Good comments Tom! I totally agree. Has become mostly a low cost industry with associated low cost behaviour from many passengers..

(Written on 16/01/2018)(Permalink)

CTAF is Common Traffic Advisory Frequency.

(Written on 10/01/2018)(Permalink)

I wonder if they will use the registration of the DC10 that was lost in Antarctica in 1979. I think she was ZK-NZP. I hope they do.

(Written on 08/01/2018)(Permalink)

Yes indeed! About three days ago I spotted an all white A340 with no distinguishing markings climbing out of SYD. Now I know where they were headed...

(Written on 07/01/2018)(Permalink)

Chinese assurances are worthless. Unsurprising. In Australia we would say that they are pissing in your pocket. Our F35A's can't arrive soon enough...

(Written on 18/12/2017)(Permalink)

To put this into perspective, 200 feet is a lot less than the wingspan on an A380. Strange that the TWR needed to alert the crew, as if they would not have been acutely aware of all the parameters. Who do people think monitors at an airfield where there is no local ATC?? or there is a Tower, but ATC have gone home for the day...

(Written on 12/12/2017)(Permalink)

Reminds me of the situation about three years ago when there was a change of government in the Australian state of Victoria. The new leftist government stopped the building of a new cross city motorway in Melbourne which would have alleviated chronic traffic congestion. Only trouble was that it cost one thousand million dollars of taxpayer's money to NOT, repeat NOT, build this motorway, due to reneging on existing contracts that had already been entered into!

(Written on 15/08/2017)(Permalink)

Aircraft is both the singular and the plural...no need to add an "s"!

(Written on 25/06/2017)(Permalink)

The hotter it gets, the poorer the aircraft's performance (any aircraft). The airline can compensate by reducing the passenger/baggage load, but sooner or later this would result in them losing money on the flight. But eventually you reach the hard limit (certification envelope limit being referred to by Highflyer). That is a total showstopper, even with an empty airplane cabin.

(Written on 23/06/2017)(Permalink)

I am the opposite. I have only flown the 35. But technically, I am Type Rated on the 31. At least in Australia, the Type Rating is Lear 31/35/36. This has always surprised me, given the very different config of the 31, simpler fuel system and presumably significantly different handling characteristics laterally. Apologies if this is getting slightly off topic. And thanks for the great comments...

(Written on 21/05/2017)(Permalink)