The first class guys have a ways to slide!!!!!!
Posted on 05/03/2005 3:58:01 AM PDT by Gengis Khan
The transatlantic tussle has shifted continents and the next confrontation may well take place at the Chief Vigilance Commissioner’s doorstep in New Delhi. Airbus, the France-led consortium, is incensed that it lost the Rs 30,000 crore contract for reinforcing Air India’s fleet to that flying symbol of American hegemony, Boeing. Word is still not out whether Jacques Chirac has been requisitioned to have the Assemblee Nationale to take note of the issue, but hints from Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, are that this strident assertion of American unilateralism will not be tolerated. An US company will not be allowed to wing the Air India deal without a flutter on the streets of New Delhi. In this dogfight, at stake is presumably nothing less than an assertion of a multi-polar world.
Europe, with France always in the lead, has since the 1960s been extremely sensitive to shakeouts in civil aviation. It responded to rising bottomlines of American aviation majors — once a grand troika of Boeing, Mcdonnell Douglas and Lockheed — the staple European way: by pumping in subsidies to shore up a local competitor. America, they said, had massive domestic demand to keep its civil aviation sector viable — Europe’s flag must float on government aid. That is, if egalite cannot be won by the invisible hand of the market, continental pride must be secured through state intervention. It then is, one supposes, just a leap of logic to demand that other governments also be inducted into this spirited battle against American imperium. If the market mechanism cannot deliver the deal to Airbus, the Indian government must. If no violation of fair trade protocols can be proved, the brains trust in Toulouse clearly feels, seeds of a spicy scandal can neatly be planted.
Not so fast. This is where New India must firmly tick off Old Europe with a firm and resounding “non”. India is slowly, and hopefully surely, on the way to massive programme of upgrading infrastructure. It cannot have it skies emptied of reinforcements just because European companies have lost out on a piece of the pie. The transatlantic battle is best returned to its natural habitat: at the portal of a fast food outlet on the Champs Elysees.
I wonder if France will throw a fit if they don't get the fighter deal from the Indian Air Force.
LOL! You are right. If now they lose the 150-250 fighter jet deal to say F/A-18s after being the favourites for so long......they might just decide to declare war on India.....and then surrender immidiately.
While we're on Airbus: Der Spiegel reports this week that the A-380's biggest test is still to come. By the end of the year in Hamburg they will do the evacuation test where 800 people have to bail out in 90 seconds or better.
Since Airbus can't find enough of its own employees to meet the demographic requirements (older, female, etc) it is scouring local sports clubs to find volunteers.
Stay tuned.
The first class guys have a ways to slide!!!!!!
There is NO WAY 800+ normal passengers can be evacuated from the A380 within 90 seconds.
Of course, Airbus will presumably recruit company employees and specially recruited atheletes for the test, all with instructions to evacuate the airplane within 90 seconds -- or else. There won't be any elderly, children, or handicapped persons among them.
That will hardly be a fair test, however. I hope the FAA judges the test accordingly.
Oh hell, 800 people in 90 seconds? How are they going to manage that without people getting trampled? How do you even simulate that? If they know there is no danger then the test wont be accurate.
Actually, the FAA and EASA (formerly the JAA) have strict requirements for the evacuation tests involving the number of elderly and children that have to be involved. Don't know about the handicapped, though. I believe it is done in the dark too. They even throw some luggage in the aisles to simulate the mess likely to be on board following an crash. It's not all favorable to the manufacturer. They can't use all 125 LB teenage sprinters for the test.
Actually, from that picture and what I know about how Airbus "suggests" the location of the First class seating section, they'll be sliding out either the first or second doors on the main deck.
It is more difficult in practice than one might imagine. I have done it twice. The second was only to prove that I wasn't as cowardly as it appeared the first time. It was only a little better. I have to believe that there would be no hesitation with terrorists or a fire behind you.
Speaking of behinds, the seat of ones pants gets extremely hot due to friction while sliding down.
Even if you get 800 Navy seal or Green Berret, it will be impossible to evacuate them in 90 seconds.
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