JET BLUE Weight and Balance

[AKAAB]

I heard if we vote in a union the company will switch us to an abacus.

More like an AAbacus.

 

[Headfake14]

Are you folks still using the laptops or have you guys transitioned to a ACARS weight and balance tool ?

I hope we NEVER go to an ACARS based system for that. Takes me less than 30 seconds to re-do numbers for different runways, intersections..ect. We can manipulate everything...thrust, flaps, bleeds, APU and a few others...and no paper needed.

ACARS gets MEL'd sometimes...that'd suck with the other system. Not sure how you get around that one for those guys.

 

[n757st]

Just curious, how does this system work? Do you pass out a paper copy of a wieght and balance on a worksheet, or do you have some kind of cellular / wifi etc data connection from the laptop that sends the info to the company?

 

[Blue Dude]

We send the results for posterity via ACARS, or paper as a backup, but we don't have to wait for some other number cruncher's W&B data from ACARS. We can calculate all the data on our own.

 

[n757st]

We send the results for posterity via ACARS, or paper as a backup, but we don't have to wait for some other number cruncher's W&B data from ACARS. We can calculate all the data on our own.

Good deal, thanks for the info.

 

[Fins Up]

More like an AAbacus.

That's funny.

 

[critterair2]

Ours is done through aero data. 99 percent of the time we have our numbers before we push

 

[huncowboy]

I hope we NEVER go to an ACARS based system for that. Takes me less than 30 seconds to re-do numbers for different runways, intersections..ect. We can manipulate everything...thrust, flaps, bleeds, APU and a few others...and no paper needed.

ACARS gets MEL'd sometimes...that'd suck with the other system. Not sure how you get around that one for those guys.

Sometimes VHS3 goes into psycho mode. In other words "company datalink stby". If you can't reset it and make ACARS work you have to radio ops with the bag count and pax count. Wait about 2 min and get the V speeds and config. You have it before you are anywhere close to the runway. It is very rare I can't remember last I had to do it but it does happen.

I hated the laptop. I mean it was not as bad as the wheel LOL... but you had to power it up, down, charge it, stow it, unplug it, all while buckled up in the seat. We have the numbers before the gate is removed and it transfers onto the perf page with 3 pushes and fills the V speeds. It also catches a ton of errors like planned Gross vs actual exceeds treshold, zones off, etc. It is very nice. You can still override a lot of settings. The occasional hickup (and it is way below 99%) is nothing compared to the convenience and the additional "heads up time".

 

[Lake Alice]

Its a lap top. Close it and shove it in a bag. It doesn't get much easier than that. T akes 5 seconds. The flexibility the lap top priovides us is nice.

 

[Hair-on-Fire]

I'm just tired of carrying that crappy laptop around.