Week 22: ATPL Ground School Week 22

Another week of tests and revision. Good thing is that it was only a 4-day week thanks to Good Friday. The longer weekend allows us to catch up on whatever we've been lagging behind in. However, most of us still feel that time is not enough. I for one is feeling the heat real badly.

Unable to sleep in peace, the amount of work to catch up is bugging me 24/7, and it s a torture. I seem to have lost the ability to relax and unwind. Even food seems to be tasteless to me now. What I'm praying for is for the body to hold up and don't go haywire during this crucial period. I promise to take good care of it once this crazy phase is over.

We also started on Air Law this week. Two of half days was all it took for the instructor to teach us what's needed. It's good that it isn't a subject that needs much concept understanding. Memory work is the more preferred choice now with the brain in saturation mode and unable to digest anymore new material.

Coming week shall be the college mock exam. I doubt I can do as well as I will have hoped, but the best I will try without killing myself.

Wednesday - Nav Theory, Flight Planning
Thursday -  Radio Aids, HPL, Met Theory
Friday - Instruments, Air Law, Met Practical

Good luck to myself, n hope I won't end up in IMH.

HPL is fast becoming my favourite subject for its ease of scoring

Met Theory, still my weak point

Mugging for Flight Planning. We're all so stressed up.

Countdown to ATPL Exams 

Week 21: ATPL Ground School Week 21

Nothing much to mention for this week. We had only one test on Thursday which is HPL, and also completed the syllabus on Radio Aids and Instruments. More stuff was covered on Meteorology and Met Prac.

Slowly, we are sensing the closeness of the CAAS exam in mid April, and every single one of us is worried. This coming week will be the final of March as well as the final week for syllabus teaching. The following week will be our mock exam.

I'm still very empty in my brain. I guess the time has come to really load the info into my brain, bit by bit.

A fellow course mate's birthday.

May we all walk towards the same goal together

HPL wasn't tough, but it can be tricky. Complacency can kill.

Ending off the week at Astons Changi Airport

Countdown to ATPL Exams 

Week 20: ATPL Ground School Week 20

A week of tests, the necessary evil we all face every fortnight. Hasn't really been a good week based on the results I've achieved. Cramping so much info within such a short time isn't advisable; one gets all mixed up and select wrong answers during the tests.

I will need to brush up on my concept and work even harder. Such results do not breed much confidence to be honest, I better buck up.

Following week we will have two tests on HPL after one has been cancelled this week. Hopefully it can give me a reason to be happier in terms of results. Till next weekend, cya.

The Breitling team at Seletar airstrip

This looked like I've only studied for half the test

An interesting fact in HPL

Cumulus clouds. Meteorology is a very useful subject to pick up.

Not exactly very desirable results

Countdown to ATPL Exams 

Turkish Airlines to purchase up to 117 Airbus jets

Turkey's national carrier Turkish Airlines said on Friday it would buy up to 117 planes from the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, with deliveries scheduled between 2015 and 2020.

"The airline's board of directors announced 117 air planes will be joined to the existing fleet," the airline said in a statement announcing the deal estimated to be worth $9.3 billion at catalogue prices.

The order centres on Airbus' A320 medium-haul family and includes firm orders for 82 planes and an option for 35 additional planes. The plane maker said engine selection would be made at a later date.

Most of the orders are for more fuel efficient planes in the A320 stable including the bestselling A320neo which is due for delivery in late 2015.

"The A320 Family with its economic benefits combined with superior cabin comfort will greatly contribute to meet our ambitious growth plans," said Faruk Cizmecioglu, Chief Marketing Officer at Turkish Airlines.

The purchase was smaller than a much rumoured order for 150 planes and hinted at by France's trade minister during a visit to Turkey in January.

Unlike other ailing carriers in Europe, Turkish Airlines is in an aggressive push to become a global airline player, putting itself in direct competition with Middle Eastern rivals Emirates and Qatar Airways.

In December, the airline passed orders for 15 long-haul A330 planes from Airbus and 15 777-300ER from Boeing. In February the airline followed up with a firm order for two more A330-300s.

SOURCE

Cutting down on fuel bill I reckon, with the A320 leaner and meaner. If they're able to keep their fares competitive against the low cost carriers, it is going to be quite a competition.

