Heart of Heathrow: Airbus Turnaround

An average of 1350 planes fly out of London Heathrow Airport each day and every one has to be cleaned, re-fuelled, safety checked and loaded with passengers before it can depart, and all against the clock. We went to see how its done with British Airways Turnaround Manager, Keith Seamon.

[@fahadusmani4687]

"You spend a lot of time turning around aircrafts, and I am going to be helping you with that." What he should have said: "I'll just follow you around with my mic."

[@valentinorajah6730]

Keith is the man. I'll see him around T5 hopefully and grab a coffee with him

[@ThomsonAirwaysFs]

I really don't like the idea of that "turnaround timer" clock they have here. This is such a safety critical role, not only for the guy in the video but for all of the ground services and ultimately the safety of the aircraft. Adding pressure to staff with a timer is extremely poor safety management and undoubtedly will lead to more accidents - a common cause of accidents is pressure and stress. This is not an office / call center job that timer really needs to be put in the bin or sent to British Gas's call center.

[@cjmillsnun]

To be fair the captain has the final say. If they aren't happy the plane goes nowhere.

[@johnskelton1117]

as turnaround co-ordinator of 30 years+ safety over rides EVERTHING! and that includes on time departure times!

[@dylanpower1438]

I have been on a British airways a380-800, 747-400, 777-300er, a319, a321, and 787-9

[@davidfiedorowicz3191]

Dylan Power well one want a medal?

[@alistairc2951]

MR_ D_DOUBLE 😂😂😂😂

[@AgentFoxMulder1972]

I miss the good old turnaround days...... hope covid-19 ends soon!

[@kimberlyvito6391]

ARMYs Keep it moving!

[@inflinirator]

Passing figures after push? Is that normal for BA? :/

[@x01y]

Yes

[@niksiever3135]

Yes, its how it is done everywhere, not just BA.

[@giorgoskoui3354]

This my job in cyprus

[@UpBeatGaming16]

turnaround managers name lol

[@adamrh20]

That is actually incorrect 4:39 that is incorrect there is reverse thrust but the power from it would shatter the glass so they are unable to use it while they are facing the terminal

[@ollie1154]

Adoisawesome it’s also a complete waste of fuel so may aswell just Get a push back and then taxi

[@lewisjames1145]

Lool he looked quite annoyed with the mic guy.

[@axl3597]

Lewis James why

[@harrybrown8731]

It’s lol not lool

[@Aviatial]

Harry Brown looool

[@minitrundle]

I'm surprised to see the turnaround manager doing the chocks and the airbridge.

[@benblackburn1089]

Same i thought there would be more people

[@oliscouser]

That's why it takes forever to disembark at LHR!

[@l5andPregnant]

Are there no wingwalkers in the UK ?

[@AberdeenAviation]

Tiny Rick no the is a ground crew watching the push

[@peterdavis3565]

Tiny Rick there are wing walkers in NCL

[@HeinzJerryFretton-e5j]

Not helping the Turnaround guy with his job but you are making him delay the flight😢

[@GarryWan666]

0:16 Yes he is literally giving a hand

[@K_Slump]

That almost awkward handshake though xD

[@JackJackProductions]

0:13 A domestic flight that comes in from Brussels (Belgium) and goes out to Geneva (Switzerland)

[@jjkirbyy]

Within eu I guess

[@adamstewart8109]

@@jjkirbyy that aged well 😂

[@friedchicken1]

6:06 I can't quite understand what the guy says at the end... anyone please?

[@ATLMike94]

"Let's go and send these figures."

[@friedchicken1]

@@ATLMike94 oh wow, nice! TY bro!!

[@bobbypaluga4346]

Is this part of a series? I like the program as long as it's kept serious avoiding the tendency to over talk as if viewers are sitting in a 1st grade class. I've always wanted to visit Heathrow tower, the action is fast and furious with just two runways nothing else like it in the world. I've been in the Boston Logan tower, as well as Denver, Phoenix and LA, Heathrow is the King however.

[@danmack3173]

DHL does carering? Neat

[@samallardyce5184]

If you have ever thought or are thinking about doing this job (aircraft cleaning) don’t for your own good it’s the worst job I have ever done high stress, long hours and extremely hard work and sometimes you have very little time to clean the plane it doesn’t matter how dirty the plane is you have to work faster and harder

[@Aviation18]

I dint realise they fuel the plane on the same side as the jet bridge, I thought it was the other way round

[@TheSamjennings]

same as the a380 it parks under the bridges

[@niksiever3135]

Left hand side: pax, crew on and off, refuelling, and cleaners. Right hand side: baggage on and off loading, high lift for PRM pax if the aircraft is on a remote stand, catering.

[@ATLMike94]

I guess it depends on how the airlines order the planes. You are correct, most planes are fueled on the right hand side, with a few exceptions like the 767.

[@JoeDFWAviation]

I flew this exact plane DUB-LHR March 7, 2015!!!!

[@LacoteCohen]

A- three, one, nine Rudolph?

[@s.kjainlalitpur2779]

Excellent video at super duper hit channel.......👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@AgnostosGnostos]

At 4:35 it is said that there is no reverse gear on the aircraft. That it is not completely true. All modern passengers aircrafts have reverse thrust which allows the aircraft to go backwards without any external help. Reverse thrust is mostly used during landing for reducing the wear of brakes and the landing length. Very useful with small runways. Reverse thrust produces a powerful stream of air which can do damage. So it is avoiding near the buildings of the airport. KZbin has many interesting videos reverse thrust of jet engines.

