Nearly a month ago, I showed you this shot and asked what was wrong here. Apologies both for the poor quality of the photo and the wait for an explanation. Several of you guessed it though: the A380 has exited Runway 24 Right onto Taxiway AA. This by itself isn't a problem, as AA is a taxiway which the A380 is allowed to use. The catch, as one of you also noted, is that while the A380 is allowed to use that taxiway, it shuts down both runways (24L and 24R) when it does so. The A380 cannot hold short of Runway 24 Left on AA because even if the nose of the airplane is clear of the hold line, the left wingtip extends into the runway safety area. Thus, there is no advantage to the controller to allow the A380 to exit onto AA unless there is no pending traffic for Runway 24 Left. The usual technique is to send the A380 to the end of Runway 24 Right so that it will exit onto Taxiway BB. On BB, the A380 is able to hold short of Runway 24 Left, and therefore allow the controller to continue to use that runway for traffic. This is normally done to enable one or two more departures to take off before the next arrival to Runway 24 Right. The next 24R arrival forces the controller to send the A380 across 24L, because the A380 holding short of 24L on BB is still fouling 24R. This is just one of the many tricks and catches to having the A380 at LAX. For those of you playing the home game, have a look at some obsolete samples of the quick reference diagrams that we have. Please note that these are solely for your reading enjoyment, and are not to be used for navigation:
This would not be a problem if one of the schemes to relocate 24R/06L and to build a center TWY had been implemented. If I can really make sense of those diagrams, the real horror seems to be when the 24L is closed. It seems then you are better off allowing the A380s coming from TBIT to backtrack on 25R rather than use Hotel: that way, 25L remains in operation. Also, H does not go all the way to the end, so you must cross the A380s over 25L or come back to 25R anyway. Unless I misread the red square with the X symbol, and the A380s are not allowed to enter Foxtrot from 25R/07L.
ReplyDeleteIn the Photo Friday of Friday, July 28, 2017, you showed us Southwest at the TBIT, along with other Central and South American carriers. This is the last remaining part of the old concourses of the TBIT. (I still think it is strange they did not knock down the entire thing, and build out the new concourse all the way, like they did in the South. I think they needed the bus gates during the construction phase too much) . I was under the impression that at least one of those gates was useable for A380s, and was actually used for A380s. Have these gates been rebuilt, or is the real reason the blocking of TWY Delta east of Sierra? I suppose with only eight A380s visiting per day, along with one Lufthansa 747-8 ( plus Korean, maybe) there are enough gates on the other side of the TBIT extension.
BTW, Captainvector, I found that indeed there are plans for a connector between TBIT and T3 in this publication (pdf file )
http://www.lawa.org/uploadedFiles/LAX/pdf/CIP_E-newsletter_Summer2017.pdf
It's in the first paragraph below the title "Airline Relocation Sets Stage for Major T2-3 Work"
What are those barrack like buildings behind the Air France in the picture? Google Maps says "LAX ISEC Trailer" which is not exactly informative. I do know that the mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, proposed something called the LAX Northside Plan, which appeared to allow suitable redevelopment (not for housing, of course) of land not needed any more after the cancellation of the Northern runway relocation, but I thought that was about land north of the Westchester Parkway.
Finally, a belated thank you for the Sichuan pictures in the same Photo Friday of Friday, July 28, 2017. That is a nice paintscheme, almost retro.
--Filip
At one time, the corner gates at either end of the old TBIT (101 at the south end and 123A on the north end) could handle an A380. Gate 159 is in the same general vicinity as the old gate 101, and it regularly sees an A380. Gate 123A, on the other hand, is no more. Gate 139 is approximately in the same location, but it is now a narrow body gate.
DeleteThe buildings in the background behind Air France are the temporary buildings that serve as offices for the various construction contractors.
CV