Here is a complaint letter actually sent to Sir Richard Branson, - already considered by many to be the world's funniest ever passenger complaint letter:

Dear Mr Branson

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at thehands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it... (Here, the unfortunate passenger shows an attached image).

I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert?

You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in?

I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge sh...

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Posted by Susan C. Friedenberg

There are no regulations in place with the FAA for Part 91 (Private Aircraft) or Part 135 Operations, (Charter/Air-Taxi) requiring an emergency trained flight attendant on any business jet with 19 or fewer seats. We all are aware of the Montrose crash and the Teterboro accident where the “acting” flight attendants were not trained. I think it is apparent from the previous Blogs that I have written where I stand as a professional on this. How can you not have a trained person in the back?

So, for the sake of this Blog, lets say that the FAA fairy enacts a Federal Air Regulation stating that all people in the back of a corporate jet must be egress and first aid trained once a year. Now, what do you look for in a business aviation flight attendant on your company jet?

Every corporate flight department has a distinct personality and a corporate culture reflective of that company and the CEO. Every person in life has a personality and when we go to work for anyone in any industry, the “fit” must be a fairly good one. I would have to say that it is a tad different in our industry. The “fit” must be glove/shoe like.

As a professional corporate flight attendant, we work within feet of the CEO, and we hear and see everything. It is imperative that the person that you choose as your corporate flight attendant be someone that you as a CEO feel comfortable with when using the aircraft. She/he must be detail oriented, discreet, savvy, be a chameleon when you are working or holding a meeting on the aircraft, reflect the business image and culture of your company and be cognizant of all of the particulars of your corporate and personal family.

They should create a passenger profile form with details from any medical issues that you have, food allergies/restrictions/preferences, lavatory amenities, a well stocked non perishable food pantry per your specific preferences, aircraft office stock that is needed for you to work on the aircraft and a thorough un...

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By Susannah Palk for CNN

Need to get your superyacht from the crystal-blue waters of the Caribbean to the glamorous Mediterranean in a hurry? Not a problem when your luxury vessel transforms into a sleek jetplane at the click of a button.

That's exactly what Yelken Octuri's "Flying Yacht" design would do if built. Octuri, a French cabin designer for Airbus, has combined his knowledge of aircraft design with his love of the seas to create the outlandish concept yacht.

Although currently rooted in the realm of science fiction, the "superyacht with wings" has garnered much attention, with Octuri's designs recently exhibited at Paris' Air and Space Museum.

It's just one of a number of futuristic concepts by the designer, who aims to push the boundaries of aviation design.

He told CNN: "My approach when I started was not really to make something feasible. The main idea was to generate innovative concepts.

"For me it was just a fantasy project. Most of the futuristic aircraft concepts out there are all the same. I wanted to avoid that and create something original -- to inspire new ideas."

But Octuri's ideas might not be as far-fetched as they seem: A number of engineers and aircraft designers have approached Ocuri to talk about realizing his concept. "The feedback I've been getting tells me, with more thinking, this project could be made. Of course it is a very specialist market. Maybe some parts will need to be reworked to consider the aerodynamics and structure, etcetera, but it could work," he told CNN.

According to Octuri, the 46-meter "Flying Yacht" transforms from superyacht to glamorous jetplane thanks to its mobile masts.

When on the water the four masts, each reaching a height of 40-meters, can be individually oriented through a double-jack system -- ensuring optimal positioning regardless of wind direction.

When it's time to take off, the masts are lowered to become horizontal wings. Sails are stored in compartments located i...

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Not an easy task, requiring a lot of humility. Was it not Wilbur Wright, who recognized, in a speech to the Aero-club of France, on the 5th of November 1908:

“I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for fifty years. . . . Ever since, I have distrusted myself and avoided all predictions.”

OK, let us be brave.

And let us first (and again) return back to Icarus, who lost his life, attempting to fly away from Crete where he was jailed by king Minos, using wings made by his father and genius craftsman Daedalus (the very one who had designed the labyrinth). The first escape by the air, the first (mythological) flight of all, and a complete failure: We all know the story, the son flew too close to the sun (not listening to his father, nothing new here), and the wax that assured the brilliantly engineered wing integrity melted, resulting in the first aerial crash of the history of humanity, fictive or real.

Well, better knowing the sun has changed quite a few things, since that ancient time. A month ago, precisely on the 8th of July at 7.00 Zulu time, an experimental aircraft flown by pilot André Borschberg, exclusively drawing its power from the sun (now an ally), touched down in Switzerland where it had taken off twenty-six hours and nine minutes before, reaching an altitude of 28,000 feet. A day and a night. Would it not have been for pilot exhaustion, the flight could actually have continued, as the morning sun was starting to reload the batteries of the plane. An extraordinary event, which probably did not get all the attention that it deserved. As a matter of fact, “We are at the verge of perpetual flight,” said Bertrand Piccard, the co-founder of the project.

And what about the extraordinary (fuel efficient) fantasy plane showcased at the Farnborough International Air show by Airbus? Imagine a “transparent” aircraft featuring virtual decors. The aircraft itself is great looking: A lightweight body with slim wings and a U-shaped tail,...

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By Graham Dunn

With the end of a renewal phase in sight, EgyptAir Group chairman and chief executive Hussein Massoud is turning the focus onto capitalising on its key geographic advantage.

For EgyptAir the pieces of the jigsaw are coming together. There is group profitability, Star Alliance membership, a new dedicated terminal at its Cairo base and investment in new aircraft, bringing its fleet and onboard product bang up to date. Indeed, by the time IATA's annual general meeting rolls into Cairo next summer, itself another sign of EgyptAir's growing presence on the global stage, the carrier will have all but renewed its fleet.

Yet this is just the start. Current fleet plans largely focus on renewal, but growth is on the long-term horizon. "EgyptAir has to be bigger," says Hussein Massoud, chief executive and chairman of EgyptAir's holding company. "We have ambitious plans from 2014 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2025. These will be decided by the end of the year, but I think it will be a very ambitious plan. The key opportunity for us is that we will enlarge our network, either by adding new destinations or by increasing frequencies. We have a special chance concerning Africa. I think we have a good product, with more cause for customer satisfaction."

Like the country itself, EgyptAir has a long history. The airline dates back nearly 80 years. But it is the transformation begun in the first half of the last decade that has laid the foundations for today's strategy. This created a holding structure in which the airline is the largest of nine subsidiaries, and a change in ethos to focus more on business traffic. The airline was previously built around leisure and ethnic traffic, reflecting the dynamic tourism and population of Egypt. Its network was revamped, fleet modernisation initiated with Airbus A330-200s and a path began that ultimately led to alliance membership. By October 2007 EgyptAir was Star Alliance bound and just nine months later it formally joined. It has since emerged...

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When you’re stuck in an airport with time on your hands and surrounded by temptations, it’s easy to chip away at your travel budget without even noticing.

There’s also the habit of treating foreign currency like Monopoly money – almost as if it doesn’t count when it’s not in your native tender.

Gratefully for those of us bereft of will power, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is distinctly lacking in anything to spend money on. Besides a fairly standard selection of eating and drinking venues – including a French McDonalds (expect mayonnaise with your fries) – and shops, you will struggle to find anything worth spending money on.

There are also Internet facilities, though unless you have your own laptop or web-enabled mobile and are able to connect wirelessly, you will have to stump up the cash to use the airport’s computers.

Indeed, if you’re stuck at Charles de Gaulle airport for a sustained length of time, but not enough to risk heading into the city, your best option may well be to get your head down for some sleep ahead of your flight.

