Enjoy!
Thursday 27 October 2011
YouTube documentaries
Since the latest series of Air Crash Investigation has come to an end, I have scoured the internet in search for some more documentaries about aircraft and aviation. I have decided to post some of these documentaries, which are primarily from YouTube, here on my blog. I intend to watch these documentaries over the next couple of days, to find out as much as I can about aircraft before going on work experience.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Work Experience
Every day is a day closer to Tuesday morning. The 1st - 4th of November will probably be some of the best, most informational days in my life.
The reason why? I am going to work experience in an aircraft maintenance center near Shannon Airport, Co. Clare. I am eager to find out about the the different aircraft and how to maintain them. I have only been up close to aircraft on about two occasions, so this will be a new experience for me.
I have great respect for the company who offered me work experience, as the jobs that they carry out are truly amazing. They fix otherwise broken aircraft and make them airworthy again. The thought of being up close and personal is like a dream.
I consider myself lucky for obtaining work experience in the field of aviation. I am one of the lucky few who got chosen, and when I say lucky, I mean it. Not many people are as auspicious, but I suppose what you need and crave, you will get.
The reason why? I am going to work experience in an aircraft maintenance center near Shannon Airport, Co. Clare. I am eager to find out about the the different aircraft and how to maintain them. I have only been up close to aircraft on about two occasions, so this will be a new experience for me.
I have great respect for the company who offered me work experience, as the jobs that they carry out are truly amazing. They fix otherwise broken aircraft and make them airworthy again. The thought of being up close and personal is like a dream.
I consider myself lucky for obtaining work experience in the field of aviation. I am one of the lucky few who got chosen, and when I say lucky, I mean it. Not many people are as auspicious, but I suppose what you need and crave, you will get.
Monday 24 October 2011
airliners.net
Since I spend much of my time on airliners.net/ , I have decided to post a few atmospheric pictures from the dedicated aircraft website.
A Finnair Airbus A330-302:
Another Finnair , this time a MD-11:
An Aer Lingus Airbus A330 departing from Boston. I have traveled on this one myself from Boston!
A Finnair Airbus A330-302:
Another Finnair , this time a MD-11:
A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 just after rotation:
An Aer Lingus Airbus A330 departing from Boston. I have traveled on this one myself from Boston!
A British Airways Boeing 777 preparing to land at Heathrow:
A Ryanair Boeing 737:
Sunday 23 October 2011
My visit to the ATC tower
Today was most certainly one of the most inspirational days in my life. Without a doubt.
I arrived to the airport and was greeted by a Ryanair 737-800 staring me in the face. I realised what a powerful beast it is when the engines were fired up and an ominous atmosphere was almost created. I instantly thought 'I will fly a plane like that someday'.
Off I trodded up the stairs and met the Air Traffic Controller on duty. It wasn't long before the next plane arrived, another Ryanair 737-800.
As the Ryanairs continued to filter in, the much anticipated Aer Lingus a320 bolted down the runway. It was the sight I was looking forward to all day, two shades of green and a stripe of blue, along with the Irish EI registration beside the stabilizer.
As the two Irish carriers left, bmibaby made an appearance in its 737-300. A little smaller than the previous aircraft, but nonetheless a UK registered aircraft was a pleasant view.
Along bobbed more Ryanairs, and then a FlyBe Bombardier Dash-8 Q400.
Then, out of the blue, a womans voice emerged through the speaker. "Baby 3901", she exclaimed. I was elated. Before today, I had never heard a woman pilot live. She had a thick English accent, and was flying this bmibaby 737-300 from Manchester. I was so inspired, and my eyes lit up like torches.
Needless to say, this was one hell of a day. I seen everything I wanted to see and learned everything and anything I could about airplanes and airports.
Thanks to all of the staff at Ireland West Airport Knock for such a brilliant day. I am looking forward to visiting again. Keep up the good work!
