Hi Fly: first A330-900neo expected to arrive in June 2019

The portuguese airline has just announced the first, from the 10 in order, A330-900neo is expected to start flying in June next year.

Fig.1: A330-900neo [1]

Hi Fly is an european airline specialized in wet-leasing.
It was founded in 2005 and is composed exclusively by Airbus aircraft - A321, A330 and A340.
You can find Hi Fly's aircraft in Australia, France, United States, New Zealand, Bangkok or Venezuela.
It is truly a global company! [2]

But you won't often recognize them, since Hi Fly's aircraft rarely present their logo. Their aircraft can fly only in white colour, with clients logo or even with special liveries.

Fig.2: A340-313 with Hi Fly's logo. [3]

According to President Paulo Mirpuri, "the selection of the new Airbus A330-900neo model reflects Hi Fly's commitment towards innovation and sustainability. It meets our utmost priority in offering the best product in class to our worldwide clientele. The A330neo that will be launched first time ever by Airbus this year is a significantly more advanced aircraft than the current generation, with much lower fuel burn and carbon emissions. This is excellent news for Hi Fly, for our client airlines and governments, for their passengers and for the environment. A triple win." [4]

Fig. 3: A330 with the sustainable message. [5]

The airline has been involved in powerful initiatives such as the project to eliminate the use of plastics in its headquarters, Lisbon, until the end of 2019.[6]

The project is named "Turn the Tide on Plastic", as is publicized in one of the A330 of the company - Fig. 3. 

Furthermore, it also names a Volvo's Ocean Race team, with 8 men and 6 women, led by the skipper Dee Caffari. [6]

An inspirational video starring flight and sailor crews can be seen at:

Video 1: "Different crews, same life at the extreme". [8]

References

[1] http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2014/07/airbus-launches-the-a330neo.html
[2] http://www.hifly.aero/en/history-activity.html
[3] https://www.planespotters.net/photo/221256/oy-kbm-hi-fly-airbus-a340-313
[4] https://www.facebook.com/hiflyairline/
[5] https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/8743965
[6] http://www.hifly.aero/pt/hi-fly-elimina-plastico-ate-2019.html
[7] https://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/teams/Turn-The-Tide-On-Plastic.html
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4YrwQVu3Mo&feature=youtu.be

Aviões e Músicas reaches 400k in Youtube

Joselito Sousa is a brazilian Line Maintenance supervisor at United Airlines. [1]

He is widely known in the Lusophony aeronautic community after he started sharing his knowledge and passion in a funny and relaxed way, with the Youtube channel Aviões e Músicas. [2]

When he reached 100k subscriptions in Youtube, he published a video telling his life story through drawing (Draw my life). It is impressive and shows his tenacity and willness to always reach further [3]

The 100k were celebrated in the 30th of July 2016. 

Meaning more 300k people joined Aviões e Músicas in the last 601 days.

An average of 500 subscriptions a day over a year and a half! 👏

Although the channel was created in the 21st of June 2010, the last 300 videos, in a total of 401, were uploaded in the last 29 months. An average of more than 10 videos a month.

More than 56 million views (all videos combined).

Fig.1: Me and Lito at LusoAvia, Lisbon.

I had the pleasure to be with him at the first LusoAvia, an event gathering aeronautic entities and enthusiasts from the Lusophony countries (countries that speak portuguese) - Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor. [4]

These numbers could in the order of millions if the channel was in English.
But the fact is in portuguese makes him closer to the portuguese speakers.

For you to understand how impressive is for an aeronautic Youtube channel, in portuguese, to attract 400k subscribers, check the numbers of subscriptions of other aeronautic Youtube channels (spoken in English):

- Mentour Pilot - 176 558 

- Captain Joe - 478 276

- Live from the Flight Deck - 139 975

The channel is very proactive, with challenges, draws and specific videos such as stories of aviation (Senta que lá vem história), in specific days of the week.

I congratulate Lito for this remarkable achievement and wish the best for him, his family (his wife Mila, also attending LusoAvia, has an important role in the success of the channel) and to Aviões e Músicas.

References

[1] https://www.linkedin.com/in/joselitosousa/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXl1V6n82Dyg1VhVgSL0nw
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n13ohu2OcbE
[4] https://www.lusoavia.com/
[5] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwpHKudUkP5tNgmMdexB3ow/featured
[6] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88tlMjiS7kf8uhPWyBTn_A/videos
[7] https://www.youtube.com/user/golfcharlie232/featured

Let Spring Bloom

100 days to OGMA'S centenary

The final countdown for OGMA's 100th birthday has began.

Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronáutico is one of the world's oldest MRO in activity.

Lying alongside Tagus river (as seen in Fig.1), approximately 15 km from Lisbon, it was founded and runned by the portuguese State.
The portuguese government decided its privatization in 2003.

Since 2005 is owned 65% by Embraer and 35% still remaining with the portuguese State, through Empordef. [1]

Fig.1: Aerial view of OGMA's facilities, in Alverca. [2]

Due to the presence of the portuguese air force, the runway belongs and is operated by militaries.
They have their facilities right in front of OGMA's (seen on the other side in Fig.1).

ICAO's code for this airport is LPAR and its asphalt runway (04/22) has the dimensions 2990x45 [m].

Fig.2: OGMA's logo for the celebration. [1]

I wish OGMA a bright future, with many other landmarks!

You can enjoy promotional videos, in both portuguese and english, at Youtube.
English videos at [3], [4] and [5].

TAP Air Portugal's pilots first flight with the A330-900neo

The world premiere of the A330-900neo is coming up.

Today Nuno Cardoso, Chief Pilot & Captain TRE/TRI Airbus A330/340, and Victor Pereira, Training Coodinator for the A330 fleet, flew the A330neo for the first time, aiming to assess the aircraft's performance. 

In the cockpit's jump-seat they had Thierry Bourges, an Airbus experimental test pilot - currently working on the programs of this aircraft and also the A350-1000. [6]

The A330-900 is expected to start operations at TAP around next July.

Fig.3: Nuno Cardoso and Victor Pereira in the A330neo cockpit.

TAP Air Portugal's ordered 14 A330-900, for the replacement of the wide-body fleet. [7]

The airline has a current wide-body fleet composed by 18 A330 aircraft averaging 14 years old and 4 A340-300 averaging more than 23 years. [8]

Fig.4: Nuno Cardoso, Thierry Bourges, Victor Pereira and an Airbus technician.

It looks the pilots enjoyed the aircraft! I hope the A330neo will boost the development and growth of TAP's long-haul routes.
TAP is also renewing its narrow-body fleet, with 15 A320neo and 24 A321neo in order. [7]

References

[1] http://www.ogma.pt/index.php?page=home
[2] https://airwaysmag.com/industry/embraer-mro-operations/
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCzo5OoS69s
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKb_ryy-MBo
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVnxzc_PlII
[6] http://www.airbus.com/content/dam/people/portrait/experts/BOURGES-THIERRY-Biography-E.pdf
[7] http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2015/11/tap-portugal-orders-14-a330-900neo-and-39-a320neo-family-aircraft.html
[8] https://www.planespotters.net/airline/TAP-Air-Portugal

Dawn at Lisbon International Airport

An EasyJet A319-111 (registered OE-LKK)  departing from Humberto Delgado Airport (LPPT), towards Madeira (LPMA).

For people to understand what is a working day for a mid-range aircraft, this is how 16th of March was for this 10 years old "guy":

- He woke up in Lisbon
- Went to Funchal for jogging
- Returned to Lisbon to take shower and prepare for work
- Went to Bordeaux for lunch
- Back to Lisbon beacuse Lisbon rocks
- Romantic dinner in the city of lights, Paris

In the last week, this airplane performed... 40 flights!!

That's 40 take-off and 40 landings in a week!

From -55ºC (approximately, at cruising altitude) to about 10ºC (these days) cyclically, tires supporting touchdowns at 250 km/h, pressurization, possibility of impacts such as birdstrikes, tools or airport vechiles, adverse weather conditions ... this is why we study mechanical and thermal fatigue, corrosion, impacts and monitor all the relevant data to ensure airworthiness!

References

[1] http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-a319-3426.htm
[2] https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/oe-lkk
[3] https://pt.flightaware.com/live/flight/EZY7601/history/20180316/0700Z/LPPT/LPMA
[4] https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Airbus/A319/OE-LKK-easyJet-Europe/0xyOslXA

European Air Shows coming up

ILA Berlin, 25-29th April

Innovation and Leadership in Aviation (in german: Internationale Luft und Raumfahrtausstellung) is a biennial event held in the Berlin Expocenter Airport, near Schönefeld, Brandenburg, about 18 km southeast of Berlin, Germany. [1]
At ILA 2016 more than 150 000 visitors from 37 countries attended more than a thousand exhibitors and where more than 50 trade events were covered by 3300 media representatives. [2] These numbers can be also be consulted and compared with previous events in [3].

