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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2475.PDF
Straight & Level roqer.bacon@flightinternational.com Very Light Planet (Part 2) Last week you might have spotted a debate about the true size of the very light jet (VLJ) market. Some, like the ever acerbic John Walsh, decided to restrict his forecast to "the Planet Earth". But why? Well Nephew Richard Harrison believes that it is "because when there is an Eclipse we are all in the dark!" Talking of which: Eclipse chief honcho Vern Raburn, speaking to customers about why the company is focusing so heavily on a top-notch training pro gramme: "We can build the best aircraft in the world, but if it's operated by the dumbest pilots we will fail. But hey, that's not you! You've already demonstrated your phenomenal intellect by buying it! And on related promotions (introducing Eclipse board member Brian Barents): "By the way, Brian is also chief executive of a new company called Aerion - which is developing the cheapest supersonic business jet at around $80 million a go. Oh, and as a special offer, he's offering to throw in two Eclipses for every Aerion." And on the competing VLJs: "They are sort of like mushrooms on a wet morning. A lot of smoke and not a lot of fire." (Just exactly what sort of species of fungus are we talking about here? Ed.) And on great sayings: "A vision without money is an hallucination." Soldier pushes a Shadow 200 UAV in preparation for launch over Iraq Art fan WonderJets: "Hey, here's a bit of news for you. One of our fabulous composite fan blades, developed for millions and representing the future of propulsion, is so beautiful that it's going to be on display in the Architecture and Design collec tion of the Museum of Modern Art in New York." Rollo Freelunch: "You mean it's a museum piece already!" Brolly bags (Tales from the Budgie News in-tray.) "News From Eurofreight Umbrella" it says here. Presumably this outfit offers dry-lease air-cargo capacity? And here's another one, just in... National Air Transport Association (NATA) press release. KIDDER JOINS NATA COMMUNICATIONS STAFF. That's unfortunate - how will we know when to believe them? Thrilling Virgin? (From BBC news.) "In addition to its majority stake in Virgin Atlantic, Virgin also has shares in Belgian and Nigerian carriers. It is also setting up a no-thrills airline in the USA.' .. .which frankly, is the way your Uncle likes to fly. Warmed over - cold shouldered Airbus's John Leahy, speaking to the Aviation Club to deny the A350 is a "warmed over" A330. "It's NOT a warmed-over A330. Otherwise we'd have called it the WO330." 50 YEARS AGO FLIGHT 26.11.1954 Inquiry - and After The great Comet Inquiry is now over. It would be inappropriate to discuss those matters upon which the Court is to pronounce. We would not attempt to try to assess the extent or accuracy of the informa tion which members of the public in this and other countries may have gathered. While some "popu lar" newspapers have tried conscientiously but hopelessly to interpret the daily official transcript in 250-500 words, others have shamelessly picked this or that isolated remark out of context and endeavoured to build it up into a sensation. If the newspaper stories for the public are all the "benefit" that results from holding such an inquiry in public, it would have been better not to have done so. Aviation has gained little and suffered much. Spoon-feeding A wave of "flying saucer" stories has lately been sweeping the Iron Curtain countries; they have been so numerous that last week Budapest Radio brought an "expert" to the microphone to explain to the populace that "all flying saucer reports orig inate in bourgeois countries, where they are invented by capitalist warmongers, with a view to drawing the peoples' attention away from their economic difficulties." Ambulance, Officer? While a police constable was taking details of a road accident near Tilmanstone, Kent, last week, a U.S.A.F. helicopter came down low enough for the pilot to ask whether any help was needed. Assured that everything was under control, the plot waved and flew off. Big Lift by Eagle On November 30th, Eagle Aviation will begin a series of 15 flights carrying 540 German soccer enthusiasts from Brussels to Southend. The Germans, who will travel in 36-seat Vikings, will attend the following day's England-Germany match at Wembley. The cost per passenger, includ ing the return flight and hotel accommodation in London, is reported to be only £610s. A French Imposition The French Government has decreed that passen ger charges will be levied at State-controlled airports from December 1 st. Each passenger will have to make a cash payment before departing on any international journey. 62 23-29 NOVEMBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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