Big day for Boeing: The B787 Dreamliner flies!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Big day for Boeing: The B787 Dreamliner flies!

Today, December 15, 2009, was historic. I don't know about you, but I spent hours watching TV and live webcasts earlier today as the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner took off for the very first time. While the world watched, the Dreamliner began its takeoff roll at Paine Field in Everett, WA. I have to admit that I got a bit choked up as Boeing's newest commercial aircraft rotated and lifted off the runway for the first time. The time was 10:27 AM local time.

The weather was not the best -- drizzly and overcast -- but the graceful looking aircraft climbed out as if it were a sunny day, carried out its long-anticipated maiden flight, and returned to earth for a picture perfect landing at Seattle's Boeing Field at 13:33 local time.

From the Boeing press release about the event:

787 Chief Pilot Mike Carriker and Capt. Randy Neville tested some of the airplane's systems and structures, as on-board equipment recorded and transmitted real-time data to a flight-test team at Boeing Field.

After takeoff from Everett, the airplane followed a route over the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Capts. Carriker and Neville took the airplane to an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) and an air speed of 180 knots, or about 207 miles (333 kilometers) per hour, customary on a first flight.

According to Boeing, the first Boeing 787, which is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, will be joined in the flight test program in the coming weeks and months by five other 787s, including two that will be powered by General Electric GEnx engines.

Congratulations to Boeing and all those involved with the 787 Dreamliner program on the successful first flight of this beautiful new airplane.

In case you missed the live event, here is a video of the Boeing 787's first takeoff from Paine Field (video provided by AirlineReporter):

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

And then, here is the Dreamliner's first-ever landing, at Boeing Field. Note that the pilot flying greased it, and rolled out right down the center line. (Bravo!):

If the video does not play or display properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Northwest Flight 188 incident: Pilots' appeal documents

Are you ready for another update on the Northwest Flight 188 incident? Readers will recall that shortly after the incident (in which the pilots of the Airbus A320 were out of radio contact with air traffic control for an extended period of time and overflew their destination while working on their laptop computers) the FAA revoked the licenses of both pilots. The pilots have since filed appeals seeking to have the license revocations rescinded.

Today a reader forwarded to me an email pass-around that included facsimile copies of the appeal documents as an attachment. Given that I have not seen the original documents, and considering that I received the copies via an email pass-around, I cannot guarantee that the copies are authentic, however they appear to be credible. I have uploaded them to my Web site, and anyone who is interested in having a look at them can access them there: NW Flight 188 Pilot Appeals (13-page 'pdf' file)

Highlights: The pilots deny that they "intentionally or willfully" violated any federal aviation regulations.

They appear to assign blame for the incident to air traffic control, stating:

The air traffic controller(s) did not comply with the requirements of the air traffic control manual and other relevant orders, rules, procedures, policies and practices with respect to Northwest Flight 188, nor coordinate effectively with Northwest dispatch, and such failure was a causal or contributing factor in the incident referenced in the Administrator's Complaint. Respondent asserts that he had a right to rely, and did rely, that the controllers would comply with all relevant orders, rules, procedures, policies and practices. Such reliance justifies a reduction, mitigation, or waiver of sanction.

The appeal goes on to claim that the sanction against them is "not in compliance with Board precedent and policy."

The pilots also claim that there were "mitigating facts and circumstances that caused or contributed to the incident, including but not limited to aircraft systems design and human factors, justifying a reduction, mitigation, or waiver of sanction."

Presumably both pilots will be able to present their case(s) in person at a hearing before the NTSB in the near future.

FlyGlobeSpan Collapse

Anger at airline staff treatment

Workers have been left stranded by Flyglobespan across the world

Union officials have spoken of their anger at the treatment of staff following the collapse of airline Flyglobespan.

The Unite union condemned the "shocking" handling of workers who have been left stranded across the world.

It said it was also "horrendous" staff were being left jobless at Christmas.

The carrier's Edinburgh-based parent company, The Globespan Group, went into administration on Wednesday night with the loss of about 800 jobs.

Katrina McBride, from Dalgety Bay in Fife, told the BBC Scotland news website that she had received a "distraught" phone call from her 30-year-old daughter Melanie McBride, who was working as cabin crew for Flyglobespan based in Delhi.

She said she was absolutely gutted about what had happened and they didn't even know if the hotel they were based in had been paid for Katrina McBride Mother of a cabin crew member

She said: "Melanie has been out in India since October and was due to be there until January but she called last night distraught saying they had been contacted by cabin crew back home to tell them the news but their managers had told them nothing.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8418110.stm

BA Crew Lose in High Court

Air travel: Delayed, not cancelled

By Pilita Clark

Published: December 18 2009 22:26 | Last updated: December 18 2009 22:26

Altering an airline’s culture, Sir Rod Eddington once said, is like trying to perform an engine change in flight.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Globespan was ‘badly let down’ - Dec-19

Jetstar and AirAsia in partnership talks - Dec-18

Lex: Global airlines - Dec-18

Stricken airline’s £30m in spotlight - Dec-17

Thousands stranded after airline collapse - Dec-17

Fare cuts will hurt airlines, says Iata - Dec-15

For proof, one need only look at the predicament faced this week by the airline that Sir Rod once ran. Cabin crew at British Airways announced that they were going on strike, from three days before Christmas and for nearly two weeks.