Fig.1: ILA Berlin Air Show [4]

Farnborough International Airshow, 16-22th July

The legendary british Air Show makes 70 years in the airfield at Farnborough!
Hampshire (UK) hosts, also once every two years, the event where 110 (!) years ago Samuel Cody took flight and where great aeronautic and aerospace developments were brought to life through the Royal Aircraft Establishment. [5]
This spring it will also be premiered a new conference and exhibition facility (20 000 sqm with 12 500 of them being flexible for hosting events) - Hall 1.
If you want to learn more about this historic event consult [6]. From 16-20th of March the event is intendend to the aerospace industry and business while the weekend (21-22th of March) is opened for the public and you can buy tickets at [7].

Fig. 2: Farnborough Air Show [8]

References
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILA_Berlin_Air_Show
[2] http://www.niedersachsen-aviation.com/fileadmin/user_upload/Niedersachsen_Aviation/Events/ILA/ILA_2018/Englische_Publikationen/ILA2018_Aussteller_Folder_Web_EN_3.pdf
[3] https://www.ila-berlin.de/en/facts-and-data
[4] http://www.berlin-info.de/de/messen/ila-berlin
[5] https://www.farnborough.com/about/the-farnborough-story/
[6] https://www.farnborough.com/
[7] https://farnborough.seetickets.com/tour/farnborough-international-airshow-2018?kmi=pCxKSUIDauexeGHmKxZqw7vrSts%3D
[8] https://www.air-shows.org.uk/2016/02/airshow-news-farnborough-international-airshow-attracts-even-more-international-participation/

How they came with the name Azul

Azul Linhas Aéreas is the name of a brazilian airline founded 10 years ago by David Neeleman.

In the brazilian market they are:

- 1st in number of destinations

- 2nd in number of aircraft

- 3rd in number of passangers

Fig.1: Azul's Embraer ERJ195 (PR-AYA) [2]

The origin of the airline's name is interesting, as explained by the brazilian aviation legend (I take the responsibility of this designation) Gianfranco Beting, a.k.a. Panda, in the brazilian's Youtube vloger (Aero por Trás da Aviação) video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ThXtJasw3I.

They launched the challenge to the public to choose the name of a brand new brazilian airliner!

The result: +158 000 people took the challenge and then voted in the chosen ones

                  Samba and Azul where the first and second most voted, respectively.

When David Neeleman met Frederico Curado (CEO of Embraer) and announced the results, Curado told Neeleman Samba would be a bad choice because if a flight is delayed, people would say the flight "sambou" - a brazilian expression meaning it's gone/we've lost it.

So the name became Azul (blue in portuguese), related with another David Neeleman's airline: Jet Blue.

If you want to learn more about Gianfranco and Joselito Sousa (two brazilian aviation experts I had the pleasure to meet in LusoAvia - an unprecedented event of the Lusophony aeronautic sector, in October 2017), you must see a conversation between them (in portuguese): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2SgZGugU00&t=11s

References:
[1] https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azul_Linhas_A%C3%A9reas_Brasileiras

[2] http://afnoticias.com.br

Boeing 787-9 - a masterpiece of engineering

5th of March - Lisbon

Hello everyone,

Next monday, 5th of March, two interesting events will take place in Lisbon:

9am - Hi Fly (portuguese airliner) will be recruiting flight attendants, at the Holiday Inn Hotel

link: http://www.hifly.aero/pt/emprego.html

p.s. Altought is not specified the address, I guess is the Intercontinental, at Laura Alves St., n.9, 1069-169 Lisbon. The requirements described in the link are in portuguese.
In the following thursday, 8th of March, they'll be in Porto, at Hotel Mercure Center, starting also at 9am.

Many airliners have been recruiting flight attendants in Portugal in the last months (e.g. TAP Air Portugal, Orbest, Ryanair, Saudia Airlines).



6pm - Gabriel de La Torre, director of the laboratory of neuropsychology and experimental psychology at the University of Cadiz, permanent member of IAA - International Academy of Astronautics and colaborator/consultant of ESA and NASA, will give a workshop about Aerospace Psycology - conceptualization and scope of application at ISPA ( Jardim do Tabaco St., n. 34, 1149-041, Lisbon).