[scrlk]

The OP of that thread later went on to do a contract with Kam Air of Afghanistan, which is another good read: https://www.pprune.org/terms-endearment/662364-kam-air-expat...

A highlight:

> YA-KME for example, has a strange little thing where you’ll get an ECAM Red ENG 3 FIRE after you detent into CLB. For f*ck sake, don’t discharge the bottles, there’s no fire. It’ll shut up after 3 or 4 seconds. Again, reason unknown, everybody just kind of lives with it’s quirks now. KME is commonly referred too as “Kill Me”, as this is the aircraft with the most random issues. Brake temps breaking the charts when you start up from cold and dark in DXB for example. You’ll get used to them, and you’ll get used to which ones are “KME Normal” and KME actually trying to kill you.

[rwyinuse]

Another great read, thanks for linking!

I remember reading report from another captain, flying for Kam Air or some other Afghan airline about a decade ago. I recall his hotel got attacked by Taliban suicide bombers, but other than that the contract went fine. I guess things are calmer now out there.

[12_throw_away]

Found this part interesting:

> somehow Kam Air can keep all of their APUs operating but European carriers I've flown with will go the entire Summer season hopping about the Greek Islands with it INOP

If anyone knows: is it normal to allow dispatch without the APU? I kind of assumed it would be a required redundancy, especially on an airbus where the computers and electronics are what keeps the thing in the air ...

[jenny91]

The APU is not on during flight, so not a safety thing. It's just for providing power (and bleed air) on the ground (if there's no other power source). E.g. can't start up at airports without external power with the APU INOP.

[sterlind]

if you don't have a RAT you need the APU for emergency power if your engines fail in flight.

[addaon]

APUs have a common mode failure with main engines: lack of fuel. Are there designs out there which require emergency power after engine failure and don’t have a RAT?

[scrlk]

There was a Mentour Pilot video on the Jeju Air crash that touched upon this. With a dual engine failure on a 737, you lose both generators and fall back to the emergency batteries (no RAT). The aircraft remains flyable, but it's extremely challenging - you need an operational APU to make things a lot more manageable: https://youtu.be/9GbmGUk8Y0M?t=2001

[aivisol]

If I remember correctly it came very useful during US Airways Flight 1549 accident?

[kylehotchkiss]

I was highly impressed by KAM. Almost normal. They did a nice job depending on Dubai as a base:

[potato3732842]

I'm sure the usual suspects are pounding away at their keyboards with condemnation but after reading that but I think that's a pretty gloving review, all things considered.

[12_throw_away]

Agreed, unlike the Yemenia one, this one sounds like it's mostly professionals doing the best they can under difficult circumstances.