Business Class is just not what it used to be anymore. Earlier this month, five passengers were robbed of over $5,000 on an Air France flight from Tokyo to Paris. It was a red-eye flight and many passengers were in a deep sleep.
One passenger lost about $4400 and is the one that notified the flight crew. When the plane landed in France, police were waiting, but the thief was not found.
It is the airline’s policy to be responsible for luggage, but not for personal items, including cash, that passengers bring aboard. It might seem odd that someone would bring so much cash on a flight, but a one-way Business Class ticket on this flight can cost around $7000. Comparability that would be like me bringing $94 cash on a $150 one-way trip from Seattle to New York, which doesn’t seem so bad.
#1: BOEING 777 LANDS: While the Boeing 787 waited to takeoff, a Boeing 777-200, not yet painted and on a test flight, landed directly in front of it.
#2 BOEING 787 SPOOLS UP: Testing the engines out, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner starts its engines allowing one to hear the jets in action (make sure you have the sound up). Notice how this is quite a bit louder than actual take off and the horizontal stabilizers and wing-tips shaking.
#3 BOEING 787 ZA002 TAKING OFF: What a beautiful day to watch the Dreamliner lift off. From the Future of Flight’s Strato Deck, one can see Mt Baker to the north and Mt Rainier to the south (sorry it is a little jumpy — first time with new tri-pod).
Boeing 787 Dreamliner ZA002 about to take off from KPAE
Today I got the opportunity to watch the second Boeing 787 Dreamliner (ZA002) take off from Paine Field in Everett, WA from Future of Flight’s Strato Deck. ZA002 had to come back north to Everett due to debris found in the fuel tank. She has been all fixed up and is ready to continue her test flights.
I got a few videos, but won’t be able to get them online until later this evening. Until then I have a few photos to share. Be sure to check out the Dreamlifter in the background, a Boeing 777 landing with Mt Baker in the background, and the unusual sunny day we have in Seattle today.
I also got a video of that Boeing 777 landing with the Boeing 787 waiting to takeoff, but until I get that video up, you can enjoy a photo I got from my phone. (UPDATE: haha, ok it wasn’t me who took the picture with the phone, I was video taping. My very good friend Temo took the picture for me on my phone [normally I am doing both at the same time]. Thanks Temo!)
ARJ21-700 Roll Out in Shanghai December 21, 2007 from Flight Blogger
Since the Chinese-made ARJ21 was announced I have wondered if it would ever make it to production. Although there have been quite a few delays (it was supposed to go into service in early 2007), the plane (which is heavily based on the MD-80) is still on track to succeed.
China has been making aircraft for quite sometime, but only sold them to countries with lax safety regulations. This week the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is going to be checking Civil Aviation Administration of China’s (CAAC) ability to certify the ARJ21.
If the FAA certifies CAAC and CAAC certifies the ARJ21, then the ARJ21 can be sold globally. Currently there are three ARJ21’s in the test fleet, but they are only about 150 flight hours into the 2000 flight hours required to get Chinese certification. They were hoping to have Chinese certification of the aircraft done by the end of 2010, but it looks unlikely that will happen.
Would any US or European start-up airlines would be willing to try out using an all-ARJ21 fleet in the future? Right now I would guess no, but things can change.
It is hard to believe it has been over a year since US Airways flight 1549 hit a flock or birds and successfully landed in the Hudson River. Now a time-lapsed video has been posted showing the Airbus A320 being taken out of the river. The video was taken by David Martin, who lives right above where the plane was extracted (check out his blog for photos and more information).
Now the plane is waiting to find a new home and if you have enough money you can place a bid on it. It is being sold “as is” and most likely won’t be flying anytime soon.
