Theres something so pure about all the vehicles made for airstrip tarmac, even the fire engines. Its amazing how purely utilitarian they are while being such a small form factor
It shows how much torque the nose wheel can accept. Going beyond it is called an overtorque, which requires mechanics to come and inspect the gear, which obviously means a delay in itself. If it's bad enough it might be damaged, which meams grounding the aircraft for a while for repairs.
A bit. Still took a scrawny 19-year-old so long to push the plane into position that the FAA called my house in case I had crashed, because it had been so long since the scheduled end of my flight.
It is you. On the video I can see here, the red line stays to the left of the tow bar (or the middle between the tires) all the time, so it‘s fine - if the towbar (or pushbar) would move to the left of it, he would shear the whole setup, but as long as the pushback vehicle stays on front / within the red lines, the push angle is OK.
And that's why there's a second pushback car type that carries the whole front wheel around. It avoids the shear pin problem, and it can drive faster with the airplane (up to 30 km/h / 19 mph). It also doesn't need to be heavy because the airplane itself provides the traction weight, i.e. https://www.goldhofer.com/en/towbarless-tractors/ast-1x .
Yup, the AST-1X are real beasts. AFAIK, they are the only vehicle of this type certified to lift the front of an A380 (565 tons MTOW, maximum take-off weight).
You know what I love? People who get fucking excited about things they identify with on the internet. Especially when they don't see it very often. So, we both got what we wanted today.
When I worked for grubhub a few times, I did catering orders to United Airlines. Once in a while, I would get to drive on the runway. I drove past crated up engines. They were bigger than my ranger pickup. It was neat driving on the runway.
The larger the engine the more fuel efficient and powerful it tends to be per pound. But they can only be made so big. The 737 MAX crashes were indirectly caused by the fact that they had to move the engine forward to make it bigger to get better fuel economy to be competitive. By moving it, they changed the flight characteristics; so they opted to correct it with additional flight control hardware in order to avoid FAA recertification but they thoroughly fucked that up.
I was at the Boeing Centennial celebration at the Museum of Flight where they had the full 700's series all lined up (can't remember if they moved the 707 out of its exhibit). Planes big.
By scooping up air and compressing it fast while mixing it with air creating an ideal mixture for combustion that rapidly expands pushing the plane forward, not that complex really, they aren't magnets.
I built 777's new in the factory for over 5 years. Got a desk job, got laid off, might be going back to building them soon. They are massive. Very cool to build.
The 747 is a little bigger in all dimensions I think but it only held ... I want to say around 30-50 more passengers. I never worked on one myself though. The 777 is FAR most efficient though so it's the preferred plane between the two. The last couple years of 747 production were for companies that were heavily incentivized to buy them. Just enough to make the transition away from them easier.
As an A&P when I first had to push a plane into a hangar with two other planes in it while having to maneuver it between the wings of the other two with only 8 ft of Clarence or less on each side, I thought it impossible.
Next thing I knew, it was nothing but another thing to learn and master.
Its been over a decade since I worked the ramp, baggage handler and warehouse runner....I don't miss the weather but I do miss the sound of jet engines.
I was a turnaround coordinator for 4 years and same. I miss watching from the ground as the plane slowly taxis in, or sticking my hands on the wheels during winter because they're still warm from landing and kept my fingers toasty.
Or getting to sit in the vehicle and watch the push. Or running up and down between plane, office and gate to resolve something last minute and that satisfaction knowing I got it done and we'd be closing on time.
The airport gave me so much stress but it was amazing
It is perfectly safe from the drivers seat and the signal guys are way beyond them as well, did it for years and no accidents. The scarier ones were the prop planes when you are wing walking
Ever rotate your arm in a wider arc than it supposed to go, and all the little linkages in side screamed in terror? It's that, but with the nose gear. At the bare minimum, they have to fully inspect that section top to bottom, even if not visibly damaged.