Dreamliner "absolutely" safe, Boeing executive says

The grounded Dreamliner is "absolutely" safe and will be back in the air within weeks, planemaker Boeing said in Japan on Friday as it sought to reassure airlines and passengers about the aircraft.

The 50 planes grounded around the world since two lithium-ion battery malfunctions sparked a global no-fly order in mid-January will undergo fixes to their systems and be operational again soon, senior executives said.

"I get often asked if I think the airplane is still safe. My answer is simple: absolutely," Mike Sinnett, the chief project engineer on the 787, told reporters.

The Dreamliner "is among the safest airplanes our company has ever produced", he added.

Ray Connor, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said that measures the company had put in place and which were now undergoing flight testing would put the aircraft back in the skies.

"We are going to be dependent upon (moving) through the certification process. We will determine when we actually get back in the air in terms of flights," he said.

"Previously as I have been anticipating that in months, we are talking more along the line of weeks," he said.

The company chose to give its first public explanation of the fix in Japan, home to two of its biggest customers -- All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines -- and to suppliers who make around a third of the aircraft's parts.

The Dreamliner has been lauded for its use of next-generation materials that have cut weight and slashed fuel costs.

Boeing opted to use lithium-ion batteries for the plane, which engineers say are lighter than other batteries, provide a higher power output and do not lose their charge when not in use.

But the batteries have come under scrutiny after a small fire on a parked 787 at Boston's Logan Airport in January. Days later, what appeared to be smoke from a battery on an ANA flight forced an emergency landing in Japan.

The company said that despite the efforts of a 500-strong team of engineers from different disciplines, the fundamental problem had eluded them.

But teams identified 80 potential scenarios that could cause a battery failure and worked to provide solutions and preventative measures.

These included boosting insulation inside the battery pack and adding vent lines so any escaping vapour is discharged outside the aircraft.

"We design so that no single failure can place flight landing at risk," Sinnett said. "Every critical system on an airplane has multiple layers of redundancy."

Sinnett said the probe into the two incidents had proved the aircraft's safety measures had kicked in properly.

"After the battery failure the airplane responded in exactly the way we had designed and anticipated," he said.

Sinnett said there had been no fire inside the battery on either aircraft, and what appeared to the untrained eye to be smoke was electrolyte venting from the cells.

"Are we confident that there will never, ever be another battery failure? The answer to that is: parts fail," he said.

"We know that someday a battery may fail. We need to make sure that there is no significant impact at the airplane level when it does."

The worldwide grounding of Dreamliners threw schedules into disarray, especially in Japan where ANA, the biggest operator of the plane, has been forced to cancel more than 3,600 flights to the end of May.

The Federal Aviation Administration, the US watchdog, gave Boeing the go-ahead to begin flight testing after "thoroughly reviewing" Boeing's February 22 plan to address risks.

The US aircraft giant, which has bet heavily on its lightweight plane at a time when airlines are eager to slash fuel costs, desperately wants to get it back in the air.

SOURCE

It is safe in every aspect, except for fire risk in the batteries. With the new measures, fire should not occur, but batteries might still fail in mid-flight. If it happens in a frequent manner, Boeing will have new questions to answer.

Cathay Pacific's 2012 net profit slumps 83.3%

Cathay Pacific said Wednesday that 2012 net profit plunged 83.3 percent, as the Hong Kong flag carrier was hit by persistently high fuel prices and the Eurozone financial crisis.

The airline said profit stood at HK$916 million (US$118 million), down from the HK$5.5 billion it recorded in 2011. Revenue rose 1.0 percent to HK$99.4 billion from HK$98.4 billion in 2011.

Cathay said it carried a total of 29.0 million passengers in 2012, a 5.0-percent rise year on-year, but its premium class sales were hit as companies cut back on travel for executives.

"It was a challenging year for the aviation industry generally," chairman Christopher Pratt said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The airline said that "sustained high levels" of jet fuel prices, which accounts for more than 40 percent of total operation costs, dragged down its performance.

"The high cost of fuel made it more difficult to operate profitably, particularly on long-haul routes operated by older, less fuel-efficient, Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft," said Pratt.

Even though Cathay has accelerated its plans to retire fuel-guzzling aircraft, the chairman said fuel costs will remain its "biggest challenge" this year, as the long-haul routes account for a huge chunk of its business.

"Economic uncertainty, particularly in the Eurozone countries, and an increasingly competitive environment added to the difficulties," Pratt said.

