2 hours ago, Captain Kevin said:

What world are you living in. The only ones I know of with a camera are the Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A340-600, I think the Airbus A380, and Lufthansa's Boeing 747-8s.

In fairness, the 4 you mention are in fact the most modern ones out there so I think his comment is valid for this world.

 

What you aren't considering is that if this system was interesting enough for airlines to notice, they would likely consider retrofits to make it practical.

Split the difference... equip aircraft with the hardware, but keep the primary control of that hardware on the ground, so to speak.

Marshaller plugs in to a socket in the wheelwell providing 2-way comms to the cockpit like they do today, but also it fires up the "WheelTug". Instead of docking and driving a tug, the ground crew uses a handheld controller of some type to drive the plane (via WheelTug) while walking alongside. The situational awareness that real marshallers provide is maintained, and the ramp has fewer smelly tugs floating around.

In a pinch, perhaps the pilots could control the airplane from the cockpit at an unattended airport, but standard procedures would be for the ground crew to handle it.

(shrug)

3 hours ago, ZLA Steve said:

In fairness, the 4 you mention are in fact the most modern ones out there so I think his comment is valid for this world.

I don't know that being modern has anything to do with it, since as far as I'm aware, neither the 787 nor the A350 have taxi cameras. Likewise, the 777-200, -200ER, and -200LR don't have them, and as far as I'm aware, the older A340s don't have them, either. The only reason they were added to the 777-300, -300ER, and the A340-600 was they're longer planes. As for the 747-8, Lufthansa did the modifications themselves to add the taxi camera to their planes. Boeing never provided them as standard for the 747-8. In any event, those cameras were only intended for use during taxi. No airplane has one that could be used during pushback.

3 hours ago, ZLA Steve said:

What you aren't considering is that if this system was interesting enough for airlines to notice, they would likely consider retrofits to make it practical.

Are we talking about the taxi cameras or the wheel tugs. If the latter, I never mentioned anything about them. I was only responding to the one post about the cameras.

After a certain age you stop wanting to adapt Steve.  I'm tired of adapting.   

Now Amazon and WalMart want to deliver inside your house when you're gone.  Not for me.  They can leave the package outside.  I'm not that adaptable.

I still haven't adapted to telemarketer calls and spam and don't intend to no matter how much you might think that's progress.

Noel

28 minutes ago, birdguy said:

After a certain age you stop wanting to adapt Steve.  I'm tired of adapting.   

 

From what you've mentioned in the past, I’m about half your age and my limits of adaptation to certain things are starting to be challenged as well. Especially when the “new way” of doing something isn’t necessarily faster, easier or better than the “old way”. I still like to write a shopping list on paper, go into the bank of occasion, and actually speak to a person in customer service, rather than keep saying phrases into the photo or pressing numbers for certain help topics.

 

 

29 minutes ago, birdguy said:

Now Amazon and WalMart want to deliver inside your house when you're gone.  Not for me.  They can leave the package outside. 

I’m with you on that. I’m not letting anyone in my house that I don’t personally know when I’m not home, and even some people that I DO personally know, I’m not letting in when I’m not home 😂

 

 

29 minutes ago, birdguy said:

I still haven't adapted to telemarketer calls and spam and don't intend to no matter how much you might think that's progress.

Noel

I don’t think anyone has adapted to that. I’ve quit answering my phone when I get a call from a number that I don’t recognize and 99% of the time they never leave a message and I NEVER call the number back. If it’s someone legit who needs to reach me, they’ll leave a message. I think a lot of people are starting to do the same as robo calls have gotten out of hand the past few years.

Here's another one; if a crane operator nowadays can remotely operate his crane in any way, It should be possible and far more simple (steering and braking) for aircraft too.

 

Campbell, another thing I haven't adapted to are self checkout lanes at WalMart and super markets.

I like to stand in the line at checkout stand with a human being scanning your purchases.  I always pick a lane with a young lady and then when she starts scanning my items I notice her  name tag and say, "Julia, what a pretty name."  Julia smiles and says, "Thank you."  And we engage in a little small talk.  I get to know the young ladies and baggers at various stores and we become acquaintances.  Sooooo much better than the impersonal self-checkout lanes.

I like to cook. I print out my recipe for spaghetti sauce or clam chowder or whatever and use it to check off the ingredients I need to buy.  Then at the checkout stand I ask the lady, "Do you like spaghetti?"  If she says yes I give her the recipe.

