Bagram 747 crash

Here's a video of the Bagram Airplane accident. Seven people died in this tragedy.

Aviation Herald info about this subject: http://www.avherald.com/h?article=46183bb4&opt=0

British Airways Airbus A380

On April 5th. rolled out from the Airbus paint shop in Hamburg the first Airbus A380 for British Airways, Airbus states that only the tail fin itself contains over 10,000 individual dots to form the Union Jack graphic.

All pictures are courtesy of Airbus.

Portuguese Navy Lynx 20000 Flight Hours in 20 Years

That's right on past 14th. the Portuguese Navy Lynx flew it's 20000th hour right in the same year of it's 20th anniversary. To some this may no appear a great achievement but looking behind and find a squadron composed by only 5 units usually 1 at full repair a year and all economical problems affecting our country, it really is an achievement to celebrate.

Photo: Carvalho - N.R.P. "D. Francisco de Almeida" 

Photo: Filipe Cardoso 

 Photo: Filipe Cardoso

Photo: Filipe Cardoso 

Photo: Filipe Cardoso

Most important is that until this day the Portuguese Navy Helicopter fleet haven't suffered a single accident resulting the loss of people and/or material, still maintaining a clean accident record and hoping for that to continue for a long time. Certainly this record is a good proof of the professionalism and dedication of all the operatives of that unit that continue to work daily to keep the spirit of the Portuguese Naval Aviation at it's top as it started by Admiral Gago Coutinho and Commander Sacadura Cabral who crossed the South Atlantic from Portugal to Brasil in 1922. For those who have historic interest on this subject one of the airplanes used during that Atlantic Crossing can now be seen in the Portuguese Navy Museum in Lisbon.

Fairey III-D N.º17 - 'Santa Cruz'

Admiral Gago Coutinho (first) and Commander Sacadura Cabral (behind)

Photo: Museu de Marinha, Portugal

Airbus A350 XWB Premium Economy Seating

from www.flightstory.net

Earlier this year Airbus firmed contract with Zodiac Seats to add to the A350 catalog their model Zodiac '5810' Premium Economy Seat, this model offers space optimization low weight ans IFE capability.

Airbus is betting strong on it's A350 XWB and if there is something of extreme importance to an airline is the passenger comfort and Airbus isn't forgetting anything when it comes to comfort but also practicality and above all lightweight.

Photos: Airbus

More Recently EADS-Sogerma, an Airbus Contracted Supplier optimized it's new model, the 'Celeste' seat. This model is a cradle seat witch provides a higher level of comfort and also can be featured with privacy options. Seems more like an actual executive class of smaller airlines than an Economy class seat.

Photos: Airbus

Documentation needed to apply for a pilot vacancy - Criminal record.

This was not the first time that I have needed to get a criminal record of me to submit to a company so the business here was quite easy. You go to the Justice Ministry or you can get your criminal record in a well thought thing called Citizen Store - direct translation from the Portuguese "Loja do Cidadão". On this store there are many formalities that can be taken such as ID renewal passport emission visas etc. Great deal actually, now instead of walking around from building to building and place to place now it's quite easier indeed.

Now the thing that made me write this post was about My criminal record. Well, relax it is completely clean I can assure you. The fun fact here is that when I told that the document was to apply as pilot to an airline the attendant looked at me and told me to wait as he was going to check what to do. 2 minutes later there I was with my criminal record in my hand and amazed. Know why? It seems that to the Portuguese Justice Ministry pilots, flight attendants or airport personnel need this document because they are to be subject to access to sensitive areas, seems pretty logic to me. The second paragraph states that this kind of job involves contact with minors or underage  children. I have no doubt that it is important that no pedophile works in contact with children and thank God if there is someone looking for that but in this case I think that the responsibility of  a flight crew cabin crew or even ground crews are due to the dangers involved in a bigger way such as hijacks or terrorism among others. Just can't understand why does the "contact with minors" comes stated and others don't.

Cessna's New Citation X Rolled Out today

Here are some pictures, courtesy of Cessna Company, of the roll out of the new Cessna Citation X, claimed to be the fastest civil aircraft in the world. Speed competitions apart it really is a good looking aircraft.

Meanwhile...

With about 30 plus pilot jobs announcements of the PPC website I am somewhere between despair and the faith in finding an announce of a pilot job suitable for me.

What in the World have I been doing!

Well, here's you answer.

Dangerous Flights is a TV Series that passes on Discovery Channel here in Portugal that retracts the flights and the growth of a small US company specialized in aircraft sales and deliveries, the so called ferry flights. As far as I know ferry pilots seem to be the kind of pilot that pass through the most challenging conditions during flight in GA aircraft. Really a Must See series.