BA won an emergency court injunction to halt the stoppage, to the relief of some 1m of its passengers around the world who had been booked to fly during the strike period. But in an industry that can produce spectacular displays of labour unrest, this is just a brief cessation of hostilities.

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/db5b7336-ec0c-11de-8070-00144feab49a.html

Fears of strike action as BA tells cabin crew 2,000 jobs must go

British Airways has told its cabin crew that it wants to cut 2,000 jobs, leading to fears that the airline could be hit by a summer of strikes
Full Story

Air France Accident: Smoking Gun Found

Subject: BREAKING (POTENTIAL) NEWS...
Air France Accident: Smoking Gun Found


While this is all inconclusive, it is still interesting . . .


Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 6:21 PM


Subject: Air France Accident: Smoking Gun Found


A Brazilian Naval unit reportedly found the complete vertical fin/ rudder assembly of the doomed aircraft floating some 30 miles from the main debris field. The search for the flight recorders goes on, but given the failure history of the vertical fins on A300-series aircraft, an analysis of its structure at the point of failure will likely yield the primary cause factor in the breakup of the aircraft, with the flight recorder data (if found) providing only secondary contributing phenomena.

The fin-failure-leading-to-breakup sequence is strongly suggested in the attached (below) narrative report by George Larson, Editor emeritus of Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine.

It's regrettable that these aircraft are permitted to continue in routine flight operations with this known structural defect. It appears that safety finishes last within Airbus Industries, behind national pride and economics. Hopefully, this accident will force the
issue to be addressed, requiring at a minimum restricted operations of selected platforms, and grounding of some high-time aircraft until a re-engineered (strengthened) vertical fin/rudder attachment structure can be incorporated.

Les


--------------------------(George Larson's Report)---------------------

This is an account of a discussion I had recently with a maintenance professional who salvages airliner airframes for a living. He has been at it for a while, dba BMI Salvage at Opa Locka Airport in Florida. In the process of stripping parts, he sees things few others are able to see. His observations confirm prior assessments of Airbus structural deficiencies within our flight test and aero structures communities by those who have seen the closely held reports of A3XX-series vertical fin failures.

His observations:

"I have scrapped just about every type of transport aircraft from A-310, A-320, B-747, 727, 737, 707, DC-3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, MD-80, L-188, L1011 and various Martin, Convair and KC-97 aircraft. Over a hundred of them.
Airbus products are the flimsiest and most poorly designed as far as airframe structure is concerned by an almost obsession to utilize composite materials.
I have one A310 vertical fin on the premises from a demonstration I just performed. It was pathetic to see the composite structure shatter as it did, something a Boeing product will not do.
The vertical fin along with the composite hinges on rudder and elevators is the worst example of structural use of composites I have ever seen and I am not surprised by the current pictures of rescue crews recovering the complete Vertical fin and rudder assembly at some distance from the crash site.

The Airbus line has a history of both multiple rudder losses and a vertical fin and rudder separation from the airframe as was the case in NY with AA.

As an old non-radar equipped DC4 pilot who flew through many a
thunderstorm in Africa along the equator, I am quite familiar with their ferocity.
It is not difficult to understand how such a storm might have stressed an aircraft
structure to failure at its weakest point, and especially so in the presence of instrumentation problems.

I replied with this:

"I'm watching very carefully the orchestration of the inquiry by French officials and Airbus. I think I can smell a concerted effort to steer discussion away from structural issues and onto sensors, etc. Now Air France, at the behest of their pilots' union, is replacing all the air data sensors on the Airbus fleet, which creates a distraction and shifts the media's focus away from the real problem.
It's difficult to delve into the structural issue without wading into the Boeing vs. Airbus swamp, where any observation is instantly tainted by its origin. Americans noting any Airbus structural issues (A380 early failure of wing in static test; loss of vertical surfaces in Canadian fleet prior to AA A300, e.g.) will be attacked by the other side as partisan, biased, etc. "

His follow-up:
One gets a really unique insight into structural issues when one has first-hand experience in the dismantling process.

I am an A&P, FEJ and an ATP with 7000 flight hours and I was absolutely
stunned, flabbergasted when I realized that the majority of internal airframe structural supports on the A 310 which appear to be aluminum are actually rolled composite material with aluminum rod ends.. They shattered.

Three years ago we had a storm come through, with gusts up to 60-70
kts., catching several A320s tied down on the line, out in the open.

The A320 elevators and rudder hinges whose actuators had been removed shattered and the rudder and elevators came off.

Upon closer inspection I realized that not only were the rear spars composite but so were the hinges. While Boeing also uses composite material in its airfoil structures, the actual attach fittings for the elevators,
rudder, vertical and horizontal stabilizers are all of machined aluminum."

Pam Ann on Qantas

First 747

AAFlight Attendants Speak Out

Bonuses over the last six years employees have contributed over $7 billion to bail-out American Airlines and have received nothing in return. As a result, management has reaped rewards totaling $296 million during that same period. In describing similar conduct by executives of companies that have received massive doses of government aid. President Obama stated that it was outrageous for these corporate officers to enrich themselves with multi-million dollar bonuses.

Flight Attendants Testify

Below is a video of the testimony given by the three flight attendants at a Congressional hearing about the US Airways Flight 1549 accident. The hearing was held on February 24, 2009, before the HouseTransportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation.

