Aviation

Spain’s Famous ” ghost ” Airport Goes Up for Sale !!!

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Ciudad Real Airport. Picture: AfricaTwin, Wikicommons

Ciudad Real Airport.

A HUGE airport in central Spain that cost one billion euros ($1.5 billion) to build but has not received a commercial flight since 2011 has gone up for auction for just 100 million euros.

With a runway long enough to land an Airbus 380, the world’s largest airliner, and a capacity to handle 10 million passengers per year, the airport at Ciudad Real, some 200km south of Madrid, has become a symbol of Spain’s real estate bubble.

Spain’s first private international airport operated its first flight in December 2008 but passenger traffic never took off and CR Aeropuertos, the operator of the terminal, went into bankruptcy in June 2012 with debts of around 300 million euros.

It went up for auction on Monday for a starting price of 100 million euros to meet creditor demands and the bidding will close on December 27, a spokesman for a commercial court in Ciudad Real which is overseeing its sale said.

Ciudad Real, a city of around 75,000 residents located halfway between Madrid and Cordoba, attracts few visitors and the airport was designed to serve both the Spanish capital and the Andalusian coast which are both less than an hour away by high-speed rail. The airport, which reportedly cost around one billion euros to build, had its final commercial flight, from low-cost airline Vueling, at the end of 2011.

It remained open for another six months to receive a handful of private arrivals and in 2012 Oscar-winning Spanish director Pedro Almodovar used it for a week to film part of his latest film I’m So Excited! about a doomed passenger plane.

Since then the airport’s 4200-metre-long runway, Europe’s longest, has had to be continually painted with yellow crosses so pilots flying over the airport will know they cannot land there, according to Spanish media reports.

Spain, which is gingerly emerging from a double-dip recession sparked by the implosion in 2008 of a decade-long property bubble that fuelled overspending on massive infrastructure projects, has the most international commercial airports of any country in Europe.

Ciudad Real Airport. Picture: Africa Twin, Wikicommons

Several of the country’s 47 public airports do not have any regular commercial flights and 15 move less than 100,000 passengers per year, or less than one flight per day.

Another private airport at Castellon on the Mediterranean coast has fared even worse than the one at Ciudad Real.

It opened in March 2011 but has not handled a single flight.

source::::news.com.au

natarajan

World Outside My Window !!!

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Some people look outside their window and see a beautiful tree. Then there are some who can see a beautiful view of the surrounding area. Then there are some, like those on the internation space station, that can look outside their windows and see the entire world. One might say that is the ultimate of views.

A beautiful video of the view one sees from outside this particular window… 

pl click the link above  for the video and watch the world as seen from ISS  WINDOW !!!!

NATARAJAN

source::::: youtube

natarajan

 

 

 

Is it True NASA Used Space pens and Russia Used Pencils ???!!!

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NASA Spent $12 Million For a Space Pen While the Russians Just Use Pencils-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor
The message says that the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration spent ten years and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity for use by astronauts. The pen will write upside down, underwater, on almost any surface and is functional at extremely hot and cold temperatures. The Russians, however, filled the need for a space writing instrument by simply using pencils.
The Truth
For some people, it’s sport to point out government waste and bureaucratic stupidity, but this story about the space pen won’t provide ammunition for it. The government did not fund the development of the pen, it did not cost $12 million to perfect, and neither the Americans nor the Russians consider it desirable to use pencils in space. In fact, both Americans and Russians use the space pen for their flights.

The famous space pen, which is still a popular product today, was developed by Paul Fisher the founder of the Fisher pen company. An engineer who improved ball point technology, he created his “bullet pen” in the 1940’s, which became one of the best-selling pens of the Twentieth Century. Later, he perfected a pen that was sealed with pressure inside of the cartridge that made the ink to flow regardless of gravity. It also worked in high and low temperature extremes, underwater, and wrote on many kinds of surfaces. According to the Fisher Pen company, after extensive testing, NASA chose the pen in 1967 for use by Apollo astronauts and it’s been a part of space travel ever since. The company says it took Fisher about 2 years and $2 million to develop the space pen. Prior to 1967, there were no pens that worked in space so there were pencils used, but there were concerns about pencil dust floating around the space capsules as well as fears that if the tip of a pencil broke off and drifted into the electronics, there would be problems.
A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C.

