Those who prefer to observe aircraft in airport yards or watch videos of operations usually see traditional arrivals in which the pilot travels in a straight line over the ground, guided by beacons, to a stop position, where passengers will be dropped.
In some places, however, the configuration of the terminal stop position requires a non-linear trajectory of the aircraft. And in one of the most curious cases in the world, displacement includes a full turn of 90º (or slightly more) by the time the pilot stops.
What sparked curiosity was former Airbus A380 pilot Stefan, who published a video on his profile on Twitter showing the Lufthansa Airbus A321’s arrival at Frankfurt Airport, Germany in position A01:
fitting a #A321 at position A01 @Airport_FRA It’s always fun to watch as it would require asymmetric thrust, differential braking and a full steering angle of nose gear!👍🏼 #Avageek pic.twitter.com/k5WcUqV17B
— Stephen, ️ ️✈️ (@SteffenA380) 10 June 2022
As described by the pilot, the maneuver required the use of asymmetric thrust (the left engine at greater power than the right engine), differential braking (greater brake pressure on the right wheel than on the left), and the full steering angle of the train. it occurs. Drop the nose
The maneuver is a common practice for most commercial aircraft, however, the “fit” of the aircraft required at the end of the apron is noteworthy.
For a better idea of where the location is, the two images available below show a satellite view of this position A01 at a German airport. Note that the edge position, B10 (see the marking on the yard beside the lines), also requires the curious stopping maneuver.