Unfortunately, reports across the Internet from regular fliers suggest that Charles de Gaulle is far from the most amenable for getting some shut-eye. Reviews indicate a lack of comfortable seating areas, whilst staff are habitually rude and unhelpful. Furthermore, the airport suffers from the presence of a large number of homeless people who use the facilities for shelter, and who hassle airport passengers for money.

With this in mind, you may well want to consider booking into a room at a nearby budget hotel. Using an airport hotel can be a great way of passing the time, allowing you to either get some sleep, watch some TV or get on with some work, in the peace and quiet of a hotel room. And happily, if you’re intent on saving money, there’s a cheap hotel near Charles de Gaulle that will suit you down to the ground.

The 1-star Premier...

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“AVIATION ITSELF IS NOT INHERTENLY DANGEROUS. BUT TO AN EVEN GREATER DEGREE THAN THE SEA, IT IS TERRIBLY UNFORGIVING OF ANY CARELESSNESS, INCAPACITY OR NEGLECT. “

The plaque that hangs on the wall in my boss’s office is a constant reminder to me that I have a big responsibility in this industry to fulfill each day. Yes, this is a billion dollar industry and an awesome place to meet people and make great acquaintances.

My friends when they find I’m involved in the aerospace industry tend to stand in awe of me. Yet, they never realize how big our responsibility is, or how much we strive to give the best. When it comes to being in charge of thousands of lives, I tend to give it my utmost attention. Those involved in the aviation industry will concur that they feel sad when they hear of disaster, sabotage, forgery or fraud of some sort along this line .

What is it that makes us take extra care or caution for this task at hand? Whether a pilot, airline, ground crew, aviation authority, parts supplier, repair shop or broker, we are all in this together, trying our level best to give the service deemed necessary for this industry in order to ensure the safety of the people.

There are many tedious things we do daily concerning the aviation market; hence making us strive to be extra careful as well. We need to be confident that whether it’s behind a cockpit or desk, our focus is to maintain the professionalism of this industry.

So in short, our goal is ensure this industry will keep on growing, while benefiting the many travelers while we do the unseen work, behind the scenes to ensure they have a safe flight.

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By Max Kingsley-Jones, flightglobal.com

Airbus believes that the consolidation under way among the US major airlines will reinforce the case for the A380 in the region. The airframer forecasts that the merged United Airlines/Continental Airlines entity could need a fleet of up to 20 of the ultra-large airliners for its dense long-haul routes.

Flightglobal's ACAS database records just 45 passenger 747s in service with North American airlines, and unsurprisingly Airbus does not see the region as being a major A380 market. It predicts just 5% of the 1,318 very large airliners forecast for delivery over the next 20 years will go to airlines in the region, or a total of 64 aircraft. This compares with more than 700 aircraft expected to be needed by Asia-Pacific airlines, or 55% of the entire market.

Will United replace their 747s with A380s?

Two US carriers have large 747-400 fleets - Delta Air Lines and United, the former having inherited a fleet of 15 through its takeover of Northwest Airlines. The latter, which operates 25 747-400s, is in the midst of a planned merger with fellow US major Continental. Airbus's head of A380 marketing Richard Carcaillet says that the market for the A380 in the USA is "at the big gateways". Airbus lists three US cities in its forecast for the top 20 very large aircraft hubs over the next 20 years - Los Angeles, New York Kennedy and San Francisco, which it ranks as 14th, 19th and 20th, respectively.

Carcaillet says that "the case is there [to sell A380s to a US carrier], especially now with United and Continental merging, they could use anywhere between 10 and 20 A380s together - especially on transpacific services".

Carcaillet adds that Delta could also use the A380 across the Pacific primarily, but also on New York-London services: "The airlines always say, 'no, no, we want frequency', but what will happen in 10 years time? If, for example, you have seven frequencies a day now, will you have 14 then? Where will you get the slots fro...

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By Jon Ostrower,,flightglobal.com

Boeing's 787's flight-test programme is nearing its most gruelling phase with a forthcoming visit to remote airfields in the south-west USA to sharpen the edges of its operating envelope.

The lead flight-test aircraft ZA001 will shortly position to Edwards AFB in California for take-off and landing validation and certification testing, which includes velocity minimum unstick trials that will see the rear fuselage deliberately scraped along the runway to establishing minimum flying speeds.

It will then go to Roswell, New Mexico for aerodynamic braking certification, to test the strength and effectiveness of its stopping ability in the event of a rejected take-off at maximum weight.

"Just like any certification programme, you start it up, you have to go define the performance. We've done all the testing that we need to do. We do all the safety, all the fundamental testing, we've done all that and now it's our job to go out and take the airplane and find every ounce, every inch of performance," says 787 chief pilot Mike Carriker.

By early August, Boeing had completed more than 1,418h of flight-testing over more than 450 flights, including 1,300h of 2,430h planned for the four Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered aircraft.

ZA001 has completed low-speed aerodynamic validation and certification testing, while ZA002 has been on remote hot weather testing at Sacramento Mather airport in California and Yuma, Arizona.

After ZA003's return from Farnborough, the aircraft was used, along with further interior testing, for validation and certification of the Boeing check-pilot training course. ZA004, based in Victorville, California, has been continuing its flight loads survey, validating the loading assumptions Boeing made during windtunnel testing, while late July brought handling testing in limit winds for ZA005 - the first of two General Electric GEnx-1B powered 787 test aircraft.

Programme sources say the maiden flight of the s...

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By Graham Dunn, Flightglobal.com

As a barometer for the health of the airline industry, this year's Farnborough Air Show provided a further welcome shot in the arm. Hot on the heels of fast-improving passenger traffic, Airbus and Boeing racked up more than $50 billion in sales during Farnborough. ATR and Embraer also enjoyed a productive week, while there were orders for the Superjet 100, Antonov An-158 and MS-21 programmes.

The aircraft lessors were busiest, disclosing over 300 orders when RBS Aviation Capital's commitment for 95 Airbus/Boeing narrowbodies is included. This was in part driven by the return of the biggest name in the aircraft leasing business, Steven Udvar-Hazy. His new venture, Air Lease, placed orders for 125 aircraft across four different manufacturers as it aims to build a 200-strong portfolio within three years. GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) meanwhile disclosed follow-on orders for another 60 A320s and 40 Boeing 737-800s during the show.

These orders serve as a reminder to the long-term strength of the industry. Deliveries in some cases will begin almost immediately, but for the most part these orders are about the medium to long-term picture. RBS Aviation Capital chief executive Barrett explains it wants to be ready as customers are reporting improving trends: "The recovery has started and we are seeing encouraging yields and load factors from airlines." Similarly, pointing to IATA's upwardly revised profits forecast, Air Lease chief executive officer - Hazy's fellow ex-ILFC executive John Plueger - says the lessor is capturing the market place at just the right time.

"People are looking to put cash into jetliner financing, which is certainly good news after a serious credit crunch that left this industry dangerously dependent on government support," says Teal Group's vice-president analysis, Richard Aboulafia. "Bankers are getting cash at low interest rates, jet leasing has typically been a rather profitable business, and there are few other go...

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“Excuse me,” the man stood politely and waited for the woman to move, while placing his carry on behind him. The intended, a lady wearing a casual blue cashmere sweater and pants, didn’t hear him. She continued to admire the perfume display.

“Excuse me,” this time it sounded impatient. Turning, the lady was shocked that she was in his way. Smiling apologetically, she moved an inch in the already crowded boarding area in the airport while the man struggled with his carry on.