When confronted with the same problem, the Russians used a pencil.

source:::::true or fiction .com

natarajan

Stunning Images of Planes !!!…A Visual Treat for the Eyes !!!

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A flock of birds surround a Boeing 777 at London's Heathrow Airport. Picture: Air...

A flock of birds surround a Boeing 777 at London’s Heathrow Airport. Picture: AirTeamImages Source: Supplied

SO THIS is what the plane spotters hang out for.

These unbelievable mile-high snaps have been released by aviation photographersAirTeamImages to celebrate its 10th birthday, and they provide a unique glimpse into life in the skies.

From hundreds of birds surrounding a Boeing 777 at Heathrow Airport, to a Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet visibly breaking the sounds barrier above San Francisco, these remarkable mile-high moments are usually never witnessed by passengers.

Other highlights include the look on a pilot’s face as his small plane turns upside down, a jumbo jet swooping low over sunbathers, and a view of lightning from the cockpit of a Jetstar plane.

 

Lightning strikes a Jetstar plane. Picture: AirTeamImages

Lightning strikes a Jetstar plane. Picture: AirTeamImages Source: Supplied

 

The Red Arrows put on a patriotic show at Fairford, UK. Picture: AirTeamImages

The Red Arrows put on a patriotic show at Fairford, UK. Picture: AirTeamImages Source: Supplied

 

US Airways Boeing 757 flies over the heads of sunseekers at St Maarten. Picture: AirTeamImages

US Airways Boeing 757 flies over the heads of sunseekers at St Maarten. Picture: AirTeamImages Source: Supplied

AirTeamImages was established in 2003 by the world renowned aviation photographer Derek Pedley.

“We are the largest supplier of aviation images in the world,” he said. “We have 200 photographers which I have hand-picked and we have a portfolio of images that tell the whole history of aviation right back to the 1900s.

A Boeing 747 cuts through the heart-shaped clouds at Paris - the City of Love. Picture: Ai...

A Boeing 747 cuts through the heart-shaped clouds at Paris — the City of Love. Picture: AirTeamImages Source:Supplied

 

 

Pedley’s love of planes began when he was a child.

“I have a real fascination with planes, which was probably kickstarted by me growing up next to Birmingham Airport,” he said.

“I would go with my friends and play football behind the fences which ran alongside the runways. When photography came along it helped to keep the interest going, and here I am today.”

All the colours of a rainbow - created from the aircraft's emissions. Pic...

All the colours of a rainbow — created from the aircraft’s emissions. Picture: AirTeamImages Source: Supplied

The pilot of this Aviat Christien Eagle II hangs on in Argentina. Picture: AirTeamImages

The pilot of this Aviat Christien Eagle II hangs on in Argentina. Picture: AirTeamImages Source: Supplied

 

An Embraer ERJ190 and the larger Boeing 777 appear to be one at Amsterdam. Picture: AirTeamImages

An Embraer ERJ190 and the larger Boeing 777 appear to be one at Amsterdam. Picture: AirTeamImages Source:Supplied

 

A British Airways Airbus A319 flies to the moon and back. Picture: AirTeamImages

A British Airways Airbus A319 flies to the moon and back. Picture: AirTeamImages  

A Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 in the fog at Oslo, Norway. Picture: AirTeamImages

A Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777 in the fog at Oslo, Norway. Picture: AirTeamImages Source: Supplied

Blink and you won't miss this distinctive tailfin of a Boeing 777. Picture: AirT...

