Tail heavy Guppy
 

I'm sitting here in EWR in row 21 on an Uber-Guppy after landing from IAH and we can't deplane because the tail is too heavy and the ground personnel have to unload aft cargo first??? Are you kidding me?!? This is embarrassing. Never happens on the 320. Just one more reason I love the 'Bus. 🙄🙄 And for God's sake, start the friggen APU and get some air going while we wait in this sauna for 15 minutes. Idiots!!

Agreed, frustrating. Ok, baiting here, never saw a '57 on it's tail!!

You couldn't unload the 727 either without putting down the aft airstairs. (Acted as a tail stand.) Same problem. It was a big problem if ramp was slow in getting to it and people were getting off in the front....

It has a tail skid as standard equipment. What is the problem?

Sounds like you're having a rough time. Hope you're able to make the best of it.

Did they buy the tail stand?

there's your problem. you're on a guppy going btw two UA south hubs. likely your captain was trained under captains who always did whatever the company said - so they're not starting that apu and spending 30 bucks. almost every time i ride a guppy i sweat my ass off. you 198 ppl crammed in the back can all just buy dry new undies in the Brooks Bros store in the beautiful terminal.

I think in most instances it would work out fine, as in allowing people off with the tip potential.

Now say they go to unload and have a rear cargo door problem, so no cargo is getting offloaded. Let's suppose this problem continues to the point where all the people are off, now there could well be a tip issue.

As we know, it doesn't take much to have a high repair bill when dealing with aircraft. It's best if the front door isn't even opened until ready to offload. Then it appears like a late jetway driver.

Hopefully the bag crew is on it pronto, wishful thinking sometime. Yeah, some APU ventilation would be nice.

Company posted some months ago that a mechanic had developed a tail stand that was cheaper than Boeing's AND we would get them sooner.

I would have thought most of the regular 737 stations would have them by now.

It's not just the 737, though, throughout the history of flight:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...75d2972483.jpg

I frequently see UPS A-300s with a "kick-stand," and KC-135s seem to use them a lot, too.

The 747-400 can carry 72,000lbs of fuel in the horizontal stab. This airplane had trapped fuel for a long Pacific flight. Flight Manual procedure is to land overweight immediately, since every second,the CG is moving aft as wing fuel is burned. Uneventful landing, people off, towed to maintenance. Forgot to use the stand. Note how the wings sag when full of fuel and no lift:

http://img2.jetphotos.net:8080/img/1...1124257423.jpg

http://www.aero-news.net/images/cont...fo-0805-1a.jpg

FWIW, UAL engineering developed our own (i.e. lower cost) tail stand for the -900s and EWR has them.

But like most things in EWR......