Last time the Antonov departed Auckland it required 8 minutes parked on the threshold to spool up its engines. I can't imagine the chaos that must have caused at LAX.
It requires a lot of coordinating with approach control, which in this case started something like eight hours ahead of time. Because of the A124's size (it's an ADG-6, like the B748 and A380), it cannot use runway 25 Right. Instead, it has to use runway 25 Left, which is normally used for arrivals. We don't have a lot of control over when the A124 wants to leave, but we were fortunate this time that they chose a reasonably quiet time in the mid-afternoon. I can recall a previous A124 departure when their choice of timing was exceptionally poor, and they ended up sitting on the taxiway for about a half-hour before approach control was able to build a hole in the arrival sequence for it to take the runway. In this instance, when the A124 picked up its clearance, we advised the TRACON that the operation was imminent. When it called for push, we gave them another heads-up to get ready. When it called for taxi, we coordinated with arrivals on when the arrival stream for the south side would transition to the inboard runway. The coordination basically goes along the lines of "Delta219 will be your last 25 Left arrival; the first one to 25 Right will be SkyWest 5247." We also coordinate some additional spacing between the 25 Right arrivals so that we can still launch departures off that runway while we wait for the A124 to be fully ready. This usually means that some of those arrivals get shunted over to runway 24 Left (on the north side of the airport). After the last 25 Left arrival crosses the threshhold, the A124 is told to line up and wait, and advise when ready for departure. Then everyone checks their watch. This time, they only sat there for four or five minutes before calling ready, but it feels like an eternity every time. Once they're airborne, we coordinated with arrivals to shift back over to runway 25 Left and resume business as usual. From the time the A124 called for its clearance to the time that we resumed normal operations was the better part of an hour. All in a day's work!
I neglected to mention the additional hassle for ground control, who has to work around the A124 while it blocks the taxiway. Even on a good day, the A124 takes a long time to push. Then the towbar has to get disconnected and wheeled to the rear end of the aircraft so that they can load it aboard; it seems they take their own towbar wherever they go. Probably have to! Then they still have to start up and run their checklists before calling for taxi. And the taxicabs at LAX move much faster than this thing does when it's taxiing!
I had to laugh at the first pic. Six guys to move the towbar? I love the photos that show the general surroundings on the field, or the background of suburbia beyond the fence, like the mortuarium on Imperial Hill on pic Pcva1260056.JPG The one April 'stealth' post was great in that regard too! Is that the Amiri Airbus A330 blocked in between the Gulfstreams and Dassaults on the Atlantic ramp (picture Pcva1260051.JPG) ?
Also, I think pic Pcva1260042.JPG is the first picture I remember with a good view of the new American Eagle terminal. And, after spotting the landing Airbus in US Airways livery in the same pic, has the changeover to a single callsign occurred yet? --Filip
Yes to both of your queries. That particular Amiri A330 shows up here a few times a year, and is basically unmarked beyond the registration and stripe around the fuselage. I assume it's some sort of VIP or charter.
The American transition happened last week (on the 8th, I believe); while you'll still see US Airways paint jobs for a while, you'll no longer hear "Cactus" on the frequency. At the moment, American is still using the US Air gates at Terminal 6, just as they retained (for a while) the TWA gates at Terminal 3 back in the early 2000s when that merger took place. I haven't heard what their plans are for their LAX operations, but I think it likely that they will eventually be combined at Terminal 4.
Thanks for the great set of pix re: AN-124, and I enjoyed the chuckle about them having to reload their own tow bar before taxi. I have no doubt about the delays and inconvenience of taxiing and departing the unique, huge aircraft; it got to be more challenging and delaying that the taxi issues for the A380. You folks seem to manage it all so well... Side note: After years of wondering, this late-comer concludes that the color shift in many pix is location-related. You are shooting from the CT's cab and on most days, those blue-green shades are down. Am I wrong? Thanks for the great pix and occasional commentary. As one who used to know the territory well, and used to do some spotting from west of the runways, you pix are fun reminders. You and your colleagues process a LOT of very heavy traffic, with considerable grace. Thanks. -C
Last time the Antonov departed Auckland it required 8 minutes parked on the threshold to spool up its engines. I can't imagine the chaos that must have caused at LAX.