Blink and you won’t miss this distinctive tailfin of a Boeing 777. Picture: AirTeamImages  

Arbus planes come into land at Heathrow Airport. Picture: AirTeamImages

Airbus planes come into land at Heathrow Airport. Picture: AirTeamImages

A KLM Airlines 747 plane. Picture: AirTeamImages

A KLM Airlines 747 plane. Picture: AirTeamImages

 

Up close. Picture: AirTeamImages

Up close. Picture: AirTeamImages

 

 

 

The most awesome plane photos you'll...

An Air India Boeing 777. Picture: AirTeamImages

 

It's the aircraft in the background that gets the most attention! Picture: AirT...

It’s the aircraft in the background that gets the most attention! Picture: AirTeamImages

 

A Qantas plane takes off. Picture: AirTeamImages

A Qantas plane takes off. Picture: AirTeamImages

A Boeing 747 lands at Amsterdam. Picture: AirTeamImages

A Boeing 747 lands at Amsterdam. Picture: AirTeamImages

 

source:::::news.com.au      See more incredible aviation photography at AirTeamImages.com.

natarajan

Just For Laugh !!!….” Level of Confidence ” !!!

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What is confidence???? 

A hypothetical situation where 20 CEOs board an airplane and are told that the flight that they are about to take is the first-ever to feature pilotless technology: “It is an uncrewed aircraft.” 
Each one of the CEOs is then told, privately, that their company’s software is running the aircraft’s automatic pilot system.
Nineteen of the CEOs promptly leave the aircraft, each offering a different type of excuse.
One CEO alone remains on board the jet, seeming very calm indeed.
Asked why he is so confident in this first uncrewed flight, he replies: “If it is the same software thats developed by my company’s IT systems department, this plane won’t even take off!!!! .”
That is called Confidence!!!
 
 source ::::input from a friend of mine.
natarajan

“San Jose …California …Instead of San Jose … Mexico ” !!!

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WHAT do you do when you land at the wrong airport? This was a real question UK couple Andrew and Julie Kelham had to ask upon landing at San Jose in California after 20 hours of travelling. 

The Kelham's landed at San Jose, California ... almost 2500 kilometres away from San Jose, Mexico. Picture: Flic...

The Kelham’s landed at San Jose, California … almost 2500 kilometres away from San Jose, Mexico. Picture: Flickr kasra afzali Source: NewsComAu

The couple were very excited about visiting their 21-year-old daughter, Frankie, who had been working in San Jose, Mexico for eight months. They forked out over $5500 for the 14-day trip.

Booking their travel arrangements through travel firm Thomas Cook in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, they jetted off anticipating an emotional reunion with their daughter – and a well-deserved family break.

However, instead of landing in San Jose, Mexico as anticipated, the tired couple landed in San Jose … in California … almost 2500 kilometres away.

It turned out they had been sent to the wrong city.

Upon landing they searched for their daughter, only realising they were in the wrong country when she called them after not being able to find them at arrivals.

Their first flight from Manchester to Chicago was correct, but the connecting flight from Chicago took them to California instead of Baja California Sur in the Mexican peninsula. The pair were booked into stay at the Royal Solaris Hotel in San Jose Los Cabos, in the Mexican peninsula of Baja California Sur.

Mrs Kelham, 51, told The Sun : ‘She was crying her eyes out. We couldn’t take it in.’

After spending an uncomfortable night at the wrong airport, the Kelham’s paid close to $1500 to fly to Mexico the next day where they were eventually reunited with their daughter. And although the pair were reimbursed, they still lost valuable time they had planned to spend with their daughter.

Mr Kelham, 50, said: ‘It was a nightmare. We missed two days with our daughter.’

A spokeswoman for the agents booking arm Netflights said: ‘We know how important holidays are for our customers and strive to meet and often exceed their expectations. The type of incident experienced by Mr and Mrs Kelham is extremely rare, and we would like to again apologise to the couple for any inconvenience caused. We’ve spoken to the couple since their return and have since resolved this matter to their satisfaction.’

SOURCE::::news.com.au

natarajan

” How to Change a Bulb @ Heathrow ” ? …A Million $ Question !!!

