850 pax from 8 exits in 90 seconds

[G4G5]

http://www.atca.org/singlenews.asp?item_ID=2270

I would pay to see this.

Only half of the 16 exits can be used, the pax don't know which ones they are.

 

[sstearns2]

This is going to be scary. There were a lot of injuries when they tested the 747 and it bearly passed. Also, you forgot to mention that 1/2 the pax are waaayyy up there on that top deck. Good luck to them.

Scott

 

[General Lee]

Swan dive time......


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[HoursHore]

I'd hate to have to evacuate from a top deck slide on a windy day.

or any day I guess.

That 747 in SFO comes to mind.

 

[klhoard]

.
.
Why can't the First Class passengers have ejection seats??
.
.

 

[T-Gates]

.
.
Why can't the First Class passengers have ejection seats??
.
.

Even better...the top 1/2 can disconnect and fly by itself ala the front saucer section of the Enterprise on Star Trek.....

 

[HoursHore]

He!!,

Give everyone ejection seats,

It'd be command ejection only , and they'd all be angled out the sides. It'd look like a Herc popping flares.

Just pray the F.O. doesn't pull the command ejection handle adjusting his seat.

Based upon this photo, I think the A380 nickname should be "5-head"

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/760641/M/

 

[zonker]

This is going to be scary. There were a lot of injuries when they tested the 747 and it bearly passed. Also, you forgot to mention that 1/2 the pax are waaayyy up there on that top deck. Good luck to them.

Scott

Kind of makes you wonder what sort of compensation is available for the volunteers. Probably jack squat.

"In one of the demonstrations involving the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 with 410 passengers, a participant was seriously injured, resulting in paralysis."

On another note, are there any octogenarian volunteers in the the certification test? I'm thinking no.

 

[Immelman]

No no, ejection *pods*. Like in that movie spaceballs. First class international seats are big enough to accomodate I'm sure. Can be part of the marketing of 1st class service on the 380....

 

[Whale Rider]

Ejection seats??? Come on guys this is the Aviation of the 21st century....you have to think cost....cost...cost. My bet is that paracutes will be cost effective to fit the climate of the economy.....light weight...portable...even fashionable as you stroll through the mall shops, casino's, bowling alleys, and camping parks onboard that big turkey.

 

[atrdriver]

I seem to remember them having problems getting the 340 certified for this reason and asking for FAA for relief beciase they couldn't get everyone off.

 

[N8Dogg]

Maybe they could get their hands on one of those transporters from Star Trek!

 

[91100 100 set]

No no, ejection *pods*. Like in that movie spaceballs. First class international seats are big enough to accomodate I'm sure. Can be part of the marketing of 1st class service on the 380....

I'm sure Branson has looked into it.

 

[CWASaab]

I seem to remember them having problems getting the 340 certified for this reason and asking for FAA for relief beciase they couldn't get everyone off.

And I just saw a show on PBS about the A380, and in the show they mentioned that Airbus tried to get the FAA/JAA folks to let them use the data/results from the A340 to demonstrate evacuation performance, and skip the whole exercise.

Its a shame the tests are done in hangars where there is no wind, hardly a real world event. Those upper deck slides seem real suspicous in any decent wind.

 

[CatfishVT9]

Forget about whether there is wind or not. How about making it a representative of what our real pax load looks like? Several old folks, a bunch of 300 pounders (men and women), a dozen drunks and some non-english speakers. Oh yeah, and some teenagers with their baggy pants around their knees!


I'd guess closer to 90 minutes!

 

[Palerider957]

Forget about whether there is wind or not. How about making it a representative of what our real pax load looks like? Several old folks, a bunch of 300 pounders (men and women), a dozen drunks and some non-english speakers. Oh yeah, and some teenagers with their baggy pants around their knees!


I'd guess closer to 90 minutes!

Exactly right. I had a lav fire indication, it took a few mins to clear out the dam.n RJ.

Once again the FAA is back in their airline co-opted dream world, where "safety" is 8 hours of "rest," and a totally sterile evacuation exercise is used to justify flawed designs.

 

[G4G5]

What happens if they can't get it done in 90 seconds?

Option A:
Airbus scraps the 380 because they can not get FAA certification

Option B:
They change the law, (in the interest of safety, of course)

 

[NewBlue]

What happens if they can't get it done in 90 seconds?

They send the original group away and call in another fresh group to try again. The second group will then be subjected to the same environment for the evac.

Both groups will be young, healthy, and wearing track shoes.

 

[FR8mastr]

My guess is if for some reason they cant evacuate all the people they will reduce capacity to a number the FAA will buy. It is unlikely any airline would buy one configured for that many people anyway. What about first class, business, class, ect. Branson was talking about gym's and bars and such, all that will reduce capacity. All that being said Airbus is the wonder company from the EU and we all "know" if it is from the EU it has no faults. If that does not work I'm sure certain governments will put pressure on the FAA to bend. After all these govenments have invested billions in order to make Airbus the wonder company

 

[habubuaza]

Seems like an evacuation test is the least of their problems now..


A380 delays Qantas dogfight
By IAN HUGHES

February 21, 2005

STRESS fractures uncovered during testing of the new Airbus A380 mega-plane may delay an upping of the ante in the battle between Qantas and Singapore Airlines for market share.





According to reports from Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, Airbus engineers have failed to iron out problems encountered in stress tests.



There were "unexpected and significant difficulties" with the rear end of the plane when tests were carried out on it, the magazine quoted an insider as saying.



The landing gear is also causing engineers concern, the magazine reported, adding that the A380's first flight in March could be delayed by weeks.



An Airbus spokesman said however that the stress tests were heading in the right direction within the company's expectations, Der Spiegel said.



Qantas has ordered 12 of the giant planes, each of which is capable of carrying 555 passengers in comfort on long haul flights.



Singapore Airlines has already signalled its intention to be the first airline to introduce the A380, with Sydney-to-London the most likely route it will fly.



At the same time, Qantas boss Geoff Dixon yesterday warned that the national carrier could forfeit as much as $44 million in annual pre-tax earnings if Singapore Airlines won the right to fly the lucrative Australia/US route.



Mr Dixon told Channel 9's Business Sunday program that the figure, calculated by finance analysts, was accurate.



"It could be close, but that is not just the reason that we don't want them to fly," he said.



"I think at some stage they will fly on that route.



"We are asking really to make sure that we have similar advantages as Singapore Airlines.



"We are restricted, no matter what Singapore Airlines says, but I think the Australian Government realises we have real restrictions on our ability to fly into certain markets out of Singapore," Mr Dixon said.



"They are very important markets for us. It is not Singapore's fault but is an issue that must be addressed.



"I mean you are talking about an industry that is totally regulated in those places where governments have a major interest no matter what," he said.



On February 17 Australian Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the Federal Government was "almost at a point where the proposal could come before cabinet and a decision made."

The Australian government is in talks with Singapore on allowing Singapore Airlines to fly the trans-Pacific route, which is about 10 per cent of Qantas' annual profit.