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By: - 27th June 2013 at 18:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I'm no pilot, but I do recall reading something about ETOPS. Perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't it state that before an aircraft can fly any commercial route between two airports it must be able to fly on one engine between any two airports along the flight plan in the cruise. So if you're in a 777 and one of the engines is cut half way across the Atlantic, it can still fly all the way to Gander.
EDIT: "There are different levels of ETOPS certification, each allowing aircraft to fly on routes that are a certain amount of flying time away from the nearest suitable airport. For example, if an aircraft is certified for 180 minutes, it is permitted to fly any route, as long as it is always within 180 minutes flying time to the nearest suitable airport. ETOPS operation has no direct correlation to water or distance over water. It refers to single-engine flight times between diversion airfields, regardless as to whether such fields are separated by water or land."
Source; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETOPS
By: - 2nd July 2013 at 09:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I wouldn't worry about the number of engines on a modern jet. Engines are now very reliable and, as has already been stated, a B777, for example, can do quite a bit on just one engine.
That said, AF447 crashed in the middle of the Atlantic four years ago (A330) but the engines had nothing to do with it.
Finally, three-engined airliners are long gone as front-line long-haul transports apart from a few KLM MD-11s.
By: - 9th July 2013 at 13:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Finally, three-engined airliners are long gone as front-line long-haul transports apart from a few KLM MD-11s.
Yep .... unfortunately
By: - 12th July 2013 at 01:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
More engines, more chances for something to go wrong D:
By: - 12th July 2013 at 15:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There are still some routes where four engine is require but most of the 4 engine fleets would be retired overnight if it were possible
Airliner takes time to build and they of course have to be paid for but a lot of the fours are being replaced as soon as they can
In the future there will just be relatively small fleets of four engined
As to the KLM retirement of the MD-11...well over due
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By: hampden98 - 27th June 2013 at 15:09
I would like to know how people feel about flying long haul, especially across oceans, in twin engined aircraft.
Although it does not particularly bother me, as I have to accept the aircraft type being used, I sometimes wonder
what would happen, what's the aircraft's survivability, having to fly to the next available airport on a single engine?
When flying home from Canada to the UK it appeared I would be some 500nm from the nearest airfield if a failure happened at the halfway mark?
Would you prefer to fly in a 4 engined aircraft? Personally I would as 3 out of 4 sounds better to me than just 1.