Comments on: We need to review the principles of flight here… https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/ Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:32:13 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: Trebuchet https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13717 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:32:13 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13717 According to Wikipedia, it’s a Master Minimum Equipment List, MMEL. I knew MEL didn’t sound right; should have looked it up first. And instead of “former aerospace engineer” I should have just said “retired”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_Equipment_List

]]> By: Trebuchet https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13716 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:25:50 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13716 @sithrazer: Airliners come with a document called an MEL — Minimum Equipment List. (I think that’s the correct name.) Anyhow it describes, in detail, what failures are they are allowed to fly with, including restrictions such as gross weight. The restriction in this case was probably in case of a refused takeoff (RTO) in which the takeoff must be aborted at high speed. You really need the spoilers to get weight on the wheels so you can stop before the end of the runway. I don’t think the term “reckless endagerment” applies in any way. They’re doing exactly what the FAA and manufacturer tell them to do.

Greg, can you give us a clue as to the type of airplane? I’m a former aerospace engineer who specialized partly in spoiler controls so I’m curious!

]]> By: sithrazer https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13715 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:52:45 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13715 I thought there were laws and/or regulations containing the phrase ‘reckless endangerment’ against just this sort of thing?

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13714 Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:09:36 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13714 Paul: Yes it was!

It turns out that they didn’t get a new plane. We just took the old one and drove slowly and refilled in Memphis. I did that once in the 70s when I had crappy brakes, but that time coming down from Nashville.

Actually, they pumped 50,000 pounds of fuel out of the plane so that it would be OK to have to use the half-broken spoilers. And thus the Memphis stop.

Then they reloaded the plane with people and it headed right back to … Memphis, I guess…

]]> By: lordshipmayhem https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13713 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:06:58 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13713 The most dangerous parts of flying are the takeoff and landing, and for landing those spoilers are definitely a nice thing to have (to put it mildly). Having them increases the number of available runways by allowing you to land on shorter ones, a handy thing if the long Government one is out of service for some reason or other, or is out of reach due to engine issues or insufficient fuel. If it were me, I’d let them fix the spoilers, or find another aircraft.

I hope this is the only major hiccup on your flight.

]]> By: Paul W., OM https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13712 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:05:35 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13712 Was that a SPOILER ALERT?

]]> By: Greg Laden https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13711 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:35:50 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13711 That is correct, they’d have to remove fuel, and they decided that was a lot of trouble because a) they would have to remove the fuel (“defuel” is the term they used) and b) it would require stopping along the way to fuel up.

]]> By: Francisco Bacopa https://gregladen.com/blog/2012/03/01/we-need-to-review-the-principles-of-flight-here/#comment-13710 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:29:35 +0000 http://freethoughtblogs.com/xblog/?p=2555#comment-13710 I think when they say “adjust the weight of the plane” they mean load less fuel than they usually would, thus the risk of running low if they hit a bad headwind.

How much faster does a plane have to be going at landing if it’s not using the spoilers? Any pilots here? How often do pilots practice no-spoiler landings? I know they do happen. A friend of mine who used to be a flight attendant said she’d been through one and that if you didn’t fly frequently you would not notice the difference, but frequent fliers know something is up.

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