"Made in China" Takes On A Whole New Meaning

For years, commercial aircraft has mainly been dominated in the Western world by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, and recently Embraer.  There are other companies, such as Tupolev and Antonov, but you only see these planes in Russia, other countries formally under the Soviet Union, and other poorer countries.  So, would there ever be a chance for a country outside of the Western world that could become a potential competitor?  If you would have asked me about a month ago, I would have never imagined any other country would be given a chance.  So, when I watched a video on flightglobal.com that went over all of the highlights of the Paris Air Show, you can imagined how surprised I was.

Yes, it's a little corny and even a little awkward at the end (sigh...), but they do mention one thing that blew me away:  Ryanair and COMAC are teaming forces to create a 200 person airliner.  A chinese company is going to make an airliner for a Western company?!  And, just in case you need a little more evidence, here's Ryanair's formal announcement on their website:

http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/ryanair-and-comac-commercial-aircraft-corp-of-china-sign-c-919-mou-in-paris

Now, if you've ever flown on Ryanair, this may make a little sense.  I only had one experience with them, flying from Paris to Stockholm, but all you really need is one flight to live what can be argued to be an adventure.

At Beauvais Airport (notice how the stepladder is installed into the aircraft to load passengers quickly and virtually anywhere)

A few years back, my brother and I were touring Europe and wanted to visit our relatives in Sweden for the first time.  From Paris, we had to take the subway to a bus station outside of the city, and then took a bus for 45 minutes... just to get to the airport called Beauvais, which exclusively caters to low cost airlines.  Our plane arrived and as people were exiting the craft, they announced that we were to start boarding the plane.  After some controlled chaos, we finally got in our seats and noticed that we were surrounded by advertisements for Ryanair, the airline we were flying on...  As we lined up on the runway, I also noticed the farmers working with hay almost next to the plane.  Finally, we landed at Skavsta airport, which is in Nykoping, about 66 miles outside of Stockholm.

As bizarre as that experience was, it only cost my brother and I $30 total.  For everything.  Not a penny more.  So, when Ryanair and China's COMAC make an announcement that they're going to work together, it doesn't seem so bizarre in the end.

So, is this a good idea to bring this type of competition into the mix?  My answer, I don't know for sure.  Although opinion can differ when it comes to Ryanair, it's safe to say that it is a very unique airline that has certain customers they cater to.  So, if there's a dependable and cheaper aircraft out there, who's to say that it's that big of a deal?  Plus, if you're worried about the competition between COMAC and the other players, I'm not sure how big of a deal it will play.  It will depend on the low cost market and where they want to go.  This could prove to be an issue if airlines like Air Asia, a low cost career based in Southeast Asia, would want some new C-919's.  When it comes down to it, with a changing market you need to have solutions that mold with the current demand; all Ryanair seems to be doing is taking a risk that will help them progress.  In the end, I'm mostly interested in what will happen in the future, and hope that it progresses better air travel... kind of like how I feel all the time :D

A Tip of the Iceberg: Will the Boeing 787 Sink or Float?

About a year ago I went to an Aviation doctor to get medically certified to fly planes.  We talked about how Boeing was one of our favorite manufacturers, and as a result the 787 happen to come up in conversation.  Not only did this come up because Boeing's new plane is the 787, but my examiner actually invested money towards the new plane.  At the time, I laughed a little and joke about its delays, which, as you can imagine, was a little awkward. But, really, why in the hell would I laugh about such a thing?  Not only is this man determining my future as a pilot, has the same passion for airplanes, and has been involved with aviation for years, but I also laughed at Boeing's new plane; a company that for over a century has made great quality aircraft and serves as America's contribution towards civil aviation against Europe's strong competitor Airbus.  Well, here's one of the newest 787's off the lot:

This is an Air India 787 currently being made.  And, by the way, Air India is not the launch consumer.  It was ANA (All Nippon Airways) that wanted this plane to be built... back on April 26th, 2004!  If you're confused, don't worry, because this is bizarre even for plane lovers alike.  So, where's the snag?  What's going on with this project in the first place?  Why haven't they been flying all these years?  It seems that in our day and age we have the ability to bang out planes like none other.  To better understand what's going on, we need to understand why this plane is being built in the first place.

