January 2010 Archives

Celebrity pilot John Travolta flew his own Boeing 707 to the Haiti capital, Port-au-Prince,  recently blighted by a devastating earthquake which has left as many as 200,000 people dead and some 2 million in need of aid.

He delivered including six tonnes of military rations and medical supplies.

According to the Guardian, there is a backlog of at least 800 aircraft awaiting permission to land at the overloaded airport, which can handle just 130 flights daily.

Travolta used his aircraft to help out during the the floods following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Webbies 2009 - Flightglobal Aviation Web Awards, follows the success of last year's Webbies 2008, and for the second year in a row, the online aviation community entered and nominated their favourite websites.

We were looking for established industry leaders and striving newcomers, to celebrate and acknowledge the best and brightest aviation websites and online activities the Internet has to offer.

You entered and nominated your favourites in eight aviation-related categories, including two new categories and sifting through the hundreds of quality entries, here is the much anticipated shortlist.

Best Airline: Judged by Airline Business Editor Mark Pilling and Sergio Mello, Founder and CEO at SATISFLY

• United Airlines
• Edelweiss Air
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Meridiana Eurofly
• Mexicana Airlines
• Scandinavian Airlines

Best Airport: Judged by aviation and aerospace editor and consultant at Independent and former Executive Editor, Flightglobal, Kieran Daly and Director of Business Relations at EAA, Jeff Kaufman

• DFW International
• Reno-Tahoe International
• Manchester Airport
• Amsterdam Schiphol
• Frankfurt International

Best Blog: Judged by Reed Business Information's head of Blogging, Adam Tinworth and Vice President Cabin Design Office at Airbus, Jonathan Norris

• Things In The Sky
• Airboy
• AirPigz
• GreenAir Online
• Randy's Blog
• SimpliFlying

Best Use of Social Media: Judged by online strategist and publishing industry executive Jim Muttram and Senior Consultant at Aerospace eBusiness, Ludo van Vooren

• NYCAviation
• Aviation Training Directory
• Enviro Aero
• Manchester Airport
• Northrop Grumman's Facebook page

Best Online Innvoation: Judged by Jon Ostrower, Flightglobal's FlightBlogger and Kevin O'Toole, Flightglobal's Director of Strategy

• SeatExpert
• AirlineSim
• Aviation Training Directory
• Avsoft Systems Simulations
• EmptyLegMarket
• SatisFly

Best Aerospace Manufacturer: Judged by Flight International's Deputy Editor, Max Kingsley-Jones and Aerocomm Ltd CEO and President of the British Association of Communicators in Business, Alan Peaford

• F135Engine
• Eurofighter Typhoon
• Rockwell Collins
• Bombardier
• Boeing
• Sikorsky

Best New Website: Judged by Flightglobal Editor Michael Targett and Founder of IAG's AviationPodcasts.com, Addison Schonland

• AirlineSim
• BoardingArea
• F135 engine
• Leading Edge Aviation
• SimpliFlying
• Spacevidcast

Best Enthusiast Site: Judged by Flightglobal's Deputy Editor, Stuart Clarke and author of Cranky Flier blog, Brett Snyder

• NYCAviation
• AirlineSim
• CheckSix
• Flight Safety Foundation
• FlyerTalk
• Global Aviation Resource

There's probably a sillier way of marking the 40th anniversary of the Boeing 747 than parking on a fog-shrouded runway and letting one land on the roof of your van, but I really can't think of one this minute.

iPhone has a clever new app using the latest Augmented Reality (AR) technology that can power the Parrot "Augmented Reality" Drone - a four-bladed 'quadricopter' with a range of 50m (165ft).

The drone has two small video cameras which record real-time pictures that are then sent to the phone's screen, so you see what it sees. Interactive 'enemy' fighter planes are then layered over your view.

Gizmodo's Kyle VanHemert. 'Tilting your iPhone, you control the mechanical bird in an AR game of airborne warfare - and it's wi-fi ready, so you can play a networked game with your friends.'

Parrot boss Henri Seydoux said: 'Video gaming and radio-controlled models are collaborating for the first time - and simultaneously evolving.'   

If you want an insight into the complexities of placing civil aircraft with Iranian carriers, there's a taster in this newly-released case document from London's High Court where m'learned friends have been trying to fathom who owns three ex-United Airlines 747-400s which were on their way to Mahan Air.

It's an intricate tale involving lessor GECAS' PK AirFinance division, various special purpose vehicles, a defunct Armenian operation and an influential Iranian family but, as far as the plot summary goes, you're on your own.

Even if you're struggling to follow the main story, there are some fascinating snippets about Mahan Air's efforts to circumvent the "serious impediment" of US sanctions, including details on Iran's connection to a mysterious A330 deal for Germany's low-key Blue Wings operation, and another strand featuring a cameo appearance by France's Eagle Aviation.

For more court-related axis-of-evil jiggery-pokery see the case of Gaddafi's Airbus.

 (Billypix)

It was only last week we wrote of how Michael O'Leary at Ryanair was flying high. In a lunch interview with the Financial Times, O'Leary did not seem fazed by anything out of the ordinary.

