Comments on: AIRBUS A380, YOU ARE CLEAR TO LAND http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:47:49 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ray http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7450 Ray Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:59:57 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7450 We are witnessing the dying throes of "Ego Driven Airplanes". Airbus was merely the most recent tool of huge egos demonstrated by the Concorde and now the ill fated A380. Having ridden on the Concorde three times, it was pleasant to be at 65,000 feet, sipping martinis cradled in a block of ice and cruising at Mach 2, but the market is not there. Nor is the market at the opposite extreme, a lumbering, old fashioned (in the fuel sipping new age) flying warehouse with 800 passengers. The egos that have driven this monstrosity have already passed on. Chirac will be the last, and will be remembered less well than the A380. What will be remembered is the clash that has been ignited between the labor unions at English, German and French production facilities. We are witnessing the dying throes of “Ego Driven Airplanes”. Airbus was merely the most recent tool of huge egos demonstrated by the Concorde and now the ill fated A380.

Having ridden on the Concorde three times, it was pleasant to be at 65,000 feet, sipping martinis cradled in a block of ice and cruising at Mach 2, but the market is not there. Nor is the market at the opposite extreme, a lumbering, old fashioned (in the fuel sipping new age) flying warehouse with 800 passengers.

The egos that have driven this monstrosity have already passed on. Chirac will be the last, and will be remembered less well than the A380.

What will be remembered is the clash that has been ignited between the labor unions at English, German and French production facilities.

]]> By: William Casey http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7449 William Casey Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:08:06 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7449 I'm thinking how I'd feel to be one of the 500 or more passengers trooping to the baggage area to pick up my luggage. I’m thinking how I’d feel to be one of the 500 or more passengers trooping to the baggage area to pick up my luggage.

]]> By: vividblurry http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7448 vividblurry Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:23:33 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7448 Awesome description of the event - for whatever reason I love driving out to National Airport in DC and watching the planes land. This would have been amazing to see. Have you checked out the blog written by the Lufthansa employees who flew the A830? They posted some pretty wild videos of the interior/exterior, as well as some cool take-off videos taken by a camera on the tail: <a href="http://touch-down-a380-usa.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">http://touch-down-a380-usa.blogspot.com/</a> Awesome description of the event – for whatever reason I love driving out to National Airport in DC and watching the planes land. This would have been amazing to see.

Have you checked out the blog written by the Lufthansa employees who flew the A830? They posted some pretty wild videos of the interior/exterior, as well as some cool take-off videos taken by a camera on the tail:

http://touch-down-a380-usa.blogspot.com/

]]> By: Valjean http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7447 Valjean Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:14:38 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7447 jcp, Thanks, but what reasoning of mine do you disagree with? I'm just curious and obviously coming at this from a consumer perspective. I've read plenty on Airbus' pledge to push for increased number of jetways, passenger loading/unloading efficiency, etc. -- but as someone who has flown extensively in Europe (not to mention the US), color me skeptical. I absolutely agree with your business perspective(s); that's what I was driving at with my glib commentary. jcp,

Thanks, but what reasoning of mine do you disagree with? I’m just curious and obviously coming at this from a consumer perspective. I’ve read plenty on Airbus’ pledge to push for increased number of jetways, passenger loading/unloading efficiency, etc. — but as someone who has flown extensively in Europe (not to mention the US), color me skeptical.

I absolutely agree with your business perspective(s); that’s what I was driving at with my glib commentary.

]]> By: jcp http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7446 jcp Thu, 22 Mar 2007 04:17:45 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7446 There is truth in what Valjean says although I disagree with his reasoning. I don't see how Airbus could have been more wrong on this plane unless they put the wings on backward. It is two years behind schedule, they grossly overestimated the market, They did not anticipate fuel cost increases, or exchange rate changes. And worst of all are the opportunity costs of not designing the type of plane that Boeing is now building -- the 787. The A380 may not be another Concord, but it is not another 747. Another point is that France is busy bargaining away its stability and future in persuit of sales. Notice where the sales are coming from: ME, Russia and China. And what is France giving in exchange? NATO technology, EU jobs, and leverage over it's foreign policy. There is truth in what Valjean says although I disagree with his reasoning. I don’t see how Airbus could have been more wrong on this plane unless they put the wings on backward. It is two years behind schedule, they grossly overestimated the market, They did not anticipate fuel cost increases, or exchange rate changes. And worst of all are the opportunity costs of not designing the type of plane that Boeing is now building — the 787. The A380 may not be another Concord, but it is not another 747.