"We believe we have taken the right measures to deal with current challenges and will take whatever further measures are necessary should the business environment not improve," he added.

The weak global economy continued to take a toll on Cathay's air cargo business, with revenue falling 5.5 percent to HK$24.6 billion in 2012, while demand for shipments in key markets Hong Kong and mainland China "was well below expectations".

The blue-chip Asian airline in August posted a first-half year net loss of HK$935 million.

Airlines around the world have been struggling with fuel costs and softening demand owing to the global economic weakness.

But the International Air Transport Association said in December that profits for global airlines are expected to pick up, with the industry group forecasting total profits of US$6.7 billion for 2012, up from its previous estimate of US$4.1 billion.

SOURCE

High jet fuel prices, anemic market demand; the usual reasons for profit drops plaguing premium airlines today.  However, CX will need to retire those old B747 jumbos to further cut down on the fuel bill.

FAA approves Boeing tests of battery fix

US air-safety regulators on Tuesday approved Boeing's plan to fix 787 batteries for testing, a major step forward to get the planes, grounded worldwide, flying again.

"The Federal Aviation Administration today approved the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company's certification plan for the redesigned 787 battery system... and the company's plan to demonstrate that the system will meet FAA requirements," the agency said in a statement.

The FAA said it had given the green light after "thoroughly reviewing" Boeing's February 22 plan to address risks after lithium-ion batteries short-circuited on two 787 Dreamliner aircraft in mid-January.

A short circuit started a fire on a parked 787 at Boston's Logan Airport and smoke from a battery forced an emergency landing in Japan.

The incidents led to the grounding of all 50 787s in service worldwide on January 16.

"The certification plan is the first step in the process to evaluate the 787's return to flight," the FAA said.

It "requires Boeing to conduct extensive testing and analysis to demonstrate compliance with the applicable safety regulations and special conditions."

The FAA said Boeing's battery improvements include a redesign of internal battery components "to minimise initiation of a short circuit within the battery."

Boeing said its fix also included the addition of new insulation materials, stepped-up production and testing processes, and a containment system.

"We've introduced a new enclosure system that will keep any level of battery overheating from affecting the airplane or being noticed by passengers," Ray Conner, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in the statement.

Boeing will run a series of tests and be allowed "limited" test flights for two aircraft equipped with prototype versions of the battery fix, it said.

"This comprehensive series of tests will show us whether the proposed battery improvements will work as designed," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in the statement.

"We won't allow the plane to return to service unless we're satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers."

The FAA said it was continuing its comprehensive review of the design, production and manufacturing process of the cutting-edge jetliner, built largely with lightweight composite materials.

Boeing expressed confidence that its plan to address the problem will pass the test.

"Today's approval from the FAA is a critical and welcome milestone toward getting the fleet flying again and continuing to deliver on the promise of the 787," Jim McNerney, Boeing chairman, president and chief executive, said in a separate statement.

The Chicago-based company said it would provide additional details of the improvements in the coming days.

SOURCE

Will it finally mark the end of the whole Dreamliner battery saga? What is worrying is that investigators still failed to dig out the root cause of the fires, which what they're doing now is setting in extra precautions to prevent another fire from occurring. If the battery fails, it will be shut down immediately. If the batteries continue to fail on a regular basis, something must be very wrong in the electronics. 

Haha, maybe all B787 flights will need spare batteries stashed in the cargo!

Ryanair to buy up to 200 Boeing planes

Irish no-frills airline Ryanair has placed an order for up to 200 Boeing planes worth US$18 billion (13.8 billion euros) at list prices, the Irish Independent said on Tuesday.

The order, set to be confirmed by US President Barack Obama and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny at the White House next week, is the single-biggest aircraft purchase ever agreed by Ryanair, the newspaper said.

Asked about the report, a Ryanair spokesman told AFP that the airline "does not comment upon, or engage in, rumour or speculation."

The order would be used to replace some existing 737 aircraft, while allowing the carrier to possibly extend its footprint beyond Europe, the paper said.

The report comes as Ryanair appeals a recent decision by the European Commission to block a third attempt by the airline to take over its Irish rival Aer Lingus over competition concerns.

SOURCE

A big score for Boeing with this huge order from the low cost carrier. With a current fleet size of 305 B737s, it's another strong signal for the aviation world that the low cost business is the way to go. This also signify there will be more jobs for future pilots, and it is good news for those residing in Europe.

