US Airways at Boston
The Airline Blog just covered how LAX is upping their tarmac safety, and just recently an incident at Logan International Airport showed how important safety is. A US Airways Airbus A320 was throttled up for takeoff from Boston to Phoenix when a construction vehicle decided to cross the runway. “It was a serious thing, a matter of seconds,” said spokesman Phil Orlandella.
The driver of the construction vehicle has been placed on leave and all construction work on the runways has been suspended until the FAA has completed a full investigation of the incident.
One cannot underestimate the damage that someone on the ground can cause. From not closing a cargo door properly to driving at the wrong place at the wrong time, inattention on the ground can cost lives.
From: Boston.com via Today in the Sky
Image: cliff1066
- Delta’s Boeing 757 (N653DL) just pulling into gate at Tampa Airport – taken 5 mintues ago by The Airline Blog
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there and a VERY HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO MY FATHER!
I am in process of flying back home after a great visit with my father who introduced me to flying and aviation many long years ago!
I am taking Delta from TPA to ATL to SEA. Have a B757 on the first leg and B767 on the second leg. Haven’t been on a B767 in a few years, so a little excited — yes I am a flying nerd :).
AIM 120 AMRAAM Model Rocket
In early June a Continental Airlines Commuter jet had a close encounter. While flying out of Houston, they saw a missile-like object flying at about 16,000 feet. At first the six foot long object was heading towards the aircraft, but fortunately veered off. This near miss happened almost exactly one year after a similar occurrence in the same Texas county.
It is now believed to be a model rocket fired from a hobbyist on the ground. Even though there was no immediate danger to the plane, it still could have turned out terrible if the rocket would have hit the plane and obviously caused a distraction of the pilots. Model rockets of this size require a permit to launch in Texas.
Source: KAUZ Image: karl.simpson
Yes, that is a hummingbird helping this Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737. You might think a hummingbird is not strong enough to help the plane out, but by all logical science those birds should fly, but they still manage to do it.
The hummingbird image is a tip of the hat to the republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where it is known as “the land of the hummingbird”
Image: Globespotter
Airline cabin -- where all the action happens. Pic by The Airline Blog
The annual survey of frequent fliers conducted by Seatguru.com is out and it doesn’t look so great for some domestic airlines compared to their international counterparts. About 1,600 frequent travelers (most of whom fly 8 or more times per year) were asked to rate their airline experiences.
When a domestic airline actually serves a meal, it is rated among the lowest. Meals on United Airlines, US Airways, and American Airlines fared the worst. The best were Singapore, British Airways, Air France, and Continental Airlines (the only U.S. airline to make the top 4).
American, United, and US Airways are seen again on the bottom for comfort in economy class seats, while JetBlue made it to the top of the list.
Unfortunately for American, United, and US Airways they also topped the list for “rudest flight attendants” while Singapore and Southwest Airlines made top marks.
Matthew Daimler, founder of Seatguru.com stated, “Domestic airlines have been making strides in recent years to better compete with international airlines, but it is clear that they still have a ways to go in the eyes of fliers.”
Other interesting results:
* 13% of fliers say they have knowingly transported banned items through secuirty
* When asked which celebrities a person would want to sit next to, 56% said none
* 42% are willing to shell out 10% more for more legroom
* 26% think the front of the plane is the safest, 17% middle, and 6% the back.
* 17% of travelers self-medicate before a flight
Source: Seatguru.com