La Fille de l'Air : Y a-t-il une pilote dans l'avion ?

Japan bids farewell to Boeing 747 jumbo jet...

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The last Boeing 747 commercial passenger plane in Japan will take to the skies Monday when All Nippon Airways operates the plane from Naha to Tokyo.

The jumbo jet had been carrying passengers for more than 40 years in this country.

The aircraft that can transport more than 500 people and a large amount of cargo in its giant body has connected Japan with the rest of the world.

“I loved the outline of the plane that made everybody realize it was the jumbo jet,” said a 31-year-old company employee from Suita, Osaka Prefecture, during a tour inside a 747, held in an ANA hangar at Haneda Airport on March 22.

ANA’s last scheduled commercial passenger flight for the 747, Flight 126, will take off Monday at 12:35 p.m. from Naha, bound for Haneda Airport. The scheduled arrival time is 3 p.m. Seats on the flight were fully booked shortly after reservations started to be accepted.

ANA officials said the airline has been receiving messages almost every day from fans of the iconic aircraft, with saying, for example, “It’s unfortunate that it's being retired,” and “Thanks for giving us good memories.”

The 747 made its debut in Japan in March 1970, when a Pan American World Airways flight arrived at Haneda from the United States. About 10,000 people packed the airport to see the plane.

Japan Airlines began operating the 747 in July 1970. JAL once owned a fleet of more than 110 747s, including cargo planes, and used to be the world’s biggest operator of the aircraft.

For ANA, the 747 was the symbol of the beginning of its international flight operations. In 1986, ANA opened routes to the United States, introducing 747 aircraft one after another as it expanded its overseas routes.

“[The 747 planes] have raised ANA to the world stage as an airline,” said a 50-year-old pilot who has flown 747 aircraft for 21 years at ANA.

ANA’s last 747 flight uses the Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which is 70.7 meters long and 59.6 meters wide, according to the airline. As a passenger plane model, it is still one of the world’s largest aircraft. The main features are a set of four engines and the cockpit on the second floor of the body.

JAL discontinued using the 747 in March 2011. In Japan, the 747 will still be used as government planes and Nippon Cargo Airlines operates cargo versions of the aircraft.

ANA’s 747 often became a popular topic of conversation for the special, colorful painted decorations on the fuselage.

In 1993, ANA introduced the Marine Jumbo that had the image of a whale painted on the aircraft body.

In September last year when the last flight of ANA’s Pikachu Jumbo with the image of the Pikachu character of Pokemon fame arrived at Haneda Airport, a ground controller sent a message to the aircraft via wireless saying, “Thank you for having provided children with dreams for a long time.”

The pilot added, “Though I feel sad because it seems one era is coming to a close, [the 747] have supported Japan’s economic growth and continued flying into the 21st century. I’d like to say to the aircraft, ‘Thanks for all your hard work.’”

©TheJapanNews

Prochaine destination...

Dans une semaine, je serai, à cette heure-ci, arrivée en pleine Asie centrale dans un pays coincé entre le Turkménistan, l'Afghanistan, le Tadjikistan, le Kirghizistan, et le Kazakhstan (rien que ça, voui). Héhé... je veux parler de l'Ouzbékistan bien sûr !

On commencera par Tachkent, la capitale, puis direction Khiva, Boukhara, Chakhrissabz et Samarkand, grandes villes de la route de la soie.

Bien évidemment, je partagerai mes souvenirs en photos...

Décollage de Montréal...

 

©LaFilledelAir

Après une grosse tempête de neige samedi, le soleil a fait son apparition dimanche et a illuminé la ville de Montréal...

Holi days...

Des pilotes indiens suspendus après une danse en plein vol

La Direction générale de l'aviation civile locale a reproché au copilote d'être sorti du cockpit pour aller filmer la chorégraphie. Le pilote, lui, est sanctionné pour l'avoir laissé sortir, rapporte le "Times of India".

Par Francetv info
Publié le 21/03/2014 | 17:02

Que la croisière s'amuse, pourquoi pas. Mais dans un avion, attention. La Direction générale de l'aviation civile indienne a suspendu un pilote de la compagnie SpiceJet et son copilote, pour leur comportement lors d'une danse réalisée par l'équipage au cours d'un vol entre Goa et Bangalore, lundi 17 mars.

La Direction générale de l'aviation civile reproche en effet au copilote d'être sorti du cockpit pour aller filmer la chorégraphie réalisée à l'occasion de Holi, la fête des couleurs, qui marque l'arrivée du printemps. L'homme est d'ailleurs visible sur la vidéo, en train de tourner des images puis de frapper dans ses mains.

Une manière de surprendre les clients
"Le copilote est sorti du cockpit pour une raison qui n'était pas nécessaire", explique un porte-parole de la compagnie, cité par The Times of India (en anglais), vendredi 21 mars. "Il a donc été suspendu [par la Direction générale de l'aviation civile] et le commandant de bord, qui était dans le cockpit au même moment, a été suspendu pour avoir laissé son copilote sortir."

