Author: Mei Zixu

"What did you say? Preparing for landing?" The second captain David looked at the first captain incredibly: "Schneider, do you know what you are talking about?"

Just now, the cabin manager called David, who was still resting, to the cockpit according to the captain Schneider's wishes. As a result, the captain David was woken up halfway and was still confused and heard a shocking news that made him feel.

Rather than news, perhaps more accurately, a proposal.

That's the reserve!

Preparing for Vienna!

Schneider didn't seem to agree with the decision to make a reservation. He glanced at Xu Cang, who was sitting behind him, and his eyes showed a lot of things.

"He?" David immediately understood that it was not Schneider who made the decision, but the young man who looked in his twenties behind him.

Compared to Schneider, who is already in his forties, Captain David's appearance is much younger. However, the age gap has not affected Captain David's authority, and it can even be vaguely seen that David is more dominant when both captains are together.

Schneider was a little awe of Xu Cang, but David was much calmer.

"Are you a specialist in the Asia-Pacific region?" David turned around and looked at Xu Cang, with some doubts in his eyes.

Xu Cang nodded slightly: "Yes, is there any problem?"

"No, I'm seeing my fellow travelers." David stretched out his hand to Xu Cang: "David Jeffers, CAA, is the ICAO flight specialist in Europe."

Xu Cang raised his eyebrows slightly. This was the first time he saw the ICAO flight specialist and shook hands with David: "I'm glad to see you."

David seemed to organize the language: "Schneider said he wanted to make preparations for Vienna. Is it your point?"

"Yes." Xu Cang smiled, "If you think Vienna is too far away, Munich is OK. Or in other words, Innsbruck is OK. However, given the blizzards in the Alps, Munich is slightly better."

Now the plane is flying in the northern foothills of the Alps, and Munich and Innsbruck are both on the north side of the Alps. However, Munich is farther away from the mountains and is less affected by blizzards in the Alps.

However, Xu Cang's answer did not seem to directly address David's questions, and some of them were not answered.

Of course, Xu Cang knew that there was a question in his answer. He was just expressing an attitude that the reserved landing must be reserved, but the reserved landing location can be chosen by you.

David's face was slightly darker: "No matter Vienna, Munich and Innsbruck, we have no relevant agreements. If we want to make a landing, we can only make a landing in Turin."

"No, no, no, it is not good to go south to cross the Alps," Xu Cang said with a firm attitude: "There is only a little troublesome without an agreement, and it is not impossible to go ahead. A company as big as a British Airways must be able to handle it."

"Then I think it's better not to prepare for the landing." David snorted: "There is always a reason to prepare for the landing. What is your reason? In the absence of any abnormality in the engine data, the engine air intake alone cannot represent any signs of flames to determine the engine failure? What exactly is the flame? Is it a reflection of starlight or moonlight? Are you sure?"

There was no special change on Xu Cang's face: "I just wanted to prevent some tricky situations from happening."

"Has that so-called tricky situation happened, or are there any reliable signs?" David raised a finger: "Are you really a flight specialist? If you know, what is the meaning of MEL's existence?"

Some people think that if there is any problem with the plane, it cannot fly again, because it is a safety issue.

However, doing so does not meet commercial requirements. Therefore, both the MEL of the minimum release list or the CDL of the configuration defect list are allowed to fly with some failure in some cases.

In other words, even in the eyes of aircraft manufacturers and civil aviation authorities of various countries, there are faults that can be tolerated, that is, there is no absolute safety.

Is there any abnormality in the air inlet of the No. 2 engine? One thing is that.

However, as Captain David said, it may be caused by some reflections of starlight or moonlight or some light sources they do not know. In fact, it is not an abnormal situation.

Is there any abnormality in the engine data indication? No.

The most common example is, for example, the outermost glass of the 737 windshield is broken. Is this potential danger? Is it an abnormal situation? Is it more intuitive and urgent than the danger of the engine air intake firelight that comes from?

However, in the treatment of the outermost windshield, Boeing’s suggestion is to continue flying, without any need for laying aside. It is just that the aircraft speed needs to be controlled in low-altitude environments.

If you have any problems, prepare for landing. Such professional pilots are actually quite unprofessional, and airlines also hate such pilots very much.

It is precisely based on this concept that Captain David publicly questioned Xu Cang's professionalism.

"Maybe you misunderstood. I just thought I could just pay attention to it, until I discovered that the engine model of this aircraft is PW4000-112."