I’ve dislocated both of my shoulders. So to answer your question, yes, yes I have. They both required further inspection and considerable repairs. Your analogy is unfortunately very on the nose for me.
HeywouldJablowme
You don't know how long I've been waiting for a tutorial on this. I've just been pushing the planes into the lawn. Now I know.
WaxDragon
They have closed cabins? Ours were just open air
blockberd
Cannot be DELTA TUG 2, because they are too readable.
onychoprion
Super interesting to see it from this angle! I'd be terrified of doing that to be honest Xd
awevans1415
Love it..."unemployment line"!! :-)
wisher1977
New pilot after being backed into position by ground control…
lazysombrero
Paper plane pusher
KaJuN
Nice tug job!
reinerdefender
thanks, i needed that. so wholesome. will make my life a lot easier.
holmestrix
Can we have more of this on imgur? Tired of seeing political shit. Yes i know I can filter.
activeracer28
Does this job have the sane flex as being forklift certified? Feel like it should.
KAPTKipper
Forklift Certified god tier
itrytoonlysaypositivethings
Thanks, I'll remember that for the next time I need to park my commercial airliner.
Mikeman4444
Theres something so pure about all the vehicles made for airstrip tarmac, even the fire engines. Its amazing how purely utilitarian they are while being such a small form factor
LeftRightThere
Moments later
blaghart
can't be, that plane's actually flying
Coolmikefromcanada
the red line marks the max turn, exceeding that will damage the nose gear and you will likely be fired
CorgisButtsDriveMeNuts
Nice! This looks like an interesting job (assuming it's not payed peanuts!)
thebowlllama
This may be dumb of me, but i always thought they just had a reverse....
jdore8
ThatsAGreatStoryIdLikeToHearItSometimeByeBye
Always upvote The Perfect Gif.
TivoMan
djhash
Must be very brave being so near a Boeing plane without a helmet. Not worried about falling doors.
AgainstMethod
A door falls off your plane in mid air one time and you never hear the end of it.
joe6paques
“ETOPS” stands for “engines turn or passengers swim.”
faithydiesalot
and it's painted on the landing gear because the rules for maintenance and inspection are more stringent: https://reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/113x4uq/why_does_this_united_737_have_0842_etops_on_the/
putcleverusernamehere
After nearly 40 years in the business, first time I've heard that 🤣👏👏
MarsIsAfire
Sauce: https://www.instagram.com/flyredbaron/reel/C4hmFxAyPnz/
TheOneWeirdDude
Getting memento vibes with with the video order
Elbie79
Cue dude walking into view WAY past the unemployment line in the top video... 😅
Frederf
I think "past" is referring to jack knife angle, not position.
krylani
He's fine, he's not the one at risk of jackknifing a quarter-billion dollar aircraft with the tug.
Elbie79
True, it's still a funny coincidence though 🤣
MechKelly
What's the deal with the red line and crossing it that you'll be out of a job?
MyOtherPetIsACat
It shows how much torque the nose wheel can accept. Going beyond it is called an overtorque, which requires mechanics to come and inspect the gear, which obviously means a delay in itself. If it's bad enough it might be damaged, which meams grounding the aircraft for a while for repairs.
DewiMorgan
If you twist the wheel, it might snap off. This kills the wheel. Also maybe anyone under it.
faithydiesalot
too much side force breaks the gear: https://www.airliners.net/photo/Iberia/Airbus-A320-214/146963/L
WeirdoIIC
GODS I hated doing that by hand when getting my private license...
AdrianDunne
You were doing well pushing a 777 by hand.
Frederf
The trick is to push the tail down so the nose wheel comes off the ground and it pivots
Blze001
Thankfully, Cessnas weigh a little bit less than an airliner.
WeirdoIIC
A bit. Still took a scrawny 19-year-old so long to push the plane into position that the FAA called my house in case I had crashed, because it had been so long since the scheduled end of my flight.
