May 2011 Archives

France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses has released details of the final few minutes of flight AF447, following the two-year recovery effort to retrieve the Airbus A330's flight-data and cockpit-voice recorders. Presented here are the main sections of the BEA's statement (in bold) and an explanation of the significance of each point:

 

01:35:46

The controller asked the crew to maintain FL350 and to give their estimated time at TASIL.

Flight AF447 is told to keep cruising at 35,000ft and inform Brazilian air traffic control when it expects to reach the waypoint 'TASIL' - the entry point into Senegalese airspace, where responsibility for watching over the flight will transfer to the control centre in Dakar.

These maps show the spread of the ash cloud from 06:00 BST, 12.00 BST and predicted spread of the cloud at 18.00 BST and 00.00 BST tonight.

 

Map 2 Map 3 Map 4

Is it art imitating life or life imitating art?

We recently covered one Siberian man's party trick helicopter that opens bottle, balances glasses of water, and then gives a facial shave, but here's a current ad from BMW featuring a KC-135 refuelling a BMW driver's coffee cup. The ad's tagline is that with the BMW 5 Series getting up to 32 miles per gallon, "you'll need refuelling before it will".




This isn't the first time aerial refuellers have been featured in ads, with Shell and Ferrari making a similar ad, below, in 1997.

We've heard a lot about US Airways flight 1549 that crashed into the Hudson River two years ago. Captain Chesley Sullenberger has received many accolades, including being named our "aviator of the year" in 2009, passengers recounted what they experienced on that chilly January day, and the Airbus A320 in question is planned to be exhibited in North Carolina.

But what were some of the long-term affects?

In this video from TED, Ric Elias, who is the CEO of a marketing services company, recounts what he has learned and how his outlook on life has changed since sitting in seat 1B on US1549.

What's 150 square metres, 1:87 in scale, and has 40,000 lights?

The world's largest model airport, which has opened in Hamburg, Germany. Called Knuffingen Airport, the diorama extravaganza is the work of twin brothers Frederik and Gerrit Braun, who Singularity Hub calls "energetic". That's for sure.

The airport also boasts 15,000 figurines, 500 cars, 10,000 trees, 50 trains, 1000 wagons, 100 signals, 200 switches, 300 buildings and 40 aircraft ranging in size from a Cessna to an Airbus A380. The 40 aircraft and and also 90 vehicles move autonomously thanks to a magnetic system and some strings (that's the simple explanation).

The lights blink, aircraft land rear wheels first, and there's even a parking lot. Check out the video above and photos below.

Visiting Germany anytime soon? You can see Knuffingen yourself at Miniatur Wunderland.

For more photos, see here.

Who says you can't teach a helicopter new tricks?

A Siberian pilot "bored with conventional forms of flight", Russia Today says, has learned how to have his helicopter perform, err, party tricks. The chopper opens a bottle, balances a glass of water on a spatula, and then shaves a man without scraping him.

Personally, I would have moved out of Siberia.

Have you ever wanted to have dinner with Sir Richard Branson? Well earlier this month one passenger on a V Australia flight from Los Angeles got just that opportunity.

Branson was travelling en route to Sydney for the unveiling of Virgin Australia and took advantage of the empty business class seat next to him, Travel Weekly reports.

After picking up a flight attendant phone to get on the PA system and welcome the passengers on board, Branson announced the eldest passenger on the flight would get to have dinner with him.

Not only was Branson in business class, he was in row nine, which on V Australia's Boeing 777-300ER is its own curtained-off cabin behind the bar and in front of premium economy.

No word, though, if the passenger got to stay in the seat to snooze after being dined and wined or had to return to his or her ticketed seat.

 

Check out the dedicated page of features as part of the Dassault Falcon 2000S cutaway package including the flight test as performed by Flightglobal pilot Peter Collins. See whether he enjoyed his flying experience. 

You can buy this cutaway as a canvas print, a print or a range of other formats from Flightglobal's Image Store and view it on AirSpace in the cutaways gallery.

This is the latest addition to a large Dassault Falcon family of business jets, manufactured by Dassault Aviation.

Aircraft include:

Dassault Falcon 10 Scaled down Falcon 20 (later versions known as Falcon 100). See this image on AirSpace of one used by the French Navy

Dassault Falcon 20 Original plane in family of aircraft (later versions known as Falcon 200). See this image on AirSpace by user apgphoto

Dassault Falcon 30 Enlarged 30-seat version of the Falcon 20, prototype only.

Dassault Falcon 40 Variant of the Falcon 30 for non-North American customers, not builtDassault Falcon 50 Trijet. Dassault Falcon 900 Stretched transcontinental trijet. Read this article about a Falcon 50 Retrofit

Dassault Falcon 2000 which is a scaled down twin jet Falcon 900 derivative.

Dassault Falcon 7X (originally Falcon FNX)

 

 

The Gloster Whittle E-28 was the first British jet-engined aircraft to fly, although there is no mention of it in the Flight issue after the first flight which was reportedly 15 May 1941. 

The Gloster Aircraft Company celebrated a "decade of achievement" in 1951 by taking out an advertisement featuring an illustration of a model on a stand showing the Gloster Whittle E-28 in flight.

In 1946, the first prototype (serial W4041) was placed in the Science Museum in London, where it is exhibited in the Flight Gallery.

