Both of you Amiga500 and Flightmech – let the Flight Crew know through any ethical means if it’s something you have been asked to do by your company as they should also be altering their pattern of operation if it’s a workaround you have effected.

The management chain may never grasp it quick enough to help the flight crew and souls on board.

It’s all about strengths and weaknesses of the men/women and machine and knowing and understanding them all is the flight crews responsibility and not making expectations on the machine if it it’s not in normal state of operation.It can still fly but with knowledge of deficits.

Flight engineer would have been your contact but alas he /she is long gone.

Even if its a nudge, nudge and whisper to a pilot and/or a secure link by ground wire to cockpit – tell them then the balls is in their court. You have done your bit. Air France Concorde tragedy – Captain Marti could have said “Non” – fuel overload, spare aircraft (hurriedly put in to service), or asked for a further delay to lighten the fuel load – but was pushed by management pressure, customer pressure and marketing. He sadly didn’t.:o Air Transat A330 (engineer made huge Boo Boo [workaround of his/her own] and thanks to incredible skill in the cockpit it made it to safety)

Document, document and keep records (your diary to start with if permitted) in simple uncomplicated language and numbers and in 99% of cases it shouldn’t hang you but will make you accountable.:) That’s not a bad thing is it?:)

A delayed flight may seem the end of the world to some but to you and all those who care it may prevent loss of lives and any decent airline will be happy eventually that you did an ethical job.:)

You may upset some (or get a temporary rollicking) from those that haven’t a clue (and are bluffing their way through [clean suits] not getting their hands dirty) but that’s all part of being forthright and accurate to the point of your knowledge and skill.;)

With respect, I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job but thanks for your slightly patronising and very very strange auditors account of how it should be.:rolleyes:

Don’t bother replying to this by the way, no need whatsoever

Any of you out there that contribute to manufacture (vital) or extracting/producing original compounds, maintain and repair, re-furbish, and provide customer service, please, please go that ‘extra mile’ in dedication (yes an old fashioned word) and we will pull through and out of this recession. When things slip or cheating is evident – please go to your management and if they don’t do anything think hard of the next best course of action.
In addition please bring the younger generations into line with integrity and dedication to work including punctuality, and loyalty they are the starting blocks for a safer developed world. Never mind the other errant countries just please do your bit as if you buy ‘crap’ from them you can by your own efforts identify the faults and try to source some alternative ethical suppliers
Short cuts with safety or durability can and will cost lives in the future.

Here endeth the sermon:D

This thread used to be about the 787. The more I read your posts the less I “get you”:confused:

Whats all this “I knew she’d get there safely” nonsense? After all the thousands of hours of flight test you think people had doubts about making the (relatively) short hop from Seattle to Haneda

Composites are certainly not new. I guess the only difference is that the 787 has a higher percentage of them. Bleedless engines. We’ll see how they pan out.

It will be interesting 15-20 years down the road to see how the composite holds up after moisture ingress and delamination. Going to take a long time to go around that puppy doing a coin-tap test;)

Looks like things have got even more complicated/interesting.
Atlas Air have just announced that they are cancelling the first three aircraft in their order due to these performance limitations.
Interestingly, it looks like British Airways are set to receive some 747-8’s (under wet lease)

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/09/21/362387/atlas-air-nixes-order-for-three-747-8fs.html

It’s not actually British Airways getting the -8F’s, it’s GSS (Global Supply Sytems) getting them and operating them on behalf of BAWC, like they currently do with -400F’s. Complicated arrangement. Dry-leased from AtlasAir and wet-leased on ACMI contract to BAWC.

Aircraft is over the stated empty weight and not making the guaranteed specific fuel consumption. I wouldn’t take it either. It’s like ordering a new Ford Fiesta that is supposed to do 60mpg and finding out it weighs the same as a Focus and only does 50mpg!

Only two options

1. Refuse delivery until it does what it says on the tin or

2. Negotiate a large financial package as compensation for loss of payload/fuel consumption and take delivery on the proviso that all future deliveries make the guarantee and the already-delivered airplanes are modified at a later date free of charge.

Is this yet another case of pilots being pushed by commercial pressures to make risky landings rather than expensive go-arounds and diverts?

As Arthur says, it landed in Manchester so what’s your point?

MD-11F. Great views from the flight deck windows:D

The tailcone does jettison as an emergency exit. It has an arming handle on the rear entry door either above or below the door handle (long time since i did the course!) I believe jettisoning the tailcone allows the rear door to continue to be used as an emergency exit in the event of a wheels-up/belly landing (you could exit across the now-horizontal stairs)