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nickolasc · Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 6

MyTrunkshow: My info from pilot friends is that statistically over the wing is still the safest place, they were saying that a widely known American study claims it is the back, as you say, but this was only a small sample, something like 20 as they don't crash much in the US. You may be right, but I suspect there are so many variables and that generally either most or all die or most or all get out alive and not a lot in between.

As for the fuel in the wings issue almost all aircraft have a fuel dump capacity (from memory A320's don't which is why the jetblue plane that had to land with the nose gear fixed at the wrong angle circled LA for hours) and it is standard procedure to dump fuel before an emergency landing, that is if you can, which is most of the time. There are 2 reasons, 1) the obvious fire hazard and 2) weight.

To give you an idea of the weight problem a 737-800 (the variant I've flown often in the sim) has an empty weight of about 40,000 kilos and its max landing weight is about 65,000 kilos. Now it can carry 26,000 kilos in fuel and has a max takeoff weight of about 80,000 kilos. So if we do the maths fully fueled weight = 66,000 kilo + 190 passengers at 75k/passenger (that's the standard measure) about 14,000 kilos that gets us to the 80,000 kilo max. Now normally they would be taking less fuel and having cargo etc....the range fully fueled as about 5,000km so say it's a 2 hour flight (1700kms or so) they aren't going to fully fuel it. Remember it has to get below 65,000 to land safely. This is what pilots do before the go is to crunch all the numbers, make sure they have enough fuel to get there be in a holding pattern for at least 30 mins and to go to at least 1 alternate airport after circling for half an hour etc.... and sometimes they have to ditch cargo if they are too heavy, which is why your bags don't get there with you sometimes.....you can't ditch fuel or passengers!!!

So assuming they land with 65,000 kilos and take off at 75-80,000 you gotta burn your fuel or dump it otherwise you may run out of landing strip.

Jotham is dead right that flying is very safe. There is almost no such thing as an unsafe airline and if maintained properly no such thing as an unsafe plane, almost every 'problem' has been engineered out of them over time.

[Hm, 4 jets instead of 2. I know that pilots will use more power when landing if winds are particularly contrary. I wonder, is it possible that 4 jets combat turbulence better than 2? I'll pay closer attention to the airplane type when I fly again.]

Quick answer is no, it makes no difference. Turbulence is just running into 'pockets' of air that have stochastic property changes. Random if you will. Aircraft want to travel in the direction you point them in so if it momentarily 'runs' into air with different pressure and velocity properties it will move, then wants to go back to whence it came when out of the small 'pocket.' Thus you get shoved, left, right, up or down and then go back to the same heading and altitude again. It is all about fluid dynamics for those science junkies (which I'm not one of......I study economics)

To illustrate - next time you look at a wing of jet liner this is how it works to get lift. As you move forward shape of the wing deflects air over the top of the wing faster than underneath it, thus creating less pressure on top than underneath. This force increases as air flow gets quicker (as your hurtling down the runway) until you get in the air.

So up cruising at 30,000 feet if it runs into air with different pressure or velocity it effects the pressure relationship of that flow over and under the wing causing it to drop a little or rise a little. As I said in an earlier post usually only a couple of feet no problem, 50 at the max in which case if you aren't belted in you may get a good look at the roof of the plane, very quickly and ultimately painfully.......This wont damage the aircraft in anyway, just your head.

[ I was in the back, and I remember that during the whole flight, the plane seemed to have the nose up, as though you had to walk up a slope to get to the front.]

I suspect sitting in your seat this was just an optical illusion. On Boeiing aircraft to hold an altitude with you nose up at cruising speed would mean fighting the hell out of the column because of the trim setting needed and you'd be knackered in 10 mins and the Airbus computer knows best philosophy wouldn't even allow it I imagine.

The pilot will change altitude for comfort and/or efficiency so maybe when you went for a walk that's what he/she was doing. Also say you are going from TPE to LAX and have to go over Japan. Once in the air you decide 30,000 feet offers the best conditions but getting close to Japan the ATC tell you that everyone heading East over Japan has to be at 33,000 you have to change.

And yeah, cold weather, or basically any weather changes tend to bring with it turbulence because it brings pressure changes. One airline wont handle it better than the next because the plane at cruise will be on autopilot anyway. I'm told the wing design on the 777 makes for slightly smoother flying than the A330 as they have more flex, but I'd say the difference is minuscule.

nickolasc · Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 6

Also, I small point on landing: When you are landing a jet the engines are throttled back to idle basically. Like neutral in you car except there are no gears. To slow yourself down you pitch the nose up, to speed up you may use a little throttle input, or more just drop the nose a little. Eg: the space shuttle is just a big glider after re-entry no engines on at all and the pilots execute a series of maneuvers to slow the flying ceramic brick down.

