Phuket Air's operating licences suspended

[DaveYo]

Granted that many different versions are out there concerning meaning of words from various sources, so it is a wonder why the present world of today is all so screwed up . The mixture of slang as common language vs the street talk language etc can go on and on.

So for now when it comes to aviation, JET A Fuel is just that and not kerosene or paraffin. Kerosene is kerosene which is used for heaters and or lamps and other basic items. Paraffin is a wax.

Lets stick to this part and not confuse the heck out of other members.

Hmm speaking about AVGas, if your vehicle has a compression ratio of 10 to 1 or better you can use this fuel. AVGAS is around 130 rating Octane, but it is pure gasoline without any additives. If you use it you can get incredible gas mileage per tankful.

I went to an airport in Iowa with my Impala SS, and put in a tank full of this avgas, and believe me my trip home to chicago was well over 500 miles and by the time I got home I still had a half tank of that fuel.

I traveled on the highway almost virtually non stop averaging around 78 miles per hour. Man, this fuel really stretched itself somehow and gave me some incredible out of this world gas mileage. Now my tank held only 24 gallons mind you too. The actual mileage according to my records showed 514 miles. So on my V-8 engine which was of corvette design a 5.8 350 cu in., and it averaged a cool 42 miles per gallon. Used up only 12 gallons so to speak. Under normal circumstances running from a full tank to empty best I was able to do was around 18-20 miles per gallon coming from some gas station.

Ever since then I have never ever achieved such mileage again. Sigh. It was like once in a lifetime deal I suppose. But I knew that the AVGAS was superior than any fuel coming from the pumps any day or night. The compression ratio I had was 12 to 1. Also it was cheaper too per gallon but not that much.

It is hard to find an airport that will sell you this gas for your car let alone let you put it into your car. They get this fuel and it is well tracked meant only for aviation.

Today's cars cannot handle this gas for the most part. You will blow your head gaskets easy, and cause internal damage because of the high compression it will generate.

Daveyo

[khunlungphudhu]

Been there, done that Dave.

Many moons ago ran a Jowet with horizontally opposed cylinders and used to put in two gallons of two star, then add two gallons af avgas that I had 'access' to, used to go like a bomb. My superior found out and decided to try it himself on his Ford Consul, trouble is he put the avgas in first!!!

I got the job of rebuilding his engine.

[lampard10]

Been there, done that Dave.

Many moons ago ran a Jowet with horizontally opposed cylinders and used to put in two gallons of two star, then add two gallons af avgas that I had 'access' to, used to go like a bomb. My superior found out and decided to try it himself on his Ford Consul, trouble is he put the avgas in first!!!

I got the job of rebuilding his engine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In England, Avgas or the civvie equivelent used to be knicknamed 'Green' after the colour your engine took after it's use. This enabled easy detection.

[dezeure]

no offence meant...but, funny thing is...

I'm German, the jet engine was indeed invented in Germany during WWII and we call the plane fuel... kerosene 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True... and weirdly enough its basically an advanced form of Diesel oil... A normal diesel engine (car) will also run on Jet A.

and nope... shouldn't ignite by a cigarette.. (unless warmed up to its flashpoint. Even normal gasoline should not ignite with a cigarette.... Try it at home (outside preferably). Pour some gasoline on the floor and throw your ciggy in it. your cig wil just go out, BUT don't let any fumes build up... cause that will ignite it.

Anyway to go back to the original discussion... Phuket Air has some serious issues it needs to resolve before they will get a safely label, and that includes their some of their pilots.

Cheers guys,

Sam

[cobra]

Would I fly Phuket Air ? ..

I fly China Air routinely,

so I might as well be an equal opportunity risk taker ...

[aviador88]

All airlines know the amount of fuel needed to fly to each destination plus the reserves.

Which is handy to know as filling stations in mid Atlantic are few and far between.

Thanks Dave Yo always nice to know your on the job to put anyones mind at rest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah.......like the Colombian 707 left to circle over La Guardia till it ran out of fuel and nose-dived into the oggin.

BTW keep them coming....I'm really enjoying this thread.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, not quite correct. There were error on the controllers but mostly on the crew's side. The old "waterburner" 707 of Avianca was fighting headwinds and was already critically low on fuel when told to hold (twice) not over La Guardia but over the water at low altitues around Atlantic city about 100 miles south of JFK. These old turbojets suck fuel like it's going out style at these heights. The first officer timidly requested something like "priority". The captain should have declared an emergency right then and there. Still they could have made it if it handn't been for the weather. The ceiling at the time was an indefinite ceiling of 200 feet, sky oscured and I believe less than 1/2 mile visibility. The anxious crew missed the approach and was put back in line for a second try when the airplane ran out of fuel and crashed about a mile north of the runway. Since the tanks were empty, there was no post crash fire and several passengers survived. BTW the captain of the ill fated flight was Avianca's most experienced.

