Straight & Level 20 November

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Aeroflot signs up for nostalgia

For all the jokes that were made in the West about Aeroflot during the Soviet era - from its in-flight catering (chicken à la Aeroflot), to its humourless hostesses and suspect safety record - there remains a lot of nostalgia in Russia for the glory days of its flag carrier, when it was the only show in town and ferried millions of citizens to their annual Black Sea holiday.

So much so that Aeroflot passengers have voted on Facebook for one of the airline's new Airbus A320s to be delivered in 2013 to carry a retro livery - namely the one that its Tupolev Tu-104s used to sport from the late 1950s - as part of celebrations to mark the carrier's 90th anniversary.

Nostalgia, however, only goes so far... as the SkyTeam carrier's current almost entirely Airbus and Boeing fleet would suggest.

Mouse hunting

Thanks to Chris Barnes for sending in this Tibet Airlines safety card. "Several scenarios sprang to mind," he remarks.

"Firstly, I have not had a pet mouse for 61 years, excepting a computer device.

"Secondly, how am I going to get a wet cloth during emergency egress?

"And third, smog is bad enough in China but I can just imagine passengers leapfrogging over me as I crawl to the exit."

fin-p42-wetmouse.jpg787 in a hurry

We love Qatar Airways' speeded-up video of the making of its first 787, delivered to Doha last week and which you can view on facebook.com/qatarairways

Bet Boeing wishes it could have employed the same sort of magic during the long-delayed Dreamliner certification programme.

Ex-SAS-perating

From an embedded advert
on an aviation forum thread discussing troubled Scandinavian flag carrier SAS:

"Free bankruptcy calculator: Do you qualify?"

Spelling it out

The acronym for this crime-watch initiative sign spotted at Stansted airport might be a bit forced, but we enjoyed it.

Sadly, defence cuts mean plans to station an RAF E-3D Sentry permanently above the London low-cost airport are still on ice.

awacs.jpgScent of a story

It's always pleasing when we make the national media, but we cringed when a UK satirical radio quiz picked up this cutting from Budgie News: "German investigators have disclosed that both pilots of a Germanwings Airbus A319 were badly affected by fumes while approaching Cologne..."


 

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