![]() ![]() If this is above the MLW, we will come up with a plan outlining what we will do if we need to return to the departure airport.Īt this stage, personally, I will perform a quick landing distance calculation using the actual takeoff weight of the aircraft, landing back into the departure airport. (Photo CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images)Īs part of this emergency brief, we will also consider the weight of the aircraft on takeoff. When will we bring the gear up? What angle will we bring the nose up to? At what point will we engage the Autopilot?īefore every departure, the crew carry out a brief. Not only will we discuss what we will do in the event of an engine failure, but we also talk through how we will handle the situation. One event I normally cover is an engine failure on takeoff. It's what the crew on the day feel is important to cover. The contents of this brief vary from airline to airline and pilot to pilot. As part of this brief, we will also chat about what we will do should we experience an emergency situation on takeoff. After takeoff returnsīefore each departure, pilots carry out a brief where we discuss the pertinent points about the taxi out, takeoff and initial climb. A time and cost-intensive exercise which is ideally avoided if at all possible. This could potentially render the aircraft unable to taxi off the runway, causing great disruption to the airport and requiring the tires to be replaced. To stop this from happening, when the brakes reach a certain temperature, fuse plugs in the tires melt, safely letting the air out of the tires. In these situations, the brakes could get so hot that it could potentially cause the tires to explode. Tire damageĪdditionally, even if the aircraft could land overweight, it will put incredible stress on the brakes. However, should we need to return to the departure airport soon after takeoff, the weight of the aircraft may be a problem.Īs a result, in order to ensure that there is enough runway available to stop, we may have to dump fuel to reduce the aircraft weight down to a value which will make the landing performance work. When landing at the scheduled destination, the weight of the aircraft is planned to be well below the MLW. Pilots calculate the landing distance required prior to every landing. The faster the approach speed, the greater the distance needed to stop. The speed at which the aircraft crosses the 50-foot threshold height is know as its approach speed. The higher the aircraft weight, the greater the speed it has to fly in order to generate lift. However, the landing distance required is affected directly by the weight of the aircraft. Therefore, in all cases, the landing distance available must be greater than the landing distance required. This is known as the required landing distance. This ensures that should the landing not be perfect, for example, if the aircraft touches down a little deeper than planned, there is still sufficient runway remaining. However, as this is the minimum distance calculated for a textbook landing, most airlines use a safety factor of 5% to 15% on top of this. This is also known as the calculated landing distance. Next, we need to work out the distance required to bring the aircraft safely to a stop. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. If the planned landing weight at destination is very close to the MLW, there is very little scope to add more fuel for bad weather or to take extra cargo. If the aircraft has a high load of passengers or cargo, it may not reach the MLW until well into the flight. However, to prevent excessive stress to the airframe on landing, there is also a Maximum Landing Weight (MLW) - 192 tonnes. This is known as the Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW). On takeoff, a fully-laden 787-9 Dreamliner can weigh anything up to 254 tonnes. This will include the planned takeoff weight and also the weight at which the aircraft is expected to be on arrival at the destination. Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more travel tips! Why size and weight is important Max take off weight and max landing weightīefore each flight, we will discuss the weight of the aircraft. However, there are occasions where having too much fuel can be a problem. Before each departure, the pilots carefully decide how much fuel they will need to safely complete the flight. However, for a very small number of flights every year, this is exactly what happens. When watching your aircraft being prepared for flight, the last thing you imagine for what will happen to the fuel is for it to be dumped overboard a short while later. ![]()
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