Just now, Xu Cang did not insist on landing, but just said that it would be enough to strengthen surveillance. He had thought it was a bit too much because of this forced landing, but when he accidentally found that the engine used by this aircraft was not the general GE90, but the PW4000-112 of Puhui, some bad memories began to attack Xu Cang.

This is not because Xu Cang overreacts, but because there are examples that support it, there are more than one, but it is not at this point in time.

"Oh?" Captain David heard what Xu Cang meant. The key point of the preparation was not the engine flame, but the PW4000-112, or the combination of the two: "Are you saying that there is something wrong with the PW4000-112?"

Although Xu Cang looked very young, the captain David still knew Xu Cang's name. After all, in order to confirm that he passed EASA's review, Xu Cang took the British Airways path in the UK.

"What, can't you doubt it?"

Captain David thought about it: "Xu Cang, the PW4000-112 can be loaded on 777 must have undergone various tests, you."

"The previous test run of Boeing 777 was in the polar route. Although there was a fuel problem, the engine at that time was PW4000-112. The engine's acceptance of fuel with impeded fluidity was significantly less than that of GE90. If the test can cover all problems, then such a low-level fault should not occur." Xu Cang said: "Are you still think Boeing engineers have problems with the judgment of GE90 and PW4000-112. In addition to the initial model, all subsequent Boeing 777 models use GE90. Can't it be explained yet?"

Xu Cang's words refuted David so speechlessly.

The problem with the trial operation was PW4000-112, and the one that was abandoned in subsequent models was also PW4000-112, which should not be a coincidence.

David opened his mouth and subconsciously looked at the engine data. It was still operating normally at this moment: "So, because of your bias against the PW4000-112, should it be preparatory for landing, or should all Boeing 777 equipped with related engines be grounded?"

"Of course this is not the meaning. But in some special situations, you need to maintain higher vigilance." Xu Cang said: "For example, is there a possibility. The flames in the engine air inlet are caused by the low-pressure fan blades scratching the inner wall of the engine?"

"Impossible!" David directly denied: "If this is the case, the engine vibration value will become abnormally high. However, the vibration value of the No. 2 engine is not only not exceeding the limit, but it is not much different from the No. 1 engine."

The engine low-pressure fan blades are closely linked to the engine inner wall. As long as the blades are scratched with the engine inner wall, it will definitely cause the engine vibration value to be high. In the case of severe ice accumulation, any little ice adheres to the fan blades, which will cause inconsistent rotation torque, resulting in abnormal engine vibration value.

If according to Xu Cang's intention, the tip of the engine blades scratched the inner wall and sparked a flame, the engine vibration value would definitely react, and it would definitely not be like it is now.

"This question." Xu Cang couldn't explain it to David in too detailed, after all, this involves future information.

In fact, Xu Cang could not explain the problem of PW4000-112 carefully. He did flight in his previous life, not aviation engine design and manufacturing. His understanding of the problem of PW4000-112 comes from the amazing news that this engine exploded twice a day.

Ask Xu Cang why he thinks there is something wrong with this engine?

Xu Cang said that he had experienced the engine explosion twice a day, and the situation was extremely similar to that now.

Ask when did you experience it?

Could it be that Xu Cang said at this time that he would know how many years he would wait?

Xu Cang said in a guessing tone: "It may be that the low-pressure fan blades are extremely slight distorted due to metal fatigue. Therefore, the twisted blades only intermittently slightly scratch the inner wall of the engine, so the flames are only wave after wave, and they are not strong, and there is no excessive reaction in the engine data."

"Metal fatigue?" David thought for a moment and looked at Captain Schneider, but Schneider shook his head, which was obviously beyond his ability.

David looked at Xu Cang and then Schneider, and he felt like he was as big as a fight.

If someone else said this, David would only think that Xu Cang was a psychopath. The key is that Xu Cang was not a psychopath, but also an extremely powerful pilot. And what he said seemed to make some sense, which was what he was most confused about.

what to do?

David only felt a mess in his mind.

"Maybe the situation is not serious now, but once the failure begins, it will easily become out of control." Xu Cang added.

David's face changed: "You mean the fault cannot be controlled? Even if the engine fan continues to twist, at most the engine vibration value is high, what other faults can there be that uncontrollable?"

Xu Cang pursed his lips: "How about you ask the British Airways headquarters?"

David hesitated for a moment, and he couldn't make this decision. So David nodded: "I'll try to contact the headquarters, this is my bottom line."

