Video: Eurofighter Typhoon racing a Bugatti Veyron

Video is from Top Gear, where on the Top Gear’s host, James May, races a 1000HP British Pound 1 million Bugati Veyron with a British Pount 65 million Eurostar Typhoon. The race is vertical climb and descent of the plane with a straight line run by the car.
An awesome video! Check the video to see who wins.

 

American Airlines Flys to Paris without a Panel

On April 20th 2008, an American Airline’s airplane (Boeing 767) took off from Dallas Fort Worth Airport for Paris. While climbing up to the cruising altitude a 3-foot by 6-foot panel made of composite material feel of the plane’s belly. Though it wasn’t till the plane reached Paris that the loss was identified.

From here

“[It] sounded like an explosion, or very large landing gear being
ripped,” said a flight attendant on board, according to an e-mail
obtained by television station WFAA in Dallas.

 

Videos: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Beautiful Phoenix Sunset at Phoenix Airport

Take off - Day time - Window View - It looks a little too cloudy for Phoenix :).

Take off - Night time - Window View

Landing - Day Time - Window View - It looks more like a normal Phoenix day - No clouds
The green areas are the Golf Courses.

 

Airbus 380: Inside the Singapore’s A380

Couple of things to notice in the video -

• Check the take off - The other planes on the runways look tiny.
• Check the screen size for economy class, business class and Suites = WOW!

It does make a lot of other airlines’ first/envoy/business class look ordinary!

 

Video: Car jetblasted by 747 engines

From one of my favorite shows on BBC - 747 blowing away a Ford Mondeo and a Citroen.
Please do not try EVER!!!!

 

American Airlines: The On-Time Machine

For March 2008, American Airlines finished last among 19 US Carriers in on-time arrivals. Though a lot can be attributed to the ripple effects of MD80 cancellations.

This American Airlines commercial above is from 1988. The punch line was “American Airlines, The On-Time Machine“, funny how it has changed. Maybe they need rethink their priorities?

 

Flights Canceled: Pilot Shortage?

Airlines in Australia are going through a pilot shortage. A lot of destinations are seeing fewer flights. The reason of this pilot shortage is high cost of pilot training and even after the pilots go through the required training, they end up flying for more lucrative carriers like Cathay Pacific and Emirates.

From Sydney Morning Herald

“We’ve been warning about this for a long time,” says Colin
Rodgers, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of
Australia. “But our predictions have fallen on deaf ears. As a
country we’ve dropped the ball.”

 

Video: Pan Am Advertisement from 1958

Facts

• Pan Am introduced the Boeing 707 jet service with this advertisement
• Flying was so much more fun then

 

More FAA Revelation

I have started questioning FAA’s objective of “Regulating civil aviation to promote safety“.

From AtwOnline -

US FAA said that more than five years have elapsed since it conducted
assessments on 103 system designs at eight airlines, exceeding the
timeframe during which the reviews were supposed to have taken place
and the latest in a string of admissions by the agency regarding lapses
in its airline oversight.

 

Long Lost Airlines: Independence Air

(A lot from wiki)

Independence Air (owned by Flyi, Inc.) was a low cost airline based in Dulles, Loudoun County, Virgina, USA (greater Washington DC Area).

Facts -

• Started on - December 15th 1989
• Start - It started as Atlantic Coast Airlines operating as feeder service for United Express for United Airlines and Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines.
• As Independence Air - After failure to renew contract with United, they reinvented themselves to Independence Air (announced on November 19 2003 and began service - June 16 2004)
• Hubs - Dulles International Airport
• Fleet - CRJ Regional Jets (50 seats), Airbus A319
• Destinations - 37 destinations (200 daily departures)
• Shutdown Date - January 5th 2006 (announced on January 2 2006)
• Great Promotions - GLiDE Summer Travel Pass for college students ($250 + taxes, etc) for unlimited flying between May1 - Aug31 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Early Problems -

• Poor fleet mix
• Expanded too quickly
• Financial Troubles early on
• Flying far below capacity

The End

• February 2005 - One aircraft repossessed due to Missed lease payment
• January 2006 - No buyer found, hence cessation of service

Tribute Videos

One with the last flight and interviews of employees -

Another tribute video (my favorite one) -