CHINA AIRLINES co brands it's newest B777-300ER

In recognition of a 50 year association with Boeing and joining the aircraft manufacturer in it's centenary celebrations, CHINA AIRLINES newest addition to it's fleet of B777's has emerged in a livery scheme common to both the airline and Boeing.

Headquartered in Taoyuan, CHINA AIRLINES is the largest carrier in Taiwan with a fleet of 90 aircraft carrying more than 13 million passengers per year to 118 destinations. With this latest addition to an existing fleet of nine B777's, Taiwan's flag carrier airline continues to bolster it's international routes into North America and European destinations.

Each of the airlines 777-300ER aircraft are configured in 358 seats hosting seating among 3 classes.
With it's co-branded livery the airline has also introduced a new "state of the art" design in the economy class layout. The Family Couch Seating configuration makes it the only airline in north Asia to offer this seating style where three economy seats convert into a flat surface to offer added relaxation on long haul flights.

TAAG ANGOLA AIRLINE celebrates delivery of a B777-ER 300 making it Southern Africa's largest operator of B777's

TAAG Angola Airline, flag carrier of the oil rich West African nation has added to its fleet of B777 aircraft the 300 ER series elevating the airline as the largest fleet operator of B777 in Southern Africa.
The aircraft will form the backbone of the airlines long haul routes complimenting a twice daily airline schedule to Portugal and serving 31other local and international destinations.

Departing on a nonstop 8700nm flight from Boeing's delivery centre at Everett Field in Washington, the aircraft flew direct to the airlines base at the Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Luanda.

The new B777-300ER claimed to be the most fuel and cost efficient wide body airplane is also recognised with the highest cargo capability of similar twin isle passenger aircraft.
Further improvements are planned in 2016 to reduce fuel consumption by a further two percent.

Van Rex Gallard, Boeing's Vice President Commercial Airplane Sales in the region says "The 777-300ER provides TAAG with improved efficiencies and it's a great source of pride that TAAG continues to be an all Boeing carrier."

A DAY AT THE HORSE RACES WILL BE DIFFERENT when SKY G.P. comes to Durban

Horse Racing is big business and in Durban on South Africa's the east coast the winter racing season is in full swing. This year on May 28 adding to the intrigue and excitement of the Daily News 2000 Grade1 Horse Race, the sky overhead Greyville Race Course and the Royal Durban Golf Course will become the stage for ten international aerobatic pilots competing in a unique aerobatic competition.
Racing a against the clock the pilots will perform sequences of "Unlimited Aerobatic" sequences for spectators watching from grandstand seating positioned along the main straight of the race course.

SKY GRAND PRIX is a unique product like no other aviation event in the world sanctioned and endorsed by F.A.I, the world controlling body of sport aviation. 

The competition limited to CIVA Unlimited Aerobatic Pilots is the brainchild of Nigel Hopkins South Africa's multiple national Unlimited Aerobatic Champion and his venture partner, Durban businessman, Roger Deere. Their intention it is to bring aerobatics closer to spectators seated in grand stands overlooking the Royal Durban Golf Course and  Greyville Horse Race Course. 

The competition sanctioned by the Recreational Aviation Association of SA (RAASA) is designed that the pilots will enter the "competition box" between two inflated pylons elevated at 150 feet. Climbing in the vertical to 2000 feet executing roll maneuvers and stall turns as the sequence dictate and at the end of each sequence of which there are seven, the pilots will exit each sequence at low level between the 150ft  pylons before entering into the following sequence, again from between the pylons positioned to create maximum entertainment for the spectators.

Six aircraft based and owned by the South Africa pilots competing in the Grand Prix will be shared among the 5 visiting foreign pilots which include Rob Holland, the Unlimited Aerobatic champion of the U.S.A. Nigel Hopkins flying his new single seat XTRA 330 SC will be sharing with Rob Holland a professional aerobatics pilot for 15 years has also won 6 World 4 minute Freestyle Championships

and in 2008 became the World Advanced Aerobatic Champion.

Let feminine good looks not deceive any uninformed spectator, 34 year old AUDE LEMORDANT is an aviator extraordinaire competing in a sport often dominated by male counterparts. If any pilot has the credentials to lay claim to winning the SKY GRAND PRIX this young french pilot certainly has. Employed as a B777 captain by Air France this lady has unquestionable credentials all proven by her world champion achievements.

Aude Lemordant : 2009 Qualified to fly for the French Aerobatic Team

                              2012 Became the European Freestyle Champion

                              2013 Became Unlimited World aerobatic Champion

Her talents will be well and truly tested on May 28 by nine other world class aerobatic pilots

     

MID OCEAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (VRMG) due to open at GAN Island in the Maldives

The airway linking Southern African countries and Asian block countries of the Far East is separated by a vast section of open ocean of about 4500 nautical miles.  There are few optional airports suitably equipped to accomodate intercontinental aircraft that might need to divert from an original flight plan route between South Africa, Thailand, Singapore or Hong Kong

The USAF base established midway on the airway at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago of islands is situated 200nm due south of GAN Island in the Maldives but restricted to U.S military aircraft stationed in the Indian Ocean.
However, soon to commence accepting schedule international airline traffic in the area is the new international airport on GAN Island situated among the most southern group of islands in the Republic of Maldives.

Expansion of the new international airport is centered around the existing concrete runway built originally by British military forces during the 2nd World War so that Gan Island could serve as tech stopover for allied aircraft operating between England the the Far East. The single runway stretching across the entire length of the island has recently been extended by 900 meters reaching into the sea to accomodate large intercontinental airliners

Intended to alleviate congestion of air traffic at Male's Nahir International Airport, the new airport at GAN is designed to accept Code E aircraft including B747, B777 A330 and A350 aircraft used by most major airlines operating into the Maldives  .
The base material for the additional 900 metre of runway stretching across a section of sea had been reclaimed by excavating 786,000 cubic metres of coral dredge material from the sea bed. The excavated coral dredge is regarded to be the ideal base substance needed to construct a runway over reclaimed water. The deep water channel created by the excavation next to the extended runway will become the future base for Float Planes complimenting the expansion and development of new resorts on the islands in the southern Adu Atoll.

Improvement across the entire 2960 meter of runway between the thresholds of runway 28/10 has raised the paving rating to 65R/B/WU   Capping the  entire 3500m length of runway including the Stop ways with a 30cm thick slab of concrete required 158 thousand tons of aggregate, sand and cement, all of which had to be imported to the Maldives from India
The existing approach aid onto runways 20/10 is a VOR facility.  A new approach with revised limits is due to be published by the Maldivian CAA

The official commencement of scheduled airline traffic to the new Gan International Airport, (VRMG) is expected mid year of 2016

BOEING logs succesful 737- Max 8 maiden flight

737 MAX 8 remains on track for first delivery in third quarter of 2017

Commemorating a centenary of airplane manufacture, the all new 737 MAX 8 took to the skies for the first time achieving a scheduled milestone which begins a comprehensive flight-test program before leading to certification and delivery of the first aircraft in 2017.

With the latest technology LEAP -1B engines from CFM International and Boeing designed Advanced Technology Winglets, the first member of the efficient 737MAX family completed a 2 hour, 47 minute flight, taking off from Renton Field in Renton, Washington

With the other three members of the 737MAX 8 flight test fleet currently in different stages of final assembly, the 737 MAX remains on track for delivery to launch customer Southwest Airlines in the 3rd quarter of 2017.

The 737 MAX will extend the Next Generation737 range advantage with the capability to fly more than 3500 nautical mile