Category: FlightBlogger

Singapore — Cessna, Hawker and BJets announced the largest ever order for business jets in Asia. The order, which is valued at 600 million dollars is for 20 Cessna Citation CJ2+ and 20 Hawker 850XP and 900XP jets plus an additional 10 options.

BJets which is expected to begin premium charter service in the second quarter of 2008 and will be based centrally around a home bases in Mumbai and Singapore. Today’s announcement marks the official unveiling for BJets which has established a place holder website to promote its impendng launch. bjets.com

BJets will have the biggest fleet of private jets in Asia in its first 365 days of operation. The operation capitalizes on massive economic growth in Asia. BJets is Asia’s first fractional private jet company.

Mark Baier, the CEO of BJets said, “Finally, India and Southeast Asia the two most dynamic regions in the world will have their own first true and dedicated private jet operator. Asian economies are expanding at a phenomenal pace and BJets will serve the immense growing demand for safe, efficient and reliable private jet travel.”

Posted Wirelessly on Location

Dreamliner Sim

Originally uploaded by flightblogger

787 simulator tail number NCC1701E. Yeah, you read that right.

Sent from my handheld.

MSN001

Originally uploaded by flightblogger

A380 F-WWOW MSN001 on static display. We’ll have more photos and video
later today.

Sent from my handheld.

Good morning from South East Asia. After 25 hours of traveling, I’ve arrived in Singapore. The second leg of the flight was relatively smooth and uneventful. ANA Flight 901 on 767-300ER JA615A took about seven and a half hours. The aircraft was sporting a 777 signature interior including a nose camera. Our departure from NRT was delayed about forty-five minutes because of a failure in some section of the Tokyo datalink communications system. I spoke with the pilots after the flight who said that as a result, ATC was spacing flights six minutes apart.

Upon landing, I was able to spot one of the two SIA A380s as well, it stands out like a 470 passenger sore thumb. More pictures of her later.

It’s a toasty 24 degrees Celsius here with 94% humidity right now, so the air show should be quite, er…warm when it gets to a high of 33. For those on the other side of the planet, that’s about 92 degrees.

I’ll be heading to the show this morning and I should have full wireless connectivity. I’ll be posting photos from my iPhone directly to the blog throughout the day and have several interviews scheduled.

I’m here in Singapore for you, so tell me what you want to see and hear. I have a digital audio recorder with me and we’ll be producing podcasts throughout the week. If there’s a question you want asked to one of the companies here, let me know. Airplane detail you’d like to see, don’t hesitate to ask. I want to give you the air show experience too.

Onward.

Quick Stop at Narita

Originally uploaded by flightblogger

The 7000 mile first leg is done. On the ground in Tokyo. Next stop
Singapore to tonight. My ride from the states was a 54 week old ANA
777-300ER JA778A that was delivered from Everett on January 24, 2007.
Interestingly enough, parts of this airport resemble the United
terminal at Dulles. There are at least a dozen 777 & 747 here.

Sent from my handheld.

Just released:
Image Courtesy The Boeing Company

Final Assembly Begins on Another Boeing 787 Dreamliner

More and more every week, new A380 superjumbos are being seen out and about at Toulouse.

MSN013 – F-WWSJ – A6-EDB – Emirates

MSN019 – F-WWSP – 9V-SKG – Singapore Airlines

Both images courtesy of David Barrie

A buzz has been floating through Everett these last few days. An excitement not felt since the July 2007 roll out of Dreamliner One. In the evening hours on the 10th of February a modified 747-400 touched down after its brief journey from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas.

On board was a payload both significant for its level of completion and what it represents for the future of the 787 program. Under a cold, wet and cloudy Washington sky, a parcel of progress found its way into Building 40-36 at the Boeing plant in Everett.

The precious cargo was the nose section for Dreamliner Two, which is destined to be the second 787 to take to the skies.

The nose structure (Section 41), which was manufactured by Spirit Aerosystems, arrived largely complete, stuffed with its windows, windshield wipers, doors, ducting, wiring, insulation, flight deck bulkhead, significant flight deck structure and much more. All flight deck equipment, such as panels, controls and LCD screens are installed in Everett. Section 41 also shipped with its radome installed to protect the honeycomb radar that had already been installed underneath.

This is the first A380 for Air France, MSN033. It will wear F-HPJA when it enters service with the French Flag Carrier. The parts for this aircraft were delivered in December to Toulouse for final assembly.

Special thanks to David Barrie for assisting with the image.

Virginia Wild Fires, originally uploaded by flightblogger.

Virginia wild fires as seen on SV @ Roanoke on final approach.

Sent from my handheld.