In the 1980′s Air Cal had an interesting campaign using a piano man and highlighting the fact that you might just like their style. I do not think many airlines would do a commercial quite like this one today. Unfortunatly the colorful style of Air Cal did not make it past the 1980′s and [...]]]>

In the 1980′s Air Cal had an interesting campaign using a piano man and highlighting the fact that you might just like their style. I do not think many airlines would do a commercial quite like this one today. Unfortunatly the colorful style of Air Cal did not make it past the 1980′s and in 1987, the airline was purchased by American Airlines.

Starting operations as Air California in 1967, they operated Lockheed Electra’s with a very classic looking livery and later operated the Boeing 737-200 in the same and then slightly modified livery.

Every once in a while a video pops up that embraces the spirit of aviation — this is one of them. This video takes you inside an Avianca Airlines Airbus A320 while flying around South America in one of the best cockpit videos I have seen to date. Man, now I want to go [...]]]>

Every once in a while a video pops up that embraces the spirit of aviation — this is one of them. This video takes you inside an Avianca Airlines Airbus A320 while flying around South America in one of the best cockpit videos I have seen to date. Man, now I want to go flying.

Tip of the hat to  NYCAviation.com for sharing this video.

Yesterday, Southwest Airlines announced some pretty big changes for the inside of some of their Boeing 737 aircraft, which they are calling “Evolve: The New Southwest Interior.”

For the average customer, the differences probably won’t be so obvious — hence why Southwest is calling this an evolution rather than a revolution. The tones of [...]]]>

Yesterday, Southwest Airlines announced some pretty big changes for the inside of some of their Boeing 737 aircraft, which they are calling “Evolve: The New Southwest Interior.”

For the average customer, the differences probably won’t be so obvious — hence why Southwest is calling this an evolution rather than a revolution. The tones of brown and blue will be familiar, but with a closer eye, one can see the changes. From Southwest directly, here they are:

The new Southwest interior with new seats and carpeting. Photo by Southwest Airlines.

• Modern Cabin Design: The new design incorporates natural, earthy tones combined with Southwest’s iconic Canyon blue and clean, aluminum accents for a more modern, fresh appeal.  The redesign is inspired by Southwest’s past with a nod to the future.
• Lighter and More Comfortable Seat: The redesigned low-profile seat is more durable, made of eco-friendly products, is lighter, and more comfortable. 
• Increased Under-Seat Space: The new design allows for more under-seat room for carryon luggage and approved pet carriers.
• Customer Living Space: Reducing the recline from three inches to two inches preserves onboard personal living space while still allowing for ample seat adjustment for Customer comfort. 
• Seatback pockets: The new netted seatback pockets are streamlined to provide more knee room. 
• Headrest: The fixed-wing headrest provides better neck and head alignment with side-to-side support for sleeping.
• Improved Ergonomics: The combination of the low-profile cushion and fixed wing headrestimproves ergonomics by positioning Customers “down and back” into the seat, allowing for better lumbar support, armrest alignment, and increased personal living space.

There might be less seat pitch, but there is more space. Photo by Southwest Airlines.

The new interior means that there allows Southwest to put six additional seats on each aircraft. This is due to reducing the seat pitch from 32″ to 31″, using the skinnier seats and reducing the recline from 3″ to 2″. This will allow Southwest to increase their profit, without having to add fees.

The seats are made with eco-friendly materials and are designed to last longer, reducing replacement costs. Each seat weighs six pounds less than their predecessor, meaning real fuel savings for Southwest Airlines. The new carpet, which is made out of recycled materials, is put in by squares where a section can easily be replaced instead of taking out the whole carpet.

“We are preparing now for our next 40 years with a fleet modernization plan that includes the new interior, the Boeing 737-800 which is scheduled to come online beginning in March this year, and the 737 MAX, which is expected to join the Southwest fleet in 2017,” said Bob Jordan, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “The evolutionary changes we’re making with the new interior uphold our low-cost roots and historic focus on Customer Service. The cabin upgrade also allows us to create significant revenue opportunities without adding unwanted fees.”

