RE: PIA agrees to buy eight Boeing 777s!

What does the current PIA fleet consist of?

RE: Airbus, Vietnam Airlines sign contract on sale of A321s; valued at 300 million euro

20 odd years ago Boeing were guilty of having the market place largely unchallenged by serious competition so they were lazy in their product development. They chose to offer for the future rehashes of the 747 (747-400) and 737 (737NG) rather than spend on development of new concepts and technology. They did however succeed to a point with the 777 (which may prove to become their only strong product) but even then they have not developed the aircraft fully. After all, a fly by wire airliner that still uses a great big yoke! The term ‘use a sledgehammer to crack a walnut’ springs to mind. Boeing will suffer because their designs have always been based on the past whereas Airbus look at future need.
In general, pilots like Boeings and accountants like Airbus. In the past pilots chose the types an airline operates, these days that decision is made by the accountants.

RE: Accident at EGBB – Birmingham

Britannia 767-300 G-OBYB

RE: 180° reclining seat for every passenger?

Or JAA. Good point.

RE: The future of civil aviation

Wombat – I think you’ve got some great and workable ideas there.

With regard to the development of higher speeds, the main problem there is the environmental noise issue. Once sonic booms can be tamed in a realistic cost effective manner supersonic will be the way forward (pardon the pun). It was the Americans that effectively led the assault against Concorde (largely as they were nowhere near getting a piece of the action themselves!).

RE: A Career in Aviation?

Eyesight requirements for airline pilots are very relaxed when compared to military pilots. Contact lenses are fine as are glasses unless you require bottle bottoms!
AndrewM – I don’t really know any more about the BA process than what I’ve said already although I would think it would be the most suitable sponsorship for you due to your choice of academic study. Consider every sponsorship though as the odds for success are slim so you must maximise your chances. (By the way I am still trying to get info for you on the matter we discussed but am so far coming up against a brick wall. I’ll keep trying)