Air France flight makes emergency landing in India

A Paris-bound Air France flight from Mumbai was forced to make an emergency landing in the Indian city on Monday after developing an engine problem, the airline and airport said.

Shortly after take-off, air traffic control declared an emergency aboard the aircraft which was carrying 213 people, said Vaibhav Tiwari, a spokesman at Mumbai's international airport.

"The pilot noticed some technical glitch in the engine," Tiwari told AFP, adding that the plane turned around and landed safely at the Mumbai airport about half an hour after taking off early on Monday.

He said the passengers of flight AF 217 were put up in a hotel and would take the next scheduled flight by Air France.

An Air France spokesman confirmed that the Airbus A330 had returned to the airport.

"The plane turned around after a problem with a malfunctioning engine," the spokesman told AFP.

The airline spokesman did not disclose the nature of the engine problem but said it was "not a particularly unusual incident".

SOURCE

A little hiccup with one of its two engines and an emergency landing has to be carried out. What I would like to assure passengers is that planes are built to be flown in a half broken stage. There is still one engine available to provide adequate thrust to maintain flight. So don't be too worried if it happens to you the next time. Stay calm, listen to the safety instructions, and you'll be on the ground in no time.

AirAsia's Philippine unit buys into rival

The Philippine unit of regional budget airline leader AirAsia announced on Monday it had acquired 49 percent of local carrier Zest Airways, allowing it to fly out of the nation's capital.

The deal will also see Zest Airways' owner, tycoon Alfredo Yao, take 15-percent stake of Philippines' AirAsia, a company statement said.

The alliance will allow Philippines' AirAsia, which has operated from an airport 90 minutes' drive north of Manila since launching in 2011, to fly out of the capital's main international airport.

"This will allow us to leverage on our respective strengths, which in the case of Zest Air, include its operations out of (Manila)," Philippines' AirAsia chief executive officer Marianne Hontiveros said in the statement.

Philippines' AirAsia chairman Antonio Cojuangco said the partnership would lift both companies, citing "the Philippines aviation market('s) tremendous upside potential".

The Philippines has recently seen a boom in air traffic with its largest airlines, local budget pioneer Cebu Pacific and flag-carrier Philippine Airlines implementing multi-billion-dollar fleet expansions.

The government is aiming for tourist arrivals to increase from 4.2 million last year to 10 million in 2016.

The two airlines will continue separate operations for now, but will be able to share facilities and resources, Philippines' AirAsia spokeswoman Genefer Bugarin-Tan said.

She would not disclose how much the deal had cost.

Philippines' AirAsia is 40 percent owned by Malaysia's AirAsia Berhad, the region's biggest budget carrier in terms of fleet size, while the balance is owned by prominent Filipino business leaders.

It currently flies from its base north of Manila to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur, as well as two popular local tourist destinations.

Zest Air operates from Manila and the central city of Cebu. It flies to 14 cities in the Philippines as well as 10 international destinations, including cities in South Korea, China, Taiwan and Malaysia.

SOURCE

A big move by AirAsia to swallow more market share in the Filipino market and they should rightly do so. Massive air traffic is predicted coming out of this country as its affluence rises and more investors pour into the country.

Week 19: ATPL Ground School Week 19

We're almost finishing up on the syllabus with Navigation subject, with just about a little left in Plotting stipulated to be completed by this coming week. Covered two chapters each on Instruments and Radio Aids but feeling ever so empty like nothing went inside the brain for these two subjects.

Meteorology is as heavy as ever and we have started on Met Practical, learning how to read weather reports like experts deciphering code words and symbols. It is quite amazing the things we can do once we have picked the new knowledge up.

We had another progress test on HPL this week. After which, we realise that this subject isn't as easy as we have expected, with some of us caught off guard and attained less than perfect results for the test. That was quite a wake up call to remind us not to get too comfortable no matter how easy the subject may look.

Coming week is another hell week with four progress tests waiting for us.

Monday - Instruments
Tuesday - Meteorology
Thursday - Radio Aids & HPL.

As the chapters start piling up, it is only going to get exponentially harder to score, or even pass.

Weather report & forecast for Changi Airport

The HPL test that caught us off guard

Getting nearer to the tail end of the timetable

Countdown to ATPL Exams 

Delta CEO objects to air security rule change

 The top executive of a major US airline has voiced opposition to a change in security regulations that will allow small pocket knives, baseball bats and other previously banned sporting equipment aboard airplanes.

