Velvet Sky

[Surv0]

Genuine question : if they leave 15-20 minutes late, can't they make up for it in the air?

Why does 10 minutes late leaving meaning a delay on the other side?

Are there rules a pilot needs to follow?

Depending on the wind direction and weather etc, some pilots try push it a bit harder if theres a small delay. Ive left 10 minutes late and arrived 10 minutes early, but we had a serious tailwind at the time, the pilot even recorded an airspeed of close to 1000km/ph which is almost 200 above the norm. Was a very quick flight.

I think pilots have a little room to work with when it comes to speeding up the plane, doubt he can full throttle it though, but maybe if they usually fly at like 852km/ph then they could push to 900/950 maybe, i think. Although as a passenger you can only assume as the pilot just says hes gonna try make it a quick one, what ever that means.

 

[Bismuth]

Depending on the wind direction and weather etc, some pilots try push it a bit harder if theres a small delay. Ive left 10 minutes late and arrived 10 minutes early, but we had a serious tailwind at the time, the pilot even recorded an airspeed of close to 1000km/ph which is almost 200 above the norm. Was a very quick flight.

I think pilots have a little room to work with when it comes to speeding up the plane, doubt he can full throttle it though, but maybe if they usually fly at like 852km/ph then they could push to 900/950 maybe, i think. Although as a passenger you can only assume as the pilot just says hes gonna try make it a quick one, what ever that means.

Cruising speeds are governed by a number of factors, they will never fly at "full throttle", only time max throttle is used would be in emergencies/abnormal situations, and taking off (even then not really in all cases). Yes, as was stated, a tailwind does help, but not if you are delayed landing at your destination. I could spend all day explaining it.

B

 

[kat06sa]

Genuine question : if they leave 15-20 minutes late, can't they make up for it in the air?

Why does 10 minutes late leaving meaning a delay on the other side?

Are there rules a pilot needs to follow?

Yes the pilots do have rules to follow. Depending on the airline, the Standard Operating Procedures will vary. As stated above, wind does play a factor. The cruise phase is where the majority of fuel is burned. Flying faster might get you there quicker, but you will burn more fuel for a few extra minutes. So it's speed vs economy. Airlines/pilots will always try save fuel where they can, as this saves the airline money.

The specific speed at which the plane flies is calculated by the Flight Management Computer by entering a Cost Index value, which take into consideration various performance factor (winds, air temperature). The cost index has a range from 0 (most economical flight) to 200 (minimum flight time). The higher the number, the faster you fly, resulting in more fuel burn. Most airlines have a cost index from 20 - 100.

On a typical flight, the pilot will enter a standard value that is either from the airlines standard operating procedures, or a planned value given by their flight dispatch. Some airlines have exceptions when the flight is delayed, and passengers may miss their connecting flight. The pilots will enter a higher cost index value, therefore fly faster.

Hopefully this helped