Anyone who had nothing better to do or who was travelling alone would actually appreciate a small distraction as such, enabling them to crack a smile. Long flights can easily make the mind dull. The woman in the blue sweater would probably be wondering if that man was going to be sitting next to her. Anything can happen during a travel route.

The traveler who has nothing better to do other than sit and watch the activity after exhausting fingers on cell phones or laptops, could very well let their imagination run. Of course now that everyone was in the boarding area, or the-restless-area as some might call it, knows there is nothing much to do but to keep an ear open for the announcements, sit back, watch and wait. Then eventually they’d tilt their head one way or frown because sometimes the announcer just gives the impression he or she has no energy left to give cheerful time schedules for departing flights.

However, it is a different story if these lonesome travelers were outside the boarding gates, because walking and ogling at electronic displays, clothes or perfumes would be the best option. At least that gave their arms and legs some exercise.

The seasoned traveler has been trained to do just this; when they get their baggage out of the way (checked-in), they look for a place to eat or drink. Some would prefer to lounge nearer to the boarding gates; others will continue conversations on their cell. Travelling in a group would of course be fun, and you’d never get the hurried glances or b...

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It is a quiet night, lit by a half- moon and millions of stars above. Nico is flying the A-332, which left Nice some 6 hours ago (having been in the air for some 18 hours on the last 24 hours, one of the world’s highest utilization rates), and he is now preparing his “heavy” for its final approach to DXB (Dubai airport, third largest airport in the world after London Heathrow and Frankfurt) on runway 30. Check list is completed, runway smoothly hurries closer and larger. Touch down.

In one hour, Nico will be back to his flat, supplied at no cost by his employer, carried there by a private taxi. One hour later, the aircraft he flew will leave for another of the 100 cities that Emirates serves in more than 60 countries.

In a few days, he will get his pay, free of any income tax.

Nico is happy. Of course, it is damn hot and humid, but in a couple of months, it will be the best place to be in the world. That is, he hates the rain and the cold…

While he sleeps, the company will keep on making money, too: Started 25 years ago, with $10m and a couple of leased aircraft (one B-737 and one A-300), it has been profitable every year (except one) and doubled its size every thee-and-a-half years.

Owned by the Dubai Sovereign Fund, Emirates has actually become one of the world’s most powerful airlines, with 204 wide-body aircraft worth more than $67 billion (including the 30 B-777-30ER's just ordered at Farnborough, added to the 71 previously ordered, making it the largest operator of 777’s). Not to mention the 50 A-380's under production for them. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum can be proud. He actually is (last year, described as “the toughest,” his company cashed almost $1 billion profit, when Air France-KLM lost 1.56 billion). Nico is too, by the way.

Here are the driving facts:

Passenger numbers went up by 21%. Seat load factors improved up to 78%. Cargo contributed close to 20% of the revenue (the highest share in the industry). By 2020 Emirates foresees a f...

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By Kevin O’Toole, Flightglobal.com

China’s airline fleet is on course to hit more than 5,500 aircraft over the next 20 years according to early findings from a new fleet forecast being developed by Flightglobal in association with marketing practice Achieving the Difference.

China is already closing on the USA as the world’s largest market for new aircraft, with its airlines currently holding orders for some 728 mainline and regional aircraft, equivalent to 9% of the world backlog. The US carriers currently hold some 11% of the backlog, also in line with the collective share held by carriers within the European Union, according to latest data from Flightglobal’s ACAS fleet database. The new Flightglobal forecast suggests that the fleet of aircraft in China will continue to run at around 7% annually over the next 20 years, building to around 1 million seats.

The projections, which were being unveiled for the first time at Farnborough, represent an early output from the Flightglobal commercial fleet forecast project. This is being carried out as a partnership between Flightglobal’s Insight research team, with its unrivalled access to aviation market data, and Achieving the Difference's Clive Lewis an market expert with decades of forecasting experience within the commercial aerospace sector. The UK’s Bristol Business School, a leader in market modelling, has also provided support to ensure a robust methodology, based around key economic indicators and industry trends. The aim of the forecast is to offer an independent view of fleet development within the world’s main regions to seat category and model level.

For additional details about the forecast and its commercial release please e-mail: insight@flightglobal.com

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It was raining cats and dogs.

That was Bastille Day, celebrated Wednesday in Paris.

I said raining? Yes it was … except during the air show! At that very moment, the clouds opened and a timid but actual sunshine painted a gray-pink window into the theatrically darkened sky, as unreal as was the storming arrow shape of nine Alphajets from Patrouille de France, bursting over the Champs-Elysées while tracing the national flag above. Gorgeous.

The oldest regular military parade in the World, the Bastille Day parade was instituted in 1880, on the day that the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille, the famous fortress-prison of Paris. That day marked the beginning of the French revolution. Actually, over 50 U.S. cities conduct annual celebrations of the 14th of July!

So many aircraft over Paris, and the sky is holding. The air refueling group is now passing over, the very tanker being offered to the U.S. Pentagon, in fierce competition with the Boeing proposal. A mother goose with her babies, three French Rafales and two Italian EF2000s.

And so many other military aircraft assembled here from all Europe: France, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Belgium, and Germany.

The show ended with the French Air Force School, five Xingus, 3 Grob 120s, two TB 30s, you know, the kind that we fly, piston engines, the good old ones. So deliciously slow, taking their time, quietly eating up the avenue where the ground forces were starting to parade. Inspiring.

And the rain poured again. Strong as ever.

Ooops, we forgot the helicopters. Here they arrive, tiny points hanging just under the clouds, shy dancing girls hidden by the stormy waterfall. Brave little ones. But nobody looks above anymore: There is an army of umbrellas to mobilize!

OK, here are the lessons (there have to be):

1. It is impossible to stop a French (even a half-French) from speaking of the Bastille Day on a 14th of July (even if some of his ancestors, well half of the...

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Glenn Martin, Inventor of the Martin Jetpack and managing director of Martin Aircraft Company, has devoted almost 30 years to R&D on the Martin Jetpack.

Glenn and an impressive group of avionic, technical, design and production experts at Martin Aircraft Company have created a jetpack that flies 100 times longer than its predecessor, the Bell Rocket Belt.

The Martin Jetpack allows 30 minute flight times thanks to its carbon fibre structure and carbon/kevlar rotor.

About Martin Aircraft Company Limited The Jetpack has been a major goal of the aerospace industry for over fifty years, this goal has been achieved by Martin Aircraft Company, an innovative New Zealand company.

In 1981 Glenn Martin developed a jetpack concept. Glenn's jetpack engineering project was verified by the University of Canterbury, Mechanical Engineering Department, New Zealand.

In 1998 the company was founded with the specific goal to research and develop a jetpack that could fly 100 times longer than the Bell Rocket Bell (26 seconds).

A team of innovative engineers committed to producing design solutions for prototype development was recruited.The project captured the interest and commitment of New Zealand's Top Venture Capital Company. No 8 Ventures... in 2003.

A Board of Directors was appointed in 2004 consisting of Jenny Morel, Richard Lauder and Glenn Martin. Tony Marks joined the board in 2006 and Anthony Romano in late 2008.

In 2005, Prototype 9 achieved sustained flight times, laying the foundation for a viable and successful pre-production prototype to be developed. In 2008 the Martin Jetpack was launched.

Source : Martin Jetpack

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On June 15, 2010, marquis Jacques de Saint-Phalle died, one of the last survivors of famous fighter squadron “Normandie-Niemen”.