"These items have been banned for more than 11 years and will add little value to the customer security process flow in relation to the additional risk for our cabin staff and customers," Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson wrote to the head of the Transportation Security Administration on Thursday.

The missive followed a decision by the TSA to allow pocket knives and other sporting equipment -- banned on US flights since the September 11, 2001 attacks -- back in aircraft cabins.

Passengers will be able to carry knives with folding blades 2.36 inches (6 centimetres) or shorter, as well as sporting goods such as golf clubs, hockey clubs, and novelty-sized baseball bats, the federal agency said.

TSA chief John Pistole said the new guidelines, which come into effect on April 25, would bring US security regulations into line with international standards.

But Anderson said his airline's flight attendants "share legitimate concerns" about the decision.

"If the purpose is to increase security checkpoint flow, there are much more effective steps we can take together to streamline the security checkpoints with risk-based screening mechanisms," Anderson said in the letter to Pistole.

SOURCE

Hopefully this new ruling will not backfire. Crew and passenger alike will feel endangered with such items now being allowed onto the planes. But I'm pretty sure that if there is a sudden rise in incidents onboard with regards to such items in the next few months, TSA will revert this ruling.

NASA looking at collaboration involving SUTD and US universities

US space agency NASA is looking at a collaboration involving the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and several other US universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This is according to a former astronaut and senior advisor for innovation from NASA, who is in Singapore to meet SUTD staff and students.

It is believed to be the first time NASA is planning a collaboration with a Singapore university.

SUTD said the collaboration will also involve students from junior colleges and polytechnics.

Together, they will work on solving difficult engineering problems that could be related to space.

The details of the collaboration are still being worked out.

But the general idea is to encourage creativity and ignite interest in aerospace engineering among students even before they enter university.

On the other hand, the research could also be useful for the industry.

Dr Charles Camarda, Senior Advisor for innovation at NASA, said: "It gives these students a little bit of introduction to engineering. And they're actually going on the lab and building and testing things. But more importantly, the students at that level will be able to see that their ideas - they have ideas that no one ever thought of - it might be a solution to a problem.

"They might not have all the skills to solve those problems but with a little bit of help and being mentored by older students, they can see what it takes to have their dreams realised and develop their ideas and what it takes to prove that those ideas work."

SOURCE

It's quite an exciting time to be a student considering a number of interesting new aviation courses that are springing up in the universities and polytechnics in Singapore. NASA and SUTD will be like a match in heaven, with the latter being Singapore's newest university and bases its curriculum more on industrial learning rather than the conventional education methods we see at NUS/NTU.

Tougher certification after Boeing 787 woes: EADS

Boeing's recent problems with the 787 Dreamliner aircraft have likely left regulators "a little bit nervous" about approving other planes, the chief executive of EADS said Thursday.

"I think the certification authorities, whether it's the FAA or any other, are probably a little bit nervous about these new planes now coming in, about the materials and the systems and the processes," said EADS chief executive Tom Enders.

"This is why we have refrained from... any schadenfreude about the problems in the 787, because we have had similar problems in the past," Enders said in a breakfast meeting with reporters in New York.

EADS's plane-making unit Airbus is at the early stage of the Federal Aviation Administration certification process of its A-350 aircraft, which, like the Dreamliner, boasts lighter weight and better fuel-efficiency.

"If industry runs into trouble, particularly as certification is concerned, that affects not just one manufacturer, but others as well," Enders said.

Enders's comments came as Airbus's chief competitor Boeing continues to work closely with the FAA to fix lithium-ion battery problems that led regulators to ground all 50 787s in use in mid-January.

Lithium-ion batteries burned on two 787s in January, causing a fire on a parked airplane at Boston's Logan Airport and smoke that caused an emergency landing in Japan.

On Monday, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner said the company would move "really fast" to get the 787 back in the air once the FAA approves its proposed battery fix.

Enders said one lesson from the Dreamliner's problems is that there may be a benefit to upgrading existing aircraft rather than embarking on entirely new designs.

"It's not completely risk-free" to modify existing designs, Enders said. "But it's of course much less risky than developing new aircraft and it comes for the fraction of the cost."

Enders said that the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company had not gained business due to Boeing's problems with the 787 Dreamliner.

