Second day of Airbus 330 school

Derg said:
According to the bean counters, the two most profitable aircraft are the 757-300 and the Big Buses.

The -400? No clue. Limited range. I'm making crap up here because I really don't know, but when the company bought the -400's, they were replacements for the domestic L1011's bouncing between high volume markets in Florida. Hell, they weren't even strung for HF or SATCOM at first so you really couldn't do a lot with them besides domestic flying.

Then the company poached a guy from CAL that had the attitude that big planes only make money when they fly far places, which makes sense. The 777's shouldn't be doing ATL MCO turns and ER's shouldn't be doing ATL to JAX. So, again I think, the -400's once they hit the international markets, it just didn't perform as well as the ER's and especially not the Airbii.
Click to expand...
As I understood it at the time, the real money (and reason for the ER being on Jacksonville turns) was air freight, though I don't know how much truth was in that ("My check airman's friend's cousin told my dad and now I'm telling you...").
 
H46Bubba said:
Moneymakers for DL are the 757-300, A330, and 747. Company really likes the A330, which is why the purchased more. They have a coronary if a A330 is out of service for an extended period of time for maintenance.
Click to expand...

The 757-3 is a ridiculously awkward thing in the back though - the extra 24' and 50 seats makes getting to the lav an adventure with the single aisle. Thankfully there aren't many of them.
 
PeanuckleCRJ said:
Could have sworn I heard RA say at one of the kool-aid meetings that if he could have the -10 today he would take it. I know he doesn't like the 8, and I don't rememeber hearing him mention the 9.
Click to expand...

The -9 is the long range model, (read replacement for 767ER.) The -10 is the high density, domestic short range model. We got plenty of NBs that can do that already.
 
ERfly said:
That's where our Boeing guys (737 round dials...haven't been through an Initial in 25+ years) are having the most problems. They try to make the Airbus a Boeing. Just think of it like prison. If you resist, it only makes it worse.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I guess you could make it a Boeing. If you want FLCH, pull altitude. If you want VNAV push altitude, if you want LNAV push heading. Vertical speed is still the same vertical speed. How's that for Boeing guys? ;)
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
I guess you could make it a Boeing. If you want FLCH, pull altitude. If you want VNAV push altitude, if you want LNAV push heading. Vertical speed is still the same vertical speed. How's that for Boeing guys? ;)
Click to expand...

It was more of an FMGC thing. They couldn't figure out that you can't bring anything down junto the scratchpad on the MCDU.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I love the 330. It takes time to get used to the airbus way of things but you'll find your comfort-zone very quick. The flight control logic is very different from conventional planes, but I like the system. And you'll figure out the MCDU in no time.

When I was going through A330 groundschool I used smartcockpit.com to review systems. They have a lot of quizes and information that might be helpful (some of the info may not be applicable to Delta's A330 models though). I copied & pasted a bunch of Q&As and notes into a Microsoft Word doc, if you want me to send them to you just send me a message and I can email you them.
 
Derg said:
I told the instructor "I'm starting to find the MCDU somewhat intuitive in its own backwards ways" and she said "You've for kool aid on your lanyard"
Click to expand...

Flew the baby bus for a bit. Made the transition from the right seat of the 727. Hardest part for me was not the FMS (which any child of the Atari 2600 era should have a handle on in short order), but it was a slick critter in comparison (oh, and yea, I had to do walkarounds now). The speedbrakes were heavy on the speed, and light on the brake. Sometimes I felt I'd get down faster if I opened the window and stuck my hand out. But comfy seats, good A/C and enough money on the left side of the decimal to not care about the rest. It took me a few impacts to get used to the sight picture versus the one on the 727. Then I got displaced to the Diesel, and I had to do it all over again.

I agree the FMS requires some mental futzing if coming from a Boing Boing. Oddly enough, it works the same as the GPS in my personal airplane, sooo, go figure.

In the hiring during 07, it wasn't the 'bus causing trauma, but the Diesel. Kiddos coming in with G1000 172 time followed by CRJ glass left were left bewildered by the multitude of round thingies. Strangely enough, the airplane itself is stone simple to fly for anyone who ever carried one of those red "Cessna Starter Kit" bags. You needed to know ONE number....%70 N1. That was all. Everything else was controlled by flaps/gear and speed would take are of itself. If you could see the runway over the nose, you could land on it. The whole airplane was full of awesome simplicity. Plus there was one that had the date on the airworthiness certificate that was the same as my birthday, and not just the month/day. That was kind of a cool (but weird) bond to have with an airplane. Hopefully I'll luck out like that critter, and when they send me out to pasture, it will be someplace warm.

Richman
 
So Derg have they explained something as simple as how your Approach speed is calculated? GS Mini?
 
We witnessed GS MIni in the simulator....seemed fine. Then I was out on line a few weeks ago with a 55kt wind at 2000'AGL and it took me a minute to realize why the magenta approach carrot was at 155 while the Vls was down at 125....

It did work well though....Our intertia was MAGNIFICANTLY managed by Pierre.
 
Baronman said:
We witnessed GS MIni in the simulator....seemed fine. Then I was out on line a few weeks ago with a 55kt wind at 2000'AGL and it took me a minute to realize why the magenta approach carrot was at 155 while the Vls was down at 125....

It did work well though....Our intertia was MAGNIFICANTLY managed by Pierre.
Click to expand...

I think it's an incredible safety feature! I wish all airplanes had it!
 
Does that 'splain why the Aerobus does the throttle jockey when the auto-throttles are on? Or is that all auto-throttles? Me being a simple RJ pilot haveth no clue.
 
Derg said:
According to the bean counters, the two most profitable aircraft are the 757-300 and the Big Buses.

The -400? No clue. Limited range. I'm making crap up here because I really don't know, but when the company bought the -400's, they were replacements for the domestic L1011's bouncing between high volume markets in Florida. Hell, they weren't even strung for HF or SATCOM at first so you really couldn't do a lot with them besides domestic flying.

Then the company poached a guy from CAL that had the attitude that big planes only make money when they fly far places, which makes sense. The 777's shouldn't be doing ATL MCO turns and ER's shouldn't be doing ATL to JAX. So, again I think, the -400's once they hit the international markets, it just didn't perform as well as the ER's and especially not the Airbii.
Click to expand...

Once back in flight school I was headed to MCO out of ATL and was very surprised to find a 777 at the gate. Even then I was wondering why. Could they make money like this? I guess not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top