Another point is that France is busy bargaining away its stability and future in persuit of sales. Notice where the sales are coming from: ME, Russia and China. And what is France giving in exchange? NATO technology, EU jobs, and leverage over it’s foreign policy.

]]> By: Valjean http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7445 Valjean Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:41:39 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7445 A practical point to consider with this 500+ seat monster: with current jetways it takes about 30 minutes to load a 120-seat 737. And most people get to the airport up to two hours early for their flight. You do the math. Ready to make a day of it? I haven't even mentioned the time and organization involved in getting <i>off</i> this beast. The future of air travel is small, not jumbo. Airbus (as befits a government-controlled, union-strangled, tin-ear dinosaur) is making a massive, misguided bet. May they reap what they've sown. A practical point to consider with this 500+ seat monster: with current jetways it takes about 30 minutes to load a 120-seat 737. And most people get to the airport up to two hours early for their flight.

You do the math. Ready to make a day of it? I haven’t even mentioned the time and organization involved in getting off this beast.

The future of air travel is small, not jumbo. Airbus (as befits a government-controlled, union-strangled, tin-ear dinosaur) is making a massive, misguided bet. May they reap what they’ve sown.

]]> By: RichardE http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7444 RichardE Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:52:22 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7444 I just read a book titled "747" by the guy who led the 747 design in the mid to late 1960s. PanAm had asked for a plane that would at least double the 707's capacity and most everyone assumed the answer would be a double-decker. That's the assumption Boeing started with but then opted for the wide, single deck instead. Reasons included planning for double-duty as a cargo plane (easier to load / unload than a double decker), avoiding closed-in feeling on upper deck where fuselage curves in, and gaining more room in cargo hold on passenger version for air freight. Maybe A380 will be a commercial success by hauling more people per plane, but it's interesting that Boeing began designing the double-decker and then rejected the idea 40 years ago. I just read a book titled “747″ by the guy who led the 747 design in the mid to late 1960s. PanAm had asked for a plane that would at least double the 707’s capacity and most everyone assumed the answer would be a double-decker. That’s the assumption Boeing started with but then opted for the wide, single deck instead. Reasons included planning for double-duty as a cargo plane (easier to load / unload than a double decker), avoiding closed-in feeling on upper deck where fuselage curves in, and gaining more room in cargo hold on passenger version for air freight. Maybe A380 will be a commercial success by hauling more people per plane, but it’s interesting that Boeing began designing the double-decker and then rejected the idea 40 years ago.

]]> By: Eurotrash1168 http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7443 Eurotrash1168 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:34:29 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7443 Hi Walt Cropper, In regards to your comment: This aircraft, much like any other uses less energy upon initial approach from the outer mark to the runway. Thus they all make less "noise" as it was stated. Most will find that the sound nearby will increase expedentially upon reverse thrust, and taking off. Maybe it can hold enough fuel for Nance to use? Aye? Hi Walt Cropper, In regards to your comment: This aircraft, much like any other uses less energy upon initial approach from the outer mark to the runway. Thus they all make less “noise” as it was stated. Most will find that the sound nearby will increase expedentially upon reverse thrust, and taking off.
Maybe it can hold enough fuel for Nance to use? Aye?

]]> By: william jonas http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7442 william jonas Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:18:49 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7442 The main purpose of the visit is to convince American airport managers to upgrade their facilities to handle a freak like this . How much impact strength do you build into the runway concrete? What width should the taxiways be and how do you fit this monster onto your busy terminal operations apron? Special aircraft require special facilities in hundreds of unseen ways. They cost millions of dollars and are created just for the benefit of one aircraft. I don't see too many airports getting excited when this aircraft represents a philosophy (bigger is better) that was rejected by commercial aircraft builders decades ago. The main purpose of the visit is to convince American airport managers to upgrade their facilities to handle a freak like this .
How much impact strength do you build into the runway concrete? What width should the taxiways be and how do you fit this monster onto your busy terminal operations apron?
Special aircraft require special facilities in hundreds of unseen ways. They cost millions of dollars and are created just for the benefit of one aircraft.
I don’t see too many airports getting excited when this aircraft represents a philosophy (bigger is better) that was rejected by commercial aircraft builders decades ago.

]]> By: negentropy http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/comment-page-1/#comment-7441 negentropy Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:49:54 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/airbus-a380-you-are-clear-to-land/#comment-7441 that thing's a hybrid, right? that thing’s a hybrid, right?

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