Flight International

PICTURES: Dogfight screenshots from new Bond movie trailer

2008-06-30T09:25:21Z

Click on the image here and in the extended entry for larger versions

This screenshot is from the new James Bond 007 movie Quantum of Solace teaser trailer that is to be officially launched on the internet at 1700h BST this evening. The movie is to be released worldwide on 7 November and this image shows Daniel Craig playing the British secret agent flying a Douglas DC-3 Dakota during the movie's aerial sequence. Click through to the extended portion for more images from the aerial sequence from the trailer]]>
The Douglas DC-3 Dakota appears to have damage to its port engine

This aircraft looks very much like an Alenia Aermachhi SF-260

Bond, flying the Douglas DC-3 in a dogfight with the SF-260, has rounds from the attacking aircraft coming into the cockpit

My colleague, defence editor Craig Hoyle, has spotted that the attacking aircraft firing the rounds into Bond's Dakota's cockpit can be seen and actually looks like a Bell Helicopter UH-1 "Huey"

CelebAir: No i'm not joking!!

2008-06-27T10:22:55Z

Sometimes stories come out of the press release ether that are just perfect targets for commentary and scorn. In the last week, we have had Ryanair's naughty video, and now we have the story about CelebAir, a new ITV2 show where 12 "celebrities" would have to run an airline, dealing with real customers and real routes.

So just as I was preparing my pithy take on the situation, about how 12 idiots can handle real customers and make an airline run efficiently, and jokes on Vanessa Feltz and other likely keen candidates, I find that I have been beaten to it by colleagues (who annoyingly have done a better job than I could). So here's the scoop from Airline Business and Travolution, who were too quick on the draw for little old me!

Video sightings galore as UK goes UFO mad!

2008-06-25T15:34:17Z

From Stephen Andrews

Remember back in the days when technology was so basic, the thought of the "mobile phone" seemed absurd? Today the proliferation of advanced technology is so great,that even beings which do not have the brain capacity of a human can use them.

Ironically the growth of these technologies and the advancement of flying abilities has only served to increase the levels of UFO spotting, as a recent MOD report indicated. Two recent video sightings however have awoken the British public to the mystery of UFOs!

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On Saturday 7th June 2008, MoD Corporal Mark Proctor claimed to see "13 cube shape craft" in the night sky whilst patrolling at Tern Hill Barracks near to Market Drayton (see footage from the newly created "UFO" channel on The Sun website, no I'm not making that up!)

"They were zig-zagging from side to side" said Corp. Proctor. Belinda Steele, a spokeswoman for MoD who told reporters that the incident was investigated purely to ensure there was no threat to the barracks. A Shropshire couple supported the claim when they were "followed" whilst near Shrewsbury, on the A5.

Additionally, in Liverpool, multiple sightings were reported. Vince Pybis got hold of his phone as soon as he saw a floating light suspended high above the bushes, and decided to video what he could see. Once he started to record, he became conscious that there was not only one light, but six additional ones to what he had seen before.

"I'm a sceptic, I didn't believe in UFOs. But until you've actually seen one - well I saw seven - then I thought, they are out there." said Mr Pybis referring to the incident with typical clarity and judgement!

Sky Work blows its Q400 no-claims bonus

2008-06-23T21:38:31Z

Well that didn't take long. Just a couple of months after Switzerland's Sky Work Airlines took delivery of its brand-new Bombardier Q400, it looks like it's been scuffed. Swiss aircraft accident investigation bureau BFU has been notified of a tail-strike yesterday involving HB-JGA during an approach to runway 14 at Bern. I don't speak German but I'll warrant that 'Heck stark beschädigt' means it's going to need a paint job.

Ryanair, You Tube clips, and the most bizarre competition in the world!

2008-06-23T20:42:23Z

What do you do when your CEO's off-hand remark about oral sex gets caught on camera? Make a competition out of it of course!

Ryanair's press people are used to having to spin everything (as Flight's staff inboxes can testify) but their heads must have been sore from scratching over Michael O'Leary's remarks about "Beds and Blowjobs" remarks last week while trying to sell their transatlantic opportunities, until the joys of YouTube saved them.

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In typical understated manner, "Video clip Climaxes to No. 1 position", Ryanair announced the following:

"Ryanair's Linguistic Department will offer one free return flight to a destination of your choice, for travel from October to December (including taxes and charges) to the first Ryanair passenger translating 'Blowjobs' into German language".

