reply to post by surfinguru
Based on the number of flights over the US, how many are short-hop, commuter flights NOT-consisting of the 747 (four engine) based platform?
Do you realize how much effort is needed to provide such a break-down in statistics? The most easy option is for anyone who wishes to just Google
every airline, on their websites, and look up their fleets, to see the types they operate. Or, this site (which covers every airline in the world)
also has the actual numbers too:
AirFleets.net
As for the longer haul, continental flights, how many of those are actually using the 747 type platform?
Again....in majority of cases, a 747 is best suited for the extreme long-haul...so, mostly overseas.
Now, out those flights that might be using a 747 based configuration, how many are really going to be flying criss-cross patterns all over the
US?
The routes will occasionally intersect. But, besides the 747, the other common four-engine airliners are the Airbus A340 and A380. However, even the
many, many twin-jets can leave substantial contrails, when conditions are suitable.
EVERY single plane I've ever witnessed leaving a persistent trail like the ones shown in the OP are four engine based platforms, never twin
engine planes.
I seriously doubt this.
Can anyone explain to me why these type of trails are not observed coming from any DC, MD or other 700 series type planes when they should be
the predominant plane in the air?
OK...let me see if I can decode this...."DC"? Do you mean McDonnell Douglas? Like the DC-9 and DC-10?
"MD" is also a designation for the same company, assigned to the later models, the MD-80 series (a stretch re-design of the DC-9) and the MD-11 (also
a re-design of the DC-10).
Well...first, few DC-9s and DC-10s are around anymore. Secondly, in the case of the MD-80 series, for instance (American and Delta still have a lot
of them) the engines they have installed are a low-bypass fan design. These tend to not make prominent contrails as often as the more fuel-efficient
engines that are high-bypass fan designs.
Third, the MD-11 is (like the 747) more suited for very long-haul. In the USA, FedEx and UPS are primary operators. (Delta used to, but parked or
sold them).
Keep in mind that some International airlines are allowed to overfly the USA...in their MD-11s, 747s, A340s and A380s, etc. It is covered under the
term "cabotage"...you can look that up. Essentially, they can sell a ticket from, say Sydney to New York. But, if they don't have the route
authority granted to them to operate a non-stop to New York, they can use the route from SYD to LAX, and land there. Then, continue on with any
passengers who wish to keep going...but, the International (foreign) airline cannot sell tickets for the domestic leg between LAX and New York. That
is "cabotage" in a nutshell......
edit on Wed 16 November 2011 by ProudBird because: (no reason given)