Southwest plans to update all their newer Boeing 737-700s and also AirTran’s 737s and 717s. They have not stated if they will update their older classic 737s, but my guess is that they will not.  It would be unlikely, since they recently announced an order 150 new Boeing 737MAX aircraft.

Learn more about Southwest’s new interior:
* Great 360 view of the interior
* Story from Mary Kirby with APEX, who was there at the reveal
* See more photos and learn more on the Nuts about Southwest Blog
* In October 2009, Southwest shows off their Green Plane 

This is a pretty slick video showing the ins and out of a Pan Am Boeing 747-100. It does not start out in English, but no worries, it turns into English and what you see is much more important than what you [...]]]>

Click on the image to watch the Pan Am Boeing 747 video.

This is a pretty slick video showing the ins and out of a Pan Am Boeing 747-100. It does not start out in English, but no worries, it turns into English and what you see is much more important than what you hear anyhow.

From the control tower, to starting up the engines to the cockpit, to the Worldport — this is one sweet classic ten minute video that shows off Pan Am 747 Clippers: N656PA, N750PA and N741PA.

Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered what happened to your luggage after giving it to a ticket agent? No? Well too bad, you are about to find out. Recently, Delta Air Lines took a bag that was going from Atlanta to New York and added six cameras to it.

I don’t know about you, but looks [...]]]>

Have you ever wondered what happened to your luggage after giving it to a ticket agent? No? Well too bad, you are about to find out. Recently, Delta Air Lines took a bag that was going from Atlanta to New York and added six cameras to it.

I don’t know about you, but looks like my bag has a lot of fun every time it flies.

How does Boeing paint their largest aircraft — well very carefully of course. This video, posted by Lufthansa, shows how Boeing went about painting a 747-8 Intercontinental (D-ABYA). The Lufthansa livery is very simple, but elegant at the same time. It looks right at home on a Boeing 747-8I.

Captain Steve Rogers came on to Saturday Night Live (SNL) this weekend to apologize to Alec Baldwin for being kicked off a recent American Airlines flight for being disruptive. It is amazing how much Captain Rogers not only has three strips on his uniform (showing that he is a co-pilot), but he also looks [...]]]>

Captain Steve Rogers came on to Saturday Night Live (SNL) this weekend to apologize to Alec Baldwin for being kicked off a recent American Airlines flight for being disruptive. It is amazing how much Captain Rogers not only has three strips on his uniform (showing that he is a co-pilot), but he also looks a lot like Alec Baldwin.

While watching the video with my girlfriend she pointed out that I make similar arguments about electronic devices on the plane. Even though I might not agree with the rules and get annoyed when I am told to turn off my phone and/or camera, I do what I am told and don’t get all huffy. It is too bad that Alec doesn’t really apologize for acting the way he did, but all that aside, the video is humorous.

I reached out to American Airlines on a quote about the SNL skit and even though I was assured that many in American have seen it, they have no official comment.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Brett Snyder on his site Cranky Flier has some great thoughts on the whole situation. I have to say that I agree with Brett on this one.

From British Airway’s YouTube page:

On Thursday the 3rd of November, British Airways carried 45 tonnes of life-saving UNICEF aid for people affected by the famine

British Airways donated the aircraft to UNICEF appeal, which is being backed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to help the 13million victims of the East Africa [...]]]>

From British Airway’s YouTube page:

On Thursday the 3rd of November, British Airways carried 45 tonnes of life-saving UNICEF aid for people affected by the famine

British Airways donated the aircraft to UNICEF appeal, which is being backed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to help the 13million victims of the East Africa crisis. We are immensely proud of all our colleagues who helped to make this flight happen.

To donate to the appeal please visit www.eastafricacrisis.org.

See all the CollegeHumor Original Videos here.