This reminded me that a few months before, precisely on the 2nd of March, I had met his friend fighter pilot and air ace Roland de La Poype, aged 90, at a State dinner given in Palais de l’Elysée by French president Sarkozy and charming wife Carla. Seated on his right, I could not believe my chance to have a chat with the air ace who had totalized 16 proven victories against German Luftwaffe, during the 2nd World War.

I forgot to say: Between ourselves was positioned a beautiful young lady.

Suddenly, Roland brings his mouth closer to her delicate ear, and whispers (that is, he believes he whispers, but actually says pretty loud): “Are you married, my dear?” The lady chuckles, then points with her hand a gentleman who is located a few chairs away: “hum, yes - he is right there, so sorry…” “No worries, Madame”, shoots back the veteran, “it does not bother me!”

What an extraordinary destiny these great aviators met in the sky, high above the freezing vastness of Russia at war! Originally named ‘Normandie” and commanded by Jean Tuslane, the squadron fought three campaigns in the Soviet Union, as part of the Russian air force, between March 1943 and May 1945. The squadron destroyed 273 enemy aircraft, flying the famous Yakovlev fighter, sometimes compared to the British Spitfire, - actually the best aircraft on the east side of the conflict. Powered by an over designed engine (1650hp), a Yak 3 could easily out-maneuver any Messerschmitt 109, then destroy it with two 12.7 mm machine guns and a 20 mm cannon firing through the nose.

Notable for being one of only two fighter units from the allied West to be engaged on the Eastern front during WW2 (the other one being British Wing 151 of the RAF), the squadron received many orders, citations and decorations from both France and the Soviet Union. Stalin himself renamed it “Normandie-Niemen” for its...

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http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/2010/06/26/earning-your-wings-and-a-taste-of-the-divine/#more-361

It all started with one man, Icarius. And a dream. Ascend the wild blue, eternal home of the ancient gods. Remember: there was the Olymp, high above our heads, hidden from our mortal eyes by a vast collection of budding CB’s. And an admirable squadron of gods and goddesses, led by wise bearded Zeus. Guess what, they were freely flying the skies at all times, sometimes landing for short visits to the ground, that is to us males and females (guess the reason…). Enough, decided Icarius, inspired by a burning curiosity, to visit the divine, and why not, become a member of the association.

Alas, sunny Zeus ended his short career, melting off his wings: The guy was not type-rated…

That was not the end.

The angels came, with a new wing design, more naturally integrated to their structural body. Reminding us that flying is the final art of reaching a divine feeling: Ascend the one and only place that combines purity, freedom and elevation, the Wild Blue. Watch the earth from above, quietly and smoothly ride the clouds, invisible to the humans grounded under, yet not superior, simply clear from their mortal (small) worries and pains. Be grand. And proud.

Who does not remember his first solo flight? None. The day that, fully in command, a new angel is born. The initial apprehension, shortly killed by the need to concentrate, the rapidly built up confidence and the intoxicating final hilarity immediately after your first touch down.

None expressed the feeling better than Walter J. Boyne and Steven L. Thompson in their magnificent book, “The Wild Blue”:

“The second touchdown was average. He bounced the third one and had to use power to recover, landing far down the field in a series of jolting bumps. And then, suddenly, it was over.

Sobered and trembling slightly, partly from relief, partly from joy, and partly from fear of what Dendy would say about the las...

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Airbus said A320 family aircraft recently passed the 50-million-flight milestone and have carried 5 billion passengers since entering commercial service in 1988.

"One of our A320 family aircraft takes off every six seconds somewhere around the world," COO-Customers John Leahy noted, adding that the manufacturer is "investing at least €100 million [$122.7 million] a year in the A320 family" to improve its efficiency and extend the program's life "for decades to come."

Incredibly, the then-fledgling A320 was the stumbling block for a failed merger attempt between Airbus and McDonnell Douglas in 1989, with the US manufacturer insisting that any new single-aisle aircraft resulting from the merger be based on the MD-80/-90 line. Airbus dismissed the notion, saying that the MD-80/-90 was "old technology."

It had delivered about 70 A320s of the several hundred on order at the time and wanted McDonnell Douglas to build A320s for US airlines. Airbus has now sold 6,500 A320s in just over 25 years, almost twice the number of all the commercial jets built at McDonnell Douglas's Long Beach factory from 1956 to 2006.

The first member of the A320 family, the A320, was launched in March 1984, first flew on Feb. 22, 1987, and was first delivered in 1988. The aircraft now can be seen in the colors of some 250 different airlines and 60 other customers and there are 10 operators with more than 100 in their fleets.

By courtesy of ATW.

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The sky was as blue as it could have been on these three days in Cannes. Well, that is truly the established merit of the climate of the Cote d’Azur, to be wildly blue at its best. And this time not for the Film Festival and shining actors and actresses, but for the now famous air show and glittering flying machines.

From June 4th until 6th, the 4th Cannes International General Aviation Exhibition (Eur-Avia) took place at Cannes-Mandelieu International Airport, bringing together the main players in general aviation, so that to offer a highly demanding clientele the latest industrial novelties and innovations able to fly the wild blue.

Of course, this was not Oshkosh. Still some 150 different aircraft were displayed, and as much as 300 companies were represented, showing a slight increase compared to 2009, this in the middle of the crisis which affects the aviation industry, making Eur-Avia a real exception. The fact is here, small Eur-Avia does remain the larger show in South Europe for general aviation.

Mainly intended for owners, pilots, enthusiasts and professionals in the general aviation field, coming from all over Europe (a large number flying their own aircraft), the 2010 vintage provided 8000 visitors with exciting machines, such as :

Piaggio with their extraordinary Avanti II, shown for the first time in France. Imagine an aircraft with a large cabin (close to the one offered by a Falcon 50), flying at 400 knots with a supremely low consumption. Embraer with both Phenom 100 and 300, so much ahead, real leaders. Cessna with a Citation C-510 Mustang, the very first VLJ to have been certified. Pilatus with their monoturboprop PC-12 New generation. And a basket full of lighter stars, the re-birth of the DR400 built by Finch, the latest ULM’s produced by Finesse max, Silvair or VL-3. Look at the Virus: A 300 kgs load capacity, landing on 200 mtrs, 860 nm at 147 knots. On the 5th, at 09.30 ZT the “Patrouille de France” (well known French Air force demonstration team) ...

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Airlines in Germany will require nearly 1,150 new passenger aircraft above 100 seats and freighters over the next 20 years, according to the latest Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF). These new aircraft will include some 780 short-haul single-aisle aircraft, more than 280 twin-aisle medium to long-range wide-body aircraft, and around 90 very large aircraft such as the A380. These new aircraft are valued at approximately US$ 144 billion at today’s list prices. The main drivers for this investment are the growing demand for air travel and the benefits that can be derived by operating the most modern and eco-efficient fleets. As a result, Germany’s aircraft fleet is expected to more than double, growing from over 500 aircraft (of more than 100 seats) in operation at the beginning of 2009 to more than 1,200 by 2028.

“In terms of new passenger aircraft deliveries, Germany will rank third in the world,” said John Leahy COO Customers, Airbus. “Furthermore, Germany’s leading position as a gateway for the world’s air travelers will be further enhanced especially with Lufthansa’s A380s now joining the fleet.”