You can't make friends with impersonal machines.

Noel

4 hours ago, birdguy said:

Campbell, another thing I haven't adapted to are self checkout lanes at WalMart and super markets.

Noel

Actually that’s one place I don’t mind it just because some of the stores I go, it seems like the cashiers have no sense of urgency to get people checked out and get the line down. On top of the cashier being slow as molasses, when it’s all scanned and the total comes up, the customer is not even ready to pay and starts digging through his/her pocket, purse or wallet to get the payment out, which they should have already had ready after the few minutes it took the cashier to scan all the goods.

In this case, I don’t mind self check out because I’m quick and efficient and generally aren’t looking to strike up conversations at the grocery store anyway, just want to get in and out as fast as possible.

Hmmm.. so did they test the installation on an actual flight with all the rigours of takeoff and landing? Bolting some motors on to the undercarriage would surely require extra hassle and certification I reckon. 

Would reversing horns or beepers be certified on airliners? 

When you chalk up the initial cost to purchase, ground the aircraft for install, modify the maintenance and regulatory MEL manuals and then train everyone on how to use it, you could probably buy 3 pushback tugs for the price. Not to mention that a set of nose wheel tires on a 737 only last about 8 weeks before they need to be replaced, turning a 15min job into more $$$$. I can see why this never took off.

Being retired, Campbell, where every day is Saturday I have learned to be a lot more patient.  It's also a chance to be neighborly.  Sometimes I'm behind a guy with a Marine baseball cap on and all I have to say is "Semper Fi" and we start telling war stories and time flies in the checkout line.

Once the lady ahead of me had two small toddlers with her.  Her EBT card didn't have enough left in it and they were starting to take stuff back out of her basket.  I asked the cashier how much she owed.  35.00.  I told her I would pay for it.  The young lady was very thankful and I was happy I could help someone out directly.

Noel

Good on you Noel. I've done the same thing a time or two myself. I won't do that if they are buying 'frivolous stuff' such as candy, etc., but essentials most definitely!

On 6/26/2019 at 2:52 PM, birdguy said:

Being retired, Campbell, where every day is Saturday I have learned to be a lot more patient.  It's also a chance to be neighborly. 

Noel

I suppose if I was retired and had the whole day to myself it would be different for me and I’d probably do the same. I tend to me more “neighborly” and talkative to the older folks as they are more old school and don’t have their face glued to their phone or headphones stuck in their ears listing to music. Younger folks in the teen and early 20’s don’t seem to interested to strike up conversations with random people I’ve noticed, at least where I live. 

Last year I was visiting some friends in Ft Lauderdale and was on my way to the beach. I stopped at a 7-Eleven to get some drinks to take to the beach and was waiting in line to pay. The kid in front of me took out his debt card which had the University of Arizona logo on it. Same school I went to so I asked him if he went there and he didn’t even reply, so I asked again and still nothing. I thought maybe he was def but he spoke to the cashier, so I assume he just didn’t want to say anything to me.

I’ve had that happen a few times with the younger crowd where they give me this glazed over look like they either wonder why I’m talking to them or just don’t seem to understand what I’m saying because I’m not speaking with whatever slang type language they speak in. I’m not even that old but it seems weird, hence the reason I tend to talk with people who appear over 40 and still speak regular English with proper grammar.

There's another thing to consider here with this and why tugs are great: When it's freezing cold on the ramp, you can stand next to the tug and warm yourself up by standing next to its exhaust. It's a bit smelly, but it is at least warm!

On ‎6‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 4:25 PM, nonflyingdutchman said:

Fuelsaving is on top priority of every airline

Which is why they don't put any additional weight on the plane unless they have to. The wheel tug will probably take the place of at least one maybe two paying passengers in the fuel calculations. Operating it costs fuel too, plus maintenance, plus training, plus... Why do this, when you can just rely on tugs being present on every airport? The parking fee usually includes these services, so it won't be any cheaper just because you don't use the tug. And you would still need a couple of normal tugs on site in case the wheel based one breaks (plane can fly just fine without it, so it would just be a MEL item I guess). 

If it is about destroying jobs - a single ground operator could just as well remote control a ground based electrical tug that just stays with the gate all the time - maybe even pulling in the aircraft onto the stand as well. And then turn it into an autonomous robot down the road - in our sims the pushback is fully automated too (GSX etc.)...

Best regards 

Edited June 29, 20196 yr by Lorby_SI