Tag: 747

Twenty-First Century Jet – The Making and Marketing of the Boeing 777

By Karl Sabbagh Publisher: SCRIBNER ISBN: 0-684-80721-1 You may be wondering why I am recommending a book first published in 1996… The Boeing 777 is now known the world over as an efficient, safe and rather loveable aircraft that is in high demand by airlines. Karl Sabbagh’’s book is a masterpiece and he tells the… Continue reading Twenty-First Century Jet – The Making and Marketing of the Boeing 777

Landing Gear Problems – Seen from the Cockpit

“It’s too much to say I am a national hero, I am absolutely sure that any one of our pilots could have landed the plane and the result would have been the same because we train for situations like this on simulators”, So said Captain Wrona after the wheels-up landing of the LOT Polish Airlines Boeing… Continue reading Landing Gear Problems – Seen from the Cockpit

A personal reflection on the AF447 accident

I write from the perspective of a long retired pilot who only flew on old fashioned round dial types (Britannias, VC10s, 707s and 747s). This does not mean that I decry the modern Airbus and Boeing systems – far from it, I think the Airbus philosophy has made a great contribution to air safety. The… Continue reading A personal reflection on the AF447 accident

Interesting people, unusual flight plans…

David Allen – Raised in an aviation family in an aviation town Dave was Chief Engineer, Crew Information Systems at Boeing What were you dreaming of becoming when you were a kid? I was raised in an aviation family in an aviation town. I was born and raised for 16 years in Wichita, Kansas. My… Continue reading Interesting people, unusual flight plans…

The TITAN project – one year down the road

I have always wondered whether passengers notice the organized chaos that characterizes aircraft at the gate, getting ready for its next trip. Whether it is a 737 operated by a low-cost carrier getting turned around in as little as 20 minutes or a 747 heading to the other side of the world and readied for… Continue reading The TITAN project – one year down the road

Inside a jet engine

If, like me, you are wondering what goes on inside a jet engine the site below from Rolls Royce might help. As a pilot I merely used the thing, in my case four Rolls Royce RB211-524s on a Boeing 747-200 and very good they were too. I also had a flight engineer who helped by… Continue reading Inside a jet engine

WorldFlight: driving virtual airspace to the max

On a sunny, crisp Sunday morning in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1990s, Matt Sheil raised the gear of his light twin and called Departure. With little traffic, he received clearance direct Sydney, his home town. Matt pointed the nose to the North-East, engaged the autopilot, and looked where he had put his newspaper. Ten… Continue reading WorldFlight: driving virtual airspace to the max

New engines for old favorites?

There used to be a time when the big aircraft makers were churning out new types with astounding regularity. In the wide-body arena, there was a choice between the Tri-Star from Lockheed, the DC-10 from McDonnell Douglas and of course the 747 from Boeing. Narrow-bodies also came in a nice variety from the DC-9 through… Continue reading New engines for old favorites?

Volcanic Ash, an awesome danger

Despite the great beauty of many things found in nature, some also present a great danger to mankinds’ activities. The unprecedented closure of so much of Europe’s airspace highlights the problems caused by volcanic ash. This is not just an issue for airlines and the travelling public, but also affects the whole economy and all… Continue reading Volcanic Ash, an awesome danger