Germany’s air travel has achieved 34% growth from 2000 to 2009 despite two of the worst downturns in aviation history. The main growth drivers have been the recovering international traffic from Germany to the Middle East (+180%), emerging markets in China (+117%) and India (+131%), as well as the more traditional markets of North America (+28%) and Asia (+20%). Furthermore, the Airbus GMF predicts that over the next 20 years Western Europe is expected to show an average annual growth rate of 4.4%. Routes to the Middle East (+5.5%), the CIS (+6.0%), Central Europe (+6.7%) and Asia (+4.6%) will be the most important levers for growth. Germany’s strong and growing demand for air travel is based on its continued economic development, growing tourism, the emergence of low-cost-carriers and the country’s position as a major air transportation gateway.

Six German operators (Air Berlin/LTU, Condo...

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Unbelievable but true: An airline which did not exist twenty-five years ago, has just confirmed the largest order ever passed for the new Airbus 380: 32 superjumbos, bringing in one dashfull signature the (present) overall number of such aircraft to.... 90!

Just to give an idea, Quantas have ordered 20, Singapore Airlines 19 and Lufthansa 15. Air France and British Airways are behind with 12.

Emirates represent for Airbus 40% of their orders for the A-380 (234 aircraft in total). The contract value could reach 11.5 billion US$.

As joyfully teased the president of Emirates Cheik Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, "we are not only starting a collection here". Good to know, the new fleet will significantly contribute to the growth of his enviably healthy company.

So what is the secrete of Emirates? Simple: Operating costs are some 30% lower than other (European) majors, cost of fuel is 20% less, parking is lower by 25%, and labour is ...48% under!

Also financial costs are better controlled, as Emirates partly finance purchase thru export credits negociated with banks localized in the producing countries.

And the Euro went down...

The European majors may worry. Their short-haul network is threatened by low costs such as easyJet and Ryanair, and their long haul connections by companies which are all located in the Gulf region.

And here comes the real issue: Over capacity of the global worldwide airline market, a real concern which IATA just underlined: "The volume of seats proposed by Emirates may on mid-term endanger the financial health of the European airlines".

Time to react...

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IATA Director General & CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, announced over the weekend that it is “finally time for some cautious optimism” for the recovery of the aviation industry. But that optimism has not yet converted into significant new aircraft orders.

For the year to the end of May-2010, Airbus delivered 206 aircraft, against 73 net aircraft orders (81 gross, excluding cancellations). Boeing has seen more of a recovery than its European rival, with 111 net orders (139 gross) in the same period and 179 deliveries.

The manufacturers have delivered 385 aircraft between them in the first five months of the year, against net orders of 184 aircraft: a deliveries to orders ratio of 2.1 to 1.

At the beginning of 2009, both manufacturers confirmed they did not expect orders to recover enough to outweigh deliveries this year. But, with airlines noting a better-than-expected recovery in traffic, the manufacturers have announced plans to increase output, particularly their strong-selling narrowbodies.

Of Boeing’s 139 gross orders this year, 76 have been for the narrowbody B737, with 38 B777 orders and 25 B787s. While the B777 and B787 have suffered from continued cancellations (seven and 16 respectively this year), the B737 has gotten off comparatively lightly, with just five cancellations.

Airbus reported 25 A350 orders (all from United Airlines) and a mix of A330 orders in the first half, as well as 28 A320 narrowbody orders. With the delays to the B787, the twin engine A330 and B777 widebodies have seen strong ordering.

Airbus continues to escape the cancellation concerns that have hit Boeing. The European company reported another four cancellations in May-2010, but has only lost eight orders this year. In comparison, Boeing has suffered the loss of 28 orders, 23 of them widebodies.

The A380 has had a barren six months, with no orders reported, but Airbus reports that order discussions on the aircraft have “picked up markedly”. Airbus is slowly increasing outpu...

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Shareholder dividends, no new fleet orders and setting up a base at a major European airport? What does Ryanair think it is these days, a legacy carrier?

Last week’s announcement by the Irish low-cost giant that it will start its 42nd base in September from Barcelona’s El Prat airport will give Vueling’s shareholders (including Iberia) and Spanair (now independent and fighting to carve out its own personal identity) something to think about. Since the opening of the splendid new terminal, Barcelona’s more than adequate old terminal has felt a bit empty with easyJet and other LCCs almost swamped by the facility.

Ryanair’s decision to base five aircraft there and operate 135 weekly departures across 20 routes will, at a stroke, make it the airport’s fifth biggest carrier (in terms of flights and seats) after Vueling, Spanair, Iberia and easyJet.

Iberia’s influence has fallen significantly during the last decade

Back in 2000, Iberia and its regional partner Air Nostrum accounted for just over half of all the 19.5 million passengers passing through Barcelona’s main airport. Spanair had just over 8% of the market, Air Europa 6% and easyJet just over 2%.

In just nine years, the picture has changed dramatically. Air Europa, easyJet and Spanair have all grown their market share while independent low-cost airline Vueling arrived in 2004, followed by Iberia-supported clickair in 2006. Now clickair and Vueling have merged to form the new Iberia-supported Vueling. However, even combining last year’s figures for clickair and Vueling shows that Iberia’s share of passenger traffic at the airport is around 34%, down one-third from the 51% of 2000.

Half of Ryanair’s new routes (and 60% of capacity) will be on domestic flights: Ryanair’s 20 planned routes from the airport consist of 10 domestic routes and 10 international routes; four to Italy and one each to Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway and United Kingdom. The 10 domestic routes account for 60% of the airline’s week...

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Iberia held its Annual General Meeting and unveiled results for 2009 which it termed one of the most difficult in its history due to the world economic slump and stiff competition. The company posted a net loss of 273 million euros for the year, having earning a profit of 32 million in 2008, thus ending a 13-year period of consistently positive results.

In the course of the year Iberia adapted its seat supply and routes to reflect changes in the various markets. This signified a 6 per cent supply reduction for the year, which enabled the airline to maintain a passenger load factor of 79.8 per cent, little changed from the previous year, and one of the highest amongst Europe's network carriers.

Operating revenues plunged by 19.1 per cent, mainly because of lower passenger and freight demand, demand, which was especially pronounced in the business class segment. Unit income fell by 14.3 per cent.

The Iberia Group's operating expenses declined by 11.9 per cent to 4,873 million euros in 2009, thanks to cost-cutting measures and reduced spending on fuel. Lower fuel costs and smaller amounts meant that total fuel expenditures were 482 million euros below those of 2008. Unit operating costs eased by 6.3 per cent.

The average staffing level was trimmed by 4.2 per cent to 20,671 people. Fleet utilisation was improved by 3.7 per cent, reaching 10.3 hours/day, thanks to the withdrawal of 10 aircraft via the cancellation of lease agreements, postponement of deliveries and the mothballing of some units. At the end of the year, Iberia was operating 109 aircraft to cover its routes.

Maintenance and airport handling results

The Iberia Maintenance division posted a 4.1 per cent increase in revenues from external clients, due chiefly to the technical assistance supplied to Spain's Defence Ministry and its new business line of repairing landing gear.

The handling division, renamed Iberia Airport Services, improved its performance in 2009, when it neared the break-even poin...

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced international scheduled air traffic results for April 2010. Passenger demand slumped by 2.4% as a result of massive flight cancellations centered in Europe during the six days in April following the eruptions of an Icelandic volcano. The fall in traffic interrupted the industry’s recovery from the global financial crisis.

International scheduled cargo traffic, less impacted by the cancellations, saw the pace of its recovery slow to 25.2% growth in April (down from the 28.1% improvement recorded in March).