TheChlorineAddict
Going to need some sources on that bold claim
green110
Is it me or is he going WAY over the red line whilst talking about it..... Assuming its the YELLOW tow connector and its parralelness to it.
faithydiesalot
The red line will line up with the plane between the tow bar and the gear and look vertical to the driver. This is what can happen when they exceed it: https://www.airliners.net/photo/Iberia/Airbus-A320-214/146963/L
bittenicht39
It is you. On the video I can see here, the red line stays to the left of the tow bar (or the middle between the tires) all the time, so it‘s fine - if the towbar (or pushbar) would move to the left of it, he would shear the whole setup, but as long as the pushback vehicle stays on front / within the red lines, the push angle is OK.
Hammerwell
And that's why there's a second pushback car type that carries the whole front wheel around. It avoids the shear pin problem, and it can drive faster with the airplane (up to 30 km/h / 19 mph). It also doesn't need to be heavy because the airplane itself provides the traction weight, i.e. https://www.goldhofer.com/en/towbarless-tractors/ast-1x .
bittenicht39
Yup, the AST-1X are real beasts. AFAIK, they are the only vehicle of this type certified to lift the front of an A380 (565 tons MTOW, maximum take-off weight).
Geekyre
I PUSH THESE, I PUSH THESE, AND THIS GUY IS AWESOME TRAINER! Oooh, so fun to see someone doing my job on imgur!
trucka
But do you do it nice and smooth, nice and slow?
thebonesofmyancestors
You know what I love? People who get fucking excited about things they identify with on the internet. Especially when they don't see it very often. So, we both got what we wanted today.
Affray
Usually it's a Fetish Friday post that brings up those emotions for imgurians.
amp99
Fun fact: the new(-ish) engines on the 777 are larger than the fuselage of a 737.
RacecarIsRacecarBackwards
So they're gonna do extra damage when they fall off.
Isthe4thtimethecharm
When I worked for grubhub a few times, I did catering orders to United Airlines. Once in a while, I would get to drive on the runway. I drove past crated up engines. They were bigger than my ranger pickup. It was neat driving on the runway.
Hexxxxxxxxx
Can confirm. They are massive
GoodGuyGonzo
Turbofans
Tajik
Also the span of the horizontal stabs at the back of the 777 is only a little shorter then the wing span of the 737
GOAE
The larger the engine the more fuel efficient and powerful it tends to be per pound. But they can only be made so big. The 737 MAX crashes were indirectly caused by the fact that they had to move the engine forward to make it bigger to get better fuel economy to be competitive. By moving it, they changed the flight characteristics; so they opted to correct it with additional flight control hardware in order to avoid FAA recertification but they thoroughly fucked that up.
2Soon4Baboon
The thumb made me think they were just putting seats in the engine to increase profits.
mikeatike
Now I'm picturing a 777, but instead of engines it just has a pair of 737-8
OhIfIMust
I love how 777s don't look that big in the photos, because you don't realize just how freakng ENORMOUS their engines are.
Kehy
I was at the Boeing Centennial celebration at the Museum of Flight where they had the full 700's series all lined up (can't remember if they moved the 707 out of its exhibit). Planes big.
n0n53n53
Same with the A380. I had only seen pics until earlier this year when I was in a A330 taxiing near one. Holy shit they are HUGE planes.
NotSomoneElse68
How do they compare to the 747 Jumbo Jet?
MrSnuffleupagus172
https://simpleflying.com/airbus-a380-boeing-747-comparison-analysis/
NotSomoneElse68
That's the Airbus that was specifically built larger. I was comparing, I think, to the Boeing 777
gablestout
sqeaky
By scooping up air and compressing it fast while mixing it with air creating an ideal mixture for combustion that rapidly expands pushing the plane forward, not that complex really, they aren't magnets.