SOURCE

It is true. With just a handful of aircraft manufacturers around, the aviation industry is so small that one mishap is enough to cause a ripple effect to everyone. Suddenly everyone is paying attention to batteries in the commercial jets to be sure what happened to the Dreamliner doesn't happen to their own planes. Airbus for one, reverted the A350 battery to lead based batteries instead of going ahead with litium-ion.

See how Tiger Airways will spend its latest $297m fund raising

In a release, Tiger Airways Holdings Limited announced plans to raise an aggregate of approximately $297 million through a renounceable rights issue and a non-renounceable preferential offering of perpetual convertible capital securities (“convertible securities”) to fund future expansion in Asia and strengthen its balance sheet.

Koay Peng Yen, Group CEO of Tiger Airways, said, “The Tiger Group has nearly doubled its capacity in the past four years, and is now flying about 6.5 million passengers annually. We have a strong leadership position in Singapore and have invested in two fast-growing markets, namely Indonesia and the Philippines. The proceeds from the fund raising exercise will allow us to fortify our balance sheet and be well-positioned to grow the Tiger franchise in Asia.”

Shareholders are entitled to subscribe for one rights share for every five existing ordinary shares they own in the Company. Through the rights issue, Tiger Airways will issue 164.3 million new ordinary shares at $0.47 for each rights share, representing a discount of about 34% to the last traded price of $0.715 per share on 4 March 2013.

The preferential offering will entitle shareholders to subscribe for one convertible security with a denomination of $1.07 for every four ordinary shares that they hold. Each convertible security confers a right to receive ordinary distributions at the rate of 2% per annum for the first five years (which are deferrable at the Company's option) and can be converted at the prevailing conversion price. The initial conversion price will be set at a 15% conversion premium to the average price of Tiger Airways’ shares over the five trading days up to and including the price fixing date, which is two business days before the date of the close of the preferential offering.

The estimated gross proceeds from the rights issue and preferential offering will be $77.2 million and $219.8 million respectively, with the aggregate net proceeds to be about $293.5 million. This will mainly be used to fund Tiger Airways’ growing operations in Singapore and joint ventures in Indonesia and the Philippines, repay existing debt, and strengthen its financial position. By September 2015, the Group will take delivery of an additional 25 aircraft, representing more than half of its existing fleet of 43 operated by its subsidiary and associated airlines.

Major shareholder Singapore Airlines, which currently has a stake of 32.7%, has undertaken to subscribe for its respective pro-rata entitlement to the rights shares and convertible securities. It will also subscribe for excess rights shares and convertible securities not subscribed for by other shareholders provided that its resultant shareholding following the completion of the transaction will not exceed 49.9%.

Temasek-owned Dahlia Investments Pte. Ltd., which holds a direct stake of 7.3% in Tiger Airways, has undertaken to subscribe for its pro-rata entitlement to the rights shares. The fund-raising exercise is expected to be completed by May 2013 and will be subject to shareholders’ approval at an extraordinary general meeting to be convened on 22 March 2013.

Morgan Stanley Asia (Singapore) Pte. is the sole financial advisor, lead manager and lead arranger of the rights issue and the preferential offering. DBS Bank Ltd., Morgan Stanley Asia (Singapore) Pte, and Standard Chartered Securities (Singapore) Pte. Limited are the joint underwriters of the rights issue.

SOURCE

Cathay Pacific orders 3 Boeing 747-8 cargo planes

Cathay Pacific Airways has ordered three Boeing 747-8 Freighter cargo aircraft in a deal worth US$1 billion at list prices, the companies said Monday.

Cathay Pacific, the world's largest international cargo carrier, also has options to buy five 777 Freighters, the Hong Kong flag carrier and the US aerospace giant said in a joint statement.

Cathay Pacific currently operates eight Boeing 747-8 Freighters, a new plane that entered service in October 2011 with launch customer Cargolux.

Boeing says the 747-8 carries 16 per cent more revenue-producing freight than its predecessor the 747-400 and has the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large freighter airplane.

"The 747-8 Freighter has provided our revamped cargo fleet with efficient fuel savings as well as added environmental benefits," John Slosar, chief executive of the Hong Kong flag carrier, said in the statement.

On Friday, Cathay Pacific announced it was cancelling an order for eight Boeing 777-200 Freighters, citing a weaker outlook for growth of air cargo shipments.