ShortHaul Want A380

Issued April 19th by Short Haul FAAA:
As foreshadowed in ‘The Week That Was’ your Association has had several meetings with Qantas aimed at managing the current crisis facing all Qantas employees.The impact on crew both Short Haul and Long Haul is still being assessed. By way of explanation, at the initial meetings we were considering the publicly announced reduction in forecast flying and its impact on the Short Haul establishment, only to be told at a subsequent meeting that the flying split between the divisions may need to be reviewed.Therefore, before any constructive discussions can occur on measures to be taken to manage any demonstrated surplus it is crucial that flying changes forecast over the next twelve months between both divisions be clearly defined.Further, your Association will also be taking part in the joint ACTU meeting scheduled with Qantas early next week. Subject to the above, all measures to avoid redundancy will be examined in linewith the Association Policy. This will include but not be limited to the following:· Transfer of flying· Transfer of crew between the divisions· Examine base establishments· Press for Short Haul crew to have direct access to A380 operations for an agreed period· All forms of leave including LSLWhile the current environment is unprecedented, crew have demonstrated previously and we are confident will do so again, that they can pull together regardless of division or employment contracts. Members can expect a detailed update midway through next week.

Things Are Getting Grim

Buy One Get One Free

http://edm.qantas.net.au/cts/click?q=27;36254;usAxFBo2zEZRvaFRn%2Be6mw%3D%3D

Borghetti Goes

DEPARTURE OF MR JOHN BORGHETTI GROUP EXECUTIVE – QANTAS AIRLINES

It is with sadness that I announce Mr John Borghetti, Group Executive – Qantas Airlines, will leave the company with effect from 4 May 2009. It is no coincidence that 4 May 2009 is the 36th anniversary of John commencing his career with Qantas. While we are disappointed that he is leaving, we respect his view that thirty-six years with one employer definitely shows commitment over and above the norm. John has made a very considerable contribution to the Qantas executive team since my appointment as CEO and I would like to thank him personally for this and for his long-term commitment to the company, its employees, customers and shareholders. He has been generous with both his time and knowledge as we have been going through the difficult task of putting a new management structure in place at Qantas. John leaves knowing our succession planning has developed a new generation of senior leaders who are well-prepared to take over the reins. On behalf of the Board and all the team at Qantas, I wish John all the best in his future endeavours. We will not forget his contribution. During his career at Qantas, John has notched up some major achievements, making Qantas a world-leader when it comes to airline product innovation and service delivery. John’s significant contribution to the Qantas Group’s commercial strategy should also be recognised. John developed the world’s best airport lounges, he enlisted the services of great creative spirits like Neil Perry and Marc Newson, his vision led to the Qantas A380 being the world’s first designer passenger aircraft and, most recently, he drove the creation of our new $10m Centre of Service Excellence. John Borghetti’s departure will trigger some changes to senior executive responsibilities. Mr Rob Gurney will be appointed to the Executive Committee in the role of Group Executive – Qantas Airlines, Commercial, as will Ms Lesley Grant as Executive Manager – Customer and Marketing, reporting directly to me.
Rob Gurney has more than 20 years experience in commercial aviation, gained with two of the world's leading airlines, Qantas and British Airways. He was appointed to the role of Group General Manager Sales and Distribution for Qantas Airlines in October 2003.
Lesley Grant was appointed Group General Manager Customer, Product and Service in Qantas Airways in May 2002. Before joining Qantas Airways, Lesley was the Senior Vice President Customer Service at Ansett/Air New Zealand Group. Lesley has been a Director of UNICEF Australia since June 2006 and is a member of the Chief Executive Women organisation.
Alan Joyce

New CEO gets fellow travellers aboard at Qantas

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25252485-643,00.html

Qantas and Our Super

You can fly, but you can't hide from the financial crisis
Elizabeth KnightMarch 26, 2009
The International Air Transport Association - the organisation that covers most of the world's top airlines - has made a particularly bleak assessment of the industry, saying it was in intensive care and the worst region was the Asia Pacific.
Australia's flagship carrier, Qantas, is feeling its share of the heat and yesterday confirmed speculation that it would slice 90 management positions and keep its salary freeze in place.
The move is expected to save between $21 million and $24 million but result in a one-off charge for redundancies of under $20 million.
This comes along with other operational changes being put in place by the new chief executive, Alan Joyce - all of them designed to expand the roles of the remaining managers and flatten the corporate structure. As a result, some stand-alone operations will be merged.
Qantas has been hacking into its cost base for years, mainly operational staff, especially in maintenance and engineering. So when the cyclical downturn began in earnest and pressure mounted on revenue there were few meaningful cuts left.
Now Qantas faces the problem of financing a shortfall in its defined benefit superannuation scheme. Merrill Lynch has estimated this shortfall to be $296 million, based on the fall in the value of the assets in the fund.
Qantas says the super fund has not yet made a call on the company to top-up the scheme. But logic suggests it is only a matter of time before, at the very least, Qantas will need to increase its provisioning to cover the shortfall.
Qantas may not have to pay the cash in one hit, but the shortfall may be reflected in its profit and loss for the year to June 30.
There will be a cash flow impact, and if it is large enough it is reasonable to question how Qantas will fund it.
The staff cuts made over the past year suggest there will be significant calls made on super entitlements, and some of these employees will have been covered by defined benefits plans. Many of the flight engineers who left in December are understood to have been covered by such schemes.
Defined benefits schemes, which were popular in the 1980s, entitle superannuants to a guaranteed lump sum - as opposed to regular super schemes, which rely on accumulated returns from the super fund. If sharemarkets continue to fall, the hole in the scheme will be bigger by the end of this financial year.
Qantas is not alone here. Plenty of companies face defined benefit shortfalls - including the Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and AMP. But Qantas is an extremely cyclical company, and both business and consumers are cutting travel in response to the global economic slowdown. Air travel is the extreme end of discretionary spending.
To date Australia has been less affected by the crisis, but more economists are downgrading their expectations of the economy with each week.
There is near certainty now that we will move into recession this year, which would add to the pressure on Qantas's earnings.
Having issued profit downgrades last year, the airline is sticking to its forecasts of a full-year pre-tax profit of $500 million for the year to June 30.
But given the worsening environment it would come as no surprise to see a further downgrade before the end of this financial year.
IATA said on Tuesday it had revised its outlook for the global air transport industry, and estimated $US4.7 billion ($6.7 billion) in losses this year, compared with $US2.5 billion in December. This reflected the rapid deterioration in the global economy, it said.
To put this into perspective, IATA expects global aviation revenue to fall $US62 billion. The fall after September 11, 2001 was $US23 billion.
This is nothing short of a catastrophe. Qantas has been cushioned so far, in part by relatively strong domestic demand. But as economic conditions deteriorate here its yields will continue to suffer as a result of discounting.
And its offshore profits, already being squeezed, will be hurt by competition on the Pacific route from Virgin's V and Delta Air Lines.
http://business.smh.com.au/business/you-can-fly-but-you-cant-hide-from-the-financial-crisis-20090325-9ak1.html

