RE: London City Airways?

They had 4 Dash 7’s and experimented with the 146 also. 3 of the Dash 7’s were brand new and used ex-Concorde registrations (G-BOAW, G-BOAX and G-BOAY).

Unfortunately the airline went bust in 1990.

There is a memorial website at http://www.londoncityairways.co.uk/

RE: AW Meet – A Review.

No.

There is a far better Burger King though! (although the Coke tastes odd – slightly metallic)

RE: Boeing 737 Fuels Virgin Blue Expansion

In terms of ETOPS restrictions, I would guess that they would presumably establish a base somewhere like Darwin or Cairns.

Brisbane seems OK for flights to NZ, do you think?

Obviously the figures like “16% lower operating costs” that reports quote are pure drivel – if you want to compare like with like. If that were the case, who would be crazy enough to use the A320? With such low margins, 16% of direct operating cost is a huge number.

We seem to have Easyjet and Jetblue falling into the A319/A320 camp and all the other “majors” going for the 737NG.

Interestingly, the 737 winglets for VB are made in Melbourne. Do you think this kind of industrial offset weighed in VB’s choice of aircraft? VB could find it handy as a brownie point when it comes to negotiationg their tax bill you know!

RE: IB A340 PIC

Out of interest, how can you steer with the level of precision necessary to put the nose gear centrepoint over the yellow lines?

You can’t see the wheels from the cockpit, so how do you know where they are?

RE: Favourite Soviet Built Aircraft?

Aw come on folks, you’re just being naive and nostalgic. It’s like saying you like steam trains, but if you were waiting at the platform and one came along for the 7.10 to Euston you’d be pi**ed off!

The aircraft are excessively noisy, smelly, smoky and picking out a personal choice is a bit like choosing the best of a bad bunch! They epitomise all that was wrong with the USSR.

If I had a long haul flight to catch, I would NOT want to use a Russian aircraft over a Western type.

RE: Air India – An Insight

In state hands, there is no way AI can expand. It will lack the ability to issue bonds and any of the other things companies do to raise money.

Why not adopt the approach of China? Set up regional airlines (India Southern, India Eastern and so on) and force them to make profits. When they are working well (in maybe 20 years) stitch them together again and then privatise the lot…