Airline Safety

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46053450/ns/business-us_business/#.TxgkfGVdmqE

"PARIS — Airbus said on Thursday it had discovered more cracks in the wings of A380 superjumbo aircraft but insisted the world's largest jetliner remained safe to fly.

The announcement comes two weeks after tiny cracks were first reported in the wings of the 525-seat, double-decker aircraft, which entered service just over four years ago............."

I don't know about the rest of you but it sure seems to me that this is kind of a cavalier attitude towards something that I probably consider to be serious!

On a more positive note, it appears that Mexico may be getting a new low cost airline - photo below:
[img][/img]

You have just made my day, Neil. Are you sure that wasn´t U.S. Airways disguised to prevent mass panicked evacuation when passengers read the logo?

Dawg will soon enough be boarding an Aeromexico 747 from Mexico City to Paris even with the advance knowledge that there is no way that or any other 747 can stay in the air for 11 1/2 hours straight without refueling in Helsinki. At least Dawg ordered a "Hindu Vegetarian Breakfast" in order to go out in style. Beats the usual:
"Would you prefer chicken, beef or fish?"
"I´ll take the chicken."
"Sorry, we are out of chicken,"
"OK, I´ll take the beef."
"Sorry but we out of beef as well."
"Exactly what do you have?"
"Fish."
"In that case, I´ll take the fish."

FA: "Will you be dining with us today?"
Passenger: "Yes I will be. What are my choices?"
FA: "Yes or no."

CheenaGringo wrote:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46053450/ns/business-us_business/#.TxgkfGVdmqE

"PARIS — Airbus said on Thursday it had discovered more cracks in the wings of A380 superjumbo aircraft but insisted the world's largest jetliner remained safe to fly.

The announcement comes two weeks after tiny cracks were first reported in the wings of the 525-seat, double-decker aircraft, which entered service just over four years ago............."

I don't know about the rest of you but it sure seems to me that this is kind of a cavalier attitude towards something that I probably consider to be serious!

On a more positive note, it appears that Mexico may be getting a new low cost airline - photo below:
[img][/img]

Oh my God!I flew on that plane from San Pedro Sula to La Ceiba,Honduras in the 70's,I can't believe it's still in service.
Chris

I don't see any concrete balls in the photograph. Looks to me as if they are not very threatened...

Jeebus, I hate flying as it is, and it seems that every time we travel long distance there's some horrifying air disaster. This includes one memorable flight when the wings caught on fire. Nooo problem said the pilot, just a wet start, which was repeated soothingly by the big guy. It was years later when he admitted that he'd never heard of a wet start on any commercial airliner. Sadly it was an early morning flight to Vancouver and getting drunk just didn't seem like the decent thing to do at the time. Hard to believe they'd fly the thing after an episode of that sort.

In the opening photo, the concrete balls can be seen suspended from the overhead but not yet lowered. The following CNN video is actually better:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2012/01/18/sot-indonesia-train-balls.cnn#/video/world/2012/01/18/sot-indonesia-train-balls.cnn

Ohhhh! Those little things? I suppose they could knock someone from the top of the train so that would be a deterrent.

Dr. Mike

CheenaGringo wrote:In the opening photo, the concrete balls can be seen suspended from the overhead but not yet lowered. The following CNN video is actually better:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2012/01/18/sot-indonesia-train-balls.cnn#/video/world/2012/01/18/sot-indonesia-train-balls.cnn

OK, Neil, Dawg watched the video and the steel balls were not lowered but, presumably they are hung sufficiently low to commit or appear to threaten to commit mass muder on the desparately poor who ride on the tops of the trains who are usually illiterate or, at best, semi-literate and are, at first, unaware of the extreme danger they face while following an age-old practice as did their ancestors. Since you grew up in several Asian countries, one of which was India, I´m sure you are familiar with the mobs that overwhelm a passenger or freight train where stowaways not only ride on the roof but cling to doors and windows in a frantic attempt to get to their destinations. No doubt, they also tend to hop off of their trains while the trains are in motion since there is no whistle stop at the dirt road or trail accessing their villages along the way. The places I observed this phenomenon in the 1960s when I was a young drifter bumming around the world was in Egypt and India. I don´t recall seeing this happen in East Africa where the British also built accomplished railroad infrastructures (as in India and, perhaps, in Egypt) that cemented, for a time, their colonial rule. In fact, the British were, in my judgment, brilliant at understanding, in those days, that the extensive railroad construction assured (for a time at least) their control and exploitation of colonies the world over just as their dominance of the sea protected their colonial empire as well.

