Airbus A380

[RPJS]

OK so it's the worlds largest airliner seating 555 people and due to come into service In Sept/Oct this year.<br /><br />I watched the news reel of this beast making it's first landing at Heathrow airport and I couldn't help but wonder if there is a place in the airline market for this plane.<br /><br />The idea of this plane is that it reduces the number of flights and still maintains the same number of passengers, this is OK as long as everybody wishes to depart/arrive at the same time. My feelings are that people want the flexibility to plan thier traveling time to suit thier own requirements, which means smaller aircraft flighing more often.<br /><br />Another point I picked up on from the news was that the test landing at Heathrow was to confirm that the new runway was suitable for such a large aircraft to land, Heathrow is one of the largest airports in the world. Does this mean that the number of airports this aircraft can use will be limited due to thier size.<br /><br />I am no frequent flier, and the number crunchers at Airbus understand thier industry better than I do, but as an educated onlooker I just get the feeling that this is the wrong aircraft for todays age.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Airbus A380

One reason why Boeing decided not to build anything that size,is the fact that most airports in the world would have to build longer and wider run ways.Also there are no boarding facilities anywhere in the world that would fit this plane.This would mean that passengers would have to use busses to get on and off the plane

 

[12Footer]

Re: Airbus A380

NGC (Directv channel 276) is rnning a program as i type this on this plane on "megastructures".<br />I do not usually watch this channel due to it's ownership, but if interested, there it is.

 

[QC]

Re: Airbus A380

There have been a lot of studies on it. I struggle too, but somebody has made the numbers work.<br /><br />For airlines like British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qantas etc. Where long haul is their primary mission, these apparently work.<br /><br />Not only are the 380s restricted by runways, terminals have to be modified and there will only be a couple of gates per Heathrow/LAX that will be able to handle them. Your thoughts about times are why some airlines like my favorite, Continental, are putting their orders on the 787. Smaller 300 seat, but long range and better fuel economy. Allows more airport destinations, flexibility, and departure times. Again, if your primary need as an airline is to get as many people as possible from point A to many 5000 mile + places, apparently the 380 does that job well.<br /><br />Ultimately it is about cost per seat mile within your geographic and customer constraints.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Airbus A380

I would think you are going to see it more as a transporter of goods (from china) freighter, than a passenger jet. Just my thoughts.

 

[JB]

Re: Airbus A380

Well, the Hughes Hercules H1 and the Concorde seem to have proven that airplanes can be too big or too fast to be useful for peacetime transport.<br /><br />BTW, how does the Airbus A380 compare to the Hercules in size? Is the Herc still the largest airplane ever to fly?

 

[sloopy]

Re: Airbus A380

J.B do you mean the flying goose?<br /><br />I will rant about this later (I am an airbus and Boeing fan )

 

[PW2]

Re: Airbus A380

I'm sure there are some routes where this size plane can be utilized.<br /><br />The nice thing about smaller aircraft is they are more flexible, and larger airlines can sub one craft for another larger (or smaller) one depending on specific demand on any given day on a particular route. With this one, you need to sell a lot of seats every time you fly it.<br /><br />I have a friend who used to fly a small (9 passenger) Cessna into Sea-Tac airport all the time, and he told me it was always an adventure when he got to land following one of the bigger planes in, and following a 747 in was darn near foolhardy.<br /><br />I'm sure they have people that run models and crunch numbers.<br /><br />All I know for sure is that no matter what the size of the plane, or how many are aboard, I want to arrive at the airport at the same time everyone else aboard that plane does.

 

[JB]

Re: Airbus A380

Yes, Sloopster.<br /><br />I mean the plane they called the "Spruce Goose" because she was made mainly of wood (not spruce, birch).<br /><br />What is to rant about?<br /><br />PW2, I stopped flying commercial about 15 years ago, when my flight to my Dad's funeral was cancelled. I can drive to Galveston (about 400 miles) in a lot less time than it would take to fly commercial.<br /><br />Commercial air is a terrible way to travel. Cattle are treated better.

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Airbus A380

"Commercial air is a terrible way to travel. Cattle are treated better."<br /><br />you ain't kidding, i have come to dislike travelling by air.

 

[qaztwo]

Re: Airbus A380

I agree commerical travel is getting bad. I believe the a380 is longer but the the goose has a greater wingspan.<br />Every time I fly on a airbus still remember the fly by at an airshow when the plane plowed through some woods. I still don't like fly by wire

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: Airbus A380

They flew one down here last winter to see how she would go. Landed here at Brisbane and then Sydney.<br />Qantas has purchased some. Apparantly are good aircraft for long-haul, and when you live this far south, every trip is a long-haul one, no matter if you go the Nth, West or East route.<br />Personally I dislike air-travel.<br />Cheers<br />Phillip

 

[WardenJ]

Re: Airbus A380

Air travel will only get worse as airlines pick up on the "charge for everything" model. I hear there is discussion on charging premimums for aisle seats. It's more enjoyable for me now to fly with the "low cost" carriers like Jet Blue over the legacy carriers, even though their prices are on the rise. <br /><br />I'm warming to fly by wire as I learn more about it. It's more redundant and saves weight over cable systems, and the computers can keep you from going beyond the airplane's limits. Also with FBW systems the plane can auto compensate for a control system or engine failure, so the pilots can continue to operate the controls like normal and the plane will do whats necessary to achieve the pilot's intended goal. It can also prevent the pilot from exceeding the plane's limits....of course there is then the conversation about the computers failing and doing whatever they want.

 

[sloopy]

Re: Airbus A380

Yeah well J.B is right about one thing. The cattle get fed

 

[ztim]

Re: Airbus A380

When the huge cargo C-5A Galaxi first came out, I saw it do a fly by at the AFB I was at. It could not land not because the runway wasn't long or wide enough, but because the concrete stucture of the runway could not handle it. Once the runways were modified, it was okay.

 

[PW2]

Re: Airbus A380

JB,<br /><br />While I would not consider myself a "frequent flyer", Usually a couple or three times a year, I do the Michigan to Seattle or Portland trip.<br /><br />Driving it alone takes me 5 days, and $1000 (roughly) each way. I can fly out of SSM, get free parking at the airport, and a R/T ticket usually costs me less than $500.<br /><br />Hey, it is what it is. Pack a lunch, bring a book or two, Once in a while you get seated next to some interesting person who is willing to enter into a conversation, and the flying experience becomes a joy. That has happened many times with me!<br /><br />In short, I never have any serious problems with flying, but then I don't expect a lot, prepare, and once in a while am pleasantly surprised.