Get yourself a copy of Microsoft flight sim, it is very realistic and good fun. I practiced on that for a day or two before getting in the 737 sim for the first time. For anyone who wants to learn how to fly, master Micrsoft flight sim flying the little cessna around and you'll breeze through flying the real thing as you are doing the same thing, just different controls really.

MyTrunkshow · Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:35 am Post subject:

I've seen this flight simulator thing. Turn up the speakers as its pretty darn realistic. My colleague has it and it looks worthwhile to while away a few hours.

nickolasc · Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 6

Hear hear brother, I'm about 6 foot 4 so when I'm not in the exit row I feel like I'm wearing my balls as earrings.

Microsoft flight sim is amazing for the enthusiast. About the only thing you can't do is learn how to use the flight management computer like you would in the real thing. If you can ever get to play on a full flight trainer it's pretty sweet. The one I've used can certify you to fly the thing without ever having flown a plane before it's that good......

I don't know if they do it much anymore but most airlines used to run a fear of flying type thing where you get to go to a sim chat to the pilots even take you for a flight for only a couple of hundred bucks.

Another thing on the web worth checking out is Patrick Smiths blog, it's called 'askthepilot' I think. I've read it a few times and he runs through a lot of the common issues people have with flying.

On another topic, how's the ESL market in Taiwan at the moment? I finish my B/Econ at the end of June and was contemplating spending a year or two there.......thus how I came across this site.....not a good time to be looking for a job in finance at the moment......there seems to be a lot of conflicting views about the Taiwan job market, how do you see things shaping up around July, August??

MyTrunkshow · Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:40 am Post subject:

nickolasc · Joined: 12 Feb 2009 Posts: 6

[US/Canada and present well, can teach children and are patient, you'll definately get work]

I'm an Aussie, 29 will have B/Econ with honors in July, currently tutor indigenous high school kids in economics, maths and english, so I've got some teaching experience. Does it make any difference v being American/Canadian or Australian? When you say patient, do you mean patient finding a job or patient in the classroom?

I take it from reading other posts that you are best off doing as you say, post a few ads and also look for work in Taiwan rather than try to do it from your home country. I've only been to Taipei, what are Taoyuan and Kaoshiung like?

[While some naysayers are saying it's doom and gloom, I'm not of that school of thought as far as children's education goes]

I think that's the thing, from what I've read on the other threads you get some who think the world is coming to an end, so can be a bit hard to sort the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.

I agree, people will still spend money on their kids education.....in any case the economist in me treats the current crisis as a re-pricing of risk for markets and once the banks stabilize and start lending to each other more freely (I expect this to be 3 or 4th quarter this year) things will turn around fairly quickly because markets have priced in a prolonged, minimum 5-6 year severe recession. It wont happen, this will be the worst year and growth will kick start, albeit a little slowly at the end of this year/start of 2010.

[Forget China. The savings translates into squat when finished one's contract.]

Yeah, China doesn't appeal to me as much as Taiwan, not that I've been to China mind you, but the pay looks enough to get by on, but not save anything. Also, with China being so large and getting around a lot more problematic, I'm guessing that if you end up in a place that you don't like much the logistics moving, finding a new job, visa etc... could be difficult

MyTrunkshow · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:09 am Post subject:

Aussies have no problem finding work...I was giving the best case scenario which is a blue ribbon teacher for hire...white, US/Cdn, attractive, younger, etc..

Having said that, many find work that are not the above....Chinese value a happy personality too, so that plays for a lot... Aussie's are certainly in the hiring pool here.

As far as BEcon, Hons...doesn't matter here, no one cares. Can you teach children and be patient with them?...that's the key.

Don't be shy about spashing your best picture on any online ad. A pic is worth more than 1000 words to the Chinese.

And what crisis. Restaurants are lined up outside the door, we went to a bakery in Wanli near Keelung today and had to wait 20 mins. to get served as the lineup was down the sidewalk.

If one didn't read then the news, then it would be hard to know there was a crisis here. Queues for Starbucks, lineups for cake.....Taipei is as busy as ever. (I'm being tongue in cheek here...of course there's an economic downtown, but on the ground, it's business as usual and indescernable..)

mts