Airport – Page 10 – Take off with Natarajan

Never do this…If You Miss Your Flight …!!!

June 23, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

A tardy couple ran onto the tarmac in hopes of stopping their flight from taking off without them.

The pair of travelers, Matteo Clementi (left) & Enrica Apollonio (right) — Times of Malta

This Italian couple learned the hard way that you can’t hail down a moving aircraft similar to a departing bus or taxi. The Times of Malta reports the pair was forced to pay over $2,600 in fines after chasing after their departing aircraft down the tarmac before being apprehended by airport authorities.

The situation reportedly began when Enrica Apollonio, 23, and Matteo Clementi, 26, got delayed on their way to Malta International Airport (MLA), where they were scheduled to catch a Ryanair flight back to Italy. By the time they arrived at the airport, it was too late: the doors to their flight had closed and the two were not allowed to board.

MLA official say that although the incident was out of their control, they are glad it ended without major incident. “MLA staff and partners responded to this situation immediately and effectively, ensuring that the passengers were apprehended and passed on to the police,” an airport representative told the Times of Malta. “MLA regrets that a holiday to Malta had to end in this way but reminds passengers that safety and security are of the utmost importance at any airport and such issues cannot be dealt with lightly.”That’s when the couple took matters into their own hands. Airport officials say the two ran to another gate, opened an emergency fire exit and ran onto the tarmac. The couple hoped they would be able to prevent their Ryanair flight from taxiing and somehow board the aircraft. Instead, the two were apprehended by security staff, and charged with violations of Matla’s Airports and Civil Aviation Security Act.

Both persons were ultimately convicted and will be forced to pay over $2,600 in fines. An attorney for the pair said they were looking forward to celebrating Apollonio’s birthday on the island, “but instead spent it in a cell.” Ryanair did not offer a comment on the incident.

[Photos: iStock; Times of Malta]

Source….www.flyertalk.com

Natarajan

Qatar Airlines Voted World”s Best Airline 2015…

June 17, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

THE annual Skytrax awards for the world’s best airline has been announced, with a shuffle of key players on this year’s list.

Qatar was voted the best airline for 2015, bumping last year’s winner Cathay Pacific to third place.

It’s not the first time Qatar has claimed the top spot. It won in 2011 and 2012 and has twice been voted runner up. It also took home best airline in the Middle East and best business class seat.

The presitigous Skytrax awards are judged by 18.9 million passengers in 110 countries around the world who vote on factors such as comfort, friendliness of cabin crew and in-flight food.

Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker told CNN it was a reflection of their staff.

“It’s a very clear accolade on behalf of the staff — they are the real recipients, I’m just their leader”, he said.

AirAsia won the best low-cost airline category for 2015 despite the tragic and fatal crash of flight QZ8501 last year.Source: Getty Images

The top ten airlines included Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Turkish and Emirates. Qantas came in at number 10 on the list.

In the low-cost airline category AirAsia was voted the world’s best for the seventh year in a row, despite the tragic accident in the Java Sea last year that killed all 162 people on-board flight QZ8501.

Reported in CNN, co-founder and group CEO Tony Fernandes said the award “meant a lot, after all we’ve been through. I wouldn’t normally say the airline industry is sweet, but today it felt sweet.

“We’ve won it seven times, but this one means the most, because of what happened in the early part of this year.”

Other awards included Garuda Indonesia for best cabin crew, Air France for most improved airline, EVA Air for cleanest aircraft cabins and Cathay Pacific for best transpacific airline.

The list of the world’s top 100 airlines for 2015 can be viewed here.

The best airlines for 2015

1. Qatar Airways

2. Singapore Airlines

3. Cathay Pacific Airways

4. Turkish Airlines

5. Emirates

6. Etihad Airways

7. ANA All Nippon Airways

8. Garuda Indonesia

9. EVA Air

10. Qantas Airways

source….www.news.com.au

Natarajan

Amazing Vertical Take Off…Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner…!!!

June 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

IT has to be seen to be believed.

In the lead-up to the Paris Air Show, which begins on June 15, Boeing has set the bar high after releasing a video of its newest version of the Dreamliner aircraft — the 787-9 — performing some impressive aerial moves.

But it’s the takeoff which has everyone talking as the passenger jet makes an almost vertical ascent seconds after leaving the ground.

The steep climb looks impressive, though it has its doubters.

Boeing 767 pilot Patrick Smith told CNN: “It looks like the takeoff is at a near vertical 90 degree angle — trust me it’s not.”