Qantas Management Cleanout

More management jobs to go at Qantas
Matt O'SullivanMarch 26, 2009
QANTAS will make further cuts to lower management ranks within the coming months, once it completes the axing of 90 senior management roles.
The confirmation yesterday that it will slash its senior management team by 20 per cent is also expected to give the company an upper hand in negotiations with staff and unions about further cost-cutting.
The latest management changes are part of plans by the chief executive, Alan Joyce, to operate the company under four core businesses: the Qantas airline, Jetstar, Frequent Flyer and Freight. Under his predecessor, the group operated under stand-alone businesses that had their own corporate centres.
But it leaves unchanged the top tier of senior executives Mr Joyce has corralled since before he took over last November. The commercial side of the business falls under the auspices of John Borghetti while the operational area is the domain of Lyell Strambi. A Coca-Cola Amatil executive, John Scriven, will take over as the human relations boss on April 6.
The latest management cuts will save the airline up to $24 million a year. Qantas tapped 68 senior managers yesterday after earlier making 10 people redundant. The remaining 12 managers will be offered new positions within the group.
Asked whether the changes would lead to further job cuts, the corporate affairs chief, David Epstein, said the airline anticipated "further consequential changes" to other layers of management but "how they will work out is yet to be determined".
Qantas has been seeking to slash costs in recent months in a desperate bid to offset a slump in demand. Last month it axed loss-making routes to China and direct flights to India, as well as handing over domestic services in New Zealand to its low-cost subsidiary, Jetstar.
Qantas also laid off 1500 workers late last year and shelved plans to hire 1200 staff in response to the weakening passenger demand.
The International Air Transport Association's latest forecast says airlines around the world to post losses of $US4.7 billion ($6.7 billion) this year because of the global slowdown.
Virgin Blue has also shed up to 400 staff and grounded five aircraft while Air New Zealand made 200 full-time workers redundant late last year.
An industry insider said the cuts to Qantas management would give Mr Joyce a way to restart negotiations with unions about lowering labour costs. "It potentially gives him more room to manoeuvre with the Qantas staff if the global market continues to get worse," he said.
But a union spokeswoman, Linda White, said there would be significant resistance from workers to any attempts to cut costs further at Qantas.
Qantas shares fell 1c to $1.745 yesterday, taking the decline so far this year to 33 per cent.

