Airlines and the price of oil

The website Stop Oil Speculation Now was created to promote the belief that high oil prices are caused by rampant oil speculation, often by speculators who have no interest in actually buying oil. They just buy and sell and make money on the transactions. In the end, consumers pay for the profits taken by speculators. The airline industry, and others, are behind this site.

Now comes a counterpoint site called The Airline Oil Spin, created to discuss alternative views on oil speculation and the extent of its impact on the current state of the airline industry. A representative from that site writes to Thirty Thousand Feet:

We want to add to the discussion our perspective that not only do [the airline's] efforts distract from their own role in exacerbating their own financial situation, but that these actions are in line with the industry's practices of taking handouts through massive taxpayer subsidies without giving the public a fair return of quality service and jobs for passengers and workers.

The Airline Oil Spin asks visitors of the site to send a message to Congressional leaders, urging them to tie additional support for the airline industry to improved standards for airline passengers and workers.

Have a look and choose your side!

FAA issues AD for 777 ice in the fuel

The FAA has issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD 2008-19-04) for Boeing 777-200 and -300 models powered by Rolls Royce RB211 engines.  This is a response to the January 17, 2008 crash landing short of the runway at London Heathrow Airport.

The AD mandates Airplane Flight Manual revisions that call for ground and airborne action when fuel temperature goes below 0°C.

The investigation determined that over a long period of low power fuel flows and low fuel temperatures associated with cruise flight, ice can accumulate in the main tank fuel feed system and then release as a result of increased fuel flow when high thrust is commanded. When released, the ice could create a restriction within the engine fuel system. A restriction in the engine fuel system, if not corrected, could result in failure to achieve a commanded thrust, and consequent forced landing of the airplane. 

When certain conditions exist, the AD requires that the engines be cycled at maximum climb thrust.

Airworthiness Directive: Boeing Model 777-200 and -300 Series Airplanes Equipped With Rolls-Royce Model RB211-TRENT 800 Series Engines

Aviators who are women

Aviation may be a male-dominated industry, but the women are making inroads.

In Episode 15 of the Airplane Geeks Podcast, we welcome Lynn Gardner as our guest.  Lynn is a life-long aviation buff, a Citation X pilot, and a consultant for corporate and sport aviation.  She knows the industry and has a lot to say about it.

Listen in - no iPod necessary!

You can find many sites by and for woman aviators at the Women in Aviation page of ThirtyThousand Feet.

General aviation in China

This information was recently received at Thirty Thousand Feet:

The mission of Friends of China General Aviation (FCGA) is to foster awareness of general aviation among government officials, businesses, communities and individual citizens, and to encourage the development of general aviation in China.

Our organization was formed in January of 2008 by a small group of business people and professionals interested in the future of the general aviation industry in China . FoCGA is incorporated as a non-profit Mutual Benefit Corporation organized under the Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law of the State of California , and is governed by an 10 member Board of Directors. Membership is open to interested individuals and business entities—please see our membership page Join Us for further information.

FCGA seeks to aid in the establishment and development of the GA industry in China through education, advocacy and community outreach within China ; by connecting individuals and organizations to others interested in aviation in China; and providing access to aviation-related resources within and outside of China.

The FCGA website notes there are currently only an estimated 700 GA aircraft in China, most in agricultural or utility work. There are less than 150 civil-use airports, but over 100 more are planned by 2020.

As Western aviation companies look to China as a source of components and as a market for aircraft, and as indigenous design and manufacturing capability increases, perhaps GA growth there will accelerate.

If I was in the GA business, I'd be thinking about this.

Inflight WiFi

In Blogging at 37,000 feet, cnet blogger David Carnoy describes his success with the Gogo inflight internet system on his recent American Airlines flight.

...the speed is pretty impressive. Speakeasy's speed test clocked in at a 2,592 kpbs download speed and a 279 kbps upload speed. CNET's bandwidth meter pegged me at 1,122 kbps on the download side.

Video was a "little choppy," but overall the experience seemed good.

I think the airlines (at least American) now have an additional revenue stream that fliers will like.

Thanks to techinflight on Twitter for pointing this out. Be sure to follow his TechInFlight blog for the latest in In-Flight Entertainment.

Ice is probable cause for 777 crash

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Interim Report on the 17 January 2008 BA 777-200ER crash at London Heathrow Airport is out. You'll recall this is the incident where both aircraft engines failed to deliver commanded thrust.

Probable cause is found by the AAIB to be water ice in the fuel delivery system. Three recommendations are made (paraphrased):

2008-047: The FAA and the EASA, in conjunction with Boeing and Rolls-Royce, should introduce interim measures to reduce the risk of water ice causing a restriction in fuel feed systems.

2008-048: The FAA and EASA should consider the implication of the AAIB findings on other airframe/engine combinations.

2008-049: The FAA and the EASA should review the current certification requirements to ensure tolerance to a buildup and release of ice in the fuel feed system.

The AAIB Interim Report is available for download as a pdf. It makes interesting reading if you want more information about the findings or details about how 777 fuel systems work.