In the unlikely event you have a very crazy flight, these flight attendants are making sure you will be prepared.

this video highlights the passion that many who work in the aviation business have about their jobs and what they do. Over and over again, I find that many who work in the field of aviation (in one way or another) mirror the thoughts portrayed on the video. Most people understand that they are a part [...]]]>

this video highlights the passion that many who work in the aviation business have about their jobs and what they do. Over and over again, I find that many who work in the field of aviation (in one way or another) mirror the thoughts portrayed on the video. Most people understand that they are a part of something larger that is very important to almost everyone in the world.

I think the best part of this GE-made video is when some of their employees, who helped to make the GEnx engine, get to travel to Everett, WA and see their product first hand. First, they got to view the GEnx engine on a 787 (which I am assuming is most likely ZA005) and then they got to watch Lufthansa’s first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental take off operating four of their engines.

This week, American Airlines is releasing a creative new set of  ads starring Kevin Spacey. It is not often that you see an Academy Award-winning actor in a commercial, but it truly makes these stand out. Spacey stars in three new ads that highlight the, “philosophy of understanding the individual flyer.”

The 60-second ad, [...]]]>

This week, American Airlines is releasing a creative new set of  ads starring Kevin Spacey. It is not often that you see an Academy Award-winning actor in a commercial, but it truly makes these stand out. Spacey stars in three new ads that highlight the, “philosophy of understanding the individual flyer.”

The 60-second ad, showing in this story, shows Spacey as a slick designer type, a creative screen writer, a Malibu family guy and finally as himself. The concept of these four people coming together on an American Airlines flight sounds a bit cheezy, but I think that it works in the commercial.

“Kevin Spacey really nailed the characters, as you’d expect,” director of the advertisements, Chris Palmer explained. “I can’t imagine any other living actor who could have transformed into such diverse and believable characters. It was weird shooting with him as a totally different character each day. The crew didn’t recognise him when he came on set, even on the third day. You completely forgot it was Kevin Spacey in there. In fact, it was a bit of shock to see him as himself on day four.”

According to a press release, this campaign, “Ties in with American Airlines’ evolved ‘discerning flyers’ strategy, developed in response to the changing face of the First/Business Class flyer, appealing to a younger demographic.”

There are also two shorter, 20-second ads. ‘Multiple Meals’ shows the three characters having distinctive dining habits, all of which are accommodated by American Airlines Dine Upon Request service. In ‘Multiple Boarding’, the characters are shown using different ways to check-in, from a traditional boarding pass to a smartphone option.

If you live in the US and don’t see these ads around, that is because they will only show in the UK. Luckily, we have the internet. Do you think this is an effective advertising strategy?

On September 7, 2010 a Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise Tupelov TU-154M (registration number RA-85684), took off from Udachny Russia, heading to Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow. While cruising at about 35,000 feet, it experienced an electrical failure, [...]]]>

Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise Tupolev TU-154M (RA-85684) sits in the mud outside a small, closed, regional airport.

On September 7, 2010 a Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise Tupelov TU-154M (registration number RA-85684), took off from Udachny Russia, heading to Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow. While cruising at about 35,000 feet, it experienced an electrical failure, causing the loss of their navigational systems and fuel pumps, leaving the pilots only 30 minutes worth of fuel.

The TU-154M sits about 520 feet past the end of the runway at Izhma Airport.

To make matters worse, the pilots also lost control their flaps, slats and radio system. Luckily they found that Izhma Airport was close to attempt an emergency landing, but there was a bit of bad news. First of all the runway was closed and no longer in use, plus it was only 4,347 feet long. Typically, the TU-154M needs a runway over 7,200 feet long to stop safely. Since they were short on options, they made the attempt to land anyhow.

The Alrosa TU-154M took quite a beating, running off the end of the runway.

The pilots made two attempts to land before finally putting the aircraft down on the third try. The odds were against the plane, as it did not have control of flaps to slow down and it ended up running about 520 feet off the end of the runway, through trees, bushes and mud.

Airliners were not made to hit trees and bushes. They did a number of the body of the TU-154M.

