Airbus A380 lands in LA

Crosswinds at 3-10kts, lots of rudder input before touchdown too, visible if you watch the video closely. Obviously not calm air on final approach, but nothing extraordinary. Probably not a big deal, but I'm sure the Airbus PR machine was cringing when they saw it.

 

Well, as I realized I'd be stuck in the car during the actual landing, I rolled down the windows and as the shadow passed overhead there were a lot of cheers and then an "Oh!!!" It didn't feel particularly windy though. I didn't even know about what the "oh" was all about until I parked and heard a few people talking about it. i later saw the tape on TV and realized what had really happened. Kind of scary looking, but it seems like it went pretty smoothly all things considered.

 

Is it still at the airport?

How long will it stay?

 

It flies out tonight at 7. BTW, it's parked at the south side of the airport along Imperial at California.

 

Perhaps you're being sarcastic?
This is the most carbon fiber intensive airliner ever made.

 

Check this out, its a pretty cool video of crosswinds testing on the a380. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHrLB_mlir4

 

Holy crap. The winds at LAX were definitely not that strong.

 

Frank, I had no clue you were heading up there for the landing. I was supposed to be there as well. Woke up at 4:30am to leave for LAX and backed out at the last minute because I have gotten sick.

 

Big piece of cr-p. As soon as one goes down that will be the end of it. Boeing makes the best aircraft in the world. Why? Boeing aircraft have mechanical back up systems. Airbus is all fly by wire. You lose your electrical system and it by by birdy. Ive seen Boeing aircraft come in with no electrical and no hydraulics. It takes alot of force on the yoke but as long as youve got fuel in the tanks a Boeing will stay in the air and can be controlled.

 

The A380 in the video (x-wind testing) did a better job landing than the ship at LAX. huge rudder inputs as the last minute.

I just don't like anything that big. Yea one day its gonna make one big hole in the ground. Also keep in mind that the ads all show cool first class seating. Well, wait till you go coach on that thing. Sitting in the fetal position in the middle of an 18 across isle... Not me. i will walk first.

Anybody remember the Airbus ( fly by wire ) crash at the airshow in Germany? the pilot did a low flyby then pulled back on the yoke to tell the computer UP please. Computer said NOPE ! Then everybody said OH Sh$t.

The B52 is a testament to the craftsmanship of Boeing... I think that the first one was built in 1914 Still ruining peoples days around the globe.

 

Cool. If Travolta's in town it should be next to his Qantas.

 

b52 built in 1914 eh? I hope you're J/k about that date

 

There have been plenty of 747s with full loads that have gone down too and it's still flying. BTW - the 777 and the upcoming 787 are fly-by-wire systems.

 

YEA J/K Old but still working..... Wish those bomb bay doors worked better.
- slim

 

The new generation of Boeing aircraft dont have mechanical backup????

747s have a well proven track record. Even though accidents do happen its on aircraft that have many hours and years of service on them.

Just wait untill a new low time A380 goes down with 600 people on board. The media will have a field day.

 

The GE90/GE alliance engine has a max thrust of ~120,000 lb, and the A380 has 4 of them (if the plane is using a GE engine option) for a total of nearly 500,000 lb of thrust
giving a thrust to weight ratio of .4

the power of a jet engine is [basically] defined as the thrust delivered multiplied by the flight velocity. as speed increases you get more power. not true with a piston (car) engine

yea, airplanes are impressive.

the A380 carries like 600 people. imagine having 600 people over to your house, feeding them 3 meals, playing movies, and giving them a place to sit and go to the bathroom for 12 hours. oh, and for FAA certification they have to all exit your house in 60 seconds (or is it 90?)

 

At the end of the day, a crash is a crash, death is death, period. How soon we forget about the Japan Airlines 747 that crashed in 1985 in Japan killing 505 out of 509 passengers. Mechanical failure. Or the Tenerife accident with two 747s (pilot error) that killed 583 people.

If and when. 747 has already killed a substantial # so the A380 won't be anything new.