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How many people does it take to change a lightbulb? Well, if it is in Heathrow’s Terminal 5, apparently an entire team of high wire walkers is necessary.

When the vast £4.5billion  terminal was constructed, its designers seemed to have overlooked one basic problem: how to safely change 120,000 lightbulbs when they are up to 120ft above the ground.

Since opening in 2008, not a single bulb has been replaced on its immense single-span roof, and in some areas up to 60 per cent of the lights have blown, making the concourse increasingly gloomy

Terminal 5's bulbs are up to 120ft off the ground, making replacement difficult and incredibly there is no safe way to replace the bulbs

High lights: Terminal 5’s bulbs are up to 120ft off the ground, making replacement difficult and incredibly there is no safe way to replace the bulbs

And an email obtained by news website Exaro suggested that Terminal 5’s owners had been unable to solve the conundrum for some time.

Having tried cherry-pickers and hydraulic boom lifts to replace the downlighters, none were deemed to be practical or safe enough.

But now, a team of specialist wire walkers has been given the job of preventing the lights going out completely.

The email, which was reportedly sent to staff by Vicki O’Brien, head of Heathrow customer service at British Airways, revealed that all the lightbulbs will now be changed in a project lasting four months.

She wrote: ‘As many of you will have seen recently, the departures concourse has been becoming darker than normal in the late afternoons/evenings, as well as in the early mornings.

‘The reason for the poor light is that 60 per cent of the downlighters have failed, and until recently Heathrow had no  viable way to replace them.

‘Various things have been investigated in the past five years, but for a number of reasons none of these were practical or safe.

‘The good news is that Heathrow has now identified a safe and robust way to replace all the lightbulbs, and this is high-level rope work carried out by a specialist company.’

Plan: It will take an estimated four months and cost millions of pounds to change the bulbs at the £4.3 billion terminal to longer-lasting LEDs

Plan: It will take an estimated four months and cost millions of pounds to change the bulbs at the £4.3 billion terminal to longer-lasting LEDs

The terminal is a vast building and houses the world’s largest  controlled-lighting system, with 120,000 light fittings and 2,600 sensors designed to switch them off when no motion is detected.

The airport’s operators now plan to replace all the bulbs in one go with LEDs that are expected to last at least five years.

A spokesman for Heathrow said: ‘The current lighting on the Terminal 5 concourse is being replaced with environmentally friendly LED bulbs. Contingency lighting has been used on the concourse while a viable and safe solution for replacing the lights was being agreed.’

A spokeswoman for British  Airways said: ‘We are working with the owners of Heathrow Airport to improve the lighting levels inside Terminal 5 due to concerns over the brightness of the terminal in the winter months.

‘Work has already started on the lighting improvements and we are confident that it will be resolved to our satisfaction very soon.’

She added that she could not confirm whether the email by Vicki O’Brien was genuine.

Airport authorities have arranged for high-wire experts to come and change the bulbs

Airport authorities have arranged for high-wire experts to come and change the bulbs

Embarrassment: Heathrow's Terminal 5, houses the world's largest controlled-lighting system, is mainly used by British Airways

Embarrassment: Heathrow’s Terminal 5, houses the world’s largest controlled-lighting system, is mainly used by British Airways

source:::::
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Claire+Ellicott

natarajan

“Look It is Flight BA 475 From Barcelona ” !!!

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Look it’s flight BA475 from Barcelona! The interactive British Airways billboards where children point skywards at passing planes and reveal where they took of

When a plane passes overhead, people start to imagine some of the exotic destinations it may have travelled from.

Now onlookers will know exactly where a flight took off at the exact moment it travels above with the help of British Airways’ new interactive billboards.

The digital screens installed by the airline show a child standing up and pointing to the aircraft as it travels above the sign, and then displays the flight number along with the plane’s starting point.
Magic: The sequence begins with the child sat on the floor at the corner of the screen

Stands: The youngster then gets up as the plane is approaching

Look up: The boy starts to turn his head to the sky

The boards, which have been installed in Piccadilly Circus and Chiswick in London, were developed by the airline’s global creative technology agency .

They seek to remind people how magical flying can be, by approaching air travel from a child’s perspective.

Specially-designed surveillance technology allows the screens to interact with the aircraft flying overhead.

The system tracks the plane and interrupts the digital display just as it passes over the site, revealing the image of a child pointing at the plane overhead accompanied by its flight number and destination.

For example the screen may read: ‘It’s the BA0234 from Los Angeles’.

There it is: As the plane passes over the billboard, the child follows it with his finger and the flight number comes up on the screen

There it is: As the plane passes over the billboard, the child follows it with his finger and the flight number comes up on the screenGone: The boy walks off screen and waits for the next flight to pass over

Gone: The boy walks off screen and waits for the next flight to pass overWaiting: The screen then goes back to the neutral picture as the technology anticipates more planes flying over

Waiting: The screen then goes back to the neutral picture as the technology anticipates more planes flying overA weather feed will read cloud height to determine optimum visibility & weather conditions to show the ad, alongside daylight hour restrictions.

Other destinations will be accompanied by other information such as the lowest available fare or the temperature in the destination.

The destinations can also be updated immediately depending on changing focus routes for the airline.

Richard Tams, British Airways’ head of UK & Ireland sales, said: ‘Sometimes we forget how magical flying can be.

‘The first time anyone gets on a plane is an unforgettable experience and we want to remind our customers of that feeling.

‘We’ve all had conversations with friends and family wondering where the planes are going and dream of an amazing holiday or warm destination and this clever technology taps in to that and reminds people how accessible the world can be.’

Aim: The airline said the campaign was to started to recreate the magical experience of flying

Aim: The airline said the campaign was  started to recreate the magical experience of flying.

படித்ததில் பிடித்தது …” உன் தலை விதியை நீ நிர்ணயிக்க முடியாது “!!!

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எம்.ஐ.டி., கல்வி நிறுவனத்தில் படித்து, விமான பொறியியல் பட்டதாரி ஆனார், அப்துல் கலாம். அவருக்கு, இரண்டு வேலை வாய்ப்புகள் வந்தன. ஒன்று – விமானப் படையில், மற்றொன்று; பாதுகாப்பு அமைச்சக, விமான உற்பத்தி இயக்குநரகத்தில். விமானியாக ஆசைப்பட்ட கலாம், முதலில், விமானப்படை தேர்வு ஆணையத்திற்கு, நேர்முகத் தேர்வுக்குப் போனார். 1958ல், ஆணையம், டேராடூன் (உ.பி.,) நகரில் இருந்தது. இன்டர்வியூவில் வெற்றி பெற்றால், அதன் பின், அவரும் ஒரு பைலட்!
இந்தியாவின், தென் கோடியிலிருந்த தமிழகத்திலிருந்து, ஒரு சின்னஞ்சிறு உருவத்தினராகச் சென்ற கலாம், அங்கு, வாட்ட சாட்டமான தோற்றத்துடன் வந்திருந்த, வட மாநில மாணவர்களைக் கண்டு, திகைத்து போனார். அவர் சொல்கிறார்:
நேர்முகத் தேர்வில், இருபத்தைந்து பேர், போட்டி போட்டோம். எட்டு விமானப் படை அதிகாரிகளை, தேர்ந் தெடுக்க, நடத்தப்பட்ட தேர்வு அது. என்னால் முடிந்த மட்டும் நன்றாகவே செய்தேன். எனக்கு ஒன்பதாவது இடம் தான் கிடைத்தது. இந்தத் தேர்வில், மூளை பலத்தை விட, உடல் பலம், பருமன், உயரம் முதலியவைதான், முக்கிய இடம் பிடித்தன. இறுதியில் தான், இந்த உண்மை எனக்குத் தெரிய வந்தது என்று கூறும் கலாம், ஏமாற்றம், வேதனை ஆகியவற்றை, நெஞ்சில் சுமந்தபடி, தேர்வு வாரியத்தை விட்டு வெளியே வந்தார். வாழ்க்கையே முடிந்து விட்டது போலவும், எதிர்காலம், நம்பிக்கை அற்றதாகவும், அவருக்குத் தோன்றியது.
பல ஆண்டுகளாக, அவர், தன் மனதில் வளர்த்து வந்த, சுகமான கனவு, இப்போது, சுமையாக மாறிப்போனதை எண்ணி, வருந்தியபடியே, நேராக, இமய மலையில் உள்ள ரிஷிகேசத்திற்கு சென்றார். கங்கையில் நீராடினார்; மலை யடிவாரத்தில் நடந்தார். தூரத்தில், சிவானந்தா ஆசிரமம் தெரிந்தது. சிவானந்தர் பெரிய சன்னியாசி; தமிழ்நாட்டுக்காரர். திருநெல்வேலி மாவட்டம், பத்தமடையைச் சேர்ந்தவர். எம்.பி.பி.எஸ்., படித்து, டாக்டர் தொழில் புரிந்தவர். அனைத்தையும் விட்டுவிட்டு, ரிஷிகேசம் சென்று, ஆசிரமம் நடத்தி, ஏழைகளுக்குத் தொண்டு செய்து வந்தார்.
அப்துல் கலாம், சிவானந்தா ஆசிரமத்தை நோக்கி நடந்தார். தன் ஊர், பெயர் விவரங்களைத் தெரிவித்து, சிவனாந்தரை சந்திக்க விரும்புவதாகக் கூறினார். உடனே, சந்திக்க வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்தது. வெள்ளை நிற ஆடை, நெற்றியில் திருநீறு, கால்களில் மரச்செருப்புடன் புன்னகை தவழும் முகம், அருள் வீசும் கனிந்த பார்வையுடன், சிவானந்தர் அமர்ந்திருந்தார்.
‘உன் முகம் வாடியிருக்கிறது. மனம் சோர்ந்து இருக்கிறது. என்ன கவலை; என்னிடம் சொல்…’ என்றார் சிவானந்தர்.
‘சுவாமி…’ என்று, துவங்கிய கலாம், அதற்கு மேல் பேச்சு வராமல், மனம் உடைந்து அழுதார். சிவானந்தர் ஏதும் பேசவில்லை. கலாம், ஒரு நிதானத்திற்கு வந்து, பேசத் துவங்கட்டும் என்றிருந்தார்.
ஆசுவாசப்படுத்திக் கொண்ட கலாம், ‘சுவாமி… என் வாழ்நாள் கனவு, முடிந்து விட்டது. நான் விமானியாக நினைத்தேன். விமானப்படையில் சேர, நேர்முகத் தேர்வுக்கு வந்தேன். தேர்வு ஆகவில்லை. என் கனவுக் கோட்டை சரிந்து விட்டது…’ என்றார்.
‘குழந்தாய்… உன் தலை விதியை, நீ நிர்ணயிக்க முடியாது. ஏற்கனவே, உன் வாழ்க்கை வரைபடத்தை, கடவுள் வரைந்து வைத் திருக்கிறார். அந்த வழியில், அவரே உன்னை அழைத்துச் செல்வார். நீ ஏன் அஞ்சுகிறாய்… உன் வாழ்க்கைப் பொறுப்பை, கடவுள் ஏற்றிருக்கும் போது, அதை விடப் பெரிய பாதுகாப்பு, உனக்கு வேறென்ன வேண்டும்?’
சிவானந்தரின் அருள் மொழிகள், கலாமிற்கு, புதிய தெம்பைக் கொடுத்தன. நம்பிக்கையுடன் எழுந்தார்; சாதனைகளைப் படைத்தார்.
– அருணா பப்ளிகேஷன்ஸ், ‘அப்துல் கலாம்’ நூலிலிருந்து…   

source:::::Dinamalar …Varamalar.

nartarajan