Amazingly, after the aircraft came to a complete stop, all 81 passengers and crew were able to safely evacuate the aircraft and no injuries were reported. It was determined that the batteries overheated causing a thermal runaway, affecting the failed components of the aircraft.

The two pilots of Flight 514: Andrei Lamanov and Yevgeny Novoselov stand in front of TA-85684

The two pilots of Flight 514: Andrei Lamanov and Yevgeny Novoselov were regarded as heros for their successful landing of the stricken aircraft. They were made Heros of the Russian Federation, which is the highest honorary title that a Russian Federation citizen can received. The other seven crew members were rewarded with Orders of Courage. Passengers were rewarded with their lives and an incredible story to tell for the rest of their lives.

After minimum repairs, Alrosa's TU-154M took off from Izhma Airport.

So now what? Alrosa had this “Lucky TU-154M” that was damaged at an airport that doesn’t have a runway long enough for it to properly take off. Well, if there is a will, there is a way and the airline decided to make needed repairs to get the aircraft back in the air.

About six and a half months after the Tupelov crash landed, enough repairs were completed to get it airborne again. After reducing its weight as much as possible, on March 23, 2011 the TU-154M successfully took off from Izhma Airport and flew to Ukhta, Komi Republic for additional inspections. Finally it was sent to Samara where final repairs were completed before the aircraft was placed back into service.

The TU-154M was designed to successfully operate in Russian’s tough climate and air infrastructure and it seemed to pay off. I am not quite sure how other aircraft might have fared during the same situation.

More good Alrosa TU-154M Flight 514 stuff:
* Many more photos of the TU-154M
* Photos of the airplane on Airliners.net
* More on The Moscow Times

Thank you Isaac for pointing this story out.

I do not know what is cooler: the classic flight attendant uniform or the Boeing 737-200 flying overhead. I wonder how many takes this took to get it right and if she had any hearing left. Enjoy this Southwest Airlines commercial from 1972.

UPDATE: Brian Lunsk, Southwest Airlines Corporate Historian and Nuts About Southwest [...]]]>

I do not know what is cooler: the classic flight attendant uniform or the Boeing 737-200 flying overhead. I wonder how many takes this took to get it right and if she had any hearing left. Enjoy this Southwest Airlines commercial from 1972.

UPDATE:
Brian Lunsk, Southwest Airlines Corporate Historian and Nuts About Southwest Blogger, left a comment with a bit more information on the video: “This commercial was filmed at the former Connally Air Force Base in Waco. I’m not sure how many takes were involved, but Southwest wouldn’t let our own Employees stand there. The woman in the Hot Pants is a model. It was produced by the former Bloom Agency of Dallas and one of the production crew involved on the shoot was Donald Bellisario, the creator of Magnum, PI, Quantum Leap, JAG, and currently NCIS.” — Thanks Brian!

This is a pretty slick video that looks more like a choreographed dance. It highlights the interior of Korean Air’s Airbus A380 and make sure to check out the Celestial Lounge, located at the back of the upper deck. Korean Air is currently operating four A380s and have an additional six on order.

From Korean Air’s video description: [...]]]>

This is a pretty slick video that looks more like a choreographed dance. It highlights the interior of Korean Air’s Airbus A380 and make sure to check out the Celestial Lounge, located at the back of the upper deck. Korean Air is currently operating four A380s and have an additional six on order.

From Korean Air’s video description:
Designed with ultimate luxury and comfort in mind, and featuring a pioneering spacious interior, configured in a three-class layout with just 407 seats in total, the lowest configuration of any A380 operator so far, Korean Air’s double-decker A380s feature cutting-edge amenities, with 12 ultra luxurious First Class Kosmo Suites and 301 Economy Class seats on the main lower deck, and 94 fully lie-flat Prestige Sleeper seats in Prestige Class (business class) on the upper deck. Furthermore, it boasts unique in-flight facilities, such as the world’s first ‘Duty Free Showcase’ and a new onboard bar and lounge area, offering a brand new and highly enjoyable in-flight shopping and relaxation experience.

Thanks to Brandon for pointing this out