Posted on 05/03/2008 6:36:57 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
I have flown in and out of PDX, MSP and IAH nine times since mid-December. The last two trips, iyt seems that the engines are now cut back a bit 70-75 minutes out. I also take the same flights and while the departure times are the same, the arrival times are a bit later. Could be from cutting speeds and/or seasonal changes in the jet stream.
One hopes the airline (NWA?) is adjusting its schedules accordingly. My last flight back home to SEA very distinctly cut engines 30 minutes out (and I had a captain as a seatmate, dead-heading back home to PDX).
I'll keep an eye out for such, though my short trip to SFO & back next week may not be a good indicator.
Believe it or not, they would also get some increase in fuel economy if they would wash the planes on a regular basis.
The average weight of the paint on the average airliner is 400 lbs., at least when I went to aviation school. Reduce the paint and polish the surfaces and you would get a pretty good return on investment. Then work on further reducing weight of the aircraft.
Slowing down will slightly increase maintenance costs because many parts, including engines, are maintained on the basis of operating hours and thus if they operate for longer periods doing the same work, more maintenance costs.
One of the simplest ways would be to reduce the baggage brought on board by passengers. These days, the smart travelers send their baggage by FedEx or UPS to their hotels and save hours of waiting and have very little risk of losing a bag. The length of time it takes to board and debark these days is ridiculous because of people taking everything they own and trying to stash it in an overhead compartment.
That’s how an aircraft descends when in level flight. Reduce airspeed reduces lift which allows the aircraft to descend. Increase airspeed increases lift which causes an aircraft to cliimb.
I now work at an aerospace company, and I have to say that they are pretty good at cutting excess travel (air and ground) and providing for virtual meetings. The old wireless/telecom company I used to work for has people travelling ridiculous amounts. The airplane maker discourages inefficient plane travel and the phone company encourages it.
Ironic! ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.