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NEWS

American CEO says Chapter 11 to be 'complex,' warns of takeover attempts
Even though American Airlines (AA) is in a relatively strong position for a bankrupt airline—with $4.1 billion in cash on hand, more than $6 billion in revenue generated quarterly and an expansive network underpinned by oneworld membership and other international partnerships—chairman, president and CEO Tom Horton acknowledged last week that the Chapter 11 process will be "complex.”
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Russian government eyes subsidizing regional aircraft
The Russian Ministry of Transport has proposed legislation allowing carriers to receive government subsidies for the leasing of regional aircraft. If approved, effective Jan. 1, the government will reimburse some part of leasing payments for regional aircraft. The proposed subsidies, available for any airline operating regional flights, would be applicable for Russian and foreign-built aircraft not older than 10 years with less than 55 seats for any type of engine, and for 55-72 seat aircraft with turboprop engines. Link

New narrowbodies to underpin Turkish growth
Turkish Airlines (TK) will focus on increasing feed to its long-haul network as it takes delivery of mainly narrowbody aircraft over the next years, CEO Temel Kotil said in an interview at the Arab Air Carriers Organization’s (AACO) annual general meeting in Abu Dhabi.
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Lufthansa prepares for difficult 2012
The Lufthansa (LH) Group’s biggest challenge for 2012 will be the carrier’s ability to be flexible in adjusting capacity as demand fluctuates. LH chairman and CEO Christoph Franz said in Addis Ababa that the carrier is focusing on where to make capacity adjustments as it heads into next year. He expects the economy in 2012 will continue to be weak, “especially in Europe, which will be hit harder than other areas,” he said.
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JAL To Repay USD$2.38 Bln Loans Early
Japan Airlines would likely pay back this month JPY¥185 billion (USD$2.38 billion) of its JPY¥220 billion bank loans maturing in January 2013, the Nikkei reported.
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Boeing 787 Delivery Delay Hits ANA Schedules
All Nippon Airways, the first operator of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner said it will postpone the start of 787 service on some international routes because of a delay in receiving another aircraft.
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Airbus Sees At Least 30 A380 Deliveries In 2012
Airbus will deliver at least 30 A380 superjumbos in 2012 after meeting its target for at least 25 in 2011, chief operating officer Fabrice Bregier said in remarks published on Friday.
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Thai Ladyboy Flight Attendants Take To The Skies
Thai transsexual ladyboys are taking to the air as flight attendants for a new airline, a move that some said could be a key step towards still broader acceptance in a nation where they are already unusually visible.
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Etihad acquires 29% stake in Air Berlin
Etihad Airways is to increase its stake in Air Berlin to 29%, making it the largest single shareholder in the German carrier. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has an existing 2.99% stake in Air Berlin, which it will boost to 29.21% through a new share issue by Air Berlin. The shares will be issued at a price of €2.31 ($3). Under the agreement, Etihad will invest up to $255 million in Air Berlin over five years to support its fleet development and future network growth.
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RAF Typhoons in Northolt Olympic move
Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons will be stationed on the outskirts of London as part of the UK armed forces' contribution to the security effort around the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. The Ministry of Defence said the Typhoons would be temporarily stationed at RAF Northolt, Middlesex, for the duration of the Games, to aid the implementation of airspace security. It is unknown from where the aircraft will be drawn, but the southern QRA force at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, is the most likely candidate.
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Other News

Malaysia Airlines (MH) will cut routes to Europe, Africa and the Middle East starting in January to stem losses and return to profitability. Beginning in January, the airline will scrap the following routes: daily Langkawi–Penang–Singapore; 2X-weekly Kuala Lumpur–Karachi–Dubai; 2X-weekly Kuala Lumpur–Dubai–Damman; daily Kuala Lumpur–Surabaya; 3X-weekly Kuala Lumpur–Johannesburg; 2X-weekly Kuala Lumpur–Cape Town–Buenos Aires; and 3X-weekly Kuala Lumpur–Rome route.

Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) has unveiled its new premium economy class and upgraded economy class seats on its long-haul flights from March 2012. The first aircraft featuring the seats will be a Boeing 777-300ER, which will enter service in March on the Hong Kong-Toronto route.