True, this plane was designed to kill some of Boeing's old planes such as the 757, 767, and even the jumbo 747.  However, a key point to remember is if they're trying to kill the 747, more than likely they're trying to kill their previous bird: the Boeing 777 (which is slowly killing the 747).  If you don't already know, the 777 is a VERY successful aircraft and was the first to be fully tested using computers before it ever flew.  When the 777 was made, huge steps in technology were made that allowed us to create better methods of aircraft design and helped manufacturers to safely test new aircraft.  So, why the hell get rid of all these planes including the 777?  Simple:

1. Airlines want a new, state-of-the-art plane to use less fuel to get the job done.

Boeing's answer:  several models of a new plane made of 80% composite material; the 787.  At a glance, this was a tight idea.  Instead of a metal box, airlines would use something close to a paper plane to perform at the same level.  So, why is there a big issue?  One word: Delamination.

First off, do not be terrified when you see this picture.  What this is is an example of what happens when composite materials fails under pressure.  This is something that Boeing has known for quite some time.  However, this is the reason why you haven't flown on a 787.  The main complaint stemmed from how the body and wing of the 787 were stressed under various flying conditions.  To give a better picture, when a truck is made, the cab (where you sit) and the bed (where you put everything else) are separate.  Manufacturer's essentially weld them together.  It's the same principal with the body (where you sit) and wing (how you fly).  The area connecting the two was weak and threw Boeing engineers for a loop.  This scared them because composite materials, as opposed to various forms of metal, possess one scary attribute:

1. Composite materials do not visibly show signs of cracks or fatigue.

80% of your plane does not tell you what's going on... Yes, scream and freak out as much as you want, but Boeing wouldn't put a product out that they weren't making money on, so the 787 should be safe.  However, you may find me on any other type of plane before you see me on a 787.  

So, final words from me?  As I would tell any person afraid to fly, don't worry.  Airlines wouldn't have humans fly and run planes if they knew planes were death traps.  Plus, airliners fly on the money passengers give them.  So, if I had to fly on a 787, I'd be grateful to fly on a new plane and would probably enjoy it.  Would it be my first choice?  Well, as I think of that doctor who invested in it, I'm not sure if I'd put my money down on such a proposition.  

Japan Airline's New Liverly More Surprising Than You Think

Japan has for years been a culture that strives for new and better in everything they do.  From new technology to competative products sold worldwide, there's nothing like Japan's determined will for good quality and sleek new design.  So when Japan Airlines announced earlier this year that it's coming out with a new livery, I wondered how much more modern and eye catching could they they get?  The result is something no airline in history has done before; they took a humble step back to revere Japan Airline's traditional and historical values.

As a fan of retro airline livery's, this picture of Japan Airlines newly painted Boeing 777-246 at Haneda blew my mind.  I couldn't believe that an airline of this size and global importance was taking such a bold stance with their image.  "Is this a joke?!  Are they running out of ideas? Maybe their marketing towards airline geeks worldwide..."  Well, thankfully, none of these thoughts were true.

To better understand what's going on, here's a quote from JAL Group President Masaru Onishi from a press release earlier this year: "Today, we firmly resolve to recapture the unity and challenging spirit that our employees possessed at the time of JAL's founding, and together, we will propel the company forward over the hurdles that lie ahead to again stand at the forefront of this ever-evolving industry."  With Japan Airlines' financial struggles and, yes, a rapidly changing financial future for airlines worldwide, Japan Airlines' bold new step to highlight their will and determination to move forward as a quality driven and vividly Japanese airline is moving and heartwarming.  With airlines scrambling to find new ways to sell more seats, it's nice to know that there is at least one airline not concerned with lowering prices or lavish interiors (although I do like both), but instead a new shift to honor what Japan Airlines set out to do over fifty years ago; to make a quality airline that not only provides good service but honorably portrays the Japanese spirit and culture. 

With this, I say "way t'go Japan Airlines!" and lift my pint of Asahi towards that beautiful yet simple red crane now being revived throughout the Japan Airlines fleet.  Plus, I just think it looks tight :D