Archive for January, 2010

I Quit.

I now quit the Boardingarea.com site.

I have always written a blog that is honest and free from promotional deals and the kind of travel journalism represented by the likes of Chris Elliott, and I fear that kind of travel promotion now prevails in too many online venues.

I shall continue doing my kind of honest and opinionated travel journalism, including on  my highly regarded personal blog,  Joesharkey.com, which is titled “High Anxiety.

Many thanks!

Joe Sharkey

Comments off

28 JAN 2010 - Philippine AF GAF N22B Nomad Accident

28 JAN 2010, 11:40
GAF N22B Nomad
18 - Philippine AF
8 / 8
Cotabato City (Philippines)
Military flight, during Initial climb
Crashed in a residential area shortly after takeoff. The pilot was trying to perform an emergency la... (more)

Comments off

25 JAN 2010 - Piquiatuba Táxi Aéreo Embraer EMB-110C Bandeirante Accident

25 JAN 2010, ca 14:30
Embraer EMB-110C Bandeirante
PT-TAF - Piquiatuba Táxi Aéreo
2 / 10
Senador José Porfírio-Wilma Rebelo Airfield, PA (Brazil)
Passenger flight, during Approach
An Embraer EMB-110C Bandeirante passenger plane, registered PT-TAF and operated by Piquiatuba Táxi A... (more)

Comments off

Delta Improving Premium Cabins, Adding First Class to Some RJs

Delta Air Lines plans to spend about $300 million a year through mid-2013 to improve service and inflight amenities for its BusinessElite, first class and elite-level flyers. Among the changes will be adding first-class cabins on some regional jets. This is from the Delta announcement today:

* Installing full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite on 90 trans-oceanic aircraft, including 14 Boeing 767-400ERs, 52 Boeing 767-300ERs, 16 Boeing 747-400s and eight Boeing 777-200ERs. Upon completion, each of these fleets will have full flat bed seats on all aircraft.
* Adding in-seat audio and video on demand throughout Economy Class on 16 Boeing 747-400 and 52 Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. With these additions, Delta will offer personal, in-seat entertainment for both BusinessElite and coach customers on all wide-body aircraft.
* Adding first class cabins to 66 CRJ-700 aircraft operated by Delta Connection carriers ASA, Comair and SkyWest, bringing to 219 the number of regional aircraft with First Class seating.
* Completing the modification of 269 pre-merger Northwest aircraft to feature Delta’s signature blue leather seats, updated lighting and enhanced cabin amenities such as increased overhead bin space on pre-merger Northwest 757-200s.
* Installing winglets on more than 170 Boeing 767-300ER, 757-200 and 737-800 aircraft to extend aircraft range and improve fuel efficiency by as much as five percent.
* Renovating and expanding Delta’s Los Angeles Sky Club lounge, and introducing new Sky Club locations in Seattle, Philadelphia and Indianapolis.

“Delta’s planned fleet and product investments mark the most significant investment we have made in our customers in more than a decade,” said Delta CEO Richard Anderson. “Our premium travelers tell us that the comfort of a flat bed seat with direct aisle access, a first class experience on regional jets and in-flight entertainment are important factors in their choice of carrier.”

“This investment will be made while staying well within the level of our historical capital expenditures,” said Ed Bastian, Delta’s president. “Rather than invest in new aircraft, Delta will be spending its capital to improve the quality and consistency of the on-board product and efficiency of the aircraft we already own.”

Delta currently has more than 100 domestic aircraft equipped with in-seat audio and video on demand. Delta also continues to rapidly expand in-flight Wi-Fi service, which is available on more than 340 aircraft and more than 1,200 flights each day. Delta, the largest operator of Wi-Fi enabled aircraft in the world, plans to have more than 530 aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi by mid-2010.

Delta’s upcoming fleet and product investments build on recently announced improvements including the re-launch of the Red Coat program at Delta’s international hub at JFK and subsequently at all domestic hubs; the addition of BusinessElite service on Delta’s transcontinental routes between New York-JFK and Los Angeles and San Francisco; the introduction of the full flat bed seats on all flights between the United States and London-Heathrow; and the announcement of plans to create a domestic hub at Delta’s No. 1 business airport - New York-LaGuardia, subject to government approvals.

###

Comments off

25 JAN 2010 - Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-8AS(WL) Accident

25 JAN 2010, ca 02:35
Boeing 737-8AS(WL)
ET-ANB - Ethiopian Airlines
90 / 90
Beirut International Airport (BEY) (Lebanon)
International Scheduled Passenger flight, during Initial climb
An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-800 passenger plane, registered ET-ANB, was destroyed when it crash... (more)
photo of  ET-ANB

Comments off

24 JAN 2010 - Kolavia, opf. Taban Air Tupolev 154M Accident

24 JAN 2010, 07:20
Tupolev 154M
RA-85787 - Kolavia, opf. Taban Air
0 / 170
Mashhad Airport (MHD) (Iran)
Domestic Scheduled Passenger flight, during Landing
The aircraft crash landed and caught fire at Mashhad Airport in bad weather. Some 46 passengers repo... (more)

Comments off

TSA Follies (Continued): Screener Pranked Student With Bag of ‘Drugs’

There is apparently no end to the nonsense perpetrated by the TSA and no limit to the amazing tolerance Congress and the President show toward the fact that the agency has been operating without a permanent director for over a year now.

