Aero News Week #2

British Airways short-haul flights seats will no longer recline

With the emergence of low-cost airlines, flag carriers react to compete in mid-range routes.
Furthermore, finishes with some discussions between passengers.

BA is expected to start receiving, later this year and over the next five years, thirty five A320neo family aircraft, without reclining seats in economy class. These seats are set at an angle described by the airline as a “gentle recline” – without encroaching legroom from the passenger behind. 
A comfortable journey and more low fares to customers is what BA is arguing with this change.

A year ago BA stopped providing free food and drink in economy class for short-haul flights – common practice in low cost airlines.

FAA cautions operators against fire kit instructions on Portable Electronic Devices

The Federal Aviation Administration is warning operators [InFO 17021] there are no FAA test standards for fire containment kits or bags, nor is there a mechanism in place for the approval of these products – as it is advertised by some manufacturers.

Instead the FAA advises operators to follow the agency’s guidance on containing fires involving PED.  The documents released are:

● SAF0 0913 – Fighting Fires Caused by Lithium Type Batteries in Portable Electronic Devices
● AC 20-42D – Hand Fire Extinguishers for use in Aircraft
● AC 120-80A – In-flight Fires

They outlined specific procedures for extinguishing and cooling devices that might caught fire. The first is a Safety Alert for Operators and the others are Advisory Circulars.

“While some manufacturers of certain containment bags may recommend that a crewmember move a burning, smoking, or hot device associated with a lithium battery, the FAA continues to recommend that a crewmember should not move any device that is burning, smoking, or exhibiting any evidence of overheating until that device has been thoroughly cooled,” the agency said. , noting it believes that regardless of how effective a containment kit might be, the highest risk could lie in the transfer of a burning battery to the containment kit.

Furthermore, the FAA recommends operators to incorporate training drills in order to reinforce proper handling of lithium battery related heat, smoke or fire events. Applying water or non-flammable aqueous substance for at least 15 minutes after a fire has been extinguished or smoke has dissipated is an agency’s guidance call. Only then the cooled device may be moved to a receptacle or containment product.

https://www.ainonline.com

Portuguese Aero Club oldest associate and historic TAP pilot passed away

Braz de Oliveira was born in 1924. Since he was a child he felt madness, as he described, for the air. At 16 he finished his brevet in Sintra.

General Humberto Delgado, founder of TAP, took 11 men from the air force and navy, to England in order to learn with British Airways. These men became known as the “eleven from England”.  With the born of TAP in 1945, Lisbon Airport needed air traffic controllers. 

So Braz de Oliveira became ATC and when the second course for TAP pilots opened, in 1947, the ATC and pilot applied and entered, as other 7, continuing the ATC work during the course. 

At 24 he was a TAP pilot. He later became captain in the Dakota perpetuated by the movie Casablanca. He had his share of stories such as a dismissal for differences with the administration followed by a readmission after peer pressure and a hijack situation when piloting a TAP’s 747.

His last flight as TAP pilot was from Rio de Janeiro to Lisbon, in October 1983.

Lufthansa’s Group to hire 8000 staff in 2018

What should you do if you want to recruit without spending advertising?
You fire up a big number, big enough to call out worldwide attention and let the word spread.
That’s what Lufthansa’s group wisely did.

The already world’s biggest airline group by number of employees is expanding after taking over a large part of the insolvent Air Berlin.

More than half being flight attendants.

First Beluga XL

Beluga is an Arctic and sub-arctic marine mammal.

Airbus started building a cargo aircraft in 1992 inspired in Beluga’s shape and based on the A300-600 wide-body airliner. The aim was to carry aircraft parts from different plants and oversized cargo. The first flight was on the 13^th September 1994 and its introduction would happen a year later. Five were built between 1992 and 1999.

To replace this fleet progressively through 2025, Airbus designed the Beluga XL – based on the A330.

The program was launched in November 2014 aiming to build five aircraft, with increased capacity from the current fleet. It is said the actual fleet is just at half of their lifespan. So they can be used by other clients after leaving Airbus.

Beluga’s fleet flew more than 8000 hours in 2017, doubled from 2014.

The second Beluga XL is already being assembled in Toulouse and they expect to cut two months from the assembly process taking advantage of the learning curve.

The airplane will be powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and winglets will be installed.

The first flight is expected to take place by mid-2018.

Specifications	Beluga	Beluga XL	Increase
Payload [ton]	47	53	12,8%
Fuselage Diameter [m]	7,31	8,8	20,4%
Length [m]	56,15	63,1	12,4%
Height [m]	17,24	18,9	9,6%
Wingspan [m]	44,84	60,3	34,5%
Aspect ratio	16,43	10,1	//
MTOW [ton]	155	227	46,5%
MLW [ton]	144	187	29,9%
Range [km]	2778	4074	46,7%
Engines	2 x GE CF6 (80c2A8)	2 x RR Trent 700

Photograph

This photograph was taken in an Air Europa's Boeing 787-8 - EC-MMY.
The passenger experience is excellent!
Huge windows with the dimmer technology make your experience more alive.

Furthermore, a good in-flight entertainment provided by Air Europa and a nice and attentive crew make your flight even better.
I hope to write more about the Boeing 787 and Aibrus A350 soon, with a special focus on composite materials.