But in a filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the airline said it had signed an agreement to buy three Boeing 747-8 Freighters and taken options for five 777-200 Freighters.

Cathay Pacific has been trying to pare costs after falling into the red in the first half of 2012 with a HK$935 million (US$121 million) loss, partly due to high fuel prices.

The Hong Kong-based international passenger and cargo airline serves about 160 destinations with a 130-plus fleet of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

SOURCE

Boeing to move "really fast' after FAA 787 approval

Boeing's commercial aircraft chief said Monday the company would move "really fast" to get its grounded 787s flying again after it wins approval from the FAA for its proposed battery fix.

Ray Conner, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, speaking at a JP Morgan conference in New York, noted that the US aerospace giant had only presented its fix to the Federal Aviation Administration on February 22.

After 200,000 hours of analysis and tests, "we feel very good about the fix. We've covered the waterfront, so to speak," he said.

Once the FAA approves the plan, he said, "we will move really fast" with testing and certification to get the airplanes "out there."

Burnt lithium-ion batteries on two 787s -- a fire on a parked airplane in Boston and smoke that caused an emergency landing in Japan -- resulted in the January 16 global grounding of all 50 787s in service.

The Boeing CEO said the company would stick with the lithium-ion batteries, which are significantly more powerful and lighter than the nickel-cadmium batteries traditionally used on aircraft.

Throughout the analysis, "we couldn't see any reason to make a switch back," Conner said.

Conner tiptoed around a question about the decision by European rival Airbus, after the 787 groundings, to switch to nickel-cadmium batteries instead of ion-lithium for its new A350 being developed.

"They wanted to give themselves an alternative path," he said, probably a "prudent" choice.

As for the safety implications of the proposed battery fix, Conner said: "We would not go forward unless we thought we had it nailed."

Despite the 787 problems, which resulted in Boeing halting deliveries, Conner said that Boeing was keeping its forecast to deliver more than 60 787s this year.

SOURCE

Korean Air bids for Czech Airlines: report

Korean Air has placed an official bid for a 44 per cent stake in the troubled Czech flagship carrier Czech Airlines (CSA), Czech media said on Monday.

The Koreans seek to acquire the minority stake for just a few million dollars, the top-selling Czech broadsheet daily DNES said on its website.

The Czech government set a March deadline for bids for the airline, which Ernst&Young auditors estimate to be worth 148 million koruna (US$7.5 million).

"This has happened, we didn't have to change the schedule," the CTK news agency quoted Michaela Lagronova, spokeswoman for the Cesky Aeroholding company that owns CSA, as saying.

She declined to give details however, saying that Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek would present them after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Qatar Airways, which had previously expressed interest in the CSA stake, would not take part in the bidding, DNES said.

The Czech Republic, which abandoned an attempt to sell the airline in 2009, is offering up to 96 per cent of the wholly government-owned carrier to European investors.

But under European regulations, the EU member can allow non-European companies to acquire only minority stakes in strategic companies.

With a fleet of 26 planes, CSA posted a loss of 241 million koruna in 2011.

SOURCE

Week 18: ATPL Ground School Week 18

Tough week we had, with 5 papers and never ending revision which only stopped after school on Thursday when we have completed all progress tests. I managed to scrape through all except one; Radio Aids. Failed by one incorrect answer. No excuses though, I should be passing the tests with at least a score of 80% just to be on the safe side.

It was our first taste of how heavy the tests can be when being conducted on consecutive days. It was daunting initially, but I believe we will all be accustomed to it soon and be able to handle the load much better as time goes by.

Lessons this week were fewer with time taken up for the tests. Radio Aids and Instruments are really taking a toll on us due to the speed we have to digest the content. Navigation is on the last part of the syllabus which is Plotting, a topic which we found out isn't going to be a walk in the park even though it can be quite straightforward. We have to work a lightning speeds in order to finish the plotting. More on Plotting will be covered in this coming week.

On the final day of the week we had also started on another new subject called Meteorology Practical. What it does is to train us to decipher symbols and numbers, data which we can translate to weather forecasts. It is another memory intensive subject, and it definitely doesn't look easy.

Hectic, exhausting, draining. As of today, we are 45 days away from the first day of ATPL Exams.

It is getting scary.

Thank god plotting is being done on a small A4 sheet map and not the huge Jeppesen Charts I initially thought

人，最重要是找到属于自己的世界。

只要找到属于自己的世界，人生才有意义。