US safety regulators push FAA to bolster MD-11 hard landing prevention The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is strongly urging the FAA to adopt new regulations specific to Boeing MD-11 aircraft to stave off a raft of hard landings that began in 1993 and continued through 2010. "Although it is not uncommon for jet transport aircraft to experience a small skip or bounce during landing, since it was entered into service in 1990, the MD-11 has had at least 14 events of such severity that the aircraft sustained substantial damage," said NTSB in a recommendation letter to the FAA. Four of those events were complete hull losses while seven events have occurred during the last two years, the board stressed, including five in 2009. Link
Thomas Cook issues profit warning, reviews UK business European tour operator Thomas Cook Group has launched a "fundamental strategic and operational review" of its UK business as it continues to be hit by difficult trading conditions. In a 12 July trading update, the company said the profitability of its UK business was continuing to be hit by the country's economic situation, which had squeezed consumer spending and affected purchases of foreign holidays. Link
Hawaiian Airlines' Japanese bookings have recovered, CEO says Mark Dunkerley, CEO of the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, said the airline's Japanese bookings have recovered. The airline suffered a significant hit in passenger traffic after the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan. "Bookings are back to pre-tsunami levels," Dunkerley said. Hawaiian also plans to start service from Honolulu to Osaka this week. Link
L.A. airport board will pay for baggage screening system The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners this week agreed to reimburse United Airlines $40 million for a baggage screening system. A grant from the Transportation Security Administration will help the board cover the cost. The board also allocated $250,000 to Southwest Airlines for renovations aimed at improving terminal security. Link
Blog: O'Hare should add ramp space for parking airplanes Weather caused American Eagle's 14 long tarmac delays on May 29, writes the Cranky Flier blogger. The tarmac-delay rules, which went into effect in 2010, have minimized such delays. However, an airline spokesman explains how bad weather at Chicago's O'Hare Airport led to the delays. The airline canceled 126 flights when it showed weather would improve later in the day, but the weather didn't improve. "Maybe instead of a new runway, O'Hare should simply focus on building some new ramp space where airplanes can park and unload people in situations like this," writes the Cranky Flier. Link
Airfares within Europe fall sharply as competition increases Recent airfares within Europe are surprisingly inexpensive compared with U.S. fares, this article says. Observers note that new low-fare competitors in the European market have resulted in a sharp drop in fares. "Even after taxes, you see a better fare per mile in the European Union than you do in the United States," said Mark Milke, a director at Fraser Institute, a public policy research group. Link
Boeing, ANA complete 787 validation flights Boeing said Tuesday that 787 validation flights conducted in concert with Dreamliner launch customer All Nippon Airways have been successfully completed in Japan. Link
Embraer delivers 25 commercial aircraft, wins 18 E-Jet orders in second quarter Embraer delivered 25 commercial aircraft in the second quarter, down 13.8% from 29 delivered in the 2010 June quarter. Link
Other News
Romania's Tarom incurred a net loss of €80 million ($113 million) in 2010, 41.6% worse than its 2009 deficit, Romanian media outlets reported. According to Bucharest's The Diplomat, the SkyTeam member's full-year revenue totaled €306 million.
Israir took delivery of its first ATR 72-500 with a second of the type slated to arrive later this month. The Israeli carrier will deploy the two PW127M-powered turboprops seating 72 passengers on the Tel Aviv Sde Dov-Eilat route. The new aircraft will also enable the airline, a subsidiary of the IDB Tourism branch of IDB Holdings, to increase charter flights to other Mediterranean tourist destinations, it said.
AVIATION QUOTE
When anyone asks me how I can best describe my experiences of nearly forty years at sea, I merely say uneventful. I have never been in an accident of any sort worth speaking about....I never saw a wreck and have never been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort.
— Captain Edward J. Smith, R.M.S. Titanic, an experienced 62 year old captain, this was to be his last voyage prior to retirement, 1912
ON THIS DATE
July 13th
---In 1909... If brief hops by Alliott Verdon Roe on June 8, 1908 are discounted, the first flight made by an Englishman in an English airplane takes place when Roe flies his Roe I triplane for the first time at Lea Marsches in Essex. He flies only 100 ft., but on July 23 he extends the distance to some 900 ft. off the ground.
---In 1919... The British military airship R.34, operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), accomplishes the first two-way transatlantic air crossing. The outward journey is also the first air crossing of the Atlantic from east to west.
---In 1943…First flight of the Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender.
---In 1957... President Eisenhower becomes the first U.S. president to fly in a helicopter when he is flown from the White House to an unnamed military post in a USAF Bell UH-13J.
This unemployed CPL is looking for work when he gets a call from the Malaysian government.
"We've got a problem with fires and smoke and stuff, how’s about you come out and fly our Pawnees? All the flying you want, loads of free food and beer, good girls and best of all, money!!"
So the chap thinks it over and then jumps on the nearest Virgin and off he goes. Time passes. About three weeks later he's told to take the Pawnee away for a break and a 500 hour check (500 hours in 3 weeks being about right there).
On the way he is overcome with tiredness and has to land in a field of grass. Except that's it's rice and rather wet. He gets out of the plane and lies on the wing, oblivious to his surroundings.
Suddenly, out of the distance comes a big white Toyota land Cruiser, and in it is an 18 year old beauty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, nice white clothes etc. fantasy etc. The girl insists our hero join her in the farm house, away from the field and the snakes etc. On the way she tells him her dad is away and she's alone on her own in the house. At length, hero goes to bed, only to be disturbed a while later by a knock on the door.
"It's me " the girl squeals, "I'm lonely" Our hero says to go away - he being a brave pilot type and scared of her dad.
"No, let me in " she insists "My dad would want it".
Our boy has to relent and he lets her in - she is wearing very little, nice see through nighty, good body etc. fantasy etc. She gets in beside him and he turns away, as a gesture of gentlemanliness.
"Come here" she pleads "I haven't seen a naked man before". "No" he insists "go to sleep, I'm a professional and I'm tired"
"Please" she says, "if you don't I'll tell dad you made me!" so, in deference to a failed situation, our hero rolls over the girl... and falls off the wing of the Pawnee and into the paddy field!
TRIVIA
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And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