Now there's a diversion.

Britain's business regulator Office of Fair Trading has described Ryanair's high credit card fee (£5, even though it reportedly only costs the carrier 30p) as "puerile" and "almost childish", The Independent reports.

Coincidentally, this month Flightglobal publication Airline Business features O'Leary and Ryanair on the cover. (You can read the article, and O'Leary's latest thoughts on a long-haul carrier, the future of Aer Lingus, and other matters here.)

In a corresponding editorial The Independent writes:

So the question, given that none of these charges are illegal, is whether the manner in which Ryanair conducts its business is anyone else's concern. John Fingleton, the head of the Office of Fair Trading, suggests that it is.

[...]

This seems like a shot across the bows for the airline. The OFT is in the middle of an investigation into online prices and advertising, which could spell trouble for Ryanair when it reports later this year. The regulator has certainly shown itself willing to take on the airline in the past. In 2006 it forced Ryanair to alter its contract terms over lost baggage. And last year, the OFT secured an agreement from the airline to increase the clarity of its website and emails over the small print on promotional offers

Surcharges are gaining prominence, and not just with low-cost carriers. In October, Qantas won the dubious "Shonky" award for its "sky-high" surcharge on tickets purchased with a credit card: A$7.70 for each domestic passenger and A$25 for each international passenger.

What is Ryanair's response? Well judging from the Independent it doesn't have one:

Stephen McNamara, Ryanair's head of communications, said: "As a general rule, anything that comes from an office that has chosen to ignore fuel surcharging airlines like British Airways and remained mute while London air passengers were being ripped off by the BAA monopoly should be taken with a pinch of salt.

"Ryanair is not for the overpaid John Fingletons of this world but for the everyday Joe Bloggs who opt for Ryanair's guaranteed lowest fares because we give them the opportunity to fly across 26 European countries for free, £5 and £10."

In the future, would McNamara have to modify his comment to "we give them the opportunity to fly across 26 European countries for free, £5 and £10, plus a £5 credit card fee, if applicable"? Hmm. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

(Photo: Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises )

A rare Cold War jet fighter will perform its first flying display in the UK for almost a decade when it appears at next summer's Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) has agreed to send two MiG-21 'Lancers' to the Cotswolds: one for static display and the other to take part in the flying display. It also plans to send its latest support aircraft - the C-27 Spartan - to the airshow on July 17-18.

The 'Lancer' fleet constitutes the backbone of the Romanian Air Force, performing air defence, close air support and training roles. Whilst the aircraft has more recently participated successfully in various NATO exercises, during the Cold War, it was one of the Eastern Bloc fighters feared most by the West.

Earlier variants took part in the Vietnam War, the Middle East conflicts of the 1960s-1980s, the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971, the Angolan Civil War and the Balkans War of the 1990s. The Romanians are due to replace the aircraft in 2012.

2009 saw the Flightglobal team cover six international air shows on three continents.

At the start of the year was the Avalon Air Show outside Melbourne, Australia. At the show we found out Australia was interested in more C-130s, amongst other news and an update on the F-35 and Wedgetail (the latter delivered last month). The show saw a range of military aircraft as well as two of the newest commercial jets in Australia: the Qantas A380 and V Australia B777-300ER.

Next up the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg saw developments from seats to in-flight connectivity. The Flightglobal team also produced 3 editions of its Flight Daily News.

The big show of the year of course was Paris, and it was no less than the show's 100th anniversary. The champagne was limited given the gloomy economy, but orders still flowed. AirAsia X ordered A350 XWBs and Qatar's CEO Akbar Al-Baker had a stern warning for Boeing about 787 delays.

Moving away from the commercial side, Oshkosh,"the world's greatest aviation celebration"--saw highlights including: a demonstration of Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo mothership "Eve", the first display of the Airbus A380 in North America.

Flight International's 4-10 August editorial offers an insight into what Oshkosh is like for the visitor and its importance to the general aviation industry.

On the biz front, The National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting & Convention - held this year in Orlando, Florida, from October 6th - 8th is the world's premium gathering for the business aviation community.

In its 61st year, the event is a showcase for all that's new in the industry and a forum to debate key issues affecting users of business aircraft.

Over 33,000 attendees and exhibitors were expected at the Orange County Convention Center, while 120 aircraft were on static display at Orlando Executive Airport. The Flightglobal team also produced a daily briefing for the show.

Finally, The Dubai Air Show, running from 15-19 November at the Airport Expo, adjacent to Dubai International Airport, is the foremost aerospace event in the Middle East and the fastest growing air show in the world.

The show saw an order from Oman for 10 E-175s and lots of other news from airlines and suppliers in the region. Plus our very own Mary Kirby was forever spoiled by a trip in first class on the Emirates A380.

That concluded 2009, but we're already planning for next year: the Singapore Air Show is in January and Farnborough in July. Of course, you already know where to get all the latest coverage news, images, and videos from those air shows!

• BAMS UAS
  

• Embraer Lineage 1000
  

• Dassault Falcon 2000LX

• Gulfstream G250
  

• Learjet 85