[@zottligerbar6034]

Wouldn't it also be a waste of fuel just to push the plane back a few metres?

[@CaptainStevenMarkovich]

Good job. Subscribed

[@s.kjainlalitpur2779]

Yea really good job

[@tariqsiddique4561]

Nice video 👍

[@Carsoniman]

Planes don’t have any drive gears, but they do have reverse thrusters that can be used to back up the plane…

[@Carsoniman]

@@FlyfarHP Yes, it rarely happens. The McNamara Terminal @ Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) was designed & built to allow planes to exit gates via thrust-reverse. I could probably count on two hands the number of times I’ve been on a plane or have seen a plane use thrust-reverse to exit a gate.

[@mrpilot5958]

There is no reverse gear on an aircraft but there is reverse thrust but the aircraft cannot reverse with that although some aircraft such as the Bombardier Dash 8q-400 can

[@shuriken5176]

You know jets do have thrust reversers

[@screaminggoat8062]

Host:there’s no reverse gear Me:Obviously they can use reverse thrust

[@jjkirbyy]

But sure if this is a joke or not aha

[@JoeCrowman]

hmmm, British propaganda!!!!

[@alexd.1091]

like a boss

[@benpenton2591]

Heathrow notice to day

[@MrEeeaddict]

haha no scots

[@SEAWEEDER1]

Erm....

[@AberdeenAviation]

i'm scottish :D

[@VirtualFlyingGrant]

This was pretty cool!

[@s.kjainlalitpur2779]

Yea it is

[@jaykey4672]

Driving under a wing 😬😣

[@alistairc2951]

JAY KEY what’s scary about that

[@jamieweir8290]

Show a real turn not just a dispatchers side go down into the small hold and offload then reload all the bags and chalk and cone all in that time. 40 mins is a gift for 100 passengers but when you have 25 mins to do a full flight, loading it not just dispatching then its harder.

[@saymichaelwibowo4045]

40 minutes??

[@ahuehuete4703]

It is a small airplane, so they can unload it, clean it and reload it faster than say an A350.

[@joshuafleming6206]

No specials ?

[@WhiteEcoFreak]

Joshua Fleming if you don't know it means basically every time they open the door have to say where they're in from how many on board and are there any pax who need special assistance i.e wheelchairs. It's quicker to say no specials, or how ever many and are they Romeo meaning they can walk with assistance yes to steps but need a lift/buggy, Seria cannot do steps and probably has a wheelchair, or Charlie cannot walk and needs to always be in a wheelchair.

[@niksiever3135]

@@WhiteEcoFreak you don’t have to say where it came from and how many on board but the rest is correct.

[@WhiteEcoFreak]

@@niksiever3135 in my airport they do cos we have many stands that can do international and domestic on same stand don't always trust your pda 100%, information does go wrong occasionally thats why its important to get confirmation from crew where its inbound from its the dispatchers airport pass at risk not the crews I've known a few dispatchers to have had accidents for various reasons.

[@HeinzJerryFretton-e5j]

Specials basically delay the flights sometimes if the Turnaround do not priorities timing

[@desmondc.2351]

“There is no reverse gear on an aircraft of course” That is a load of crap, if an airliner or cargo aircraft misses its turnoff point if they are to go at the end of the runway like the recent Thomson 757 at Skiathos, they use reverse thrust to toggle back to get back in place. That’s what we call reverse gear on an aircraft.

[@armoldmamatampons3201]

Where did you learn to fly?!

[@retrodystopian1]

You can't use reverse thrust in that position. Yes you can technically like in the examples that you mentioned, but for these guys it's just pointless. The tug is more efficient and safer.

[@faidonmagalios9639]

4:36 oh you are so wrong. Do you know what a reverser is? planes do have reverse heard but it would take longer to start all engines and clear everthing so the engines don't suck anything. But planes can reverse on their own, it's just not allowed

[@mememachine8954]

Legit, go get some friends.

[@faidonmagalios9639]

The Marshmallow Man Will do. Thanks for the advice

[@airplane4012]

Faidon M. I didn't know that!

[@faidonmagalios9639]

Ben Vaughan Yes the reverser uses reverse thrust to slow the plane down during landing. That doesn't mean that reverse thrust can't be used as a "reverse gear" for airplanes. For example, a 757 used reverse thrust in skiathos airport to make a tight turn.

[@olivier1106]

It’s reverse thrust it can reverse a plane it will not end well for the terminal it will destroy the glass😂

[@brandonfu9308]

Why does it have a red nose

[@johnfr4106]

Additional staff inside the jetbridge during movement = unsafe practice, against AHM standards.

[@niksiever3135]

It’s for BA’s affiliation with Red Nose Day. It’s a charity called Flying Start.

[@KarthikNakul]

the plane is capable of pushing itself back , but they don't prefer to use it !

[@tiernanmchugh9655]

if you are talking about the plane moving backwards using thrust reversers yes it can do that but we don't do that because of how much fuel is being burnt when there is a simple tug instead.

[@daveschwartz5893]

Tail engine aircraft you see that. DC9 was common for that but it's hard on the engines, a waste of fuel and FOD ingestion.

[@AgropolSokoowoTV]

it isn't fuel eficient and the pilot can't see backwards so it isn't safe

[@Riddim_Squid]

talk about wasting jet fuel

[@MrEeeaddict]

isn't the reason FOD ingestion?