“The ash crisis knocked back the global recovery - impacting carriers in all regions. Last month, we were within 1% of pre-crisis traffic levels in 2008. In April, that was pushed back to 7%,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

“European carriers bore the worst of the volcano’s impact. Their 11.7% drop in passenger traffic could not have come at a worse time. Europe’s slow recovery from the global financial crisis and its currency crisis are already a huge burden on the profitability of its airlines. The uncoordinated and excessive cancellations and unfairly onerous passenger care requirements rubbed salt into the European industry’s wounds,” said Bisignani.

The April drop in demand in Europe can be attributed to both the flight cancellations (two-thirds of the total decline) and follow-on cancellations due to uncertainty of the availability of air travel (one-third). Early indications for May show a rebound in travel from the disrupted levels in April.

Looking ahead, Bisignani challenged Europe to reform its air traffic management. “The ash crisis was an embarrassing wake-up call for European governments. We need leadership to deliver the Single European Sky, fair passenger rights legislation and continent-wide coordination,” said Bisignani.

The scale of the ash crisis saw global load factors drop to 76.9% from the 78.0% recorded in March. Freight load factors also dipped to 55...

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JOAN LOWY Associated Press Writer, on www.chicagotribune.com

There are signs that future airline pilots will be less experienced, less ethical and in short supply, a panel of experts told an aviation safety forum on Tuesday.

While there are more pilots than there are airline jobs today, the reverse is likely to be true as airlines recover from the economic recession and begin hiring again, experts on pilot hiring and screening told the National Transportation Safety Board. The coming shortage may likely fall heaviest on regional airlines, who generally employ less-experienced pilots at lower salaries, they said.

There are about 54,000 pilots working for major airlines, nearly 19,000 regional airline pilots and about 2,500 qualified pilots available for hire in the U.S. today, said aviation consultant Judy Tarver, a former pilot recruiter for American Airlines. She estimated that airlines will need to hire about 42,090 pilots over the next decade, due to retirements and anticipated industry growth.

Panel members said there are far fewer military pilots leaving for jobs with airlines. Fewer college students say they want careers in aviation because they see it as an economic dead end, and airlines are increasingly having to compete with corporations for pilots.

The comments came as the safety board began a three-day forum on how to get more pilots and air traffic controllers to consistently strive for a high-level of professionalism. The impetus for the forum is a series of high-profile incidents over the past year in which the conduct and judgment of pilots and controllers have been called into question, including the crash of a regional airliner near Buffalo, N.Y., that killed 50 people.

The safety board said the crash occurred after the plane stalled because the pilot pulled back, instead of pushing forward, on a key piece of safety equipment. But they also cited a series of errors and unprofessional conduct by the pilot and first officer leading up to the acci...

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by Robeel Haq on arabiansupplyChain.com

Emirates Group has posted a record profit increase of 248%, in what the Dubai-based airline has called “an outstanding result in a year fraught with worldwide market instability and economic uncertainty”.

The group’s annual report for 2009-10 - which includes the financial performance of Emirates Airline, Dnata and other subsidiary companies – was released in Dubai today at a news conference hosted by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

“It has been an exceptional year of continued profitability against a backdrop of the worst global recession in generations,” he told reported. “The first half of the financial year however, was extremely challenging as the world continued to grapple with the economic crisis. Our pioneering spirit and ability to adapt in adverse conditions helped us to push through this harsh economic climate with an extremely strong performance in the latter part of the year.”

In a difficult year, the group’s net profits increased 248% to US$ 1.1 billion for the financial year ended 31st March 2010. Group revenue remained stable at $12.4 billion, reflecting lower passenger and cargo yields offset by increased traffic. The group profit margin improved to 9.1% from 2.6 percent a year earlier.

According to a press release issued today, the performance reflects Emirates Group’s success in maintaining its business as usual approach, remaining true to its strategy of product and service excellence. This is illustrated by the 27.5 million passengers who flew with Emirates in the latest financial year, 4.7 million more than in the previous year; as well as the expansion of Dnata’s international ground handling operations to 20 airports in nine countries.

“Time and time again Emirates has weathered adversity. We have operated through regional conflict, SARS, the Asian economic collapse and most recently the global recession. Our 21 percent incr...

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By Andrea Rothman and Cornelius Rahn

May 7 (Bloomberg) -- Deutsche Lufthansa AG, operator of the biggest aircraft fleet in Europe, said it’s in favor of Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. putting new engines on their existing narrow- body models to help reduce operating costs by about 15 percent.

Lufthansa’s status as launch customer for Bombardier Inc.’s CSeries plane, a new model in the 100- to 150-seat segment of the single-aisle market, has been instrumental in driving the top two manufacturers to consider improvements, fleet manager Nico Buchholz said in an interview yesterday.

“Re-engining is a welcome addition to the fleet,” Buchholz said in Frankfurt, where Lufthansa has its main hub. “The current products are very good, but we’d really like to see an improvement in noise emissions and fuel consumption.”

Airbus and Boeing will decide this year whether to spend at least $1 billion installing new engines to boost efficiency until new short-haul models are introduced around 2024. While Lufthansa has a fleet of 727 aircraft and influence over decisions on jetliner development, carriers including American Airlines Inc. say the case for re-engining isn’t clear.

Lufthansa operates 89 Boeing 737s and 82 Airbus A320-series jets, plus 35 on order. The 57-year-old carrier entered the jet age in 1960 with Boeing’s 707 and was launch customer for the 737, the world’s most widely flown plane. It will get the first 747-8 Intercontinental once the biggest passenger version of Boeing’s jumbo is certified for service at the end of next year.

CSeries Side Effect

The German company also has a 30-plane order and 30 options for the Bombardier CSeries, which will use a more efficient geared-fan engine that’s being developed by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. It signed a firm contract in 2009, helping the plane to build credibility.

“Our expectation was it would create awareness in the market that we can do better than currently,” Buchholz said. ...

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Tiger Airways Singapore began services in September 2004 and is Singapore's biggest low-cost airline today, serving 21 destinations across nine countries and territories from its base at Singapore's Changi Airport.

Tiger Airways is a true low-cost/low-fare airline and a fully owned subsidiary of Tiger Airways Holdings Limited, which is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

Tiger consistently offers the lowest possible fares by removing non-essential costs and focusing on route profitability. The carrier achieves high levels of aircraft utilisation by using a single aircraft type (Airbus A320 family) and with fast turnarounds (30 minutes). The airline has been steadily growing its passenger volumes and load factor. For the financial year ending March 31 2010, total passenger numbers grew 54% over the previous 12 months, to a record 4.9 million. Average load factors increased 6 percentage points to 85%.

FLEET

Tiger Airways currently has 19 Airbus A320-family aircraft in its fleet, of which 10 are based in Singapore. The company has committed to growing its fleet to 68 aircraft by December 2015. Seven aircraft are scheduled for delivery each year between April 2010 and March 2012.

NETWORK

Tiger Airways Singapore serves 21 destinations across Australia, Greater China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and India from Singapore.

PERSONNEL

Andy Cole-Bowen Chief Pilot - Tiger Airways Singapore

David Perring Commercial Director - Tiger Airways Singapore

Chris Mulcairn Network Manager - Tiger Airways Singapore

Rosalynn Tay Managing Director - Tiger Airways Singapore

Tony Davis President & Group Chief Executive - Tiger Airways Holdings Limited

AIRLINE REQUIREMENTS

Partnership Philosophy Tiger Airways Singapore believes in a win-win approach to supplier and partner relationships. The airline has already established successful partnerships with a number of major suppliers, such as Airbus, Singa...

