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What was it like to fly on the A380?
news.bbc.co.uk ^ | 10/25/2007 | Laurence Watts

Posted on 10/30/2007 6:12:28 AM PDT by WesternCulture

As my taxi pulled up at Changi airport, I knew this was going to be a special day - the day of the first A380 commercial flight was finally here.

The airport had long been adorned with banners and posters declaring Singapore "A380 ready" and anticipating the flight.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: a380; aeroplanes; aerospace; airbus; aircraft; aircrafts; airtravel; aviation; europe; flights; flying; france; luxury; singapore; singaporeairlines; travel; traveling; travelling
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To: businessprofessor

If you got to ask this you may want to reconsider your nickname.


41 posted on 10/30/2007 8:10:45 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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To: WesternCulture
I had the first one fly right over me at the Paris Air show in '05. Was something to see, especially when it dwarfed the 747 that it it was parked next to.

Nevertheless, this is very much a white elephant. The fact that the international carriers preferred the 777, 767, and even their own A340 over the jumbo 747 should have told Airbus something about the market appetite for Ginormous aircraft.

42 posted on 10/30/2007 8:13:47 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: ari-freedom

“here’s no such thing as a truly competitive contract from the govt, especially when it comes to the military. I can’t imagine the govt considering buying German planes and Chinese missiles.”

Boeing lost a competition with Lockheed to build the Joint Strike Fighter.


43 posted on 10/30/2007 8:15:04 AM PDT by Soliton (Freddie T is the one for me! (c))
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To: WesternCulture
My fave airplant to fly is the 777, especially with Stage 4 compliance. HATE flying the 757 or A340 on international flights.

The A320 is Airbus's signature model, and one that I actually don't mind flying. I'll try the A380 when it is delivered to Emirates, but know that it will be a pain in the posterior waiting to board it at JFK.

44 posted on 10/30/2007 8:16:42 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: WesternCulture

I have the feeling that soemthing is going to change...

I see a large bridge in your future.


45 posted on 10/30/2007 8:18:06 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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To: WesternCulture
WS:

The United States of America is the most advanced technological nation on the planet, period. It is the world technological superpower and it is form the United States where the vast majority of scientific breakthroughs have been coming for the last 60 years. I asked you what did the French make in term of scientific breakthrough in the last 60 years, you answered a lot but you could not name a single one.

46 posted on 10/30/2007 8:19:42 AM PDT by jveritas (God bless our brave troops and President Bush)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

For a plane that’s “not selling”... it seems to be selling rather well. The 747-800 has 90 sales, 44 options, 15 additional purchase rights.


47 posted on 10/30/2007 8:20:14 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Rummenigge

I want evidence about subsidies. The poster asserted that Boeing has direct subsidies comparable to those received by Airbus. Do you have evidence about direct federal subsidies to Boeing for development and production of commercial aircraft?

I believe there are export subsidies but these are given as offsets to the VAT rebates that Airbus receives. Other companies also receive these subsidies. I believe that the EU won a WTA case against these subsidies so they have been stopped. If you have knowledge about these export subsidies and other direct subsidies, please elaborate.


48 posted on 10/30/2007 8:20:46 AM PDT by businessprofessor
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To: Squawk 8888

The concorde paid off on only two routes - NY / London and NY/Paris.

On 9/11 most of it’s customers literaly died and then so did the concept.

(It had no reach for anything other and couldn’t be used over land because of the noise a plane makes if supersonic)


49 posted on 10/30/2007 8:20:52 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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To: Rummenigge

The Concorde failed because cutting down travel time from 7 to 4 hours doesn’t mean much when you take into account the difference in time zones.


50 posted on 10/30/2007 8:24:58 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: Rummenigge

I wonder how al Qaeda views the A320?


51 posted on 10/30/2007 8:25:23 AM PDT by Loud Mime (Life was better when cigarette companies could advertise and lawyers could not)
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To: Lou L

In planing further then a year and planning with synergies.