Gloster Meteor aircraft in speedy flight. 

September 1941 Jet propulsion of aircraft II

September 1941 Possibilities of jet propulsion

October 1941 Jet propulsion of aircraft

January 1944 A Great British Achievement

February 1946 Turbines for Aircraft

May 1951  Turbine decade

1971 Britain's first jet aeroplane

Gloster Gladiator advertisement 

 

 

France's Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses has released this striking map of the debris field from flight AF447, the Airbus A330-200 which crashed in the South Atlantic in June 2009.

Click on the map for a larger version.

The UK Royal Air Force will complete its first 10 years of flying Boeing's C-17 transport, with its use of the type continuing to run well above planned rates.

Seven of the tactical heavy airlifters are now assigned to 99 Sqn and flown from the RAF's transport super-base at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The unit's final example, ZZ177, arrived at the site in mid-January, and has already completed its first missions into the UK's current main point of focus for military operations: Afghanistan.... More...

The RAF's site has this to say: "In Nov 2000, 99 Squadron (situated at RAF Brize Norton) was reformed to operate the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

The first of the squadron's four initial C-17s was delivered to the RAF The C-17 has become an essential component of the UK Strategic Airlift requirement and the original 4 leased aircraft were bought by the Ministry of Defence in 2008 along with an additional 2 identical platforms. The fleet will be complimented by a seventh aircraft in Dec 2010."

More from Flightglobal's recent archive using C-17 and 99 Sqn as search terms where you will see a list of articles reporting on C-17 aircraft deliveries and this story:

PICTURES & VIDEO: RAF C-17 fleet reaches 50,000h milestone

 

Have a look at our Flightglobal Image Store and see the C-17 Cutaway drawing which you can buy in a range of formats, as a print, on canvas, on a t-shirt or mug or even a jigsaw puzzle.

 

News that American Airlines launched a competition to find attractive male and female crew members to appear as models in a photoshoot for the airline, has not gone down well among union members.

They say the 'Face Of Your Base' contest which asks flight attendants to vote on who looked the most 'superb' in the airline's new scarves, ties and striped shirts, undermines their duties of ensuring safety onboard a flight and is reminiscent of an all-women workforce facing weigh-ins and wearing girdles.

A spokesperson for the airline told a UK daily newspaper that its crew members were 'flattered to be nominated' for the promotional photoshoot.

 

 

Coventry Airport isn't up there on my list of desireable places to eat, but after reading about how a Douglas DC-6 has been converted into a restaurant, I might just be tempted to visit.

The aircraft has been restored to its original 1950s passenger configuration with seating for around 60 diners

And what better use of an old aircraft that hasn't flown for almost four years than to refurbish it so that diners can call upon waiting staff by using the buttons above their seats.

I can't imagine that the dining concept would appeal to anyone other than aircraft enthusiasts, like myself, but as a novelty is might be a fun place to take the kids during the summer break.

Chef Tony Caunce has designed a menu offering such dishes as Bomber T-bone steak, Vampire gammon, 8oz Rapide steak or even a Meteor marinade fillet.

Caunce said: "Some people have come just because it is a plane and they want to experience something different.

"It used to provide people with sheer luxury compared to what you get today. It was an incredibly well engineered plane, which is why it was still flying until recently."

The aircraft, a former freighter, registered G-SIXC is owned by Skypartners, and is part of the Airbas exhibition where more than 30 Air Atlantique planes are on display.

To make a reservation for lunch or dinner at the DC-6 Diner call 02476 882 604. 

Classic Flight's new Airbase Visitor Centre at Coventry Airport.

Flightglobal Archive: See information and cutaway drawing of the DC-6

Clearly visible in the background of this video about the AF447 flight-recorder retrieval is a cutaway drawing from Flightglobal's extensive collection of similar illustrations.

But it's a curious choice, the reason for which isn't entirely clear: the aircraft in the diagram is not an Airbus A330, as might be expected, but an A321 - as the original image shows:

 

 

The future's gonna be great! Global warming? Oil crises? Forget it - the future is going to be so much better than we thought!

According to Airbus, which does a lot of thinking about such things, in the future energy worries will have been resolved and, best of all, we'll travel for free!

It's on video so it must be true. All to be revealed on 13 June, so watch this space.

 

Britain's flag carrier British Airways is calling on artists, chefs and writers to create designs, menus and films which will show its passengers travelling to and from the Games next year that Britain does, indeed, have talent.

BA, as official airline partner of the London 2012 Olympics, launches it's BA Great Britons campaign today, which offers opportunities to work with chef Heston Blumenthal, actor Richard E Grant and artist Tracey Emin, on creative projects.

The airline wants to emblazon its aircraft with a design that captures the spirit of the Games. Chefs are invited to design a menu to satiate passengers onboard, and writers to come up with an original and innovative film script to be shown as a pre-landing film inflight as well as being shown on screens in the Olympic Park, entertaining spectators.

British Airways head of brands Abigail Comber said: "With just over a year to go until the London 2012 Games it's a great time to start communicating some of the great opportunities we're offering, as well as show our commitment to British sporting talent."

Some images you might not have seen from the search for Air France flight AF447, taken during the initial dive that located the flight-data recorder. The final image gives an indication of the extent and nature of the wreckage field in which the search team is working.

All images from Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses.