The FAA alleges that Atlas Air incorrectly installed a replacement cockpit window on a Boeing 747F, and then operated the aircraft on 49 flights between April 4 and April 27, 2009, when it was not in compliance with those regulations.

The FAA said Atlas Air replaced one of the windows at the first officer’s position, but failed to use the methods, techniques and practices specified in the manufacturer’s maintenance manual or alternate procedures accepted by the FAA for the B-747F. The airline then approved the aircraft for return to service. As a result, the replacement window suffered pressurization leaks while in flight according to multiple reports made by crews operating or maintaining the aircraft. The FAA has proposed a penalty of $506,150 for those violations.

In a second instance, the FAA alleges that on May 14 and 15, 2009, Atlas Air operated a Boeing 747 on international flights from Huntsville, AL, to Glasgow, Scotland, Luxembourg City and back to Huntsville without a required outboard engine pylon access panel door. The FAA said Atlas Air improperly fabricated a panel cover from aluminum sheet metal and affixed it with speed tape over the access door opening. On each of these flights, the panel came off the aircraft enroute and a new panel was fabricated and installed in the same manner at each subsequent stop [emphasis added]. The FAA has proposed a civil penalty of $66,000 for those violations.

Atlas Air has 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letters to respond to the agency.

Atlas Air B747-47UF N499MC

Photo by: Andy_Mitchell_UK

(Federal Aviation Administration)

Continental Express (Chautauqua Airlines) Canadair CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet CRJ-200ER N484CA, originally uploaded by MDLFLYR.

The FAA announced a $348,000 civil penalty against Republic Airways owned Chautauqua Airlines. The fine is for operating some of its regional jets without performing required maintenance and safety inspections.

Apparently, they neglected to follow proper maintenance and safety inspection on wings and engines of 8 aircraft between 2007 and 2008. Chautauqua operates flights for American Airlines (AmericanConnection), Continental (Continental Express), Delta (Delta Connection), United (United Express) and US Airways (US Airways Express) among other carriers.

(Indystar)

Ryanair Jet

Photo Credit: Mikelo

Asked about changing from the Boeing planes to Airbus planes in order to sidestep the FAA, O’Leary said that it would be a monumental task for Ryanair to change plane types since they currently have 200 Boeing jets in their fleet. Apparently, he’d be willing to “give it a go” if push comes to shove.

Ryanair uses Boeing 737 series jets, and since the planes are made by Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) needs to approve modifications to the US made planes. The interesting thing about this whole pay-for-pee thing, is that the airline wants to modify people’s behaviour.

Mr. O’Leary wants to encourage people to use the bathroom at the airport, rather than the bathrooms/ lavatories on the plane. His reasoning, is that if less people use the bathrooms on the plane, they can remove 1 of the 3 onboard bathrooms, squeeze 6 more seats in and lower fares by as much as 4% across the board.

Mr. O’Leary also said that “Whatever money we make on the toilets, we’ll happily give it away to some charity for incontinent air-travellers.”

Nice.

(BusinessWeek)

There’s no date on the recording, and no one seems to know exactly when it happened, but it could’ve happened either very recently or 6 years ago.

Bottom line, the kid makes five transmissions from the tower to the airplanes on the ground.

The kid tells the pilots to contact departure and “adios.” None of the pilots seem to mind much. Actually, the pilots seem happy or amused to hear the little kid on the radio.

The thing that I thought was cool, is that there’s a woman pilot in command of the Aero Mexico flight.

Here’s a transcript of one of the exchanges between the kid and an airplane:

JFK TOWER: Jet Blue 171 contact departure

PILOT: Over to departure jet blue 171, awesome job.

The kid doesn’t seem to be spouting out random orders, but rather it seems like there’s an actual controller telling the child what to do. I’m assuming the person that says:

That’s what you get guys when the kids are out of school. (laugh)

Is probably the kid’s dad.

I’m sure if there had been a wreck, this whole thing would’ve come under closer scrutiny, but here’s my take on it.

I don’t think it’s appropriate to have a kid in the control tower. The kid’s dad appears to be in control at all time, and I get the feeling that he was telling his bored kid what to say to the pilots.

I don’t think that there was ever any real danger to the planes/ passengers on the ground. Even though the pilots don’t seem to mind, and I’m sure it was funny as all get out, I just don’t think it was appropriate.

I don’t know what type of laws, if any, were broken. I’m sure some kind of a reprimand is in order, but I don’t think that anyone needs to lose their job or go to jail over this.

The FAA is investigating the incident.

Here’s the recording in case you want to hear it:

What do you think about this? Dangerous or harmless prank?

Photo Credit: Hunter-Desportes posted on Flickr

The plane is mostly carbon fiber with some titanium and probably some other exotic metals in the frame and whatnot. The thing that really grabs my attention tho, is how much the wings flex when the plane takes off.

Enough of my yappin

I love the emotions in this next video. You can totally hear a guy say “Go baby go!” and you can just tell how excited he is to be there and to be witnessing the plane taking off.