"Wecome On Board" Rap

Bloated CEOs

Paying caviar to get monkeys: Our overvalued CEOs
13 January 2009 Adam Schwab writes:
In justifying large executive salaries, company directors will excuse their largesse by arguing that Australian companies compete in a global marketplace for talent -- unless companies pay executives more than others, shareholders will suffer poor returns. Implicit is that the cost of the executive and their ability are correlated. While such a theory may work for cars or suits, paying more for executives does not only fail to lead to superior performance, it encourages inappropriate capital allocation and reduces long-term returns.
Crikey considered the share price performance of the companies of seventeen of Australia’s highest paid executives. As the table below indicates, while directors have been very willing to hand over shareholder funds to their CEOs, the returns earned have in reality, been terrible.
Executive
Company
Remuneration between 2006 and 2008 ($ million)
Share return between June 2005 and December 2008
Rupert Murdoch
News Corp
86.6 -44.17%
Alan Moss Macquarie 79.5 -42.22%*
Phil Green Babcock 51.3 -98.84%
Frank Lowy Westfield 43.6 -24.85%
Wal King Leighton 41.6 -120.47%
Sol Trujillo Telstra 33.9 -26.48%
David Morgan/Gail Kelly Westpac 27.5 -13.23%
David Turner/Mike Ihlein Brambles 24.9 -13.10%
Leigh Clifford/Tom Albanese Rio Tinto 24.8 -17.45%
Geoff Dixon Qantas 24.1 -21.66%
Paul Little Toll Holdings 23.4 -44.79%
John Stewart NAB 23.1 -33.67%
David Murray/Ralph Norris CBA 23 -26.75%
Greg Clarke Lend Lease 22 -46.76%
All Ordinaries Index -17.52%
* Share price taken as at 30 March 2005
Of the fourteen highest paid executives between 2006 and 2008, ten companies recorded extraordinarily poor returns, led by Babcock & Brown, which paid former executive, Phil Green, $51.3 million while its share price slipped by 99 percent. Investors in News Corp, Macquarie Bank and Toll lost almost half of their capital, despite their CEOs collecting $86.6 million, $79.5 million and $23.4 million respectively.
The only CEO on the greed list who can point to above average returns being provided to investors is Leighton Holdings’ Wal King. However, King’s star has faded recently, with Leighton scrip dropping from almost $65 in December 2007 to around $25 per share on the back of a shock profit downgrade last week.
It should also be remembered that the comparator, the All Ordinaries index, has itself been a poorly performed asset class. Compared with residential or commercial property, bonds or cash, the returns earned by companies on Crikey’s Greed Index has been especially poor. In addition, the returns compared were not taken over the recent correction, but rather, over a longer three year time period.
Despite the evidence that highly paid CEOs provide terrible value for money, not everyone agrees. Former Wesfarmers CEO, "Saint" Michael Chaney (who himself was one of the few well performed executives), launched an impassioned defense of executive remuneration to the Financial Review last Saturday. In defending executive largesse, Chaney argued that there was a “lack of broader understanding of the remuneration issue and that there is, in most cases, strong alignment between shareholder and executive returns.” Chaney claimed that:
I think most companies now have schemes that don’t reward the executive really well unless shareholders do well…in the case of NAB for example, no long-term incentive granted after 2001 has vested, and many of them never will. There are hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ‘remuneration’ never actually received.
While Chaney’s comments regarding alignment between shareholder and executive returns appear to be contradicted by evidence, Saint Michael does have a point in relation to overstatement of equity rewards -- that is, in a falling market, the value of equity instruments granted will often be significantly over-stated by Remuneration Report valuations. However, while the former head of the CEO Trade Union (also known as the Business Council of Australia) and current NAB chairman is correct about equity payments, he neglected to acknowledge the significant levels of cash remuneration paid to NAB executives.
In the last four years, NAB CEO, John Stewart, has collect more than $17 million cash, while NAB’s former Australian chief, Ahmed Fahour, has received almost $15 million in hard currency. During their tenure, NAB has managed to lose more than a billion dollars investing in US mortgages while Fahour controversially sold millions of dollars worth of NAB shares only days before the company announced a discounted placement. However, notwithstanding the cash showered upon Fahour and Stewart by NAB directors, since 2005, the bank’s shares have slumped by around 27 percent.
When looking at a potential investment, investors should take a few minutes to consider the company’s recent remuneration reports. Any business which pays executives high relative levels of fixed cash pay or cash short-term incentives is encouraging short-term, risk taking behavior (like NAB’s US mortgage fiasco). This is likely to be rewarding for executives, but costly for investors.
It now appears that when it comes to the Australian boardroom, when you pay caviar, you get monkeys.

Qantas Says "It's Teething Problems"

Teething problems for A380s
From: The Daily Telegraph
March 04, 2009
QANTAS has been hit by a string of problems which have grounded all three of its flagship A380s over the past few days.
All three superjumbos were back in service by late yesterday after being out of action for 24 hours.
The two-storey jets, capable of carrying almost 600 people in full economy mode, were grounded in London and Sydney to deal with issues the airline said were teething problems.
Click here to read the full article on the website
Alternatively, you can copy and paste this link into your browser:http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25135638-5001021,00.html

A380 Too Fat For America

Qantas' Airbus too fat for America
From: The Daily Telegraph
March 03, 2009
THE giant Qantas Airbus A380 is too big for Los Angeles international airport.
As Qantas plunges billions on the aircraft, LA air traffic controllers warned that, without changes, they may have no choice but to turn away the world's biggest passenger planes.
America's National Air Traffic Controllers Association believes Los Angeles airport would be unable to accommodate the A380 if not for the recession-related slump in air traffic.
Click here to read the full article on the website
Alternatively, you can copy and paste this link into your browser:http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25128459-5013605,00.html

Faults Ground Qantas A380 Airbus Fleet

Faults ground Qantas A380 airbus fleet
From: The Daily Telegraph
March 03, 2009
QANTAS has been hit by a string of problems which have grounded all three of their flagship A380s in the past few days.
One of the planes was back in service this morning, but the other two were declared unserviceable with a fuel tank indication system problem.
"Qantas is an early customer of the A380 and naturally, as with any new aircraft type and like other operators of the A380, we expect the occasional issue to arise,'' the airline said in a statement.
Click here to read the full article on the website

Advice From British Medical Magazine

Never say dead, doctors told
Doctors have been advised never to pronounce a passenger dead on a flight, even if the person has stopped breathing and can't be treated further, according to new recommendations published in Lancet online. It says that when the call goes out for help, doctors should show their credentials and obtain patient consent. They should also request the airline's enhanced medical kit rather than its basic first aid kit.
Source: www.afr.com 26/02/2009

60 Mins Interview With Crew OF Flight 1549

An interesting insight to the crew of USAir flight 1549 done by US 60 Minutes TV programme.

It's a little out of sync-sorry

Did She Think She Might Have To Go Qantas Now?

A woman misses her flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco.

Not so sure of the translation though.