Even though Xu Cang said so much, relying solely on Xu Cang's words, he could never do it. It was the only thing David could do now that he could convey Xu Cang's meaning to the headquarters and let them make decisions.

Xu Cang did not make any too many requests, but just said one word: "Okay!"

In the president's office at the top of the British Airways headquarters, Vice President Jerry held a pen and kept tapping on the desktop, showing his extremely irritable heart.

This office is not his. The reason why he can be here is because the British Airways president is now trapped in a manor on the Alps waiting to die. As the vice president, he manages the president's power in an emergency.

The president is not the highest leader of a company, but he is an extremely important position in managing daily affairs. If the president is not here, many things are difficult to carry out at all.

Moreover, in addition to the unpredictable death of the president, British Airways also encountered a huge problem - a strike!

On the top of the building with a total of more than 40 floors of British Airways headquarters, Jerry could still hear the huge call below. The sound did not come from anywhere else, but from British Airways employees who were on a cluster strike below.

There is another person in the office, British Airways' financial director. His face was even worse than Jerry, so the demand for this strike was about salary, which made him directly contact with his field.

"How much do they want to increase?" Jerry held his forehead, feeling upset.

"Fifteen percent of the air crew and ten percent of the ground staff." The Financial Director was so angry that he was itchy: "In addition, some middle and low-level managers also need to raise their salary."

When Jerry heard the increase, his heart beat out: "They really dare to make this request!"

The ground personnel are barely acceptable, after all, the average salary of ground personnel is lower, and the increase requirements are lower.

But the average salary of flight attendants is almost twice that of ground staff, and the increase is even greater, which is simply a huge burden on British Airways' finances.

Not to mention, middle- and low-level managers with higher salaries are probably going to have to have a need for salary increases. In the world, how can you just raise your employees' salaries and not your leaders' salaries?

However, if you do this, British Airways' salary expenses will explode directly?

"Jerry, the European civil aviation market is extremely hot now, and the relevant practitioners have a huge gap. At this point in time, it is inevitable to raise your salary."

In the past, there was no shortage of people, and the initiative was all in the airlines. Now there is a shortage of people, and civil aviation practitioners, especially air crews, need training cycles. The gap cannot be filled for a while, which means that offense and defense are easy to form, and now the initiative is in the hands of employees.

Now even the most ignorant employees can feel the prosperity of the civil aviation industry. They originally wanted to wait and let the airlines themselves say that they did not expect that there was no news of British Airways' salary increase during this period, so they could only come and fight for it themselves.

"Air France, what do you say about Lufthansa?" Jerry said helplessly: "They should be in similar situations."

As the most representative airline in Europe, France's Air France and Germany's Lufthansa will definitely encounter the same dilemma as British Airways. Jerry needs to see the reactions of Air France and Lufthansa.

As a result, the financial director said: "There has been news of salary increases from Air France and Lufthansa, not requested by employees, but it seems that the management has released it on its own initiative. Air France's average increase is 8%, while Lufthansa's is 9%.

"How come it's ten percent and fifteen percent when we get to us?" Jerry slapped the table: "Isn't this bullying?"

The financial director twitched his mouth. The employee's idea was very simple. Your airline doesn't take the initiative. When I go on strike, don't you have to ask more?

In fact, it is not that British Airways is stingy. Instead, compared with Air France and Lufthansa, British Airways' financial situation is not as good as those two companies. There is no way, the UK is isolated overseas and cannot eat the biggest cake in the civil aviation market within Europe.

It is precisely because of his lack of confidence in his own financial situation that the management has hesitated at the time when the internal civil aviation market in Europe is extremely popular recently and the salary operation should be carried out. As a result, this hesitation directly annoyed the British Airways Union.

Jerry slowed down for a while: "If they were to ask, could the company hold on?"

"The pressure is very high." The Financial Director looked solemn: "The European internal market is indeed quite strong now, but the largest share is still eaten by Air France and Lufthansa. Due to our geographical location, our growth is not as good as Air France and Lufthansa. Moreover, our company's staff is somewhat redundant. If we raise our salary according to their requirements, the financial statements this year are not very good."

In fact, according to the current development of the European civil aviation market, even if you accept the salary increase requirement, British Airways' profit this year will still be far higher than in previous years. However, I am afraid of comparing this kind of thing. Compared with itself, the profit has indeed increased, but compared with Air France and Lufthansa in the same period, British Airways' performance is likely to be inferior.
To be continued...