I arrived to the airport and was greeted by a Ryanair 737-800 staring me in the face. I realised what a powerful beast it is when the engines were fired up and an ominous atmosphere was almost created. I instantly thought 'I will fly a plane like that someday'.
Off I trodded up the stairs and met the Air Traffic Controller on duty. It wasn't long before the next plane arrived, another Ryanair 737-800.
As the Ryanairs continued to filter in, the much anticipated Aer Lingus a320 bolted down the runway. It was the sight I was looking forward to all day, two shades of green and a stripe of blue, along with the Irish EI registration beside the stabilizer.
As the two Irish carriers left, bmibaby made an appearance in its 737-300. A little smaller than the previous aircraft, but nonetheless a UK registered aircraft was a pleasant view.
Along bobbed more Ryanairs, and then a FlyBe Bombardier Dash-8 Q400.
Then, out of the blue, a womans voice emerged through the speaker. "Baby 3901", she exclaimed. I was elated. Before today, I had never heard a woman pilot live. She had a thick English accent, and was flying this bmibaby 737-300 from Manchester. I was so inspired, and my eyes lit up like torches.
Needless to say, this was one hell of a day. I seen everything I wanted to see and learned everything and anything I could about airplanes and airports.
Thanks to all of the staff at Ireland West Airport Knock for such a brilliant day. I am looking forward to visiting again. Keep up the good work!
Air Traffic Control tower... I'm on my way
Well, the weather is holding up, hopefully it will stay the same way for the rest of the day. Very unlikely.
I am REALLY looking forward to today, to be in between 737s, a320s and maybe even a couple of Bombardier Q400s is a dream come true.
I feel so privileged to be able to go visit my local Air Traffic Control tower. It is an amazing experience, and I hope that I can continue to do it.
A lot of my free time is now devoted to aviation. I need to make sure it is what I want to do, even though I am already 99.999% sure. However, it does cost a good bundle of money so I need to get that other 0.001% sure as well.
Off I go to get ready. I promise to post some pictures! Up France.
I am REALLY looking forward to today, to be in between 737s, a320s and maybe even a couple of Bombardier Q400s is a dream come true.
I feel so privileged to be able to go visit my local Air Traffic Control tower. It is an amazing experience, and I hope that I can continue to do it.
A lot of my free time is now devoted to aviation. I need to make sure it is what I want to do, even though I am already 99.999% sure. However, it does cost a good bundle of money so I need to get that other 0.001% sure as well.
Off I go to get ready. I promise to post some pictures! Up France.
Saturday 22 October 2011
My Android
Well, about a month has elapsed since I acquired my Samsung Galaxy Mini. And I must say I spent most of the month learning how to use the Android Froyo interface.
I am enjoying my new pocket companion so far. To me, it's like a mini-computer with constant Gmail, Twitter and Facebook updates springing up like grass in Summer. After examining the whole phone, both interior and exterior, I can find no faults.
Except for one. Now even though I only occasionally use the mobile internet on my phone, I still find the battery life shocking. It has come to the point that I am considering getting a new battery to keep in my purse for emergencies.
The keyboard is exceptional, and I'm typing with it now. There is a built in auto-correct feature which interjects every time you make a spelling mistake. Everything else is running smoothly so far, except for the odd glitch here and there.
But hey, that's to be expected on any phone!
I am enjoying my new pocket companion so far. To me, it's like a mini-computer with constant Gmail, Twitter and Facebook updates springing up like grass in Summer. After examining the whole phone, both interior and exterior, I can find no faults.
Except for one. Now even though I only occasionally use the mobile internet on my phone, I still find the battery life shocking. It has come to the point that I am considering getting a new battery to keep in my purse for emergencies.
The keyboard is exceptional, and I'm typing with it now. There is a built in auto-correct feature which interjects every time you make a spelling mistake. Everything else is running smoothly so far, except for the odd glitch here and there.
But hey, that's to be expected on any phone!
