A bit of randomness this week - enjoy!
For variety, this week's construction update looks at Terminal One, where another jetway has been installed. I'm guessing that this will be Gate 16. The adjacent gate is 18A, and the two tails in the bottom corner are 12A and 10. The bare dirt area will eventually become 14, and we may also have a 12B.
Here is a look at the departure end of Runway 25R, which is currently shortened for the construction of a runway end safety area. Until a couple of weeks ago, the intersecting and adjacent taxiways were also closed, which made for some interesting challenges for tower and ground controllers. The intersection where the American Airbus is waiting to cross was closed, so aircraft that ended up at the west end of Taxiway H had to turn left and cross Runway 25L - which is usually exactly opposite of where they need to go. This establishment of a Runway End Safety Area is similar to the work that has already been accomplished on Runway 24L/6R on the north side. The RESA establishes a paved overrun (stopway) at the ends of the runway so that an airplane that runs off the end doesn't immediately hit something. While LAX hasn't had an incident of this sort lately, there are two accidents that come to mind immediately which illustrate the need. Both happen to involve Southwest, although a little research reveals plenty of similar accidents with other carriers. See this Wikipedia entry for more:
Southwest_Airlines_Flight_1248
Double trouble: An Antonov 124 and a Boeing 747-8F on the Imperial Terminal ramp. Both of these, along with the Airbus 380 and the Lockheed C5, are Design Group 6 aircraft. If you want some insight into ADG-6 operations at LAX, here is a pdf copy of the
LAX ADG-6 Operation Plan on the LAWA website. Meanwhile, the innocent United in the foreground is a B737-900.
The Playboy Bunny.
ReplyDeleteOn the second pic. I always have to smile when I see a small construction project at an airport. Often, they encroach on the ramp, sometimes cannibalizing one or two parking stands. One especially visible example is at Schiphol-Amsterdam, in the fork of the D-pier. In the first picture of the construction at T1 you gave us, the Photo Friday finally at Saturday, July 8, 2017, it can be seen the steel frame of the new construction stands away from the previous building line.
Last pic: The 737-900 is a lot more plane on the same wing. Do you notice the difference in runway dwell times, during the take-off run, compared with SouthWest 737-700s that make short flights to the Bay Area?
Thank you for the midfield concourse construction pics in the previous entry. I did not realize that this entailed digging on the opposite side of the TBIT concourse. Are there any plans for a connector building to T3, like on the other side of TBIT to T4?
--Filip
Hi Filip!
DeleteI remember seeing pictures of the Playboy DC-9. Here's a blog entry I found that tells the story of Big Bunny: http://justplanehistory.blogspot.com/2009/11/playboy-jet-big-bunny.html
The Terminal 1 construction is just the current project of that sort. A year or two ago, Terminal 2 went through a similar, although not as intensive, gate rehab project. One gate would be taken out of service and the jetway would be removed and presumably refurbished. During that time other work was done, although I don't remember pavement being replaced. The United Airlines gates at Terminals 7 & 8 have been through a similar project as well. Actually, now that I think on it, that project may still be in progress as well, as Gate 81 or 82 is currently closed.
The B737-900 and the A321 both suffer from the limitations of their wings. On final approach they can't slow down as much as their smaller siblings. On departure, they do require more runway and have to climb out at a higher speed while not climbing quite as well. We can even see a difference between the Southwest -700 and their -800; the -800 is much more likely to miss the midfield exit when landing on Runway 24 Right. Better than the Bay Area flights, the best performers are often the flights to Las Vegas. I surmise that this is because the Bay Area flights probably are tankering more fuel in case they have to go into holding. Weather and volume delays are more common for SFO/OAK than for LAS, although we usually have flow control for both.
A Terminal 3 connector would be a good idea, but I don't know if it's in the works; I'll have to ask . . .
CV
Long story, but on Senior Ditch Day, 1972, I received a personal, all-day tour of LAX. A part of that was a ramp tour, where we approached the Playboy DC9. The guide said "Let's see if we can get inside". We didn't get as far as the airstairs when a 'bouncer' showed up in the entrance and shooed us off...Oh well.
DeleteBounced off the Playboy jet - now there's a claim to fame!
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