[peterdigger]

I flew with Phuket Air from Chiangmai to Udon in March. The plane was nearly as old as me - it did not even have overhead lockers, but it did have Rolls Royce Dart engines, the same ones I believe that some Lancaster bombers used ! We flew in heavy cloud and the flight was perfect, I noted that the pilot was a farang aged about 55 -60. I could not fault the trip, or the price. I reckon if your time is up, its up.......

[Thanh-BKK]

no offence meant...but, funny thing is...

I'm German, the jet engine was indeed invented in Germany during WWII and we call the plane fuel... kerosene 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True... and weirdly enough its basically an advanced form of Diesel oil... A normal diesel engine (car) will also run on Jet A.

and nope... shouldn't ignite by a cigarette.. (unless warmed up to its flashpoint. Even normal gasoline should not ignite with a cigarette.... Try it at home (outside preferably). Pour some gasoline on the floor and throw your ciggy in it. your cig wil just go out, BUT don't let any fumes build up... cause that will ignite it.

Anyway to go back to the original discussion... Phuket Air has some serious issues it needs to resolve before they will get a safely label, and that includes their some of their pilots.

Cheers guys,

Sam

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi there.

A Diesel engine (car) will burn almost any kind of oil, not only Jet A. In Germany many people resorted to drive ordinary cooking oil (sunflower oil) in their Diesel cars, because the price of Diesel due to taxation has increased enormously, and the engines run on cooking oil just as well. Just the exhaust smells weird.....

If you talk to people in Australia and you mention the word "Heating oil", almost always the response is "What is that? Oh, THAT one... Kerosene!" In Germany, the word "Kerosin" (Kerosene) is used for jet fuel.

Fact is that a jet engine does run on everything that's either liquid or gaseous, and burns. Kerosene (heck, Jet A), Diesel fuel and heating oil are so close in their characteristics that you can at any time use one for another, i.e. drive your Diesel car with Jet A, fly the aircraft on heating oil and heat your house with Diesel fuel. In fact i did two of those - heated my flat with Diesel when the oil pipe was frozen in, and once drove a Diesel car on (way cheaper!) heating oil, which is illegal (taxes!). Haven't tried the aircraft part yet due to lack of aircraft.

Kind regards....

Thanh

[lampard10]

I flew with Phuket Air from Chiangmai to Udon in March. The plane was nearly as old as me - it did not even have overhead lockers, but it did have Rolls Royce Dart engines, the same ones I believe that some Lancaster bombers used ! We flew in heavy cloud and the flight was perfect, I noted that the pilot was a farang aged about 55 -60. I could not fault the trip, or the price. I reckon if your time is up, its up.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Rolls Royce Dart engine is in fact the most widespread used engine in it's class. Thousands were built and fitted to dozens of different types of aircraft. The YS Aircraft that Phuket use for their internal flights had me thinking at first,because even though I know and recognise nearly every plane that has graced our skies,I had never heard of that one. I concluded it might just be an H.S. 748 built under licence in Japan and changed a little. The way the engines are mounted are indentical to a 748. Anyone that has more info please let on.

Lancaster with Turbo props. Now thats different,although the Avro Shackelton Mk 3(which was developed from the Lancaster) had 4 piston jobs( Rolls Royce Griffons) with two Viper Jets for power assisted take off.

Edited May 9, 2005 by lampard10

[DJ Pat]

I have flown on 'that' plane twice. Apart from hellish delays, it was fine.

[cdnvic]

Is the discount carrier who’s jet went nose first in the everglades part owner?

That was ValueJet I believe. They changed their name to AirTran now and everyone raves about them.

cv

[redrus]

My girlfriend, best friend and my-self flew Phuket-air last November and, had no problems at all. You could tell it was a cheap airline with the planes we were traveling on bought from KLM. One of the safest airlines! These revelations are quite shocking though and, have to admit though, that I voted no.

Just too risky a business to go with an accident waiting to happen.....!!!!!

redrus

[lampard10]

traveling on bought from KLM. One of the safest airlines!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't say that. KLM were involved in the worst Plane crash of all time.

[cdnvic]

My girlfriend, best friend and my-self flew Phuket-air last November and, had no problems at all. You could tell it was a cheap airline with the planes we were traveling on bought from KLM. One of the safest airlines! These revelations are quite shocking though and, have to admit though, that I voted no.

Just too risky a business to go with an accident waiting to happen.....!!!!!  

redrus

Actually they fly 747s from both KLM, and Garuda Indonesia. Garuda does not retire anything it doesn't have to.

cv

[lampard10]

My girlfriend, best friend and my-self flew Phuket-air last November and, had no problems at all. You could tell it was a cheap airline with the planes we were traveling on bought from KLM. One of the safest airlines! These revelations are quite shocking though and, have to admit though, that I voted no.

Just too risky a business to go with an accident waiting to happen.....!!!!!  

redrus

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually they fly 747s from both KLM, and Garuda Indonesia. Garuda does not retire anything it doesn't have to.

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have worked on the Garuda servicing at MBB in Bremen,Germany.