IT'S ALIVE! A380 flies

[Flywithmike]

Where were you guys when I needed help bashing the 380 the other day??


The Airbus may have flown today but I doubt it will ever really "fly" as the 747 did.

Please enlighten us on why you think it won't "Fly". I think some of you guys are seriously retarded if you think the Airbus A380 is a Piece of "Junk" just because it is built by another country.

Do you know something that these airlines don't? If you do, feel free to let them know,because I know we have some real experts on this board who could save them alot of time and money.

Air France China Southern Airlines Emirates Etihad Airways FedEx Korean Air Lufthansa Malaysia Airlines Qantas Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Thai Airways International UPS Virgin Atlantic

 

[House_X]

It's OK. That piece of garbage will get flown to the boneyard in 15 yeas by a 74-200 and a 72.

People like you are the first ones to sell their soul to the devil to get hired with a carrier that flies the A380. Then you would turn right around and eat crepes everyday, sip French champangne and put "A380" stickers all over your flight bag...hypocracy is the greatest luxury.

 

[Ace McCoy]

Do you know something that these airlines don't?

Yeah, pretty much all but 2 of them are government subsidized airlines. And the other two are freight haulers making billions in profits.

 

[coolyokeluke]

Not that I love the French, but did you know that something like 50% of that aircraft (by value) is built with US made products? From the hydraulics to the landing gear, Tires, Avionics, Etc

http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2005-01-16-a380-usat_x.htm
Some U.S. connections

Although the unveiling ceremony celebrated the A380 as a European accomplishment, Airbus received considerable help from the outside.

Half the aircraft parts, by value, are built by American companies. About half the engines will be made by General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance. Goodrich is building the landing gear. Honeywell is making cockpit electronics and an environmental surveillance system, which integrates weather radar, traffic alert and collision avoidance and a ground-proximity warning system.

Airbus has suppliers in 44 U.S. states, and spends more than $5.5 billion a year on aircraft parts built in the USA, and that number is expected to rise significantly when A380 production goes into full gear.

So what part of this quote did you negative nellies not understand? The United States has a huge stake in this aircraft. And for all you blind Boeing faithfull, do a little research into how much of the content of the 787 is built overseas. That being said I'd rather be a pilot on a 787 and I'd rather not arrive at customs/baggage claim with way too many people, but I'm not dumb enough to file this into a French vs. American battle. Wake up, take a cold shower. Your black and white partisan world doesn't exist.

 

[HughBeamont]

Yeah, pretty much all but 2 of them are government subsidized airlines. And the other two are freight haulers making billions in profits.

There is a good deal of government subsidy going on here too.

A decent, albeit somewhat dry read is "Birds of Prey: Boeing vs. Airbus - A Battle for the Skies". It was written in 1995, so it's a bit dated, and doesn't talk about Airbus' surge in the late 90's and early 00's. But it does provide insight into how these behemoths battle for customers and finance their aircraft development.

 

[acaTerry]

Ummmm... I believe that was sarcasem dude... Lighten up...Drink light beer..

Better make that 3....

HK has an order for 14 to go to GoJet, no reverse and a different FMS type in each one.

 

[Steveair]

Please enlighten us on why you think it won't "Fly". I think some of you guys are seriously retarded if you think the Airbus A380 is a Piece of "Junk" just because it is built by another country.

Do you know something that these airlines don't? If you do, feel free to let them know,because I know we have some real experts on this board who could save them alot of time and money.

Air France China Southern Airlines Emirates Etihad Airways FedEx Korean Air Lufthansa Malaysia Airlines Qantas Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Thai Airways International UPS Virgin Atlantic

What I meant by "Fly" is that it won't be as successful as the 747. The A380, like all Airbus products, is a piece of junk (no quotes necessary), because of the hard limits of its fly by wire control system. I just don't like computers telling me what to do and having the final say. To each his own though.

 

[exagony]

Just one question - how much money have the Mesa and CHQ pilots agreed to be paid to fly it? I'm betting they'll bid $25/hr FO and $50/hr Capt.

 

[HughBeamont]

I just don't like computers telling me what to do and having the final say. To each his own though.

Does anyone know of any published book / analysis of automation screwing or saving pilots? I know the data would be difficult or impossible to obtain, but it would be interesting.

For example, stick pushers prevent pilots from having the final say about stalling swept-wing aircraft into an unrecoverable condition.

I know that TCAS II has saved my bacon more than once. I tell new FOs that it's better than both of us at not hitting other aircraft, and that when it tells us to do something, we are done looking for traffice and we are inside flying the EADI and the green arc on the VSI.

I have never flown large aircraft with any degree of automation (or even an A/P for that matter), so I can't really provide any examples of the aircraft doing anything that I wasn't expecting.

Airbii drivers - what is the hardest thing to get used to when transitioning from less automated aircraft?

 

[Midnight Flyer]

easier limitations?

I'm not intending to start a flame war with you guys who are proud you're on the Airbus, but I've heard that the Airbusses are designed to not only be easier to fly, but easier for the pilot to learn the limitations. Is it true that alot of the limitations are either "in the green" or "in the red". For example, the answer to what the Hydraulic Pressure Limit is would be "red line". Or the Normal Cabin Differential would be "green band" instead of 8.6 +/- .15 PSI.