Oct
31
SAS grounds its Q400’s again and stops operating the type.
Filed Under Air Safety, Airline | 2 Comments
David Kaminski-Morrow, Air Transport Intelligence News, October 30, 2007
Danish investigations into the Scandinavian Airlines Bombardier Q400 gear-up landing in Copenhagen at the weekend have discovered that a blockage in a retraction actuator prevented the right -hand landing-gear extending.
The finding supports initial suggestions that the 27 October event was unrelated to the two gear collapse accidents [...]
Oct
30
Treasures in far away lands
Filed Under Nostalgia | 5 Comments
Any old car buff probably has on his study wall of the vintage ‘blower’ Bentley in a remote place, covered in an old tarpaulin and chicken litter. They may even be a hen parked irreverently in the drivers seat clucking over her egg as the barn door opens splaying light across the magical scene.
This fantasy [...]
Oct
25
VMM263 LAUNCHING OFF THE WASP
Filed Under Defense | Leave a Comment
“It’s aviation Jim, but not as we know it.”
Oct
25
Singapore Exquisite
Filed Under Boeing/Airbus | Leave a Comment
Here are some interior shots of Singapore Airlines new A380.
Who knows how the economics, the weight numbers, or the practicalities will play out with regard to the service routines aboard. But for imagination and élan, Airbus and Singapore must get a high score.
If what we see is what is going to enter service the Worlds [...]
Oct
22
A glimpse of Africa
Filed Under Travel | Leave a Comment
A quick break from the rough and tumble of the aeronautical world to take a quick look at where our pressurized aluminum tubes actually take us. Everyone has their favorite places, mine are India and Africa. The Dark Continent has a mystery all of its own and if you spend too much time there, you [...]
Oct
17
Girls fly too!
Filed Under Airline, Space systems | Leave a Comment
I try and learn something from everyone I fly with, that might sound a bit worthy but in reality I probably do it for selfish reasons, life is full of surprises and you never know what might come your way if you keep your eyes open and ears pinned back. Besides, it makes the bit [...]
Oct
17
ETHIOPIA – A short story
Filed Under Human Factors | 2 Comments
Ethiopia was locked in a fruitless war with Eritrea and the harvest had failed. The country became gripped by famine and the overwhelmed Ethiopians asked for the help of the International community. Britain responded by sending us. We flew down to Africa in early December with the Band Aid tune ringing in our ears with [...]
Oct
16
C’est arrivé
Filed Under Boeing/Airbus, The aviation industry | 1 Comment
To an audible sigh of relief that must have chimed around the World, Airbus delivered the first of its ordered batch of A380s to Singapore yesterday (15th October). Operators will be watching very carefully to see how the aircraft performs in service and sinking ’sonar buoys’ to detect the level of satisfaction that emanates from [...]
Oct
9
China needs you!
Filed Under Airline, Flying Training | Leave a Comment
Recognise this picture? China is constraining the growth of it’s carriers, particularly new start-ups to take the load of f her infrastructure. A move that India must be planning if not implementing if internal pressures and dynamics allow. Both nations are desperately short of pilots. Good eh?
Chinese carriers call for private pilot training to make [...]
Oct
8
Spitfire
Filed Under Nostalgia | 5 Comments
………………………..
Ever since I was a little chap this aircraft has captivated me (and the rest of several generations). For sheer beauty it has no peer, a truth as self evident to me as the blue of the sky or the steel grey of the sea. We will never again see an engine that produces a [...]