Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Putting the Scare in US Airways
It's been a difficult couple of days for US Airways. Already burdened with a not-so-good reputation, two unrelated events definitely didn't help matters today, giving the beleaguered carrier another black eye, or two.
First, a piece of a wing fell off a US Airways flight, cracking a passenger's window. The 757 lost about eight square feet of wing in mid-air while en route to Philadelphia. There was some minor damage to the tube, a cracked window, but ultimately nothing terribly serious - although extremely scary. The flight didn't even cut itself short, electing not to divert to BWI. There were no injuries, although at least one passenger did lose her cookies in fright, according to some news reports.
However, the other piece of scary news involves a pilot mistaking his cockpit for a firing range, accidentally shooting a gun while landing in Charlotte this Saturday. Seriously. Nobody injured here and pilots are allowed to carry arms, thanks to some panic legislation in the wake of 9/11. There was no danger to the aircraft as a result of the discharge, according to officials, but the A319 has been taken out of service, at least temporarily.
Does this mean US Airways is unsafe? No, of course not. These are both freak accidents. But having them happen so close together is more than a little unsettling. For the nervous flier, it's not a good sign and just another reason to avoid an airline that doesn't generally have a lot to attract fliers with to start.
First, a piece of a wing fell off a US Airways flight, cracking a passenger's window. The 757 lost about eight square feet of wing in mid-air while en route to Philadelphia. There was some minor damage to the tube, a cracked window, but ultimately nothing terribly serious - although extremely scary. The flight didn't even cut itself short, electing not to divert to BWI. There were no injuries, although at least one passenger did lose her cookies in fright, according to some news reports.
However, the other piece of scary news involves a pilot mistaking his cockpit for a firing range, accidentally shooting a gun while landing in Charlotte this Saturday. Seriously. Nobody injured here and pilots are allowed to carry arms, thanks to some panic legislation in the wake of 9/11. There was no danger to the aircraft as a result of the discharge, according to officials, but the A319 has been taken out of service, at least temporarily.
Does this mean US Airways is unsafe? No, of course not. These are both freak accidents. But having them happen so close together is more than a little unsettling. For the nervous flier, it's not a good sign and just another reason to avoid an airline that doesn't generally have a lot to attract fliers with to start.
Labels: fear of flying, planes, travel, us airways
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Virgin Atlantic trades Jet Fuel for Tanning Lotion
Virgin Atlantic has long been my favorite airline that I never fly. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for the "cool" branding of certain products, and gimmicks that make a company look and feel bigger than they might actually be. Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic is a classic example of this. When he offered to fly Concorde after Air France and British Airways retired it, I hoped his quest would be a success (it wasn't.) I secretly cheer on the Virgin Galactic project, even though I don't wanna be anywhere near that Spaceship thing. And now, I'm quietly excited as Branson pioneers the use of Bio-Fuels in his jets.
Earlier today, Virgin Atlantic performed a test flight where they replaced Jet fuel with a mixture of Coconut and other oils. Apparently the flight went well, although they aren't sure if the trip ended up acheiving its goal of reducing a jumbo jet's carbon footprint. They won't know for some days. But it probably will help keep the price of flying down, if the project turns out to be a success. And for the average traveler, this is just as important as being more ecologically sensitive.
You can always grow more coconuts, but eventually we're going to run out of oil. Biofuels have helped keep the cost of fuel down in a number of places, because it has reduced reliance on oil production. For example, in Brazil, they have energy independence, meeting most of their traditional petroleum needs at home, and now with half of the cars in the state running off fuel from sugar cane. And the Sugar Cane Fuel (Alcool) runs half the price of regular gas. Biofuels are a real legitimate intermediate step in fighting climate change, and also in keeping energy costs down. And probably necessary to keep the idea of cheap travel alive in the next 30 years.
Earlier today, Virgin Atlantic performed a test flight where they replaced Jet fuel with a mixture of Coconut and other oils. Apparently the flight went well, although they aren't sure if the trip ended up acheiving its goal of reducing a jumbo jet's carbon footprint. They won't know for some days. But it probably will help keep the price of flying down, if the project turns out to be a success. And for the average traveler, this is just as important as being more ecologically sensitive.
You can always grow more coconuts, but eventually we're going to run out of oil. Biofuels have helped keep the cost of fuel down in a number of places, because it has reduced reliance on oil production. For example, in Brazil, they have energy independence, meeting most of their traditional petroleum needs at home, and now with half of the cars in the state running off fuel from sugar cane. And the Sugar Cane Fuel (Alcool) runs half the price of regular gas. Biofuels are a real legitimate intermediate step in fighting climate change, and also in keeping energy costs down. And probably necessary to keep the idea of cheap travel alive in the next 30 years.
Labels: environment, planes, travel, virgin atlantic