He said a 787 with passengers making a 20 degree pitch-up on takeoff would be pretty strong.

“Presumably the plane was very light because it wasn’t carrying any passengers, probably had a very light fuel load, no freight, so it would have been able to perform a steeper than normal ascent — but not to the extent the video seems to show,” Smith said.

That’s steep ... the Boeing Dreamliner 787-9 takeoff

That’s steep … the Boeing Dreamliner 787-9 takeoff Source: Supplied

video clip..

Source….www.news.com.au and http://www.youtube.com

Natarajan

“Here’s why no one has found a trace of missing Flight MH370….”

June 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

A Texas A&M University professor and his team in Qatar have a mathematical theory about why search crews have found no trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 more than a year after it went missing.

Dr. Goong Chen, whose research on this theory was published in the American Mathematical Society’s journal, argues that the plane could have nosedived into the Indian Ocean at a 90-degree angle and remained somewhat intact as it sank to the bottom.

At 1:30 a.m. on March 8, the plane carrying 239 people dropped off air-traffic-control screens, less than an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Flight MH370 is the fact that, despite experts tracking the plane’s satellite pings to the southern Indian Ocean, searchers have never found a debris field or oil slicks from the supposed crash.

Texas A&M noted that in the case of Air France Flight 447, crews recovered thousands of pieces of floating debris from the Atlantic Ocean just days after the plane crashed in 2009.

Chen explains that if the plane were to enter the ocean at another angle, it would have created a large “bending moment” from the external force of hitting the water, causing the fuselage to break up.

In this type of situation, there would likely be a field of floating debris on the surface of the water.

But a vertical entry would be much smoother, with a smaller “bending moment.” The plane’s wings would have likely broken off immediately, but since they’re heavy, they probably would have sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

So if the plane nosedived into the ocean, it could have sank somewhat intact and landed belly-up on the ocean floor, according to the research paper.

The ocean’s current would have guided the plane to its resting place at the bottom. Lightweight debris like seat cushions and passenger belongings probably wouldn’t be able to float to the ocean’s surface if the plane’s body sank intact.

The plane stalling from a steep climb, aircraft mechanisms malfunctioning, and the plane running out of fuel could have caused MH370 to plunge into the ocean at a sharp angle, according to the research paper.

Chen and his team created simulations of what the descent might have looked like:

MH370 Malaysia Airlines plane simulation

Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society

The plane entering the water at this angle wouldn’t have created the same large waves as an entry at a lesser angle. Big waves would have likely caused more break-up of the plane at the surface.

The animation below shows the supposed distribution of pressure. The paper notes that aviation experts say that how a plane enters the water determines how it breaks up.

Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society

In other scenarios Chen and his team looked at, the plane’s angle of entry would have created bigger waves and more pressure, which likely would have caused the plane to break up more near the water’s surface.

Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society

Illustration showing a diving water entry.

Texas A&M University at Qatar / Notices of the American Mathematical Society

Illustration showing a rolling water entry.

Chen and his team concluded that based on the various scenarios they mathematically examined, a nosedive is the mostly likely explanation of what happened to the plane. If the plane had entered the ocean at a different angle, the paper notes, search crews would have likely found debris by now.

Texas A&M University at Qatar/Notices of the American Mathematical Society

“This particular assertion is speculative but forensic,” the paper concludes. The team noted that they based this theory on computed data, aviation precedents, and atmospheric and ocean surface conditions.

The disappearance of MH 370 is one of the most bizarre and tragic aviation mysteries of all time. Investigators have not offered any conclusive explanation as to what happened to the plane after it disappeared from radar.

Australian officials announced last month that teams are expanding the MH370 search area in the Indian Ocean. They said that if the plane isn’t found there, they’re not sure where else to look.

Source….Pamela Engel in http://www.businessinsider.in

Natarajan

” Footage From Cockpit “…Plane Landing in one of the ‘Scariest ‘ Airports in the World…

June 9, 2015June 9, 2015Natarajan1 Comment

There’s a belief that computers do all of the work in the cockpit, but this amazing video shows British Airways pilots conquering one of the most challenging runways in the world.

With cameras mounted in the flight deck, the clip shows a pilot’s-eye view as a BA plane approaches and touches down on the runway in Funchal, on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

It may seem like a routine event, but captains Ally Wilcox and Ian Mills had to contend with high winds and were unable to rely on the plane’s instruments as they landed at an airport nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and a hill dotted with home

click and watch the video clip below…

Captains Ally Wilcox and Ian Mills had to contend with high winds as they approached the runway

Footage from the cockpit provides a perspective that most passengers will never see as they arrive on the stunning island for a relaxing holiday.

It can be a turbulent landing, and after an extension was built in 2000 part of the runway is on stilts over the sea.

Captain Wilcox narrated the video, which was shot on a recent flight from London, telling viewers Funchal is a unique airfield because pilots cannot land a plane there unless they have special approval from Portugal’s civil aviation authority.

He said BA and Airbus have developed a bespoke plan that has been approved by authorities, which includes using banana sheds as a waypoint to navigate the ‘tricky terrain’ to the left of the runway.

Footage from the cockpit provides a perspective that most passengers will never see

In order to land in Funchal pilots must undergo training and be approved by Portuguese aviation authorities

Only 20 BA captains are permitted to fly into Funchal, and each one had to pass a two-hour simulated training session.

Captain Wilcox said: ‘The island is very tricky because of the terrain … it means we have to fly around the bay and very close to the terrain before completing a curving approach onto the runway.’

As the airport does not have an instrument landing system, pilots must navigate around the bay visually using good judgment, he added.

Funchal is frequently included in lists of the ‘scariest’ runways in the world due to its challenges

High winds add to the degree of difficulty.

He tells viewers: ‘As it’s out in the Atlantic the wind is often strong and very variable in nature.

‘As with this approach we faced exactly that challenge with the head wind becoming a cross wind pushing us towards the terrain and here ending up as a tail wind as we landed on the runway.’

Given its location and turbulent winds, Funchal is frequently included in lists of the ‘scariest’ runways in the world.

Source….www.dailymail.co.uk and http://www.you tube.com

Natarajan

Why Airplane Windows Have Tiny Holes….

June 1, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

My friends laugh at me when I ask for a window seat. You’re an airline pilot, they say. You have the window seat all the time.

True enough. But the cockpit, well, that’s work. As a passenger I’m actually free to enjoy the experience—to listen to music or a long-postponed podcast while gazing out at the world below, to remember that it’s still a wonder to look down, not up, at clouds. The window seat is like the best table in a café on a busy street, except that instead of people-watching, entire cities, oceans, and mountain ranges parade past.

Still, every once in a while something interferes with that view. Maybe it’s the forehead smudges left by your seat’s previous occupant. Or the little hole that appears in the lower portion of a typical airliner window.

Hole in the window? The little one, near the bottom, that you perhaps only notice when a hollowed-out snowflake of frost forms near it. This tiny hole is called a breather hole or a bleed hole, and it serves an important safety function.

If you look closely at a typical passenger cabin window, you’ll see three panes, typically made of acrylic materials. The purpose of the innermost pane—sometimes called the scratch pane, but I like to call it the smudge pane—is merely to protect the next one.

The middle pane (with the breather hole in it) and the outer pane are more important. Generally speaking, as an aircraft climbs, the air pressure drops in both the cabin and the outside air—but it drops much more outside, as the aircraft’s pressurization system keeps the cabin pressure at a comfortable and safe level. This means that the pressure inside the aircraft during flight is typically much greater than the pressure outside.

The outer two cabin windows are designed to contain this difference in pressure between the cabin and the sky. Both the middle and the outer panes are strong enough to withstand the difference on their own, but under normal circumstances it’s the outer pane that bears this pressure—thanks to the breather hole.

As Marlowe Moncur, director of technology  for GKN Aerospace, a leading passenger cabin window manufacturer, put it to me via email: “[T]he purpose of the small bleed hole in the [middle] pane is to allow pressure to equilibrate between the passenger cabin and the air gap between the panes, so that the cabin pressure during flight is applied to only the outer pane.”

In the extraordinarily unlikely event that the outer pane fails, the middle pane takes over. And yes, in that case, there would be a small leak of air through the breather hole—but nothing the aircraft’s pressurization system couldn’t easily cope with.

Bret Jensen, an aerospace engineering guru at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told me about a separate but related function of the hole: to release moisture from the air gap and stop (most) fog or frost from forming on the window. So when you’re looking out at the clouds and planetary wonders crossing below you, take a moment to give thanks for the breather hole.

There’s still the matter of that small but lovely pattern of frost that can form near the breather hole on a long flight. At cruising altitude the temperature of the outside air can be minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The frost, according to Moncur, “is caused by condensation of water when cabin air contacts the cold window surface.”

But what causes that telltale frost pattern? The physics behind it are an interesting question, he says. “The circular pattern must be a function of window surface temperature, humidity of the cabin air and flow rate through the bleed hole.”

