Following a two hour 787 test flight on Monday, Boeing announced: “We have a high degree of confidence in the technical solution we are testing right now with the Federal Aviation Administration. They expect that the plane’s return to the skies “will be sooner than later.” t The test flight was staffed by six crew members: two pilots, two instrumentation engineers, a systems operator and a flight analyst. The crew were cycled the landing gear, operated all backup systems and performed electrical system checks from the flight profile. Seeing the first fire was after a…
The American Wedding moves closer.
On Wednesday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane approved the plan of American Airlines parent company: AMR Corp to merge with US Airways. The merger still needs regulatory approval. American Airlines must also construct a formal restructuring plan that incorporates the merger. If the courts and creditors approve this plan, then the airline can emerge from the bankruptcy status it has held since November, 2011. American was the last of the major US legacy airlines to go through the Chapter 11 process. They filed for bankruptcy citing untenable labor costs after years of fruitless negotiations with…
Farting on board
I once spent 13 hours seated next to a man who broke wind continuously across the Pacifc from La. On disembarking, a flight attendant asked him if his stomach was feeling better? I could have assured her that it wasn’t! I was interested to read of a recent paper produced by a team of Danish and British gastroenterologists and published in the NZ Medical Journal. The lead researcher Jacob Rosenberg considered the issue worth researching after his own embarassing experience on a flight between Copenhagen and Tokyo. The study recommends passengers and crew break wind…
Line Vigilance
There is a downside to travel sometimes and that is the queues (or lines) depending on your country! An American friend and I were discussing the linguistic variations that refer to the action of lining up for something! Some countries do lines very well. For example, the British. In some the queues look haphazard but in fact are very well organised. In other places, queues are in fact non existent and the line consists of a mass of people shoving to be first. Lined up at Buenos Aires main airport, I was amazed at how…
787 Testing
Further to my post last week, Boeing plans to conduct two flight tests of its revamped 787 battery system.The flights would depart from and return to Paine Field, the airport in Everett, Washington, where the 787 Dreamliner is made. One flight would collect data for its own usage. The data from the second flight would be submitted for FAA approval. If successful, then this would be a step forward to Boeing getting the aircraft approved for service within weeks. None of the airlines using 787s have begun planning to get their planes up yet. In…
US & American begin “integration”
On Feb 14 US Airways and American Airlines announced their intentions to merge by October, 2013. I am not a huge fan of this merger. I don’t like the concentration of airlines in the USA, am not convinced that the merger will quickly fix some key AA issues and wonder what the result of merging two mediocre airlines. (I am not a huge fan of either carrier). This week, the two airlines appeared before the US Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights for over two hours. It was noted that…
App for food finding
Find. Eat. Drink. The great thing about this app is that it sources recommendations from industry insiders—the chefs, sommeliers, bartenders who work with food and drink for a living. Download one of the PDF guides for the city you’re traveling to and you’ll get all the info without roaming costs. Find. Eat. Drink. app, Free for Apple Related Posts Know your tipping
787 Battery Fix?
Boeing announced this week their proposed alterations to the 787 lithium-ion batteries to prevent any major incidents in flight. Tellingly, the company has not announced the cause of he problem which suggests they do not still know it. The changes are designed not only to improve safety but reassure regulators, carriers and the public that the plane is safe. The changes include: improving the insulation between the eight cells in the battery. The batteries’ original insulation was made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which can withstand heat of 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius). The cells…
Bosnian Airline back from brink
The national carrier of Bosnia and Herzegovina B&H Airlines was grounded last week for a 4.7 million US dollar debt owed to Austria’s Hypo Alpe Adria Bank. The airline began flying again on Wednesday 13th March after the bank unblocked the carrier’s accounts. This came after the Bosnia and and Herzegovina Federation’s Ministry for Transport and Communications provided government funds of $550,000 and promised to sell two ATR 72 aircraft. Most passengers were rerouted onto Croatia Airlines and Jat Airways during the grounding. In June last year, Turkish Airlines pulled out of a joint venture…
The Fake Wallet
This is a trick I have never had to experience. Carry a second wallet while traveling with a couple of fake or expired credit cards and money in small denominations. If mugged,I am told throw the wallet two metres away from your attacker in the opposite direction of where you will then run. Throw and run. They will go for the wallet while you make your escape. My fear is that I will throw the wrong wallet. Of course, being aware of your surroundings, looking confident, not wearing expensive jewellery can also reduce your risks.
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