Late by 28 months but finally in the air! 15 December 2009 will no doubt be a memorable day for Boeing and the whole industry for that matter: the 787 has finally taken to the air, its maiden flight hopefully bringing an end to the series of problems the program had to contend with over… Continue reading Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes to the air
Tag: Airbus
Legend & Legacy – The Story of Boeing and Its People
By Robert J. Serling Publisher: St. Martin’s Pres, New York ISBN-0-312-05890-X When we read about Boeing these days, it is more often than not something negative. The new version of the 747 and the Dreamliner delayed, repeatedly it seems and for reasons that make one wonder what is going on in Seattle and Chicago. It… Continue reading Legend & Legacy – The Story of Boeing and Its People
Competence counts
Listening to the interview with Capt. Sully Sullenburger who successfully ditched his Airbus A320 in the Hudson River after multiple bird-strikes knocked out its engines, I was impressed by his calm, considered and authoritative manner. He is a first class ambassador for airmen throughout the industry. I think I might buy his book. While recognising… Continue reading Competence counts
The birth of an Airbus 380
Building any aircraft is always a fascinating process that leaves a lasting impression on those who have the good fortune of being able to witness it. Building a remarkable machine like the Airbus 380 magnifies the element of wonder by virtue of its own incredible dimensions. In the distant past, aircraft factories were exactly that.… Continue reading The birth of an Airbus 380
Wake turbulence gone with the wind – the CREDOS project
The problem of vortices There are two kinds of dangerous phenomena behind large aircraft. Jet wash and wingtip vortices. These are the most important components of what is commonly referred to as “wake turbulence”. The intensity of this turbulence depends on a number of factors, among them the mass of the aircraft concerned. Jet-wash is… Continue reading Wake turbulence gone with the wind – the CREDOS project
A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 3
Pioneers to the rescue In spite of the positive business case, airspace users were not exactly rushing to equip with air/ground digital link. Because of the slow down of traffic growth in the wake of 9/11, the expected ACARS problems did not materialize and the ATC frequency congestion was also pushed far into the future.… Continue reading A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 3
What is nanotechnology’s equivalent in air traffic management?
It has been all over the trade press recently. 10 billion extra euros to go into French aeronautics research, the money coming from a planned public bond issue. Some of the fruits of this dough will come in the form of ground and flight demonstrations in the 2011-2014 time-frame and the primary aim of the… Continue reading What is nanotechnology’s equivalent in air traffic management?
Performance Based Navigation Workshop, Budapest 17-18 November 2009 – Reminder
BluSky Services is organising a Performance Based Navigation (PBN) workshop, to be held in Budapest, Hungary on 17-18 November 2009. The event will be hosted by HungaroControl and will take place at their premises. Participation in the workshop is free. As is well known, both IATA and CANSO have expressed their support for PBN and… Continue reading Performance Based Navigation Workshop, Budapest 17-18 November 2009 – Reminder
A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 1
Introduction Talking to a group of young controllers the other day I suddenly realized that Controller Pilot Digital Link Communications (CPDLC) and its enabler, air/ground digital link were a kind of given for them… Their centre has either already implemented it or had plans for it and while their opinion diverged on the usefulness of… Continue reading A short (unofficial) history of air/ground digital link – 1
We need pro-active safety
After two aircraft collided over Zagreb on 10 September 1976, authorities in the region started to scramble, speeding up the introduction of more modern ATC equipment. The Uberlingen mid-air in 2002 highlighted several shortcomings in pilot training as well as ATC practices. Then we jump to 2009 and a crash near Buffalo in the US… Continue reading We need pro-active safety