I was thinking the other night after the 5 or 6th Southwest flight asked for shortcuts and got denied, how exactly do controllers determine whether or not they can approve a direct-to shortcut?
obviously southwest is using their profit to purchase fuel hedges this month instead of buying off the controllers![]()
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I dont know why they even bother..every time Southwest checks in they ask for shortcuts..By now I am sure the controllers are expecting a request.
Also saw them land the other day on 35 in PHL. Hmm...
you should see CAL 75's doing the circle to 29 at EWR![]()
you should see CAL 75's doing the circle to 29 at EWR![]()
Believe it or not, a 75 has better landing and stopping performance than a 73. Those double tandems have lots of braking power.
You also see EMB-145s, DC-9s, A320s, B737s, B757s, B767s, B777s, and B747s doing the circle-to-land runway 29 at EWR. Yes, B747s. Subracting the displaced threshold, 29 at EWR is not 6800 feet long. You'll have about 5400' for the rollout on 29. At MDW on 31C, you'll have 4925' for the rollout. Not sure about 35 at PHL, since I do not have my Jepps. But I'm sure they were fine, since they have an OPC (On-Board Performance Computer) behind the pilot seats to check landing performance data. Now they check it without thrust reverse as well, from what I understand, due to the MDW accident.
I'm sure their OPC said they could do it, it just didn't seem to conservative to fly an approach to a shorter runway where there are tall ships passing on the river and you have to bring it in pretty low and plant it on the numbers when there is a nice long runway available.
Also saw them land the other day on 35 in PHL. Hmm...
The day SWA starts landing 26 in PHL I'll start having problems. Of course, Air Jamaica tried that in a 321 last year. They finally washed off the skid marks two months ago. Apparently they confused 26 with 27R.