Date: 10 Dec 97 04:05:02
From: mweber@t140.aone.net.au (James Matthew Weber)
Organization: Customer of Access One Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia
References: 1
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On 09 Dec 97 03:54:22 , "B.A. Patterson" <bap@OCBA.net> wrote:
>The U.S. Gov't has been reported as negotiating rights with Japan for US
>Airways to serve NRT. It would presumably do so from PHL. Since US
>Airways only has, and is only likely to acquire, two engined aircraft, can
>they use such an airplane (777 or A330) to fly PHL-NRT under ETOPS 180? If
>they had to stop enroute or fly a convoluted route, it seems that they
>could not be competitive.
This is less of a problem than it seems. Most of the route is in fact
over dry land. The great circule route will take the flight over the
north Pacific. One's perception of distances in the far north is often
distored by the Magellan projection maps. The reality is NRT is only
about 6.5 hours from ANC, and there are several alternates in the
Aleutians, although weather tends to be a challenge there. I don't
think ETOPS 180 will require any route alternation.
PHL-NRT is not appreciably different in length than JFK-NRT, DTW-NRT
or DIA-NRT, all of which has been flown non stop regularily by JAL
and NW long before the 747-400 was available. Well within range of
777IGW or A330-200.