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By Robert Mark on April 23rd, 2010

With tens of thousands of travelers stranded all over much of the Western Hemisphere still trying to either get to or from major European destinations last week, airline management became understandably tense at what was indeed the worst travel crisis since 9/11. The Chicago Tribune reported that of the U.S. airlines, Delta lost the most during the standoff with nature at about $30 million. All together, U.S. airlines lost well over $100 million, a pittance though when compared to the entire industry. The International Air Transport Association said the final number would be close to $2 billion, not a surprising amount when you consider that London Heathrow – the busiest airport in Europe – was shut down for a week. Imagine ORD, or LAX or JFK shut down … not slowed down, but completely shut down!

So again, no surprise that the airlines wanted action to remedy the situation quickly. It only took a few days before most CEOs began pointing fingers at the EU claiming they were being too conservative by shutting down most Northern European airspace. Problem is that there is very little research around on how much ash a turbine engine can stand before it shuts down. We know the worst case when a KLM 747 lost all four engines after flying in to the ash cloud from a Mt. Redoubt eruption. No injuries – at least physical – when the pilots got the motors humming again after a 13,000 foot fall.

There’s absolutely nothing worse for airline personnel to be grounded for reasons they can’t control, or even explain. That’s why Lufthansa sent out a specially equipped A 340 last week to test the ash. It returned unscathed prompting the question about whether it might not be OK for others to tempt fate.

Maybe it might have been OK in the end to fly closer. But then again, maybe not. The point the airline folks are missing is they we – the guinea pigs back in seat 37C – are not motivated by the same sense of urgency to find out as the CEO of a company with 250 idl...

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By David Kaminski-Morrow

Sukhoi is nearing power-on for its first serial Superjet 100, and has 14 production airframes in various stages of manufacture. There are five Superjet 100s in final assembly. The first production aircraft, number 95007, is "approaching" power-on, says the company, while final assembly and system installation are being completed on two others: 008 and 009. Factory testing for the first two production jets will involve equipping them with prototype powerplants, the company admits, owing to delays to the PowerJet SaM146 engine programme. Aircraft 010 is undergoing fuselage-wing mating, while 011 is at an earlier stage of final assembly, having doors and fuel systems fitted. Two later examples, 012 and 013, are undergoing fuselage work ahead of transfer to the final assembly line. Sukhoi says 14 aircraft are in serial production and orders have been place for parts up to airframe 024. Tests are continuing on the four flying prototypes. Initial pilot training for customers will be undertaken on the newest of them, 005. These aircraft, says Sukhoi, have accumulated over 1,500 flight hours in 600 test flights including operations to six "typical" airports in Russia and the CIS.

http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=123867947&gid=90578&articleURL=http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2010/04/22/341025/first-serial-superjet-100-nears-power-on.html&urlhash=TMsJ&trk=news_discuss

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By Karin Kloosterman

No-one understands security like the Israelis, that's why some of the world's best new innovative airport security technologies are being developed in Israel. We bring you a list of Israel's top 10 technologies.

Since the attempted terror attack on board a US airplane last Christmas day, airport authorities around the world are in a race to find novel solutions to fight terror. Israeli strategic and technical tactics feature high on their lists. What's the secret to the country's success in keeping Ben Gurion Airport terror free?

"Israel concentrates on the passengers and not their luggage so we have a real edge over the rest of the world in protecting travelers," says Rafi Sela, a top security consultant and former chief security officer at the Israel Airport Authority. "This is in addition to us protecting the whole airport, while the others merely try to achieve aviation security," he tells ISRAEL21c.

Sela, who advises governments and airport authorities all over the world, has become the leading figure advocating Israel's unique approach to airport security in the past six years.

Through his company AR Challenges, he uses approaches and technology services rooted in Israeli innovation to try to help his clients stay one-step ahead of potential terrorists. The global transportation security consultancy, of which he is president, works with high profile clients including Canada's RCMP, the US Navy Seals and airports around the world.

Making use of homegrown technologies, some of them developed by whiz-kids in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Intelligence Corps 8200 army unit, Sela believes that Israel's strength in airport security is because it boasts near-invisible protective 'rings' of security around the airport and passengers.

Most airports around the world often lack measures as basic as video surveillance, he explains. "The airports are so concentrated on finding your bottles of water and perfumes that they don't even...

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This came from a fellow who runs a 2,000 acre corn farm up around Barron, WI, not far from Oshkosh. He used to fly F-4Es and F-16s for the Guard and participated in the first Gulf War.

I submit for your enjoyment, and as a reminder that there are other great, magnificent fliers around besides us.

I went out to plant corn for a bit to finish a field before tomorrow morning and witnessed The Great Battle. A golden eagle, big dude, with about a six foot wingspan, flew right in front of the tractor. It was being chased by three crows that were continually dive bombing it and pecking at it. The crows do this because the eagles rob their nests when they find them.

At any rate, the eagle banked hard right in one evasive maneuver, then landed in the field about 100 feet from the tractor. This eagle stood about 3 feet tall. The crows all landed too, and took up positions around the eagle at 120 degrees apart, but kept their distance at about 20 feet from the big bird. The eagle would take a couple steps towards one of the crows and they’d hop backwards and forward to keep their distance. Then the reinforcement showed up.

I happened to spot the eagle’s mate hurtling down out of the sky at what appeared to be approximately Mach 1.5. Just before impact the eagle on the ground took flight, (obviously a coordinated tactic; probably pre-briefed) and the three crows which were watching the grounded eagle, also took flight thinking they were going to get in some more pecking on the big bird. The first crow being targeted by the diving eagle never stood a snowball’s chance in hell. There was a midair explosion of black feathers and that crow was done. The diving eagle then banked hard left in what had to be a 9G climbing turn, using the energy it had accumulated in the dive, and hit crow #2 less than two seconds later. Another crow dead.

The grounded eagle, which was now airborne and had an altitude advantage on the remaining crow, which was streaking eastward in full burner, made a shor...

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The UAL Corporation, the parent of United Airlines, and US Airways are in talks to merge, in a potential deal that would create one of the world's largest airlines, people briefed on the matter said on Wednesday.

The negotiations mark the latest efforts to consolidate the struggling airline industry. Both companies have been vocal in calling for greater consolidation within the industry to help prop up falling revenues, with United's chief executive, Glenn F. Tilton, among the leading proponents for more mergers.

United and US Airways are deep in their merger discussions, though a transaction is not expected to be announced for at least several weeks, these people said, cautioning that talks may still collapse. One potential hurdle could be union opposition.

Read More: http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/united-and-us-airways-hold-merger-talks/?emc=na

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Will EasyJet be the first low cost carrier to offer full booking facilities on a major social network? It appears so after confirmation that it is considering such a facility for Facebook.

The European carrier has had some success using Twitter for customer service (through @easyjetcare) and has the obligatory Facebook fan page, but is looking at developing a fully functioning search and booking engine for social networks. Such a service may not be too difficult to put together in terms of placement and overall social media strategy as EasyJet says the most likely method will be by plugging in a search and booking system into its existing Holiday Planner app, a function attached to its current fan page.

The Holiday Planner tool allows users to select destinations, dates, view flight deals and invite Facebook friends to join the itinerary for a particular trip.

Any flight search and booking at the moment is carried out back on the main EasyJet website which users get to by following a link.