ReplyDeleteIt requires a lot of coordinating with approach control, which in this case started something like eight hours ahead of time. Because of the A124's size (it's an ADG-6, like the B748 and A380), it cannot use runway 25 Right. Instead, it has to use runway 25 Left, which is normally used for arrivals. We don't have a lot of control over when the A124 wants to leave, but we were fortunate this time that they chose a reasonably quiet time in the mid-afternoon. I can recall a previous A124 departure when their choice of timing was exceptionally poor, and they ended up sitting on the taxiway for about a half-hour before approach control was able to build a hole in the arrival sequence for it to take the runway. In this instance, when the A124 picked up its clearance, we advised the TRACON that the operation was imminent. When it called for push, we gave them another heads-up to get ready. When it called for taxi, we coordinated with arrivals on when the arrival stream for the south side would transition to the inboard runway. The coordination basically goes along the lines of "Delta219 will be your last 25 Left arrival; the first one to 25 Right will be SkyWest 5247." We also coordinate some additional spacing between the 25 Right arrivals so that we can still launch departures off that runway while we wait for the A124 to be fully ready. This usually means that some of those arrivals get shunted over to runway 24 Left (on the north side of the airport). After the last 25 Left arrival crosses the threshhold, the A124 is told to line up and wait, and advise when ready for departure. Then everyone checks their watch. This time, they only sat there for four or five minutes before calling ready, but it feels like an eternity every time. Once they're airborne, we coordinated with arrivals to shift back over to runway 25 Left and resume business as usual. From the time the A124 called for its clearance to the time that we resumed normal operations was the better part of an hour. All in a day's work!
DeleteI neglected to mention the additional hassle for ground control, who has to work around the A124 while it blocks the taxiway. Even on a good day, the A124 takes a long time to push. Then the towbar has to get disconnected and wheeled to the rear end of the aircraft so that they can load it aboard; it seems they take their own towbar wherever they go. Probably have to! Then they still have to start up and run their checklists before calling for taxi. And the taxicabs at LAX move much faster than this thing does when it's taxiing!
DeleteI had to laugh at the first pic. Six guys to move the towbar?
ReplyDeleteI love the photos that show the general surroundings on the field, or the background of suburbia beyond the fence, like the mortuarium on Imperial Hill on pic Pcva1260056.JPG
The one April 'stealth' post was great in that regard too!
Is that the Amiri Airbus A330 blocked in between the Gulfstreams and Dassaults on the Atlantic ramp (picture Pcva1260051.JPG) ?
Also, I think pic Pcva1260042.JPG is the first picture I remember with a good view of the new American Eagle terminal.
And, after spotting the landing Airbus in US Airways livery in the same pic, has the changeover to a single callsign occurred yet?
--Filip
Filip -
DeleteYes to both of your queries. That particular Amiri A330 shows up here a few times a year, and is basically unmarked beyond the registration and stripe around the fuselage. I assume it's some sort of VIP or charter.
The American transition happened last week (on the 8th, I believe); while you'll still see US Airways paint jobs for a while, you'll no longer hear "Cactus" on the frequency. At the moment, American is still using the US Air gates at Terminal 6, just as they retained (for a while) the TWA gates at Terminal 3 back in the early 2000s when that merger took place. I haven't heard what their plans are for their LAX operations, but I think it likely that they will eventually be combined at Terminal 4.
Thanks for the great set of pix re: AN-124, and I enjoyed the chuckle about them having to reload their own tow bar before taxi. I have no doubt about the delays and inconvenience of taxiing and departing the unique, huge aircraft; it got to be more challenging and delaying that the taxi issues for the A380. You folks seem to manage it all so well...
ReplyDeleteSide note: After years of wondering, this late-comer concludes that the color shift in many pix is location-related. You are shooting from the CT's cab and on most days, those blue-green shades are down. Am I wrong?
Thanks for the great pix and occasional commentary. As one who used to know the territory well, and used to do some spotting from west of the runways, you pix are fun reminders. You and your colleagues process a LOT of very heavy traffic, with considerable grace. Thanks. -C
Thanks for the great post. I was lucky enough to be on the Hill for the departure.
ReplyDelete