Month: March 2008

Video – SIA A380 landed at London Heathrow

Today Singapore Airlines (SIA) started its A380 service between Singapore and London. A few hours ago, the inaugural flight SQ308 touched down for the first time at London Heathrow.
The aircraft will return to Singapore today, operating as SQ319, departing Heathrow at 18:55. (see schedule)

Watch this great video, featuring the landing of SQ308 and taxiing to the gate, greeted by a water canon salute!

Further videos:

Landing at London Heathrow from inside the A380:

Water canon greeting from inside the A380:

A380 pushback:

A380 leaving LHR:

Safety Report – 03/18/2008


Date & Time: 03/18/2008 13:17
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Aircraft Type: Boeing 757-232 Registration: N689DL
Operator: Delta Air Lines Flight: 792
Phase: Landing
Damage: Minor
Injuries & Fatalities: None
Description: Delta flight 792 blew number 7, inside right main tire, on takeoff from Anchorage – landed at Salt Lake City

Source: FAA
Correctness of this posting is not guaranteed & completeness not intended. This posting is just for informational purpose.

Safety Report – 03/17/2008


Date & Time: 03/14/2008 11:57
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-86N Registration: EI-DJT
Operator: Travel Service (Futura)
Phase: Takeoff
Damage: Minor
Injuries & Fatalities: None
Description: Flight reported a tail strike on takeoff, returned to General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) and landed without further incident

Source: FAA
Correctness of this posting is not guaranteed & completeness not intended. This posting is just for informational purpose.

Photo – Rockwell B-1 Lancer Nose Art

Rockwell B-1 Lancer Nose Art

Yesterday I was browsing around through my many unreleased aviation pics. I thought this one might be interesting, so I uploaded it to Flickr. I know the quality is bad and it was raining, but anyway the subject is quite cool.

It shows the nose art of an US Air Force Rockwell (Boeing) B-1 Lancer Bomber. Hope you like it 🙂

More:
My aviation pics at Flickr
Some of my Airbus A380 photos

Heathrow Terminal 5 opened

(BBC) The Queen has officially opened Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5, describing it as “a 21st Century gateway to Britain”.
Hundreds of airport and construction workers attended the opening ceremony.
The new terminal, set to begin operating on 27 March, will offer extra passenger capacity but no more flights.

Its construction has involved diverting two rivers, building what is claimed to be the UK’s largest free-standing building and tunnelling 13km for rail and baggage links.
The complex includes 50 new aircraft stands, which will rise to 60 by 2010, two satellite buildings, one of which is still to be completed, rail links to London Underground and the Heathrow Express, and a new multi-storey car park.

The official opening is of the project’s Phase 1, including Terminals 5A and 5B. Phase 2, which adds Terminal 5C, is set to open in 2010. … Continue at BBC

Links:
Pictures of Terminal 5
Map of Terminal 5

CIT orders 20 more Airbus aircraft

Airbus S.A.S. LogoCIT Aerospace, a leading global commercial finance company, has signed a firm contract for 15 A320 Family aircraft and 5 A330-200s.

Including the order announced by Airbus today, CIT has ordered a total of 189 Airbus aircraft (152 A320 Family aircraft, including five ACJs, 30 A330s and seven A350 XWBs) of which 93 are already delivered.

The President of Transportation Finance at CIT said: “As a global leader in the aircraft leasing market, CIT is proud to expand our fleet with these 20 new Airbus aircraft. We continue to see a growing demand from our customer base for more efficient aircraft similar to the Airbus A320 and A330 Family of aircraft. As a result of this demand we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to further enhance and diversify our fleet.”

Source: Airbus

Third A380 delivered to Singapore Airlines

paris07-a380.jpgThe third production Airbus A380 (MSN006) was handed over to Singapore Airlines today. Equipped with four Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines, the third aircraft for the first A380 operator follows the delivery of the first A380 (MSN003) on 15th October 2007 and second delivery (MSN005) on 11th January 2008.

Singapore Airlines’ third A380 will join the two first aircraft which are being used on daily schedule service between Singapore and Sydney. With the arrival of the third aircraft, Singapore Airlines will begin operating the A380 on its route Singapore – London starting on 18th March.

Source: Airbus

Boeing files protest against US Air Force Tanker selection

Showing what a sore loser they are, Boeing will file a formal protest today asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the decision by the U.S. Air Force to award a contract to a team of Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) to replace current aerial refueling tankers with KC-45A tankers.
“Our team has taken a very close look at the tanker decision and found serious flaws in the process that we believe warrant appeal,” said Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive officer. “This is an extraordinary step rarely taken by our company, and one we take very seriously.”
Following a debriefing on the decision by the Air Force on March 7, Boeing officials spent three days reviewing the Air Force case for its tanker award. A rigorous analysis of the Air Force evaluation that resulted in the Northrop/EADS contract led Boeing to the conclusion that a protest was necessary.
“Based upon what we have seen, we continue to believe we submitted the most capable, lowest risk, lowest Most Probable Life Cycle Cost airplane as measured against the Air Force’s Request for Proposal,” McNerney said. “We look forward to the GAO’s review of the decision.”

Hope the GAO will support the Air Force decision and dismisses the Boeing whiners!

Safety Report – 03/10/2008

Date & Time: 03/07/2008 19:15
Location: Charleston, SC
Aircraft Type: Airbus A340-311 Registration: Unknown
Operator: Lufthansa Flight: LH444
Phase: Cruise
Damage: None
Injuries & Fatalities: 1 passenger minor injured, 5 crew with unknown injuries
Description: Aircraft encountered turbulence at FL350

Date & Time: 03/08/2008 13:00
Location: Portsmouth, NH
Aircraft Type: Airbus A319 Registration: Unknown
Operator: Unknown
Phase: Other
Damage: None
Injuries & Fatalities: 1 ground employee with unknown injury
Description: When the tow bar was disconnected during the push back, the aircraft roalled forward and over the ground employee’s foot (Ouch!) – at Portsmouth Airport

Source: FAA
Correctness of this posting is not guaranteed & completeness not intended. This posting is just for informational purpose.