Flying AIRE – the pilot's view

AIRE (Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions) is a joint initiative between the European Commission and the FAA. It is the green component of the SESAR programme. In 2009, 1,152 flight trials in operational conditions were carried out on the European side. Claude Godel was the Pilot in Command of the first complete green transatlantic… Continue reading Flying AIRE – the pilot's view

Is it nice to work for an airline?

When I started my life in aviation, air traffic control was part of the corporate structure of the local airline, Malev. A bit like having the police department integrated into the taxi company and with no less interesting situations that arose when the owner airline was not given the priority they desired. So, yes I… Continue reading Is it nice to work for an airline?

Anniversary – Airbus A380 first flight

5 year anniversary on 27 April 2005 After many decades of being the biggest passenger aircraft on the planet, the 747 had to cede its unique position to the Airbus A380 who took to the air for the first time at 10:28:23 on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse Blagnac Airport, Airbus’ home base. Development of… Continue reading Anniversary – Airbus A380 first flight

Aircraft based tools in the fight against runway incursions

Aircraft-based airport surface traffic indications and alerting systems This is an edited version of the presentation made at the recent ESAVS 2010 conference by Doug Arbuckle of the FAA. Coauthors of the paper were David E. Gray of FAA, Peter Moertl of Mitre Corporation and Jim Duke of SAIC. You can download the original text of… Continue reading Aircraft based tools in the fight against runway incursions

The communications related aspects of runway incursions

More than two incursions a day… Few other incidents return with the grim and persistent regularity of runway incursions. A lot of effort by all concerned has resulted in a reduction of the total number of incidents but there are still, on average, more than two runway incursions in Europe per day. Clearly, there remains… Continue reading The communications related aspects of runway incursions

A kid in the tower, a pilot without license and other things

The unprecedented success of the air transport industry is due mainly to the spectacular improvements in safety booked overt the years. True, the convenience of being able to travel to the other end of Europe for a meeting and back the same day count for a lot, but without the safety factor, few passengers would… Continue reading A kid in the tower, a pilot without license and other things

747

By Joe Sutter with Jay Spenser Publisher: Smithsonian Books ISBN-13: 978-0-06-088241-9 For some time now we could read a lot about the development problems afflicting the latest big aircraft types. Just think of the Airbus A380, the 787 or the A400M military transport. Proud projects yet they started life with what appears to be more… Continue reading 747

Is there a lesson for SESAR in the A400M?

In case you do not know, the A400M is the military transport Europe has been trying to put together for a few years now and which has recently managed to get airborne. In body anyway because the future of its spirit is far from assured. Why the military needed a new propeller driven heavy transport… Continue reading Is there a lesson for SESAR in the A400M?

A taxiway will do… KLM 737 takes-off from Taxiway B in Amsterdam

I do have a trip scheduled to Warsaw… what I pity I was not on KL1369 two days ago! As I said in another article, I am one of the few air travelers who does check the life west (under your seat you know), follows the safety briefing and confirms the nearest exit (may be… Continue reading A taxiway will do… KLM 737 takes-off from Taxiway B in Amsterdam