Flight International

PICTURES: Dogfight screenshots from new Bond movie trailer

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:25:21 +0000

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

CelebAir: No i'm not joking!!

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:22:55 +0000

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!

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:34:17 +0000

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!

Sky Work blows its Q400 no-claims bonus

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:38:31 +0000

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!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:42:23 +0000

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.

Tour operator Cooks up a new jet

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:38:20 +0000

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

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:46:39 +0000

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

Emirates A380 to 'arrive' at Heathrow in July

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:37:29 +0000

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

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:19:51 +0000

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.

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

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:09:07 +0000

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...

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:45:33 +0000

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

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

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:30:32 +0000

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!!!)

Wed, 28 May 2008 11:13:30 +0000

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.

Urban Aeronautics' Panda UAV makes flight debut

Thu, 22 May 2008 15:10:28 +0000

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

Wed, 21 May 2008 10:09:51 +0000

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.