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Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

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371–380 of 386 posts

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#371
post #171
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The USA does as well, except among poor people and gun victims. I suggest you look at the actual causes of death in the US: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db456.htm#secti... Considering typical health outcomes in the US, obesity and the life choices people make, I don't think you can honestly say the US obsesses about preventing deaths. Of course, improved health care access and personal health wouldn…

>US car death rate is significantly higher than Europe or elsewhere, very preventable with more stringent driving tests and lower blood alcohol level allowances. if you think that's the key difference between driving in Europe versus the United States then i'm not sure what to tell you. Distances are longer, traffic is denser, speed limits (in general) are higher, and the ability to drive from one place to another is…

You seem to have wildly misread everything I wrote e.g.

> varying BAC regulations throughout the world. Drunk driving in one place may very well be legal in another

when I wrote:

> lower blood alcohol level allowances.

I.e. reform it to be less permissive...

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pilot of the Boeing 727 (maybe 737) I was in used reverser-only pushback from a gate, 20-30 years ago. This was in the USA. Highly memorable. However, no doubt much easier to keep a gate area clean, as opposed to a whole runway.

I think at some point it was deemed acceptable for the tail mounted engines as they are higher off the ground (and also further away from the terminal). Some of it is even captured on video https://youtu.be/zG_u_B5d7cQ

But wasn’t it also forbidden because of the damage or wear it causes to the airport buildings and infrastructure?

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#373
post #182
post #28

I'm curious the actual mechanics of this operation. The main primary-source I found is a Telegram post of an Aeroflot pilot memo [0], but this only discusses the side-effects of reverser only braking, not the mechanics of "disabling the brakes." There is a possibility the brakes are still available and not worn through, and this is a preemptive measure to leave enough brake material to handle an emergency rejected ta…

So I used to work in aircraft maintenance (never in Russia though) and the policy is to change the brakes when there is $minimum_thickness of brake pad remaining. There's a little wire embedded in the pad and eventually as the pad wears thin the wire completes a circuit with the rotor, and lights up the aerospace version of the Check Engine Light. The brakes on these planes certainly have some remaining life but they…

Whether the Russians follow that policy is another question.

Most of the times in my heavy travel days that I thought "do I really want to get on this deathtrap", it was Aeroflot.

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#374
post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But if I live here, then I automatically hold a “Texas energy production expert” card, right? Actually, surely it’d be a badge. Anyway, I automatically get the badge… right, pardner?

Yes, it's a badge. My point isn't about being an expert or not, it's about the ability to have honest, reasoned, and researched conversations.

I hear you, buddy. Though this place is generally a pretty good spot to find at least a few folks looking for conversations like that.

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#375

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Georgia is also a good choice, but you need to be physically present in the country. (It's a nice place though, but maybe not in August.) I don't recommend Armenia, the banks here have cracked down on tourists opening cards, and if you see someone offering you an Armenian card it's 100% a scam.

I heard of Georgian banks closing people's accounts with a week's notice for being "high risk" or something. It's a gamble. In Armenia, at least when I visited in December, I was told that "if you want an Armenian card, it can be done in 2 days for 25000 rubles that you put in your account". Not sure which bank it was. I also know people who opened cards in Indonesia and Turkey.

Yes, back then there was an Armenian bank that could get you a card for a crapload of money but no supporting documents. Since then, they've fallen in line with the others, and now they want a rent agreement and a local job.

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#376
post #358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turkey and others crack down on this regularly. Besides if you have the money to go to Turkey or pay extra to unscrupulous forwarders it means you are already well off, if the regime pays you well then good for you I guess. People in remote villages that supply new meat for the war don't have that luxury. They only have a TV that tells them everything is fine Yes even in Iran people manage to buy foreign goods and fi…

> Turkey and others crack down on this regularly Yeah-yeah. That’s why Turkey launched direct rouble to lira payment app just a couple of days ago :-) https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/93267/ Not to mention number of banks in Turkey alone that have no problem opening accounts to Russians

Yeah, their banks also started charging monthly fees to drain tourist accounts and close them after that

Yes if you are at the top of the regime with a bunch of money many doors in unscrupulous countries worldwide open to you, not so much if you are a ordinary person, and guess what most people are more or less ordinary

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Only since 2022, before that they had their headquarters in Moscow (since 1992). It would actually be a much less reliable news source if they were still be allowed to operate in Russia ;)

Indeed. The NYT and Washington Post are so much more reliable.

You’re getting downvoted by people who never bothered to read “Manufacturing Consent”.

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#378

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where's the hate?

Are you serious? It's an obvious slander bs. Btw, it's a reference to Orwell.

Yes, obviously it's a reference to Orwell. However, I see no hate. Criticism of fascist invasions and their perpetrators is not hate.

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#379

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Leasing "thrust", not engines; there's a distinction that might not be obvious at first. Engines are leased at different thrust ratings depending on what the airline needs. Mostly fly out of long runway airports in fairly cool, low altitude (ie dense air) locales lots of thin, svelte passengers who have little luggage, on fairly short trips with not much fuel needed onboard? You can get away with a lot less thrust th…

You're telling me that there are devices built into civilian airplanes that are able to disable or hobble the engines based on the whims of _business agreements_? It seems beyond reason that a pilot would be denied an engine's full design thrust, especially in a contingency that requires as much performance as possible (terrain avoidance, wind shear, aerodynamic surface failures, engine flameouts, on-ground emergenci…

Thrust ratings are a thing. They’re “programmed” using a dummy plug. Literally an electrical connector that has a cap on it and inside that cap is a bunch of wires that loop back and bridge pins. The pin combo represents a thrust rating. The plug is set and screwed into the fadec at manufacture and then updated after each service based on the test cell run.

Overhaul is often defined in terms of thrust ratings. Customers engine comes in, dyno’d (test cell) current thrust level is established. A plan is put to the customer based on their requirements, work is then done, dyno’d again and then signed off with the new plug installed.

Why would you do this? When engines are made, from automotive engines through to sophisticated jet engines, they all have a rated power number but minor variations in tolerances etc add up to make the actual power number.

In a jet engine, you have two or more on a plane, if one engine is slightly more powerful the plane will naturally try to fly in circles.

I think the parent comment gets a lot of things confused, for example you don’t rent a thrust rating. You rent an engine, at a thrust rating and will need to return it at that same thrust rating after you’re done (ie a mandatory overhaul of the engine and scoped to a particular rating).

Often the engines are owned by leasing companies or banks. Have a look next time you fly, there may just be a “Bank of Honk Kong” sticker on the side of your engine.

Re: Aeroflot deactivates brakes on nine aircraft, relies solely on reverse thrust

#380
post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This literally happens everyday, everywhere and to every airline. Sometimes even between airlines. I’ve personally been responsible for a part getting pulled off another engine from another airline and swapped for one that got its electrical connector damaged so the engine would ship on time. There is a whole industry of buyers and sellers of 2nd hand aircraft parts.

I know absolutely. However they can order spare parts. AFAIK, Russia is now cut off. Unless they can smuggle some from Kazakhstan, China or somewhere else it will be SOL for those airframes at one point.

They will set up one or more shell companies in a non-suspect country but with less regulation oversight. Think Africa, like Morocco.

Then buy second hand planes, engines parts etc from dealers that may only check 1 level deep or be willing to risk getting sanctioned themselves.

Then strip them and send them to their overhaul locations.

Certain Colombian groups used to do it in the 80s when they needed their private jets overhauled but found their organization was sanctioned. surprised picachu

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