Don't check the translation websites at work though. I am not sure trying to justify that to the boss would work, even if you offered them the free ticket.

Tour operator Cooks up a new jet

2008-06-22T14:38:20Z

This isn't a compromise to settle the US Air Force tanker dispute but a curiosity being hosted on the booking engine of Thomas Cook Airlines. So hard to tell them apart these days.

VSTAR fires back at its critics

2008-06-19T07:46:39Z

Pictures that I can't immediately post of new company Frontline Aerospace's VTOL Swift Tactical Aerial Resource (VSTAR) unmanned air vehicle in an alleged wind tunnel (its not obvious it is) appeared in my inbox this morning along with a statement by the company's chief executive Ryan Wood regarding criticism of the project by Flight International's former Americas editor, Graham Warwick, now Aviation Week's senior editor for technology, on the said magazine's website's Ares blog]]> Essentially Wood is complaining that his personal and very public involvement in UFO research is being used to undermine the credibility of his business venture and that criticism of the proposed technology for his UAV is unfair because of the engineering team he has and the testing that has been carried out so far.

I agree that people's hobbies, however whacky, do not necessarily mean their occupation is bunk.

But I do have my own doubts about the technology claims for VSTAR and share Graham Warwick's concerns. Primarily about the recuperator, which is another term for heat exchanger. Graham is an aerospace engineer who worked in industry before turning to journalism and I worked with him on our technology coverage for four-years on Flight and like him, I am a journalist who was an engineer.

I think Graham was being restrained in his criticism of Wood's recuperator technology claims as we are both aware of the state of heat exchanger development in well funded government research.

So why on Earth did you print the story you may well ask?

I filed it along with lots of other copy and had asked for it to be held back while I did some checking on the claims made by Wood, namely the wind tunnel testing.

To cut a long story short I spoke to Wood later in the conference and he said that the wind tunnel testing had been conducted at the Naval Research Laboratory in the Washington DC area. I subsequently contacted the NRL and despite follow-up calls have had no reply.

Wood also told me that he was negotiating a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement aka CRDA with NRL.

And he told me that the UAV project was a long term goal and that the Microfire, as its named, recuperator was the real focus for the company - and so in this respect I also completely agree with Graham that VSTAR is a packaging job.

Wood is using the fancy VSTAR vehicle to publicise the heat exchanger; which if it works is an impressive technological leap. Too impressive for me.

This view was shared by other journalists at the event and when we reporters were discussing the merits or demerits of the vehicle there was a discussion about whether Wood's company should be written about at all.

And this issue goes to the heart of journalism and the question, to what degree should the media stop information reaching the public? Who should be that gatekeeper?

In the age of the internet you could argue that such a question is irrelevant, everyone is a publisher. But journalists still wring their hands because they are concerned about the perception of their publication (and themselves).

Here at Flight we decided that giving the readers the information and letting them (you!) decide whether VSTAR was credible or not was the best course of action.

After all, if whackiness levels were the stick with which publication credibility was measured some might argue that no one would ever have read about Boeing's Sonic Cruiser anywhere. But then no Boeing executive, as far as I know, has ever gone on record as being a UFO enthusiast.

Anyway, I hope to get those wind and water tunnel test images for you soon.

Emirates A380 to 'arrive' at Heathrow in July

2008-06-17T22:37:29Z

Last year we revealed that an Emirates A380 would be the new advertising tenant on London Heathrow's former 'Concorde' roundabout. And so it has come to pass - at least according to the San Bernadino Sun which says the model, put together by California's Penwal Industries, is to be delivered in early July.

It's one-third scale, which makes it about the size of a Bombardier CRJ, and the newspaper says it'll be designed in pieces to "fit inside an Antonov An-225". Whether the Ukrainian six-engined gargantua is the designated mode of transport to Heathrow hasn't yet been confirmed.

PICTURES: Northrop's X-47B unmanned combat aircraft system demonstrator #1

2008-06-13T14:19:51Z

These pictures (see extended portion as well) are of the first of Northrop Grumman's unmanned combat aircraft system demonstators. The first demonstrator is planned to fly in 2009 and the second vehicle will fly a year later.

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Best aircraft debate and the conclusion of the 100 Greatest vote - why the geek should get the girl!

2008-06-12T13:09:07Z

There are only 8 Days left now in Flight's 100 Greatest vote and it is fair to say that each category is going to be an extremely close run thing. Although the obvious nominations are popular (Moon Landing, Wright Brothers etc), there is still ample opportunity for some surprises when the final list is revealed during the Farnborough Air Show.

