Performance Review Commission (PRC) 2011 Report (Draft) is now available

The Performance Review Commission (PRC) provides independent advice on European Air Traffic  Management (ATM) Performance to the EUROCONTROL Commission through the Provisional Council.  The PRC was established in 1998, following the adoption of the European Civil Aviation Conference  (ECAC) Institutional Strategy the previous year. A key feature of this Strategy is that “an independent Performance… Continue reading Performance Review Commission (PRC) 2011 Report (Draft) is now available

Memories of another day.

One of the consequences of Malev’s bankruptcy and disappearance from the European airline scene is the raft of old pictures and other memorabilia that people, former employees, passengers and enthusiasts, suddenly pull from their drawers and hard disks to share them with a community that is still reeling from the shock of the disappearance of… Continue reading Memories of another day.

Free flight…or…Flight of Fancy?

If you utter the words ”free flight” these days, a number of interesting reactions are likely. These can range from blank stares via violent reactions to sad headshaking. On one occasion somebody actually asked me.…”But you still have to pay airport taxes…?” But jokes apart, there are plenty of experts who will remember how much… Continue reading Free flight…or…Flight of Fancy?

New A-CDM Implementation Manual available now.

Nine years ago one of the very first projects BluSky Services won from EUROCONTROL was the writing and production of the A-CDM Implementation Manual. Having been involved in Collaborative Decision Making from the time when the concept was first put forward by the original CDM Group in the US (led by US Airways), this task… Continue reading New A-CDM Implementation Manual available now.

Flying cars are not only for 007 any more!

Remember the James Bond movie “The Man with the Golden Gun”? It featured an AMC Matador which could actually fly. The bad guy Scaramanga used it to escape from 007. Now, thanks to a US and a Dutch company we may be on the verge of having flying cars in our garage. With gas prices… Continue reading Flying cars are not only for 007 any more!

The FAB Saga. 2012 Edition.

2012 is a significant year for the European Functional Airspace Blocks (FAB). Namely, they must all be fully operational by December this year. All nine of them. Let’s have a quick look at these things to get a good overview of their status and impact. First and foremost I think one needs to clarify that if… Continue reading The FAB Saga. 2012 Edition.

How the engines of an IL-14 came out of retirement after 25 years

If you ever have the occasion to fly from Budapest Ferihegy airport Terminal Two, make sure you leave some time to visit the aircraft museum just off the airport loop-road on the right-hand side. Mind you, if you are used to the pristine exhibits of transport museums in Germany or Switzerland, you will need to… Continue reading How the engines of an IL-14 came out of retirement after 25 years

BluSky Services is 9 Years Old

BluSky Services, the company also behind Roger-Wilco, was born on 1 April 2003. The aviation world was in turmoil following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and IATA member airlines were pushing the organization to reduce its costs. One result was that they cut lose some of their personnel, in particular those who were dealing with longer… Continue reading BluSky Services is 9 Years Old

Old engine starts for Malev anniversary

Last week marked the 66th anniversary of the establishment of MALEV Hungarian Airlines. Although the national icon has not survived the hurdles of to-days airline world (it went bankrupt two months ago), her people gathered for what may be the last birthday party for the airline to lament the past and express hope for the… Continue reading Old engine starts for Malev anniversary