Here is what a Pilot Thinks When the Aircraft loses all of its Engines in the Mid Air….

May 30, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Last weekend, Singapore Airlines Flight 836 was traveling from Singapore to Shanghai when the twin-engine Airbus A330-343 lost power on both engines over the South China Sea.

Image of Airbus330-343

Fortunately, the pilots were able to restore power to the engines, and the flight was able to continue on to its destination.

No injuries have been reported.

Modern turbofan engines are very robust pieces of engineering and tend to be incredibly reliable.

That makes last weekend’s incident an exceedingly rare event.

In fact, experienced A330 pilot Karlene Petitt told Business Insider that in her years flying the popular jet, she has never encountered, in pilot parlance, a “dual flameout.”

So what is an airline pilot thinking when the engines on his or her plane inexplicably lose power?

“What would go through my mind is fly the plane and do everything I can to get the engines started,” Petitt said in an email. “That would be the only thing to think about.”

In the cockpit, pilots are equipped with reference guides which provides guidance and checklists for a wide variety of operational situations – including the loss of power on all engines.

At cruising altitudes – 39,000 ft. in the case of the Singapore jet – the air is very thin and there may not be enough oxygen to get the engines to relight.

However, according to Petitt, “Normally when you get down around 24,000 feet you should be able to get one started because of the denser air at that altitude.”

In the case of Singapore Flight 836, the airliner lost 13,000 feet of altitude before the pilots were able to get the engines going again.

According to Petitt, she would only think about looking for a landing location after realizing she wouldn’t be able to get the engines going.

Depending on how high and how far the airplane is from an airport, the pilot would then determine what would be the appropriate course of action

In past incidents, pilots have chosen a variety of strategies.

In 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 going from Montreal to Edmonton ran out of fuel midway through the flight after the ground crew miscalculated the amount needed for the trip. The pilots were able to glide the twin-engine Boeing 767-200 jet to safety at a retired Canadian military runway that had been turned into a race track.

In 2001, an Air Transat Airbus A330 traveling from Toronto to Lisbon developed a fuel leak while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The widebody jet lost all power, but the pilots were able to glide to an airport in the Azores Islands.

Miracle on the Hudson

Most famously, US Airways flight 1549 lost both of its engines after colliding with a flock of geese while taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Due to the low altitude, the pilots didn’t have time to complete the engine restart procedure. Miraculously, Captain Sully Sullenberger was able to successfully guide the Airbus A320 down in the middle of the Hudson River.

In these instances, the pilots were able to safely land their planes with few injuries to the passengers and crew.

“Pilots never stop flying the plane,” Petitt reiterated. “No matter what, we will do what it takes.”

Source….BENJAMIN ZHANG in www.businessinsider.in

Natarajan

Pax Pulling off a Plane Window …!!!

May 26, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

IF you’re a terrified flyer, maybe you shouldn’t watch this video of a man casually pulling off a plane window of an Airbus A320.

http://www.news.com.au/video/id-swNzRhdTpnqENBdqRyvvgexmeOfpoYvp/Airline-passenger-holds-window-pane-in-his-hands-after-it-falls-off

Brazilian Eduardo Caram was waiting in his seat before his flight departed when he discovered a panel had come loose.

He immediately alerted an air steward, who said it was not a problem.

The video of the incident has been viewed almost 50,000 times.

“I talked to the flight attendant and he said there was no problem because it is only a protection,” Caram cstated in the video’s caption.

The Mirror reports that the TAM Airlines flight from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo in Brazil took off regardless.

The airline is yet to make an official statement.

Plane scare … The man holds a plane window pane after ‘removing it with ease’. Picture: Youtube/Eduardo CaramSource: YouTube

Source…..www.news.com.au

Natarajan

Best Airport Landings….

May 13, 2015May 13, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Queenstown Airport in New Zealand was voted the world’s number one. Source: Getty Images

SOMETIMES flying into a destination can be just as spectacular as when on the ground.

sometimes what a pilot sees in a day, people won’t see in their lifetimes..
amazing Queenstown, New Zealand.
I invite people of the world to come visit this beautiful country and its people.

Every year PrivateFly.com asks travellers around the world to vote for their favourite airport landings before a panel of judges picks the best 10.

Of the 147 airports that received nominations this year, these were voted the Top 10 Most Stunning Airport Approaches for 2015.

1. Queenstown, New Zealand

Flying into Queenstown airport was considered the most spectacular in the world.

