still around!
1 October 2006
I’ve been getting utterly swamped by classes (and just recently discovered that 24 is actually pretty good). Sorry about the two week dead zone.
A big ol’ batch of photos from Reno is up at Flickr in its entirety. While you’re Flickring, check out Martin’s UND aviation photos to see what we fly up here – his camera’s a lot better than my cameraphone, and he somehow finds the time to take photos in the air.
Interesting news in the aviation world lately, with Airbus announcing more A380 delays. The most bizarre twist in this ongoing series of screwups is that, according to analysts, the airlines don’t care! Airbus pays them off (effectively) each time the aircraft is delayed; the launch customers have now gotten back almost $35 million per plane, or 26% off. This is like buying something online and getting money back every week until they restock – nobody’s going to walk away or switch to Boeing when the price keeps going down.
Maybe by the time the A380 is in revenue service Airbus will be paying the airlines to accept free aircraft.
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awesome photos! looks like a bunch of fun… wish i could’ve gone haha! you guys have nice avionics haha! wish we got some of that down here!
Yeah… the air races are pretty amazing.
As for the avionics – they’re nice, but I’m not convinced GNS430s and full Avidyne glass cockpits are the way to go for training primary students. We’ll see, I suppose.
We had a Fly-In to the Reno Air Races. It was a lot of fun.
We are stationed on Boeing Field, and although your theory that few will switch to Boeing with Airbus’ prices falling,...Boeing is doing something right, their raking in the cash according to the news I’m reading…good stock as well..
hmmm…
Oh, I absolutely agree (I actually fly out of Paine Field, by their Everett factory, when I’m back home). The company itself is doing great, but they’re not likely to gain a lot of ‘switchers’, if you will, from the A380 to the new 747-8I. However, the 747-8F is now outselling the A380F - interesting results when you consider the 747 is basically a 30-year-old design.
The 787 is dominating the midsize twin-aisle market, though, and it’s likely to remain that way for some time. Boeing certainly isn’t going anywhere soon.