This screener’s “prank” was just odious. The link is from Newser.com.

And by the way, a TSA screener has no business acting like a law enforcement officer, and the Fourth Amendment applies even at a checkpoint.

###

Comments off

TSA Follies (Continued): Strip-Search Machine Fails to Detect Bomb Parts

A German television program had a close look at the TSA’s vaunted whole-body image scanners and found that while they can show intimate body details, they also can fail to spot concealed components that could be used to make bombs.

Here’s the link to the report via Huffington Post.

###

Comments off

Second Nick Grant adventure published

Jamie Dodson writes historical fiction novels set in the Pacific in the mid 1930s, and he's got an interesting background. From his website:

He has over 25 years of experience in Counter Intelligence, Special Intelligence, Signals Intelligence and Intelligence Analysis for the US Military. He's served with Special Operations, Army Aviation, Airborne Infantry, and Military Police. He's been involved in operations in Laos, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Japan, Korea, Guam, Samoa, the Hawaiian Islands and the continental United States.


Jamie's first book in the Nick Grant series is Flying Boats and Spies, and now he's got a second novel, China Clipper. You can learn more about these at http://www.nickgrantadventures.com/
but here are some reviewer comments:

Book one, Flying Boats & Spies, A Nick Grant Adventure

"Delightful! Flying Boats & Spies is a welcome return to a glamorous age of high-adventure and heroes--and a tribute to the grand-adventure series of yesteryear. Rollicking and great fun, this well-told tale of international intrigue should appeal to every generation in a family. I look forward to future volumes in this series."

Ralph Peters, author of Wars Of Blood And Faith

“Flying Boats and Spies is a marvelous tale of the men and women who pioneered the sky during an adventurous era. Dodson takes his readers back to those great, old days when aviation was young and nothing seemed impossible. Reading Flying Boats and Spies made me feel like a boy all over again.”

Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys/October Sky and The Ambassador's Son

"In Nick Grant, the reader gets a taste of Mickey Spillane, a young Chuck Yeager, and Charlie Chan, all rolled into one. But a gripping climax reveals the true Nick--a memorable hero in his own right. A fun read for lovers of adventure and international intrigue!"

Susan Rosson Spain, Author of THE DEEP CUT, a 2006 Marshall Cavendish Award Winner, www.susanspain.com.

“Flying Boats and Spies nails it! I have sailed those waters, lived some of Nick Grant’s adventures, and shared the very skies he flew. Jamie Dodson got it all right with a page-turning story that took me back to my youth and Pacific adventures that others only dream about. Grab this book before someone else does. And bring shark repellent… you’ll forget it’s not you in the book.”

Austin Boyd, Navy pilot and submarine hunter, award-winning novelist, and author of the Mars Hill Classified trilogy.

"'Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear...' Flying Boats and Spies pays stirring tribute to the classic adventurers of the impossibly romantic pre-World War II period, adding depth, realism, and charm in liberal measure."

Michael Dobson, (no relation) co-author of Fox on the Rhine and MacArthur's War.

Book Two, China Clipper, A Nick Grant Adventure

“China Clipper is a terrific read! It's accurate, fast moving and filled with surprises; perfect for young people interested in history and aviation.”

Walter J. Boyne, Best Selling Author, Former Director, National Air & Space Museum, and enshrined in National Aviation Hall of Fame.

"China Clipper is a thrill ride. The action and perils never stop as young Nick Grant faces attacks on his life and his reputation while he helps Pan Am test its new plane. And his problems continue at school where he deals with anger and prejudice while making new friends. It's an exciting way to learn about a fascinating time in our history!"

Ann Marie Martin, Huntsville Times book columnist and copy editor.

"The popular Nick Grant series continues with China Clipper, a fast-moving, fun tale of adventure, flying boats, spies, and the sea. I love this series!"

Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys/October Sky.

Be sure to visit http://www.nickgrantadventures.com/

Comments off

21 JAN 2010 - Aeroméxico Connect Embraer ERJ-145LU Accident

21 JAN 2010, 12:24
Embraer ERJ-145LU
XA-WAC - Aeroméxico Connect
0 / 39
Tijuana-Rodriguez Airport (TIJ) (Mexico)
Domestic Scheduled Passenger flight, during Landing
An Aeroméxico Connect Embraer ERJ-145LU passenger plane, registered XA-WAC, sustained substantial da... (more)

Comments off