The first place Dawg was struck by these mobbed trains was on the train from Alexandria to Cairo in 1969 when Dawg road in air conditioned comfort dining on very good Egyptian food served by waiters in white jackets in a second class coach while the third class coaches were swarming with the poor both inside and atop the coaches. This was, perhaps, the beginning of my education in these matters.

Now, in Chiapas, we see the "train of death" which used to leave from Tapachula for El Norte but now, since the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Paul a few years ago, leaves from Arriaga near the Oaxaca border, loaded with poor Cental American economic refugees desperately looking for work and riding on the tops of the trains where they not only are endangered by that hazardous notion but by crooked authorities and gangsters all along the way and the fact is that the Mexican authorities who could stop this see it as an escape valve mitigating social unrest so they turn the other way and see no evil. Beats a steel ball in the head.

Dawg:

My train experiences in India were quite limited but I had the dubious pleasure of riding the train from New Delhi to Mussourie in the State of Uttarakhand when going back and forth to the so called institution of higher learning I was forced to attend due to the limitations of the educational system in the early 60's. Woodstock School was operated by a group of missionaries in the "Christian tradition" and one of the few options for us corporate brats. I hated the ride to Mussoorie because I was headed back to school but enjoyed the ride back down out of the mountains (especially the last time after they told myself and others not to return). I would tend to agree with your assessment that this was one avenue for the British to control the people and the Country.
[img][/img]

On the other hand trains in Japan and Europe were pleasant and enjoyable experiences.

In the 50´s the train between Marseille and the beach town of La Couronne Carro had a similar look, people were riding above and hanging on to whatever, now you cannot ride the fast the train unless you have a reserve seat inside.
All the fun is gone!

The first place Dawg was struck by these mobbed trains was on the train from Alexandria to Cairo in 1969 when Dawg road in air conditioned comfort dining on very good Egyptian food served by waiters in white jackets in a second class coach while the third class coaches were swarming with the poor both inside and atop the coaches. This was, perhaps, the beginning of my education in these matters.

Before Professor Lehrer delights in a Dawg error and, as it is too late to edit mistakes, Dawg wishes to concede a mistake made in haste in which Dawg referred to his action of having ridden the rails in Egypt as having "road" those rails which is clearly in error. However, the error is inconsequential as, in those long ago days, Dawg was on the road and, in that process, rode the rails from Alexandria to Cairo. It was a fun ride that Dawg rode while on the road and I hereby grant Profesor Lehrer the right to use that last phrase in his rudimentary English classes in Tizapán if he can round up any students.

By the way, Neil; Dawg spent a little time in Delhi and New Delhi during those days before leaving for Kathmandu with the intention of dining on hashish laden oatmael - a popular breakfast item in those days served 24/7. While I realize that India wears thin rather quickly, I still think they have some of the best food on the planet as well as incredible music.

Dawg, have you ridden the TGV? Is it as cool as it looks?

Thanks for rode-road. I have students to teach that pair along with so many others. to. too. two; led, lead, and on and on...

Don't forget the a+ words: a head and ahead; a mount and amount; a top and atop....I recently went through a dictionary and counted 68 of these beasts.
And that doesn't count the ones were the spelling changes -- a test and attest, and many others.

English is a bitch.

Mainecoons wrote:Dawg, have you ridden the TGV? Is it as cool as it looks?

Not cool at all, MC. However, it gets yoo from Paris to the Loire Valley, Marseilles, Bordeaux and Alsace in record times while these journeys used to be lengthy and arduous. However, the TGV trains have spartan accomodations and serve expensive, lukewarm beer and bad wine. What makes the TGV great is that, thanks to their incredible speed, you can enjoy bouillabaisse, choucroute, rillette and a fine claret all in a couple of days.