PineappleLoopsBroether
FACT?? WhErE’S YeR SoUrCe bRo? If yOu dOn’t hAvE A SoUrCe iT’S NoT A FaCt, BrOoOoO. SoUrSe?
amp99
GE9X (engine): Width x Height: 4.097 × 4.158m) (sauce: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE9X#Specifications). 737 fuselage: Width x Height: 3.76 x 4.01m) (sauce: http://www.b737.org.uk/techspecsdetailed.htm )
PineappleLoopsBroether
I knew I should have put a /s at the end, I was making fun of those guys.
PineappleLoopsBroether
This guy, I was satirizing this guy /gallery/9hxw222/comment/2431321647
Tajik
I built 777's new in the factory for over 5 years. Got a desk job, got laid off, might be going back to building them soon. They are massive. Very cool to build.
NotSomoneElse68
You would know this better, I guess. How does it compare to the 747 Jumbo Jets?
Tajik
The 747 is a little bigger in all dimensions I think but it only held ... I want to say around 30-50 more passengers. I never worked on one myself though. The 777 is FAR most efficient though so it's the preferred plane between the two. The last couple years of 747 production were for companies that were heavily incentivized to buy them. Just enough to make the transition away from them easier.
NotSomoneElse68
My dad was an Field Engineer for McDonall Douglas from ~1965-85. I was most familiar with DC 8,9,10 and 707,727,737,747
NotSomoneElse68
I could identify each from silhouette - he could identify them in the air from contrails.
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
I miss doing that, it was pretty scary the first time, but after that it was a blast.
lildude52ca
i apply ever year or so. 20+ years of applying and i'm still waiting.
pab61
So you are steering the plane when you do that? That makes sense cause how would the pilot know where to go
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
Correct, pilot controls are disengaged, we control where the jet goes until we disconnect and he has control again
taco81
As an A&P when I first had to push a plane into a hangar with two other planes in it while having to maneuver it between the wings of the other two with only 8 ft of Clarence or less on each side, I thought it impossible.
Next thing I knew, it was nothing but another thing to learn and master.
Jimbo64
Does the nose wheel disengage from the cockpit controls during this process?
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
yes
Jimbo64
Thanks!
DownvotesStarWars
Its been over a decade since I worked the ramp, baggage handler and warehouse runner....I don't miss the weather but I do miss the sound of jet engines.
supercalifragilicious
I was a turnaround coordinator for 4 years and same. I miss watching from the ground as the plane slowly taxis in, or sticking my hands on the wheels during winter because they're still warm from landing and kept my fingers toasty.
Or getting to sit in the vehicle and watch the push. Or running up and down between plane, office and gate to resolve something last minute and that satisfaction knowing I got it done and we'd be closing on time.
The airport gave me so much stress but it was amazing
supercalifragilicious
Also I miss having the POWER of single handedly delaying a flight for 40 minutes at 24 years old because of a baggage safety issue >8)
Hekatombe
I don't think you are supposed to be *that* close to the jet engines
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
It is perfectly safe from the drivers seat and the signal guys are way beyond them as well, did it for years and no accidents. The scarier ones were the prop planes when you are wing walking
Mercurybird
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
yup
Hekatombe
I was just joking. You said it was a blast
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
ahhhh ok cool, it is early and I missed the joke, my bad.
hhggg3000
So aside from losing your job, what happens when you go past the unemployment line? I assume you break something very expensive to fix.
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
I didn't lose my job, found something that paid a lot better and didn't have to deal with the public anymore
elvianempire
it can damage the nose gear. at the minimum, the aircraft will need inspection.
Sargonas
Ever rotate your arm in a wider arc than it supposed to go, and all the little linkages in side screamed in terror? It's that, but with the nose gear. At the bare minimum, they have to fully inspect that section top to bottom, even if not visibly damaged.
hhggg3000
I’ve dislocated both of my shoulders. So to answer your question, yes, yes I have. They both required further inspection and considerable repairs. Your analogy is unfortunately very on the nose for me.
kaedis
On the nose of the plane, too =P