The Boeing 787 has set new records for both speed and distance for the airplane's weight class, according to a Boeing statement. “The sixth 787, ZA006, powered by General Electric GEnx engines, departed from Boeing Field in Seattle at 11:02 a.m. Dec. 6 and set the distance record for its class (440,000-550,000 lbs.) with a 10,710 n. mi. (19,835 km.) flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh, with credit for 10,337 n. mi. (19,144 km.). This record had previously been held by the Airbus A330 based on a 9,127 n. mi. (16,903 km.) flight in 2002,” Boeing said. “Following an approximately 2-hr. stop for refueling in Dhaka, the aircraft returned to Seattle on a 9,734 n. mi. (18,027 km.) flight. It landed at 5:29 a.m. Dec. 8, setting a new record for speed around the world (eastbound) with a total trip time of 42 hr. and 27 min.,” Boeing said. There was no previous around-the-world speed record for this weight class.

Air France will launch 6X-weekly Toulouse-Brussels Airbus A320 service June 3.

EasyJet will launch 4X-weekly Toulouse-Brussels service March 26.

Brussels Airlines (SN) will increase Brussels service in April to Yaounde (2X- to 6X-weekly) Douala (3X-weekly to daily), Abidjan (to daily) Nairobi (3X- to 4X-weekly) and Bujumbura (2X- to 3X-weekly). It will cease service to Accra, replaced by codeshare flights over Frankfurt with Star Alliance partner Lufthansa.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) and Meridiana reached a codeshare agreement under which RJ will add its code on the Italian carrier’s flights from Rome Fiumicino (FCO) to Verona while IG will add its code to RJ flights between Milan Malpensa and Amman (AMM) and FCO and AMM.

Qantas Airways has agreed a pay deal with its engineers, one of three unions that the airline has had a stand off with for more than a year, a union representative said. The deal, which gives engineers a 3 percent pay rise over three years, would be presented to the country's labor umpire later on Monday, the secretary of the engineers union, Steve Purvinas, said.



AVIATION QUOTE

The duty of the fighter pilot is to patrol his area of the sky, and shoot down any enemy fighters in that area. Anything else is rubbish.

— Baron Manfred von Richthofen, 1917. Richtofen would not let members of his Staffel strafe troops in the trenches.

ON THIS DATE

December 19th

---In 1908... The world’s first aerodrome, Port-Aviation, is opened 12 miles outside of Paris.

---In 1968... The Boeing Company receives its first order, from Israeli airline El Al, for a long-range version of the 747 Jumbo Jet, production of which was announced just under a month ago.

---In 1978... The first solar-powered aircraft, Solar One, makes a successful flight in England.

---In 1980… New York Air began airline operations.

---In 1990… Northwest Airlines buys a 25% share in Hawaiian Airlines.

---In 2005… Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 loses a wing and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean near Miami, killing twenty people. This crash spells the end for Chalk's Ocean Airways, operating since 1917.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Airline Pilot Poll

A half-dozen pilots were asked: "If you were the pilot of a crashing airliner, what would you say for the record for maximum humorous effect?" Below are their answers.

"Oh, no, not again."

"Rosebud."

"Gazpacho soup."

"Guess I shouldn't have had those 5 drinks before taking off."

"40 lawyers down. 5 million to go."

"I have a lovely proof of this theorem, but..."

"I've always loved you."

"How about a little necrophilia"

"Pittsburgh? Might as well just do myself."

"Why did I have to pick today to give up thionite?"

"Hey Bob?"
"Yeah Frank?"
"Why's the sky Green?"
"Dunno, Frank."

"Perfect time for a walk in the woods."

"Hills department store. I hate Hills. Let's get 'em."

"Hey, is that a quarter?"

"Hey. We don't *know* that the ground isn't soft and fluffy."

"What the hell, Bob -- tonight let's try following the fairy lights."

"This is your captain speaking. The voices is my head tell me to turn the left engine off and dive for the ground. We'll be landing momentarily."

"Damn! Charley Horse!"

"Hey, Bob. Bet you'll wimp out and bring the plane out of a dive before I will."

"Where's the decimal supposed to be in this altimeter?"

"I *told* you a 737 wasn't stable upside down!"

"No, no, back is up, forward is down."

"Yah, sure, they moved the airport... but wasn't it to the @i(south) of the old one?"

"Say, did we get 13,000 kg of fuel or just 13,000 lbs.?

"Did I leave the gas on?"

"Well, thank god we got all those terrorists restrained in the back. Let's land -- I need a beer."

"Hey cool, if I do *this*..."

"Frank doesn't know it yet, but we've replaced his regular coffee with new Folgers crystals."