Now here at Flight we like to think we are a fair crowd (well apart from when arguments on who makes the next cup of tea turns physical) but even we were shocked when this top ten aircraft list by Air & Space Magazine was highlighted to us (first seen by us on the Airline Biz blog), a list that doesn't include the Boeing 707, Concorde, P-51 Mustang,the DC-3, the Comet, or Airbus A380, among many more.

What has intrigued me in this list (and in our 100 Greatest survey), is the sheer range of aircraft nominated and the odd or extremely subjective choices that people have made.There has been plenty of debate about this list in the office, but i like taking the obvious figures out of the equation, and let's not forget that most of the aircraft picked in the Air & Space Magazine feature were exceptional engineering feats.

So i say (and this is by no means endorsed - by anybody in fact!!!) lets go off-piste (so to speak) and lets vote for the smaller, the oddly shaped or the less popular. Let's let the geek win the girl for once.

We have 8 days left, who's with me...

Bombardier's C Series: C for Conspiracy...

2008-06-08T17:45:33Z

Forget the Farnborough air show, it is not going to happen for the launch of Bombardier Aerospace's new C Series aircraft despite all the speculation, why do I think that? Because I have just spent a week with the Montreal aerospace industry and government and none of them have a clue what is going to happen

caption: C Series launch announcement in China? / credit: Bombardier Aerospace

]]> Instead I am going to indulge my tendenacies as a journalist to grasp the conspiracy theory in this case and blame Bombardier's need to generate market confidence, after its first aborted launch, by what I suspect is its own leaking of information to publicly name possible launch customers and the giving of cryptic responses to journalists questions

In a way it is so obvious that a company would launch at Farnborough but do they need too and are there other reasons why they would make the announcement on another occasion?

What we do know is that the Bombardier board gave approval for offers to be made in February, we know Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan and the Chinese Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) are the only named suppliers and that there is a need for 50 to 100 firm orders before any launch decision is made

Now for what we don't know. Could they deliver that many firm orders between February and July, who are the actual launch customers and how many are there, where will its final assembly take place (they had said it would be Mirabel, Quebec but then backtracked on that decision), how does the decision to create a new division for "Commercial Aircraft" within Bombardier affect the timetable and what role will P&W and the Chinese play in the announcement or for that matter the Quebec government?

Well no one in Quebec can tell you, that is my conclusion after spending a week there. So why was I so harsh with my first comment on what the aerospace industry and local government bodies know or don't know regarding C Series' launch?

Because it became apparent that what I was seeing was not a lot of people in the know with me at the centre of multiple well informed sources all corroborating each other, rather I had different people who had read the same media reports reflecting back at me what was already in the public domain. Even the local government bodies, who have recently submitted their support package proposal for a Mirabel based final assembly factory to Bombardier, are out of the loop

It is an odd feeling when you meet people in senior positions in the Quebec government involved in industrial policy, who talk to the aerospace industry on a very regular basis, and you realise that they are asking you if Bombardier will launch at Farnborough!

It is not that I didn't give them the option to tell me "off the record." It would have been so simple for them to tell me and I could have written that "Quebec aerospace sources confirm" but no, no joy.

So what is my conspiracy theory that answers all these questions and begins with the confidence building leaking of information? Well I can't get away from how political aerospace is, whether it is WTO subsidy busting decisions or regions fighting for foreign direct investment or government programmes ready to place billions of US dollars with one company or another

So I think everyone has overlooked the involvement of the Chinese. Let's not forget that AVIC is providing the fuselage for the C Series. This is not some APU component or subassembly, this is a serious chunk for an aircraft whose manufacturer claims challenges Boeing and Airbus' A320 and Boeing 737 replacements

And then there is the other really political aspect, the final assembly location decision, one more factor that is linked to the first aborted launch attempt and I would argue its resolution is required to build that confidence in the programme. Talking to Quebec's government officials I know that they have just submitted their proposal and this is not the sort of decision that gets made within a month

And what about those firm orders? Is 51 firm orders a good public relations move when you have declared you need 50 to 100. Come one, let's face it they need 75 bare minimum and above to show that this is an aircraft with strong demand - and so I am going to stick my neck out and say that they need longer than six months to get those nailed down with documents ready to be signed at the launch by the parties involved and all the related press releases and promotional material approved

Promotional material approved, you may ask? Yes, people forget that for any decision, any major corporate action a whole series of small supporting activities have to be carried out and my inquisition of Bombardier, local government and its suppliers while in Quebec just leads me to believe that with just one month to go before Farnborough there is not enough in place for this much anticipated event

However there is one factor in this that could upset the apple cart, the creation of the new Bombardier "Commercial Aircraft" division; surely a supporting action and timely considering a Farnborough announcement?