EasyJet has no further details and says it is a function on the table, although the fact that it is speaking about it for the first time means planning must be reasonably advanced. The mechanics of putting a fully functioning engine into the Facebook API may be more difficult than first appears.

EasyJet currently has a simple search widget on its homepage, but the results and subsequent confirmation, insurance, luggage and passenger detail pages are often Ajax-driven and use a lot of design real estate. Nevertheless, Ryanair’s now stated intention to take social media seriously as a booking mechanism as well as customer relationship tool is in stark contrast to bitter rival Ryanair.

Last week the Dublin-based carrier dismissed suggestions it was to start engaging in social media (after angrily dismissing it for years), opting instead for a section its site to allow customers to review destinations and hotels.

Posted by Kevin May on www.rdhub.com

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British Airways will fly more than 75 per cent of customers booked to travel between tomorrow and March 30, despite these four days being targeted for strikes by Unite.

Of approximately 240,000 customers originally booked to travel in the strike period, the airline expects to fly more than 180,000.

A further 18 per cent have been rebooked to travel on other carriers, or changed the dates of their British Airways flights to avoid the strike period. Several thousand customers have brought forward their departures to today (Friday).

During Unite’s first round of industrial action last weekend, almost 60 per cent of rostered cabin crew ignored the strike call and reported for work.

Willie Walsh, British Airways’ chief executive, said: “I am delighted that we will be able to fly such a large proportion of our customers to their chosen destinations in the coming days.

“The vast majority of British Airways staff, including thousands of cabin crew, are pulling together to serve our customers and keep our flag flying.

“At the same time, I feel really sorry for those customers whose plans have been ruined by Unite’s completely unjustified action. Despite the union’s promises, this strike has affected the Easter holiday plans of thousands of hard-working people.”

Over the next four days, British Airways will fly a full normal schedule from Gatwick and London City airports.

At Heathrow, the airline will operate 70 per cent of its long-haul programme (up from 60 per cent in the first strike period) and 55 per cent of its short-haul programme (up from 30 per cent).

Source: British Airways Posted by: just4airlines.com

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By Andrea Rothman

March 24 (Bloomberg) -- Alain Bouillard picked up the phone in December to arrange a press briefing on the discovery of the black boxes from crashed Air France flight 447. Then he woke up.

“Your brain is always turning, you don’t sleep much,” the chief investigator for France’s BEA aircraft accident bureau said as he recalled his dream. The answers to the Airbus’s drop into the Atlantic on June 1 that killed all 228 people onboard “lie at the bottom of the ocean,” Bouillard said.

How a state-of-the-art jet flown by a senior crew of Europe’s largest airline could have vanished from the night sky in mid flight has led to the most elaborate recovery effort yet in aviation history. Two expeditions, one involving a nuclear submarine, failed to retrieve the data cases. Now Bouillard has narrowed the area and will embark on a third push this week to trawl the seabed for recorders the size of small suitcases.

When Bouillard, 59, announced the third attempt in February, he aimed to find the boxes by the end of this month. That timetable has since been pushed back by bad weather and the delayed arrival of the Anne Candies undersea search vessel equipped with a U.S. Navy sonar. Investigators will brief the press tomorrow in Recife, Brazil, where the ship will dock.

The third expedition comes after oceanographers and mathematicians from countries including France and Russia worked on models to analyze mid-Atlantic currents and help determine the possible location of the wreckage. Drawing on data from thousands of fixed and drifting buoys, the teams managed to narrow the area to a tenth of the size of the previous efforts.

Robot Submarines

The field under scrutiny is about 2,000 square kilometers (770 square miles) of water no deeper than 13,000 feet (3,960 meters). Two search ships will support three robot submarines that will use sonar to scan the seabed and explore rougher terrain. The vessels will head to the search area on March 25.

A s...

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By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Boeing said Friday it will boost production rates of its two major commercial jet programs as the aerospace giant signaled a recovery in the beaten-down airline sector.

"We see 2010 as the year of overall economic recovery within the industry and 2011 a year where airlines return to profitability," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "As a result, we anticipate an increase in demand for airplanes in 2012 and beyond."

Boeing 747-8 Takes Flight Watch video of Boeing's delayed 747-8 jumbo jet on its maiden flight.

The Chicago-based aerospace giant will move up the production ramp-up of its 777 jet to seven airplanes per month from five per month by approximately six months, from early 2012 to mid-2011.

Its 747 program's planned production rate increase to two airplanes per month from 1.5 per month will now take place in mid-2012 instead of mid-2013.

"Market improvement and our conservatively managed approach to production have put us in a position where we see it necessary to raise aircraft output," the company said. "Increasing our rate is the right thing to do to support our customers."

A Boeing (BA 71.61, +0.74, +1.04%) spokeswoman told MarketWatch the company does not plan to add any workers as part of this specific announcement.

The move won't have a material impact on its 2010 results, but Boeing will provide some comments when it releases its first-quarter results.

Shares of Boeing, a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, rose 0.6% to $71.30 on Friday.

Steve Gelsi is a reporter for MarketWatch in New York.

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Airbus will increase the monthly production rate for its single-aisle A320 family from the current rate of 34 to 36, starting December 2010. The production rate for the long-range A330/A340 Family will be maintained at the current level of eight per month.

Airbus' decision to raise its single-aisle production rate is driven by the continuing demand for its eco-efficient aircraft and a record backlog in excess of some 2,300 A320 Family aircraft.

"Leading economic indices and business confidence indicators are showing an upward trend again. We see this reflected in the continuing solid demand for our eco-efficient products and our robust backlog. Thanks to our proactive order book management we have been able to keep production stable during the year of the downturn, but now it is definitely time to think ahead," said Tom Williams, Executive Vice President, Programmes. "Aviation is a long-term growth industry. With our prudent decision we will be ready when the market recovers."

Airbus delivered a total of 498 aircraft in 2009, including 402 A320 Family aircraft, both new company records for a single year. The company target for deliveries in 2010 is to remain at a similar level to 2009.

Lucintel

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By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert http://www.blueskyexecutiveaviation.co.uk/contributors/beam_me_up_scotty.htm

Will Telepresence compete with aviation? Yes! Gartner (IT analysts and consultants) predicts that Telepresence will replace 2.1 million airline seats by 2012, losing the travel industry $ 3.5 billion annually.

Will Telepresence substitute aviation? No! Some meetings need a handshake or a signing, others need a big kiss or a hug and the feel of some physical warmth. You cannot sit next to a screen showing a palm tree on a beach with the ocean in the background and imagine you’re on vacation. No matter how 3-D the image and no matter how stereo the sound, it is in no way an alternative for being on a paradise island under the tropical sun.

Hologram instead of flying

Can you imagine how much money and effort would be saved if a VIP didn’t have to fly to an event but could still be present. For instance if the US President didn’t have to leave the White House but could still make a presentation to a remote audience? Just think how many security headaches would be solved. I’m not talking about being on a life-size screen in a Telepresence studio any more. The President would be a hologram! Do you think I’ve lost all my senses? Holograms have broken out of the world of science fiction and fantasy. Live and life-size 3D Telepresence holograms can now interact with their remote audiences whether they are an artist performing on stage, a politician delivering a keynote speech, or a captain of industry at the World Economic Forum.

No magic

During a recent demonstration at an event in India, the CEO of Cisco had a real-time and life-size on-stage meeting with two of his development engineers in California. No magic! Just highly progressed broadband transmission combined with so-called foil technology. Cisco and allied technology companies will develop it to perfection sooner than you think. Bands could perform at the same time in several locations. Additional money can be mad...

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