Les compagnies low cost indiennes tentent souvent de surprendre leurs clients avec des danses ou des spectacles, précise le blog consacré à l'Inde du Wall Street Journal (en anglais). Une manière pour elles de compenser leur retard sur les prestations offertes par les grandes compagnies. La compagnie SpiceJet a désormais quinze jours pour répondre à l'avertissement de la Direction générale de l'aviation civile.
©Francetvinfo

Pour en savoir plus sur la grandiose fête des couleurs indiennes, Holi.

Merci Philippe ! :-)

10 phrases à ne pas dire à une hôtesse ou un steward...

10 Things You Should Never Say to a Flight Attendant

Think twice before you say any of these things on a plane—unless you want your next in-flight drink to be served with a side of spit.

Can You Watch My Kids ?

You've paid plenty for your coach ticket, so now it's time to relax, take a nap, maybe let your kids run wild. The flight attendant's just sitting at the back of the plane, after all—you're sure she'll be happy to watch the little darlings, right? Wrong.

"I've had passengers get mad at me because we didn't have a play area on the plane. Another passenger came to the back of the plane and asked me where she could put her baby. She didn't want to hold it," flight attendant Heather Poole told Parade Magazine. Parents, wise up: Flight attendants already have enough to do.

Fetch Me...

We all wish we had a personal butler we could summon with the ring of a bell. But despite the presence of a call button above every airplane seat, the flight attendant is not that butler. "Fetch me a blanket" is a sure way to get on a flight attendant's bad side. Use the call button only when it's really necessary. If you want a glass of water, walk back to the galley and ask for it in person.

Stewardess ?

The word "stewardess" is about as contemporary as the glamorous coach-class experience of yesteryear. Both are gone forever. "Stewardess" was in vogue when women were the only people hired as flight attendants. Nowadays, it's common to see both men and women working the aisle, and the term "flight attendant" reflects this. Plus, these crewmembers do an important job aboard the plane beyond serving drinks.

Wait, What Kind of Drinks Do You Have ?

The beverage service doesn't just magically appear in front of you. The start of the service is usually announced on the PA system, along with a list of the beverages available on board that day. You might also find a card in your seatback pocket that lists what you can order (and the prices).

So if you're really craving something kind of unusual ("Do you have any Surge Soda on this flight?") or exotic ("Man, I could go for a can of cran-pineapple-berry-tang juice!"), consult your in-flight card to see if it's being served. Flight attendants hate having to run down the list of available drinks for every clueless passenger who asks. (And they'll hate you even more if you ask after they've just answered the same question for the person sitting next to you.)

Can You Help Me Lift My Bag ?

Congratulations. You've managed to cram everything you own into your carry-on bag. There's no way you're gate-checking it now, even if it does weigh 100 pounds. Who cares if you can't lift it—you'll just ask one of the flight attendants to heft it into the overhead bin for you. They're basically baggage handlers that come along for the ride, right?

You probably wouldn't think that way if you knew that 80 percent of respondents in a 2010 survey of Association of Flight Attendant members said that they had suffered injuries from carry-on bags in the past year. Also, since lifting bags into bins is not technically part of flight attendants' job descriptions, they won't get compensated if they get hurt helping you lift your bag.

I Will Blow Up This Plane If I Don't Get Bumped to First Class !

Your terrorism jokes aren't funny. Ever. Instead of laughs, the joke's on you: That idle threat will get you kicked off the plane and possibly arrested.

This Drink Is Too Expensive !

Yes, that drink is too expensive. But whining to the flight attendant isn't going to change anything. Do you really think the CEO of a major airline consults with the flight attendants before raising prices on drinks? Trust us, the flight attendant to whom you're complaining is not making a commission off overpriced gin and tonics. (Starting salaries for flight attendants can be as low as $14,000 per year, and there's definitely no kickback from expensive drinks in there.)

I Miss the Good Old Days of Hot Flight Attendants

Remember the "good old days" when flight attendants were required to be young, single, and hot? Well, we bet the last flight attendant you harassed can remember the good old days when passengers were expected to be friendly, well dressed, and polite. Keep your misogynistic thoughts to yourself, you dirty old man.

I'll Turn Off My Phone in One More Minute !

Different airlines have different policies about the use of electronic devices during takeoff and landing. Once you're on the plane, though, the flight attendant's word is law. So when you're asked to turn off your phone or laptop, it means now, people. Holding up your finger to signal one more minute is rude. Stop it.

Can You Throw Away This Bag of Vomit for Me ?

Flight attendants see enough gross stuff already. They don't need to be tasked with throwing away your used air-sickness bag or your baby's dirty diaper. Walk to the lavatory and throw it away yourself. (And if you're throwing away a dirty diaper, that raises another question: Where are you changing that kid? Please don't do it on the tray table.)

--By Caroline Morse
©Huffington Post