Don your anorak and get technical about airplanes.
#835076 by bobsy852
16 Jan 2013, 16:35
Due to my nerves etc I've been keeping an eye on the flight path most VS75/76 flights take from MAN-MCO (and vis versa).
I notice that most flights tend to go over the top of the Atlantic, then down the USA East coast.

I was curious therefore, watching today, why todays A333 from MAN-MCO is flying straight across the middle of the Atlantic? ?|

I thought they took the North route for safety purposes (i.e, to always be near an airport?

(P.S; why do the also flights tend to dissapear off flightradar for large periods of time? Is it just the limitations of the website? Or do these flights turn soemthing off when not required?)

thankyou from a curious passenger-to-be
#835078 by slinky09
16 Jan 2013, 17:02
FR24 receives most of its data from volunteers with receivers that can capture the plane data and position, then post it to the web site. There aren'y many volunteers mid-Atlantic ;) .

As to routings, the primary factor in determining that is where the jet stream is. At the moment it's blowing pretty strongly up the eastern part of North America and transatlantic planes either a) want to 'ride' it to reduce fuel consumption when coming from the US, or b) avoid it going to the US because headwinds requires a lot more fuel (and it tends to be bumpier. So that's probably why the current routing.

All routings are perfectly safe, the A333 is ETOPS180 rated so any diversion airport needs to be no more than three hours away, and don't forget that the Azores is in a pretty nifty position should it be needed when taking a southerly or straight across route. Mind you, I think the only time that was needed was last year when a VS 747 made an unscheduled stop there because of a sick passenger.

Hope you have a great flight.

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