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Transatlantic flights forced by wind to land for fuel
CBC ^ | January 11, 2012

Posted on 01/11/2012 8:24:53 AM PST by george76

The strongest winds over the Atlantic Ocean in more than 10 years have forced dozens of Continental Airlines flights from Europe to the eastern U.S. to make unscheduled refuelling stops in Canada and elsewhere, a report says.

The fuel stops at airports such as Gander, N.L., and Halifax are partly the result of a decision by parent United Airlines to use smaller jets on the overseas flights. The strategy works in light winds and saves money on fuel and crew costs, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Using Boeing 757s on flights that approach their 7,400-kilometre range, the airline doesn't leave much room for error in estimating fuel when the twin-engine planes are flying into strong headwinds, the paper says. The result has been delays for passengers and added operating costs.

...

flights to east coast destinations have been forced to stop for fuel at places such as Gander, Goose Bay, N.L., Iceland, Ireland, Albany, N.Y., and New Windsor, N.Y., north of Manhattan.

(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Canada; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts; US: New York; US: Pennsylvania; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: avaition; transatlanticflights
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1 posted on 01/11/2012 8:24:57 AM PST by george76
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To: george76
What? You can't get winds aloft when you file a flight plan now?

/johnny

2 posted on 01/11/2012 8:28:22 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: george76

This will probably become more common. The last time I flew back from Europe (last month, not on this airline) I noticed that the plane they used was both smaller and older.


3 posted on 01/11/2012 8:28:22 AM PST by livius
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To: george76
Which is worse, having to land in Canada for fuel or having a New York to London flight blown all the way to Warsaw before they can slow down?
4 posted on 01/11/2012 8:28:50 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Herman Cain: possibly the escapee most dangerous to the Democrats since Frederick Douglass.)
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To: livius
And apparently, math is getting harder.

/johnny

5 posted on 01/11/2012 8:29:33 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: george76; All

The fuel guys at Shannon are getting a workout, it seems.

This isn’t unusual, AT ALL, we just haven’t seen much of it for a decade or so.


6 posted on 01/11/2012 8:30:09 AM PST by tcrlaf (Election 2012: THE RAPTURE OF THE DEMOCRATS)
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To: george76

Obama needs to give these Airline companies Billions of Dollars so they can put new “Green” Windmills on the roof of their planes...LOL


7 posted on 01/11/2012 8:31:55 AM PST by jakerobins
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To: george76
Pretty soon, they'll probably start canceling flights due to unfavorable winds.
8 posted on 01/11/2012 8:34:49 AM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> - - -)
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To: george76

Reminds me of my harrowing 727 flight across the Atlantic.

Shannon to Keflavík to Gander. We were on fumes before each landing.

Miami Air was the lowest government bidder...


9 posted on 01/11/2012 8:43:34 AM PST by TSgt (Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.)
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To: george76

So how many of these US “Airlines” have Pilots or Aircrew sitting on their Boards or how many of them have “Ivy-League””Educated” “Business” A$$H@LES!


10 posted on 01/11/2012 8:45:48 AM PST by US Navy Vet (Go Packers! Go Rockies! Go Boston Bruins! See, I'm "Diverse"!)
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To: JRandomFreeper
And apparently, math is getting harder


11 posted on 01/11/2012 8:45:48 AM PST by JRios1968 (I'm guttery and trashy, with a hint of lemon. - Laz)
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To: tcrlaf

I’ve made over 50 transatlantic crossings since the mid 1980’s. The only unscheduled landing was a security stop in Amsterdam on a flight from the U.S to Paris. Somebody had written a threat on the lavatory mirror.


12 posted on 01/11/2012 8:47:55 AM PST by the_Watchman
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To: george76

So, going the other way, you just shift her into neutral and coast.


13 posted on 01/11/2012 8:49:06 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: george76

So far it looks like they have not gone out with so little fuel that it is impossible to reach even Canada. When they have to land in Greenland to get fuel, that’s when we should get nervous. But it sure plays hob with schedules, especially inconvenient for craft that carry passengers as well as cargo, when they schedule as though the fuel stop will not be needed. Now that is enough to make even a seasoned traveler cynical.


14 posted on 01/11/2012 8:50:17 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Sometimes progressives find their scripture in the penumbra of sacred bathroom stall writings (Tzar))
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To: blueunicorn6

Deploy zeppelins or something like that. A jet can’t just “coast” or it will not stay aloft. It has to have a certain relative wind speed even when it has a tail wind.


15 posted on 01/11/2012 8:53:08 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Sometimes progressives find their scripture in the penumbra of sacred bathroom stall writings (Tzar))
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To: george76
The strongest winds over the Atlantic Ocean in more than 10 years

BS!

It's not the winds.

The EU sucks!

16 posted on 01/11/2012 8:54:14 AM PST by N. Theknow (Kennedys=Can't drive, can't ski, can't fly, can't skipper a boat, but they know what's best for you.)
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To: george76

The question is, did this business decision pan out in the short term and/or will it pan out in the longer term?

Of course there’s that other little worry. When will the first aircraft crash because it is short of fuel.


17 posted on 01/11/2012 9:10:12 AM PST by dools0007world
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To: george76

I don’t like this new trend of using 757’s and A330’s for flying overseas.

I prefer more than two engines when flying trans-continental.


18 posted on 01/11/2012 9:21:22 AM PST by Retired Greyhound (.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
LOL! Ding! "This is your captain speaking. We are currently at 37,000 feet traveling a cruising speed of 493KIA with an outside temperature at a balmy -40 degrees zero. We are now in the jet stream which is running at a higher than normal speed of 170mph. This is going to allow is to kick the engines into neutral and we'll coast right into Europe and still be slightly ahead of schedule. Thanks for flying Coast To Coast Airways!"
19 posted on 01/11/2012 9:23:37 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: Retired Greyhound

I didn’t know 757s were ETOPS-worthy!


20 posted on 01/11/2012 9:24:32 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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