for us to park and the people ready to park us when we get there. The ramp crews in IAD hustle, but there aren't enough of them and there is such a turnover that everyone is new all the time. I really wish that after a plane pushes, they get the area prepared for the next plane. Make sure all carts and what not are behind the red lines, put the chocks next to where the nosewheel will stop. Then as soon as we show up, they can bring us right in instead of running around like crazy trying to get everything set up.
That would require common sense and planning. I think that is in very short supply in general, much less at airport operations.

Edited to note that I am not necessarily referring to rampers when I say this.
 
I've long said that if the airlines really want to save gas, they should have a place for us to park and the people ready to park us when we get there. The ramp crews in IAD hustle, but there aren't enough of them and there is such a turnover that everyone is new all the time. I really wish that after a plane pushes, they get the area prepared for the next plane. Make sure all carts and what not are behind the red lines, put the chocks next to where the nosewheel will stop. Then as soon as we show up, they can bring us right in instead of running around like crazy trying to get everything set up.

Being a former ramper, there was a lack of common sense but not as bad as some people think. There is a lot more going on then there little spot.
 
Being a former ramper, there was a lack of common sense but not as bad as some people think. There is a lot more going on then there little spot.

Oh I don't bout it. I know the rampers in IAD hustle and are trying to do a good job. But like the rest of us, they just simply aren't given the tools to do the job the way they're supposed to be doing it.
 
I have no idea what FAR either. You'll torque off the company and/or TSA though.

In the former life I had the same issues very frequently. Just set the N2 to just below the % where the HP valve closes. While the break is set, start word-smithing a flict crew report (while talking to the pax & trying to get ahold of the local ops every 15 minutes).

My worst case was in the NE at an outstation. Could talk to ops, but it was a mainline station and wouldn't listen to a dumbass commuter pilot (me). Sat out there for 3 hours until a company that was another codeshare (competitor of the one painted on my jet) let us use their gate.

I don't miss scheduled pax ops at all.
 
Oh I don't bout it. I know the rampers in IAD hustle and are trying to do a good job. But like the rest of us, they just simply aren't given the tools to do the job the way they're supposed to be doing it.
Combination of the two most of the time.
It's kind of funny to me how messed up it is that the company would rather have planes sitting 20 minutes waiting for a gate, burning way more fuel than you could pay to have a couple rampers on the clock for another hour or two, than to just hire extra people. But I guess when everything gets contracted out on the ramp the contractors are only concerned about their money. Goofy business.
 
How long would you wait though? 30 minutes? Polar said 3 hours? I mean, at some point, I would imagine after 4 hours, it's time to say screw it, call the police at the airport to meet you at the closest open gate and just open the door/slide, right?
 
How long would you wait though? 30 minutes? Polar said 3 hours? I mean, at some point, I would imagine after 4 hours, it's time to say screw it, call the police at the airport to meet you at the closest open gate and just open the door/slide, right?
That would never happen at our operation, but I would just keep them turning. I'm getting paid! :)
 
But that's a FAR violation. There were no wing walkers.
I'd like to know which FAR this is. I had the same situation a couple weeks ago and we handled it much differently. We have nothing in our manuals that say wing walkers are required.
 
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