About.com

Osama bin Laden's Aviation Legacy

Mon, 09 May 2011 11:21:10 +0000

Now that Osama bin Laden has finally been killed, we can start to analyze his impact on aviation safety.

Sadly, though bin Laden can no longer hurt anyone else, there is fear that his followers will and security has been tightened at airports worldwide.

...

Read Full Post

Delta's Charm School Experiment

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:19:13 +0000

Delta Air Lines is sending 11,000 front line employees to charm school in an effort to reduce passenger complaints.

That may fix some of the symptoms, but I don't think charm school will transform Delta into the happiest place on earth for either staff or complaining customers.

Delta used to be one of the world's mot respected airlines. What has changed? And how can the airline change course?

Charm school may teach people how to behave, but it's unlikely to change how employees feel about themselves and their jobs.

Air Travel the Old-Fashioned Way

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:20:18 +0000

Today I flew on from Detroit to Oakland on a pristine Boeing 727, complete with a hot breakfast and a friendly, professional flight crew.

Check-in was a breeze, security personnel were polite and the screening quick and the passengers were well-dressed, relaxed and happy. Even the parking was free.

...

Read Full Post

Hopes for Safe Holiday Air Travel

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:11:17 +0000

Last Christmas, tragedy was averted when explosives misfired on a Detroit-bound airliner.

In December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 was blown from the skies over Locherbie, Scotland.

And back in December 1985 a chartered Arrow Air DC-8 carrying U.S. troops home for the holidays crashed in Newfoundland, killing everyone aboard.

...

Read Full Post

France's Attack on Aviation Safety

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 23:31:35 +0000

A French court has dealt a blow to aviation safety with the criminal convictions of Continental Airlines and a lone mechanic in the 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde.

France has become one of the worldwide leaders in criminalizing aviation accidents, which aviation safety experts say will make skies less safe, not more.

...

Read Full Post

Leaving for Dubai

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:18:19 +0000

This Saturday I leave for MEBA - The Middle East Business Aviation show - in Dubai.

MEBA is one of the world's biggest business aviation events, behind only NBAA and EBACE, attracting exhibitors and buyers from around the region and the world.

...

Read Full Post

Opting Out: Full Body Scan vs. Enhanced Pat-Down

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:02:46 +0000

So just how bad is the enhanced pat-down?

Everyone seems obsessed with the subject, especially since the video of the California man telling TSA agents not to "touch his junk" went viral.

...

Read Full Post

Is Wichita the Next Detroit?

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:02:26 +0000

Aviation workers fear that Wichita will become the next Detroit.

In the past few years Boeing, Bombardier Learjet, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft have cut thousands of well-paying aviation and aerospace jobs and there's no end in sight. Last week Hawker Beechcraft suspended Hawker 400XP production and sales.

...

Read Full Post

Lousy Week for Aviation News

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 01:22:38 +0000

This has been a bad week for stories about aviation.

Negative stories included terror threats, a drunk pilot arrested on an airliner at London Heathrow, an uncontained engine failure on a Qantas A380 superjumbo, and possible new delivery delays for Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

...

Read Full Post

Feeling Insecure About Security

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 05:40:57 +0000

Are you concerned about all the recent airport security breaches?

It's all over the media. Breathless stories about terror threats, explosives on airplanes, and the latest attempts to disrupt our industry.

...

Read Full Post