A world class approach to a world class destination. The snatched panoramas as you descend into this hitherto barren-looking landscape makes you realise that pilots do get the best views,” said judge Bill Prince.

2. Las Vegas Mccarran Airport, USA

The bright lights of Vegas make it one of the most exciting airports to fly into.

“Arriving at night makes the Las Vegas strip look like some type of miniature recreation. It is always worth a window seat,” said judge Doug Gollan.

3. Nice Cote D’Azur Airport, France

Landing on the water’s edge in Nice. Source: Getty Images

“Nice, Cote d’Azur has to be one of the most spectacular places to arrive and depart with this breathtaking coastline as far as the eye can see,” said judge Tiffany Dowd.

4. Barra Airport, Scotland

Not your usual runway. Source: Getty Images

“Where else in the world can you fly over majestic mountains, stunning coastline and turquoise seas before descending over a historic harbour castle and landing on a large silver sand beach? Totally stunning and totally unique. Nothing comes close,” said judge Carol Cork.

5. St Maarten Princess Juliana International

Just scraping past beach goers. Picture: Ivan Wong Rodenas. Source: Flickr

“I chose the landing strip at St. Maarten for its proximity to the beach, giving a beautiful view for passengers on landing planes, and a prime photo op for beachgoers, as incoming jets fly overhead,” said judge Chloe Pantazi.

6. Saba (Juancho e Irausquin)

Teetering on the edge of this Caribbean island. Picture: Richie Diesterheft. Source: Flickr

“A simply unforgettable and thrilling landing on the world’s shortest runway, flanked by cliffs and ocean with a striking view of its active Volcano, Mount Scenery,” said judge David Scowsill.

7. Billy Bishop Toronto City, Canada

Sitting parallel to the city is Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport. Source: Getty Images

“A dramatically short island runway, surrounded by city and water. Just moments away from the centre of Toronto,” said judge Adam Twidell.

8. Gibraltar

Flying in next to the towering 450 metre “Rock” is no easy feat. Source: Getty Images

“Not for those with faint hears. Landing at ‘The Rock’ requires a lot of skill (and adverse weather conditions redirect flights to Malaga too often), but if you are lucky it is stunning. Also very interesting to see the geographic differences between nearby Spain and this British territory,” said judge Ana Silva O’Reilly.

9. London City Airport, UK

Surrounded by history on one side and modernity on the other. Source: Getty Images

“For its steep approach and its short runway in the heart of the city,” said judge Frédéric Beniada.

10. Cape Town, South Africa

Beautiful Cape Town provides spectacular views on approach. Source: Getty Images

“Spectacular views of Table Mountain as you approach. One of the most beautiful cities on earth,” said judge Adam Twidell.

Source…..www.news.com.au

Natarajan

Indira Gandhi International Airport Adjudged world’s Best airport…

May 2, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been adjudged the world’s best airport for the year 2014, under the category of handling 25 to 40 million passengers per annum, officials said on Saturday.

Airports Council International (ACI) presented the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award to IGIA at a ceremony of the ACI Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly on April 28 in Jordan.

“We are honoured to represent an Indian airport at a highly acclaimed international forum as ACI. Our IGI Airport partners and employees have consistently delivered a memorable and distinct experience to our customers, enabling us to achieve the coveted world number one position,” said I. Prabhakara Rao, CEO of Delhi International Airport Pvt. Limited, which manages IGIA.

The Delhi airport scored 4.90 on a scale of 5 points measured by 300 members of the ACI ASQ benchmarking programme.

IGIA bettered its ranking from second position for the years 2011, 2012 . and 2013 to emerge on top in 2014.

Their score was 3.02 in 2007.

ASQ is the key to understanding how to increase passenger satisfaction and improve business performance, said Angela Gittens, director general of ACI World.

As many as 40 million passengers used IGIA to reach 58 domestic and 62 international destinations in 2014-15.

During the period, the average flight movements were 885 per day while 696,000 metric tonnes of cargo was handled.

IGIA hosts six domestic carriers, 56 international carriers and also has the capacity to handle the gigantic Airbus A380 aircraft.

The airport serves as a hub for leading Indian airlines Air India, IndiGo, Vistara and SpiceJet.

Delhi International Airport Private is a joint venture between the GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, Fraport and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

The airport was developed under the public-private partnership mode with the mandate for DIAL to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the Delhi airport for 30 years, with an option to extend it for another 30 years.

ACI, founded in 1991, is a trade association of the world’s airports.

Source……www.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Natarajan