By the way; you know on the TGV when you are up to speed when the telephone poles lining the tracks are no longer visible they are going by so fast. Dawg greatly looks forward to riding the TGV from Paris down to San Sebastian later this year. The food may be lousy on the train but San Sebastian is famed for its great restaurants so Dawg can look forward to total irresponsibility while there. Dawg loves irresponsibility.

Mainecoons wrote:Dawg, have you ridden the TGV? Is it as cool as it looks?

I rode the TGV from Paris to Lyon ten years or so ago. Very cool except the utility poles go by really really fast and it kinda distracts you until you are use to it. The
train just kinda goes and accelerates at a modest pace and than never stops accelerating until it gets to top speed. Seats are comfy and you can have two and two
seating facing each other with a big table between which is nice for eating or working. Even junk train food in France is better than much resturant food in US. You
even get use to the wine in a can:-) Actually after spending time there I think the french just have some special skills regarding food. Even poor people eat much
better in France than US. You can see it in the quality of the food/produce in the markets even in the poorest of towns. The French are the best in the world at
trains and food.

Z

We were on an Alaska flight once to Seattle and just as we were landing smoke started coming into the cabin and they made us evacuate right away without our back packs or carryons. That was a weird experience, thank God we were on the ground.

And they keep raising the fares and placing costs on anything that isn't nailed down. The Airlines are making buckets full of money but are placing none of it into their airplanes or equipment.

Dr. Mike

I go to France every 3 years in May. Three years ago I paid 800 dollars for a Guadalajara Paris flight. This year I paid 1500 dollars in December . 676 dollars of this is for various taxes and surcharges. Aero Mexico is now 2500 dollars for the same flight barely a month later. WTF is going on?

drmike wrote:And they keep raising the fares and placing costs on anything that isn't nailed down. The Airlines are making buckets full of money but are placing none of it into their airplanes or equipment.

Dr. Mike

Mike they are not making buckets of money. American just declared Bankrupsy. Yes the fees are abnoxious but they really are cash poor. Actually they have ordered a
huge number of planes because the new engines and wings get much better fuel milage making it a must do thing to compete in the future. Believe me I hate the
airlines but it is a tough time for them unless they bought fuel futures to lock a lower price in. Even Southwest is having to work harder to be successful. I guess I do
have a small amount of sympathy for them.

Z

raqueteer wrote:Jeebus, I hate flying as it is, and it seems that every time we travel long distance there's some horrifying air disaster. This includes one memorable flight when the wings caught on fire. Nooo problem said the pilot, just a wet start, which was repeated soothingly by the big guy. It was years later when he admitted that he'd never heard of a wet start on any commercial airliner. Sadly it was an early morning flight to Vancouver and getting drunk just didn't seem like the decent thing to do at the time. Hard to believe they'd fly the thing after an episode of that sort.

Just remember...

" flying is the safest way to fly " and when it's time to board " don't get on the plane.... get in the plane "

George Carlin

Zed,
You are correct in they are not making buckets of money. I was thinking of the airlines that had ordered new planes and it seems I heard a report on television that some airline (I can't remember which) had a very profitable quarter. It may have been US Airways due to their baggage fees and other charges. I could be wrong on that.

Dr. Mike

Two things to consider when discussing airlines:
1) Very few airlines actually own their planes as they are leased through third party leasing companies.
2) A profitable quarter or two doesn't make a profitable airline when one considers how many quarters or years of losses and that debt showing up on balance sheets.

Another thing to keep in mind - many airlines either postponed or outright cancelled orders for new planes when the entire industry was having its problems. Take a look at the chart below which shows the average age of select US carriers. Of interest is the fact that American Airlines has the oldest fleet and they just declared bankruptcy:
[img][/img]

Great Table CheenaGringo but one other thing should be looked at before
judging Age of a plane. Maintenance does matter. I would rather fly in a
very well maintained older plane than a new plane operated by folks who
push the maintenence schedule a little bit too far and many of them do.
I had no idea Southwest fleet is that old but they just ordered over 100
of the new 737neo which is like a 737 with new engines and a better
wing flight wise (fuel use). American which just declared bankruptsy has
a huge amount of planes on order.

Z