"Frank doesn't know it yet, but we've replaced his regular engine coolant with new Folger's crystals"

"Frank doesn't know it yet, but we've replaced his regular *jet fuel* with new Folger's crystals"

"Man, those turbines are giving me a headache. Shut 'em down while I rest for a minute."

"Let's see if we can pick some leaves off the branches of those trees..."

"'Paycut'? Here's what I think about a USAir paycut!"

"Look! It's Elvis!"

"Well, at least we avoided ramming the starship Enterprise back there."

"Hey, I've always wanted to start a tourist attraction..."

"An Iranian, an Englishman, and an American were all on the same plane...."

"Frank doesn't know it yet, but we've replaced his regular control yoke with *a rubber chicken!*"

"Let's see Tom Brokaw claim it's a miracle anyone survived *this* one."

"Let's see if these tires are all-terrain..."

"No worries. The plane is made of bouncy metal. Or is that the 747. I can never remember."

"Should've taken proscar..."

"Hey, that babe in 37C is pretty hot. Why don't we bring her up here?"

"Man, this 4-player DOOM is *excellent!*"

"Klingons off the starboard bow, Jim."

"Budda budda budda! Eeeyroww!! Boom! Boom!"

"What?!? You drank a pot of coffee too?!? Race you to the bathroom!"

"I understand the new automated landing software runs under Lynx..."

"Wanna play 'Hungry Hungry Hippos'?"

"Bob Smith is the winner of our 'be a pilot for a day contest' He'll be bringing us safely into to PGH international."

"Damn, this model has really high resolution rendering. Look at those trees!"

"Guess I shouldn't have called the mechanics union a bunch of thick necked incompetent slugs."

"Funny, it always worked in the simulator."

"If you're not going to agree with me about the baseball salary cap, I'm just going to have to pull over..."

"Tell my wife I hate her."

"Man, this weed is worthless. I'm not even slightly biffle dinked!"

"I can't take another presidential election."

"Man I told you she was sunbathing in the nude; let's go back for a closer look."

"They say it's safer than crossing the street."

"But we have to do that too."

"Frank, what did you get on your shirt?" *bonk*

"Why you..!"

"...and I never did get my &*() coke!"

"Tastes great."

"Less filling."

"I didn't know these chairs reclined!"

"Let's lower some property values."

"These 737's are great. You could stop one on a dime. ...and there's one now!"

"Boy I'm glad we had that tailwind, or we might not have made the eleven-o-clock news!"

"Hey Roy? Here's that ten bucks I owe you."

"I'm tired. Time to pull over and take a nap."

"My hat's too big. It keeps slipping down over my eyes."

"Aaahh! There's a green monster on the wing!"

"Ice cream truck! Ice cream truck!"

"Damn, bathroom's still occupied. I'll just tinkle out the window."

"I think they should have built the airport right here."

"Where are we going?"

"Planet Ten!"

"When are we going?"

"Real soon!"

"What's a six letter word meaning 'the floor outside', rhymes with 'sound', begins with G?"

"Hey, watch this."



TRIVIA

Manufacturer Scamble

1. AIURSB
2. IEBONG
3. DOSLUGA
4. STADLSAU
5. SRSTOH
6. PLOUTEV
7. ELDCEHOK
8. NIARMT
9. OBTSRLI
10. REFKOK

1. AIURSB = Airbus
2. IEBONG = Boeing
3. DOSLUGA = Douglas
4. STADLSAU = Dassault
5. SRSTOH = Shorts
6. PLOUTEV = Tuploev
7. ELDCEHOK = Lockheed
8. NIARMT = Martin
9. OBTSRLI = Bristol
10. REFKOK = Fokker

Can anybody figure out what went wrong in the video of the floatplane crash?

Here's a hint: Always check gear up before landing an amphib on water.

Queso wrote:Can anybody figure out what went wrong in the video of the floatplane crash?

Here's a hint: Always check gear up before landing an amphib on water.

This one happened seax years ago, on this date:

Queso wrote:Can anybody figure out what went wrong in the video of the floatplane crash?

Here's a hint: Always check gear up before landing an amphib on water.

Ed and me were booked on a floatplane flight for the netAirspace Month of Flight 2009.

We saw the aircraft take off after a fuel stop at HAM, departing for its last flight before ours was due. Upon landing in Hamburg port later on, exactly the same thing happened as in the video. The pilot had forgotten to raise the gear after the runway takeoff from HAM, and crashed when attempting to land on water with the gear down. Both passengers perished.