Airbus A380/first flight

[Spinner]

The A380 is making its debut transatlantic crossing this week with a full load of passengers, I've heard 500 will be making the trip.

Its first scheduled stop is at JFK, then it will be flying on to O'Hare either Tuesday or Wednesday, not sure which day. I'm hoping I can get an approximate time that it will be coming in on approach, although you can never tell, depending on conditions, which runway will be used.

I'm hoping it will be 34R, which will bring it almost directly over my neighborhood about 6 miles from the threshold. I remember the first time I saw a 747 on approach, and I'd like to be a witness to this one. If possible, I'll try and get some photos or possibly video to post up.

[SallyJo]

Looks like it's going to be Tuesday:

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=4f3743fa-7286-4752-81e0-79a98a36ec45


Hope you're able to get those pictures. :)

[Spinner]

I'll be on the lookout. I talked to a Lufthansa agent, she gave me the approximate ETA of 1200. It departs back to JFK at about 1840, so if it comes or goes on 34R, I'll have a pretty good chance.

[Dave the Impaler]

The A380 is slightly larger than a C-5, and has engines with twice the thrust. So it can lift almost 400,000 lbs more. :cool:

Airbus A380
Thrust: 84,000 lbs
Max takeoff weight: 1,300,700 lbs (frieght version)
Height at tail: 79ft
Length: 238ft
Wingspan: 261ft

C-5 Galaxy
Thrust: 41,000 lbs
Max takeoff weight: 840,000 lbs
Height at tail: 65 ft
Length: 247 ft
Wingspan: 222 ft

[Spinner]

Looks like I'll have to wait until its departure this evening. Planes are currently using that runway for takeoffs to the northwest, so its probably going to make its approach from the east.

The A380 is slightly larger than a C-5, and has engines with twice the thrust. So it can lift almost 400,000 lbs more. :cool:

Airbus A380
Thrust: 84,000 lbs
Max takeoff weight: 1,300,700 lbs (frieght version)
Height at tail: 79ft
Length: 238ft
Wingspan: 261ft

C-5 Galaxy
Thrust: 41,000 lbs
Max takeoff weight: 840,000 lbs
Height at tail: 65 ft
Length: 247 ft
Wingspan: 222 ft

I imagine Mayor Daley the first would say the same thing about the A380 that he said upon first seeing the completed John Hancock building.:cool:

[bohica10]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5134149

already landed though, tried to get a peak at approach but friggin trees blocking the way

[bohica10]

Spinner, do you know which runway it will use for departure?

[Spinner]

Spinner, do you know which runway it will use for departure?

Not yet, if conditions hold they will probably use 32R, which is what they're using for departures right now. That will take it directly over my town. ETD is set for 1840 still, but I'm going to call Lufthansa again to get an update.

Damn, it landed on 4R, which is the runway that directly faces my old company on the airport property.

If I had been working out there today, I would have had a ringside seat.:(

[bohica10]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully I'll be able to get out there for a view of departure. I'm a knucklehead though, and will prob be on the wrong side of the airport...

[Sharky]

That's a big sumbitch right there. Hard to tell till he pulls behind that Jeep Cherokee in the video.

[Spinner]

I watched a C-5 land at Monterey in 1989, it was coming in to support the 7th ID as they deployed to Panama.

I watched it from my 3rd floor barracks window, practically eye level as it made its approach over the bay. That sucker was so big, it gave the illusion of barely moving through the air.

[Spinner]

Here's a local station site with a video of the aircraft on final approach.

At about the :40 mark you'll see an American Airline DC-9 flying chase.:D

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5134149

[Saw7616]

http://www.cloud9photography.us/alc/ALC06_AH-124_HeavyLift_A-F.jpg

(this is the 124 I believe)


Has anyone seen the Antanov 320? It makes occasional trips in CLT. Rumor has it they are bringing GE engines back in to be re-worked.

The crew were always cordial and gave tours and swapped things for US goods.

I worked the ramp for Delta in Charlotte and was acutally on the ground for the landing and later for the departure.... we took the tugs as close as we dared....

I've never felt anything shake the earth like that aircraft. Simply amazing to see it tower over the terminal.

[Spinner]

Just finished watching the vid, definitely would have had a great seat.

That runway was where I saw one of the shortest takeoff runs ever, a commercial jet taking off in the opposite direction from the way the A380 just landed, on a very windy day.

Winds must have been gusting close to 60, but pretty steady winds were blowing out of the west when the 737 started its takeoff roll. I swear that plane barely traveled 2000 feet down the runway when it just leapt into the air.

I'll bet just standing still, the speed indicator through the pitot tube was registering about half of its V1 speed.

[Bearcat06]

Here's vid/story of it landing at LAX......

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-onboard20mar20,0,4628936.story?coll=la-home-business

As someone else said, that's a big fucking plane......

[130 load]

SAW7616,

I've seen the 320 a couple times over in the sandbox. Got to see it real close in Jordan once. The friggen thing is huge!!!! Check out the people and the truck next the open nose. Anyway, thought you'd like the pic

130 load

[Saw7616]

That's a great Pic... I had the load capabilities of this A/C somewhere.... It stated how many cars would fit in the thing.... Amazing..

Alot bigger than the 757/767 I'm used to.

I'd like to see some of the Military's heavy lift A/C in person... But, I doubt that will happen the Air National Guard here has 130s but, that's all I've seen on the Tarmac.


Thanks for the pic

[Spinner]

Those Russian planes are huge, especially the An-124 and especially the An-225.

I always thought there were several 225s, but it appears that was a single production model built built solely to ferry the Russian Space Shuttle and its booster.

A couple of guys from my old company's JFK office saw it once at the airport there, said it was very impressive.