Why do it now? It is a question that flummuxed Bombardier's senior spokesman but I think that its announcement is simply another aspect of this confidence building work to enable them to get orders

So with all that what is the picture I see emerging from the jigsaw puzzle of leaks, confirmed facts, denials and ignorance?

Well, you heard it here first, C Series will launch with Chinese and Quebec government representatives and China Southern as the lead launch customer at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition that will be held from 4-9 November in Zuhia, Guangdong

But then again, I could be wrong :-)

British Eagle DC-6 in plea for £10,000 to fly at ILA

2008-05-29T10:30:32Z

The historic British Eagle DC-6 came alive again this week as it flew (in orginal 1963 livery) to ILA in Berlin, with the aim of tomorrow overflying the civilian Airlift terminus of Wunstorf and the former RAF Gatow before landing at the Airlift station.

But they now need financial help?

After months of exhaustive fundraising, the DC-6,G-APSA, operated by Air Atlantique, requires another £10,000 pounds today to be able to cover dry costs and be able to take part in the event as planned.

Julian Firth, Head of DC-6 operations at Air Atlantique, encapsulates what is at stake if they cannot make the required funding:

"we must (if the funding isn't reached) retire from this important engagement and miss the last opportunity to celebrate the important events of 1948-49 at the airfield which has become its spiritual home"

A new sponsor will benefit from media coverage, on site opportunities and the Flight seal of approval for keeping such an iconic aircraft in the air!

So if you have a spare £10,000 lying around, please contact the DC-6 team and offer your support!

Pilots named as sexiest profession (by adultery website!!!)

2008-05-28T10:13:30Z

Today male pilots everywhere can proudly have a bounce in their step and a smile on their face, as it has been revealed that theirs is the sexiest profession (photo credit: Andrew Cooper)

IllicitEncounters.com (apparently the UK's biggest extra marital dating website and of course the most reliable source for these things), surveyed nearly 3,000 women (who obviously love an affair) and found that a massive 27% would like a "bit of rough and tumble" with a pilot.
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Here is the top 10 list:

1. Pilots 27%
2. The media 13%
3. Property development or ownership 11%
4. Lawyers 9.5%
5. Farming 8%
6= Healthcare and medical 6.5%
6= Teaching 6.5%
8= Construction 4.5%
8= Accountants 4.5%
10. Engineering 3%

Forget the impending recession though, the thought of "doing a deal" with estate agents or cars salesman seems to be a real put off for those extra-marital types, with both getting a measly 1% and 0.5% of the vote respectively.

Urban Aeronautics' Panda UAV makes flight debut

2008-05-22T14:10:28Z

The prototype of Urban Aeronautics' Panda ducted fan unmanned air vehicle has performed a first series of tests flights.

The Panda is smaller version of the Israeli company's Mule UAV, which is designed mainly for frontline forces resupply and medical evacuation missions. The Panda is powered by two electric motors, each driving 0.5m (1.6ft)-diameter rotors.

Formula One comes to Ebace 2008

2008-05-21T09:09:51Z

It's an F1 frenzy at Ebace this year with no less than three different drivers putting in an appearance to fulfill various obligations.

First up was Jenson Button - here courtesy of Honda and their HondaJet.

He's buying a couple of aircraft and also announced his intention to set up a charter business.

Next is former world champion Kimi Raikonnen, keeping the boys at Piaggio happy with an appearance at their stand to do a bit of autograph signing.

Unfortunately for the waiting press Kimi was running two hours late.

Apparently, there were no free slots at Geneva Airport for him to land so he flew into Zurich and drove down (presumably not in his Ferrari F1 car.

And last but not least was Bombardier's chap Lewis Hamilton, who was guest of honour at an intimate Bombardier dinner, helping to promote Bombardier's Year of Learjet campaign.

All this has led to discussion as to just why aviation and F1 are such good bed fellows. Maybe it's because the drivers are big users of biz jets to get round the circuit.

Maybe it's that the lifestyle of these rich thrill-seekers inevitably leads some of them into the piloting world. Or possibly it's just that aviation and racing driving simply attract the same kind of people who are into speed and technology wrapped up in a glam lifestyle.