[ENG SUB] Crazy woman misses flight A woman missed her flight at the boarding gate HKIA

US Air 1549 ATC Tapes

FAA releases tapes of US Air 1549 ditching into the Hudson River.

Gay Flight Attendants

Worth a giggle.

When Flying Was Meant To Be A Memorable Experience

A nostalgic trip back to the 1970s "When flying was meant to be a memorable experience, when inflight service mattered". Shows the interiors of many different airlines.
Great for those of you old enough to remember it and an idea for those of you not, of how civilised flying used to be.

If the video does not display or play properly above, click here to view it on YouTube.

Thanks to YouTube user LakeNipissing for posting the video.

US Air Salvage -Click to Enlarge

Make My Day

US Airways Flight 1549 Flight Attendants Successfully Evacuate All 150 Passengers

Friday, January 16, 2009

US Airways Flight 1549 Flight Attendants Successfully Evacuate All 150 Passengers

Yesterday a US Airways A320 aircraft ditched in the icy waters of the Hudson River minutes after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. The aircraft, operating as US Airways Flight 1549, had been en route to Charlotte, NC. The accident happened after bird strikes resulted in a loss of power to both of the aircraft's engines. There were no fatalities or life-threatening injuries among the five crew members and 150 passengers on board.Much attention has been focused on the flight deck crew, and particularly the captain (and rightly so) for what appears to have been a truly remarkable water landing. However, the three flight attendants who immediately carried out the evacuation of all 150 passengers on board also deserve an enormous amount of credit for the excellent outcome of this accident. The flight attendants safely evacuated all on board in less than 90 seconds, after having virtually no warning that the aircraft was about to ditch in the river. Congratulations and praise are definitely in order for these flight attendants who made all of us so very proud!"The flight attendants performed their safety duties in textbook fashion," said Mike Flores, President of the US Airways flight attendants' union. "Their years of experience and training made all the difference once the aircraft was in the water."The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), the union that represents the flight attendants of US Airways, will play an official role in the investigation of US Airways Flight 1549 headed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). AFA-CWA will assist federal investigators in gathering information related to the policies and procedures followed during yesterday's emergency evacuation. AFA-CWA will support the NTSB to help determine what happened and identify potential safety improvements to better ensure accident survivability."As the representative of more than 55,000 aviation safety and security professionals, AFA-CWA has played an important role in NTSB investigations for decades," said AFA-CWA International President Patricia Friend. "We once again applaud the professionalism of our US Airways colleagues who demonstrated to the world the essential role flight attendants serve on the aircraft."

US Airways A320 ditches in New York's Hudson River - AircrewBuzz.com, Jan. 15, 2009
To the Captain of US Airways Flight 1549: Way to go, Sully! - ProPilotNews.com, Jan 15. 2009
US Airways identifies the crew of Flight 1549 - AircrewBuzz.com, Jan. 16, 2009
US Airways Flight 1549 Ditching: NTSB Factual Update - AircrewBuzz.com, Jan. 21, 2009