Well, they always say that after every bout of rain the sun reappears. Well that stands so far, but as I gaze out the window I can see a big, grey cloud approaching.
As you can see from my previous blog post, the weather was exceptionally droning. However, the weather did let up for about 2 hours, and here are some beautiful blue-sky pictures that I enjoy.
As you can see from my previous blog post, the weather was exceptionally droning. However, the weather did let up for about 2 hours, and here are some beautiful blue-sky pictures that I enjoy.
I really hope the sky stays like this for a while longer to see the British Airways 747 approaching my house! (BAW13K). I had a good two hours of plane spotting, and I captured this picture while out and about.
The American Airlines 757 to Boston is on the top and the British Airways 747 to JFK is on the bottom.
While writing this, I ran outside and I caught a glimpse of another British Airways 747 flying by to JFK.
Well, the clouds are beginning to sag downwards and it is obvious that the water within will soon fall down to earth as gravity had intended it to.
Air Traffic Control tower
Well, my hopes for visiting the National Flight Centre in Leixlip today were diminished. But my excitement continues to build for tomorrow.
I will be making my second trip to the local Air Traffic Control tower tomorrow at 1 o'clock. It truly is an exciting adventure up the stairs where it is so easy to communicate with the aviators living the dream. There will be a high concentration of flights within the couple of hours I will be visiting, which is quite unusual for a regional airport. As it stands, there will be 7 flights arriving in the space of 3 hours, with more scheduled.
I am really looking forward to it, and who knows, if I ask politely I might even get to talk to a very special person who sits in the cockpit!
I will be making my second trip to the local Air Traffic Control tower tomorrow at 1 o'clock. It truly is an exciting adventure up the stairs where it is so easy to communicate with the aviators living the dream. There will be a high concentration of flights within the couple of hours I will be visiting, which is quite unusual for a regional airport. As it stands, there will be 7 flights arriving in the space of 3 hours, with more scheduled.
I am really looking forward to it, and who knows, if I ask politely I might even get to talk to a very special person who sits in the cockpit!
Ryanair stake must go - Aer Lingus
Courtesy of The Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2011/1021/1224306211818.html
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http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2011/1021/1224306211818.html
AER LINGUS chairman Colm Barrington has told Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary in a letter that Ryanair’s stake in Aer Lingus “cannot be maintained in the long term” and has had “a significantly detrimental impact” on the Aer Lingus share price.
Writing in response to a letter from Mr O’Leary, Mr Barrington said the company did not intend “to engage with further public debate” with him on issues including Aer Lingus’s pensions, dividends and its “leave and return” redundancy scheme.
“Such public debate with a single self-interested shareholder is not in the best interests of all our shareholders,” he wrote.
The Aer Lingus chairman also dismissed Ryanair’s criticism of its share price. “It was your decision to invest your shareholders’ funds to purchase Aer Lingus shares in 2006,” Mr Barrington writes.
“It is our view that the shareholding cannot be maintained in the long term.”
Mr Barrington repeated Aer Lingus’s willingness to have “constructive discussions” with Ryanair about its claim that it is open to selling its 29 per cent stake – as long as Ryanair is “truly interested” in such a disposal.
Ryanair and Aer Lingus have exchanged a series of tit-for-tat letters in recent weeks, with much of the dispute revolving around Aer Lingus’s €30 million settlement with the Revenue in relation to the controversial “leave and return” scheme.
Ryanair deputy chief executive Howard Millar, at a recent Aer Lingus event for investors in London, accused its management of a “cover-up” for not releasing an external report on the scheme.
In his letter to Mr O’Leary dated October 20th, Mr Barrington refers to Mr Millar “disrupting” the investor event.
Mr Barrington also writes that Mr O’Leary did “not made any substantive new points”. “You appear intent on ignoring our previous responses on these matters simply because the facts we have outlined and the views we have expressed are at variance with your own stated opinions.”
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