Originally Posted by Carl Spackler (Post 1431397)

Admittedly it's been a while since engineering school, but the flash point of fuel is the minimum temperature where the fuel's vapors can ignite (as in catch fire). Not explode, ignite. For jet fuel to provide an explosive force, the fuel air mixture has to be highly compressed prior to the introduction of an ignition source. All fuel tanks are vented, so it's impossible for those vapors to have been compressed at all, much less what is required for the fuel air mixture to explode.

So let's stipulate that the nearly empty center fuel tank was above the flash point temperature. Any source of ignition should have only started a fire on the surface of the fuel pool since the vapors weren't being highly compressed. Also, I've had the 747-100 in places like Muscat and Jeddah where the ATIS temperatures were 127F. The ramp was even hotter. And all three packs were running. And no fire...and certainly no explosion. Why? What was I (and all the other middle eastern operated 747's) unwittingly doing right to prevent a fire/explosion if flash point of uncompressed vapors had anything to do with this?



That is what a compressed fuel-air explosion looks like, but see above regarding uncompressed mixtures.

Carl

Originally Posted by newKnow (Post 1431402)

Do Dah Dippity.....

The Choice is Yours?

Originally Posted by buzzpat (Post 1431415)

No new. C'mon, honest question. I used to fly the Mad Dog and can't remember.

Originally Posted by buzzpat (Post 1431410)

No, just curious. I dodged the weather last week in the SE as well. We went around for a windshear alert, held and changed runways, and had our auto throttles go full idle at cruise dodging t storms. It was an angry sky. Just curious what the 88 guys can see. Our radar on the older -800s is good. The newer version is great. Shows turbulence and shafts much more cleaner.

Originally Posted by newKnow (Post 1431419)

I'm asking where the quote from your signature line is from.....

Back in the day, the radar on the DC-9 was less than good. After a being off of it for 4 years, I returned and they had installed new ones that were much better. I have no idea how the -88's are.

Originally Posted by buzzpat (Post 1431432)

It's from a lame Kia car commercial that featured hamsters. My avatar is the stoned drummer hamster from one of the commercials. Doo Dah Dippity was their catch phrase. It's simple. Noting ethereal behind it. I'm so immature that I found the commercials funny. Hip hop hamsters. My wife and my kids don't get it either. I was also Charlie Sheen for awhile, if you recall.

Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp (Post 1431428)

I just finished my ASAP report for a full on windshear warning the other evening.

Yes, folks.... it can be just like the simulator.

That being said, the prior DL flight kind of hung us out to dry. They went from very specific reports of light turbulence and heavy rain to "eh... it was ok... we got in" by the time they landed. That could have turned out much worse than it did.

There is no loss of pride in being the first one to call uncle! I am not that thrilled about being one of the few people to have experienced and recovered from a full windshear warning and perform the recovery just like in the sim in real life.

The most amazing thing was the ASA flight behind us saying "we'll take a look." :eek:

They also got to experience it... but why??

Originally Posted by newKnow (Post 1431434)

I guess this goes to the "fly your own jet" conversation from a few days ago. But, if the aircraft in front of me goes around because of windshear, so do I -- before I get into it. :eek:

Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp (Post 1431436)

No kidding... I'm most of the time the first guy to call uncle, but this one was a gray area and we were the first to get bit.

The ASA flight behind us on that first attempt, as well as another on the second go at it (when all of us were pulling out and going to wait) decided to go take a look. Guess what happened to them?

"yeah we got a 20 or 30 knot loss in airspeed."

No shame in calling uncle!

Originally Posted by newKnow (Post 1431438)

When I get senior enough, I'm going to take all my vacation in the summer. I hate thunderstorms. :D