A 380

A 380

JFK International Airport is divided between what is called landside and airside. To be allowed the privilege to drive airside, one takes training classes and one must have a security clearance. We went airside to Hangar 19 to see the new, large Group 6 aircraft, the A 380.

The plane is impressive because of its size. The wingspan is close to 300 feet. It takes 81,000 gallons of fuel that is more correctly described as taking on 100,000 tons of fuel. Can you imagine that? The front wheels of the aircraft landing gear have to be placed on a special tow vehicle so it can be towed from the ramp to the taxiway. On other aircraft, this is done with a tow bar that is simply hooked to it.

While driving airside you monitor the control tower. We knew that the plane was going to take off today, March 20, 2007 and went to see that event. The commands from the tower were to, "Lufthansa Super". The A 380 lumbered down the taxiway behind an American Airlines Boeing 767 - 300. Its wings seem very sensitive as you can see them rock a bit. The tower gave the 767 the option of taking off ahead or behind the A 380 and he chose to take off first. They taxied to runway 13 left which is the longest at JFK - 14,456 feet I think. The 767 took off as normal using about half the length of the runway. The A 380 waited its turn. I wondered how much fuel his Rolls Royce engines used while sitting at the end of the runway. The normal airside activities essentially came to an unofficial halt as many, many people watched. Operations sent two vehicles down the runway to scare off any birds and to ensure there was no debris that might get caught in the engines. The A 380 took off very easily at approximately 11:30 AM, using about 2/3 of the runway before lift.

We were drawn to this event. Ayn Rand observed the Apollo 11 launch on July 16, 1969. She described the significance as philosophical, specifically, moral-epistemological. Paraphrasing her thoughts and words to the A 380 rising:

“What we had seen was an abstraction made into reality. Engines unleashed energy that was controlled by man, ruled by his power to serve his purpose, i.e., causing a craft to rise. This was not a whim of nature, chance or luck. It was grandeur. Man’s purpose and a long sustained effort was succeeding!

We had a demonstration of man at his best. This was the cause of the attraction. No one could doubt the achievement of man, an achievement of reason, logic, mathematics, and of total dedication. The A 380 enacted a story of audacious spirit, purpose, execution, triumph and the means to achieve it. This is the story of man’s highest potential.”