52 posted on 10/30/2007 8:29:46 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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To: Clemenza

Asian and Middle eastern airlines have already placed orders for the A380 and more would come in once Airbus delivers those initial orders. US airlines are behind the game, years behind other major international airlines, so it would take a while for an American airline to introduce A380 in its routes.


53 posted on 10/30/2007 8:29:59 AM PDT by GregH
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To: Comstock1

“I completely agree with you that the current status of air travel is a great argument for more high speed trains. Unfortunately, the scale required for effective interstate travel is tremendously expensive. It would require some of those government/business partnerships that we just don’t do well in the US—reference “The Big Dig” in Boston.”

- The Big Dig sure has been a problematic enterprise, but I don’t know if it’s typically American to fail in the department of government/business cooperation. But in any case, I guess you’re right in assuming such a partnership will be necessary if the US is going to get more of high speed trains.

“Also, please don’t use the term “US Americans.” It is a politically motivated term that was calculated to antagonize Americans. At least in my case it works.”

- Okay, I’ll remember that. However, the term “Americans” isn’t really correct, even if it mostly ‘means’ citizens of the USA when people talk about “Americans”.

Would you say “US citizens” is a better expression than “US Americans”?


54 posted on 10/30/2007 8:30:14 AM PDT by WesternCulture
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To: GregH
There is no reason to. Most airlines would prefer the flexibility of mid-sized aircraft for international routes, as they can easily be transitioned between routes based on landing capacity (not every airport can handle the A380) or demand (you can't always fill a 747 or A380).

Still waiting to see what they will do with the A350 program.

55 posted on 10/30/2007 8:32:59 AM PDT by Clemenza (Rudy Giuliani, like Pesto and Seattle, belongs in the scrap heap of '90s Culture)
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To: Soliton

and practically all of lockheed’s sales are to govts. So lockheed has a big advantage there.


56 posted on 10/30/2007 8:33:56 AM PDT by ari-freedom (I am for traditional moral values, a strong national defense, and free markets.)
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To: WesternCulture
Would you say “US citizens” is a better expression than “US Americans”?

"Americans" is how we think of ourselves.

OTOH, Mexicans regard themeslves as "Americans" and are somewhat offended by the American presumption that only people in the US are from the Americas...

You can't win this one...

57 posted on 10/30/2007 8:52:13 AM PDT by null and void (Franz Kafka would have killed himself in despair if he lived in the world we inhabit today.)
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To: Spktyr
For a plane that’s “not selling”... it seems to be selling rather well. The 747-800 has 90 sales, 44 options, 15 additional purchase rights.

The 747-8 passenger version has only 20 sales to Lufthansa, plus five in Boeing Business Jet configuration. The other 65 are 747-8F freighter versions, which were expected to sell well. The passenger market hasn't embraced the plane - it's apparently waiting to see where fuel costs go and how the 787 works out.

All I know is that when I go to SFO there are 777s everywhere - visually, it looks like the aircraft of choice for trans-Pacific travel.

58 posted on 10/30/2007 8:52:43 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ("Wise men don't need to debate; men who need to debate are not wise." -- Tao Te Ching)
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To: businessprofessor

“I want evidence about subsidies. The poster asserted that Boeing has
direct subsidies comparable to those received by Airbus.”

I’m not a business person, but having just scanned though “Boeing Versus
Airbus”, the impression I get is both companies try to get any advantage
from the governments they deal with...which to my naive ears sounds
like “business as usual”.

One thing I’ll say about the book...given the twists and turns of
Boeing over the past couple of decades, it’s fairly amazing they are
in as good a shape as they are now.

Boeing versus Airbus: The Inside Story of the Greatest
International Competition in Business
by John Newhouse
http://www.amazon.com/Boeing-versus-Airbus-International-Competition/dp/1400078725/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7855343-0492853?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193759073&sr=1-1


59 posted on 10/30/2007 8:54:00 AM PDT by VOA
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To: Loud Mime

They will find that it’s a plane.


60 posted on 10/30/2007 8:54:02 AM PDT by Rummenigge (there's people willing to blow out the light because it casts a shadow)
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