For Commuters

Interesting statement of a flight attendant

To the Flying Public:
We're sorryWe're sorry we have no pillows.
We're sorry we're out of blankets.
We're sorry the airplane is too cold.
We're sorry the airplane is too hot.
We're sorry the overhead bins are full.
We're sorry we have no closet space for your oversized bag.
We're sorry that’s not the seat you wanted.
We're sorry there’s a restless toddler/overweight/offensive smelling passenger seated next to you.
We're sorry the plane is full and there are no other seats available.
We're sorry you didn't get your upgrade.
We're sorry that guy makes you uncomfortable because he “looks like a terrorist”.
We're sorry there’s a thunderstorm and we can't take off.
We're sorry we don't know when it will stop.
We're sorry you're crammed into a space so small that if you were an animal PETA would protest.
We're sorry our plane has no music or video entertainment for your 3 hour flight.
We're sorry we ran out of your favorite soda.
We're sorry there are no more sandwiches.
We're sorry that Budweiser costs $6.
We're sorry we don't have diapers for your baby.
We're sorry we don't have milk for same baby.
We're sorry you can't hang out by the cockpit door waiting to use the bathroom.
We're sorry you can't hang out at the back of the airplane.
We're sorry you have to sit down and fasten your seatbelt.
We're sorry you have to put your seat up for landing.
We're sorry we don't know when we're going to land.
We're sorry we don't know whether your plane to XYZ will be waiting for you when we land.
We're sorry we've been diverted because we ran out of gas waiting to land.
We're sorry for these and so many other things that we have absolutely no control over but which we are held accountable for EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Please understand.
Flight attendants are not the enemy. We share your space. More than anyone - we want to have a nice, pleasant travel experience.There is a reason behind everything we ask you to do. It may be a FAA directive. It may be security related. It may be a company procedure.We don't just make stuff up. We don't spend 8 weeks at the flight academy learning how to pour a Coke. There are many things that flight attendants are watching for constantly on every flight FOR YOUR SAFETY. It’s not because we're bored or so controlling that we just enjoy telling people what to do. I, for one, would like to have one flight where I didn't have to repeatedly tell people to put their seats up for landing. Seriously. Can't you just do what we ask sometimes? Without the glares, eye rolling and disdain? For the record - putting your seat up for landing may not seem that important to your personal safety. However, it is very important for the person sitting BEHIND YOU. If you have ever tried to get out of a row where someone has their seat back you know it can be a challenge. Try grabbing your ankles (emergency brace position) or getting out of that row quickly with smoke in the cabin. Understand a little better now?Many of the things we ask passengers to comply with are FAA directives. Like carry-on bag stowage and exit row requirements. When we can serve drinks (in the air) and when we can't (after the aircraft door is closed or on an active taxi-way). We are only allowed to move about the cabin during taxi out for safety related duties. We can't get you blankets, or hang coats, or get you drinks. It’s not because we don't want to. It's because we are held personally responsible if we fail to comply with FAA directives. Meaning that the FAA can fine us personally up to $10,000 if we fail to comply or enforce an FAA Directive. Like no bags at the bulkhead. No children in the exit row. No one moving around the cabin during taxi. Perhaps now you know why flight attendants get a little testy when people move about the cabin when they're not supposed to. It’s not the company that gets in trouble for that. It's us.Personally, I wish the airlines would show worst case scenario safety videos. Like what happens if you walk through the cabin during turbulence. There could be a guy who has just fallen and smacked his face on the metal armrest and now has a bloody, gushing broken nose. Or an elderly lady who now has a broken arm because someone walking to the bathroom fell on her.Maybe a passenger with a broken neck becaus e somebody opened an overhead bin during turbulence and a suitcase fell out and onto the person sitting beneath it. These things can easily happen in a fast moving, unstable air environment.Please just trust that we are looking out for your best interest and stop fighting with us about everything we ask you to do. It is exhausting.Finally, please, please direct your hostility and frustrations in the direction where they will be most effective: The customer service department. They are the ones equipped to handle your complaint and implement procedures for CHANGE. Think about it. Complaining to the flight crew about all your negative travel experiences is about the same as complaining to the office janitor because your computer isn't working. It may make you feel better to vent about it - but it really won't fix anything. More than anybody we are already aware of the lack of amenities, food, service and comfort on the aircraft. Please share your concerns with the people in the cubicles at corporate who need that information to make better decisions for the flying public.It's frustrating that so many people are in denial about what the travel industry is about now. The glory days of pillows, blankets, magazines and a hot meal for everyone are long gone. Our job is to get you from point A to point B safely and at the cheapest possible cost to you and the company. So be prepared. If you are hungry - get a sandwich before you get on the plane.If it's a 3 hour flight, anticipate that you may get hungry and bring some snacks. If you are cold natured - bring a wrap. Think for yourself and think ahead. Otherwise, don't complain when you have to pay $3 for a cookie and are left with a crusty blanket to keep you warm.We hear often that the service just isn't what is used to be. Well, the SERVICE we provide now isn't what it used to be. When I was hired, my job was to serve drinks, meals, ensure that safety requirements were met and tend to in-flight medical issues.Since 9/11 my primary job is to ensure that my airplane will not be compromised by a terrorist. 9/11 may be a distant memory now to many, but be assured that EVERY DAY a flight attendant reports to work he or she is constantly thinking about 9/11. We feel a person al responsibility to ensure that something like that never happens again. We can never relax. We can never not be suspicious about someone's intentions. It is difficult to be vigilant and gregarious at the same time. Especially when most of us are working 12 hour days after layovers that only allow 5-6 hours of sleep. Not because we were out partying and having a grand time on the layover - but because the delays that you experience as a passenger also affect us as a crew, so that what was a 10 hour layover is now 8 hours which doesn't leave a lot of time to recover from what has become an increasingly stressful occupation.Despite everything, I still enjoy being a flight attendant.I am writing this letter because I do still care about my profession and about the public perception of flight attendants. In the increasingly challenging travel world it is becoming more imperative than ever for people to just be decent to each other. I can go through an entire day without one person saying anything remotely civil. I will stand at the aircraft door and say hello to everyone who enters and maybe 50% will even look at me and even less will say hello back. I will try to serve someone a meal who can't be bothered to take their headsets off long enough for me to ask them what they want. Most of the time the only conversation a passenger has with me is when they are complaining. Is it any wonder why flight attendants have shut down a bit? After suffering the disdain of hundreds of passengers a day it’s difficult sometimes to even smile, much less interact. We are human. We appreciate the same respect and courtesy that passengers do. The next time you fly, try treating the flight attendants the way you would like to be treated. You may be surprised how friendly your flight crew is when they are treated like people.
author unknown

Brisbane Airport Billboard

15Yr Old Cartoon Still Relevant Today - Click on To Enlarge

This is very interesting as well as being quite fascinating..............
It is a 24 hour observation of all of the large aircraft flights in the world, (recorded by the 'plane flight transponders, via Geo-stationary orbital satellites), patched together and condensed down to about a minute.(viz. what you see is 24 hrs duration compressed into 1 minute)
From space we look like a bee hive of activity.
You could tell it was summer time in the north by the suns foot print over the planet. You could see that it didn't quite set in the extreme north and it didn't quite rise in the extreme south.
I have never seen anything like this before this before.
We are taught about the earths tilt and how it causes summer and winter and have had to imagine just what is going on, now the "tilt" is visible

Preferential Bid System Under Attack?

