Short Finals

As detailed in Newsdesk the PRC-105, as our born again Electra/Orion has been designated, will offer economy class seating for 105 passengers, low DOCs and an answer to China’s domestic airline capacity shortage. Perhaps Boeing will offer a propfan Stratocruiser and BAe an all-composite Britannia!

Not to be outdone, Boeing lauched its PR salvo against rivals Airbus and McDonnell Douglas and their respective ultra-long-range A340 and MD-11 airliners with a nineteen nineties version of the old 747SP.

Not an SP though, but now an Advanced Short Body (ASB) obviously aimed at airline marketing execs with short memories. Not that the SP was a failure, just that its purpose petered out as its bigger brother grew longer legs through the use of more powerful and fuel-efficient engines. While Boeing claim a maximum payload range around a thousand miles greater than its two competitors one does SlJspect though that the aircraft has to all intents and purposes become more a tanker than an airliner. Like comparing the PRC-105s seat/kilometre fuel burn to a Fokker 100 or 737-300, the latest Boeing floater may well sink due to its high per mile fuel burn just as its SP cousin did in the late seventies.

And now for something completely different. . .

Those readers who regularly undertake very long flights of numerous sectors might just find our next item thought-provoking.

A friend of mine, who is perennially fitter than should be decently possible, recently suggested to me that I try the airline’s vegetarian menu on my next long-range flight. Notbeing much of a carnivore I could see his logic in that the vegetarian food the airlines serve is mostly much lighter and overall healthier than the ubiquitous flying chicken and veal steakette that one is typically served in a dozen different forms during a long journey.

Just such an opportunity came up recently to test his theory on one of those trips that only aviation people are mad enough to contemplate – a Canberra/Toulouse journey that took in 6 sectors aboard 5 different aircraft types operated by 4 airlines, total journey time was a numbing 37 hours. Obviously after a flight of this duration you will be tired, though generally speaking I did feel much better off for having eaten a lighter, less salty and certainly lower fat and calorific diet. Additionally, the food overall was much more interesting. Vegetarian airline dishes abound in all sorts of interesting assortments of rice, curries, pastas, etc and of course vegetables prepared in a far more interesting vein than would normally be the case.

The other trick is, and the airlines will probably hate us for saying this, is that we feel that in economy class that the vegetarian meal is superior in quality to the normal fare and you do get served first, which up back on a packed 747 is a distinct advantage.

It’s only a suggestion but if you respect your body enough to watch your diet and want to get to the “other end” feeling lighter and more alive then next time you book a long flight- give it a go.

Next Issue

Our November issue again hosts our annual Helicopter Operators Directory which lists the various operators under their applicable tasks in addition to providing a census on the different types in operation locally and their registrations. We also continue our regular DofA Aircraft Register Update which lists all the new allocations, changes of ownership, aircraft returning to the register and deletions that would have occurred in the July through September period.

November issue also hosts our special Farnborough Report in addition to articles on Air Queensland’s ATR42 and at the other end of the spectrum the unique Heron fleet of Air Tasmania. Part I of our historical review of the Israeli Air Force also commences as does Part II of the history of TAA. We look at where British Aerospace has gone since its incorporation in the late seventies and also report on the Army’s case for acquiring the RAAF’s helicopter assets. Paul Dibb is interviewed on the industrial implications of his Report while Australia’s first jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor, is the subject of our in-depth Profile.

Then there are all our regular features – Reece, Newsdesk, Yesteryear, Airline Affairs, Warbirds, Rotor Torque, Ultralight News, Defence Update, NZ News, Traffic and Aeromart.

The November edition will be on sale early November so order a copy today from your local news agency or subscribe direct and save up to $32 over the course of a three year subscription. Full details are presented on the centrespread insert in this edition.

(Please note that due to technical reasons, there may occasionally have to be a variation from the above-mentioned content)