G'day,
Just thought I would write to you regarding a recent newsletter on the FAAA website. The threat to the Preferential Bid System has raised its ugly head once again. Read the newsletter and see what you think.
I have just written a letter to MIchael Mijatov regarding this. Please find it below. If you think the same way as I do then please let your fellow crew members know. If the letter is of any use to you, feel free to take what you like out of it to let Michael Mijatov know how you feel.
Cheers,
John Mumford
email address is johnmumford@tpg.com.au

Dear Michael,
I am writing in reference to your newsletter dated 11 December 2008 and titled Seniority Bid System / Rosters and Rumours.
To say I was surprised and disappointed by your newsletter is an understatement. I found the wording of the newsletter to be inflammatory and misleading.
The subject of the Preferential Bid System, and here I must reinforce the wording the Preferential Bid System and not the Seniority Bid System or Seniority Preferential Bid System as you constantly state, I thought was put to bed after the signing of the EBA 8. How many times does the FAAA need to be told that the majority of the membership wholeheartedly supports the existing system and does not want it to be tampered with in any way. As you know it is the only way that cabin crew can have some sort of control over their lives. To go back, and I emphasise go back, to a so called "fair share" system is giving away the control that most of us have in creating a normal lifestyle.
This is where I must take issue with you specifically regarding paragraph 9, where you state " The FAAA has repeatedly stated its support of the bid system, even though we know that up to 25% of Part 1 crew voted against it in a poll conducted by the FAA late last year,prior to QCCA crew being employed. Bearing in mind that there appears to be an apparent upswing in dissatisfaction with rtosters produced by the seniority bid system for Part 1 crew, the FAAA's stance will always be guided by its membership, as to whether some move from the current system is desired by the majority of our Part 1 members". How leading is this paragraph? The issue here is that almost 80% of respondents to the survey were in favour of maintaining the existing Preferrential Bid System. If this is not a ringing endorsment as to the sentiment of cabin crew then what do you require as proof that the vast majorirty do not want to change, and to float the idea that the membership might want to move from the existing Prefferntial Bid System is mischievous.
Another paragraph that I find misleading, and again mischievous, is paragraph 8. You state "For information of Part 1 crew, it is the Company's intention that all QCCA crew will ultimately work in the A380 group. That by definition means that the QCCA crew will not be in the work pool of Part 1 crew as most are now. The operation of the seniority preferential bid system will mean that at that point, junior Part 1 crew will then be issued with rosters of work that is "left over" after the more senior people have been awarded the more desired trips". We all know that it will be years before the full quota of A380's arrive and in the meantime with the constant Voluntary Redundancy packages and natural attrition there will be a great need to employ more cabin crew. These crew will be QCCA and thus will be required to work not entirely in the A380 sphere of work but in the overall pool of work. This will obviously mean there will be a flushing through effect thus providing Part 1 crew a greater say in regards to their bidding. Economically this is the only common sense approach the Company will take. For you to infer that all is lost for junior Part 1 crew is misleading. This brings me to a point I raised and you reinforced, at the pre EBA 8 meetings, and that is it is in the best long term interests of all crew that we endeavour to increase the conditions of the QCCA crew, and one of these conditions would be the integration of QCCA crew into the bidding system. I wish you would continue along these lines.
In regards to paragraph 11, "If the dissatisfaction with the current seniority bid system continues to grow, the FAAA will be happy to consult with our members in the New Year, to determine if a majority of our members want the FAAA to initiate discussions with Qantas, for some other system", I find this to be amazing. As I stated earlier in my letter there is a confirmed majority of FAAA members who do not want to change from the Preferential Bid System. This I might add is a silent majority, a large group of FAAA members who do not constantly write to you stating how happy they are with the Preferentail Bid System, but I am sure if you attempt to dismantle the existing system it will be a marshalling call for these hundreds of members. I know there are many important issues confronting the FAAA, however I cannot over emphasise the importance that most crew place on this issue and how devisive this could become.
I think the answer to this problem is not to dismantle the Preferential Bid System, but to take a proactive stance. That is to highlight the benefits of the Preferential Bid System. This could be done by employing specialists to run bidding seminars, specifically to improve members bidding potential and also to be used as bidding advisers, as we used to have, in the 2 week bidding window, especially the last week, both at the base and on line. This would help to alleviate members concerns about the integrity of the Preferential Bid System. I understand the FAAA is running classes to assist members with their bidding and this is a step in the right direction.
I do not like writing letters such as this Michael, however I feel it is necessary to let you know the angst being felt amongst members by once again inferring the Preferential Bid System is under threat.
After all this Michael I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and thank you for the hard work you do representing cabin crew.
Yours sincerely,
F/A John Mumford
Staff Number 09597
Email address johnmumford@tpg.com.au

Cal Loton

Received from Ed Ronsisvalle

Cal Loton who is now 74 suffered a stroke in 1994 while living on Magnetic Island. He is now back in Sydney at;
Manly Vale Nursing Home corner of Condamine and Gordon Street Manly Vale and welcomes any visitors.

For visiting hours call 99491911

Ed

Connexion Con?

Qantas Staff Survey
A Qantas Staff Survey is being randomly distributed to employees.It is cleverly disguised as an invitation to join an employee panel.It is called "Connexion"It is a con.Go to the website and answer a brief questionaire and then setup a login.Anyone...repeat.... anyone..... can set up this login.You do not need an invitation nor do you need to a be a Qantas employee.You will be included in any and all surveys deliverd by Vision Critical a marketing survey company.Rather than just be upfront and honest and call it a staff survey Borghetti is calling it an employee panel by invitation.Your details are supposed to be kept confidential and will not be used for punitive purposes.Ask some questions before you get involved.


More: http://www.pprune.org/d-g-reporting-points/353078-qantas-staff-survey.html