How to know your Airbus from Boeing August 12, 2010
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in Airlines, Aviation, Travel.Tags: A300, A310, A318, A319, A320, A321, A330, A340, A350, A380, Airbus, Aviation, B737, B747, B747-8 Intercontinental, B757, B767, B777, B787, Boeing, Dreamliner, Planespotting
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Many of us admire airplanes for the graceful, elegant and sleek flying machines that they are.
How many of you have wondered about the type or kind of the aircraft that you are traveling in or flying over you in the sky? Is it a Boeing or an Airbus? Is it an A330 or a B777?
Here’s a simple aircraft identification guide for those with a budding interest in aviation. I’ll try to make this post as visual as possible since plane-spotting works best by observing as many different types of aircraft as possible and drawing your own inferences. Now sit back, relax and enjoy this journey!
A Video Journey of First Airbus A380 Deliveries July 6, 2013
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in Airlines, Aviation.Tags: A380, Air France, Airbus, british airways, China Southern Airlines, Delivery Flight, Emirates, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways
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On 3rd July, 2013, British Airways became the world’s 10th airline to become an Airbus A380 operator.
Here’s a look back into time when these 10 airlines took delivery of their first Airbus A380s. As you can see from these compendium of videos provided by Airbus, A380 delivery ceremonies are lavish and elaborate affairs, with beaming airline executives taking delivery of their mighty superjumbos in the company of Airbus executives. These events are lapped up by global media and aviation enthusiasts and often culminate in a take-off of the A380s from the Delivery Centre to their home bases, where they are accorded a royal welcome.
Singapore Airlines on 15th October, 2007 became the first airline in the world to take delivery of the A380.
Emirates followed suit on 28th July, 2008 and is today the world’s largest operator of the A380, with 35 in fleet and 55 on order. Make sure you watch this video capturing one of the grandest A380 delivery ceremonies ever!
Qantas on 19th September, 2008
Air France was the first European airline to join the elite A380 club on 30th October, 2009
Lufthansa on 19th May, 2010
Korean Air on 24th May, 2011
China Southern Airlines on 14th October, 2011
Malaysia Airlines on 29th May, 2012
Thai Airways on 27th September, 2012
And most recently,
British Airways on 3rd July, 2013
Emirates Aviation Experience takes-off in London July 5, 2013
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in Airlines, Aviation.Tags: A380, Airbus, Aviation, B777, Boeing, Emirates, Emirates Air Line, Flight, Greenwich, London, Simulator
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Are you fascinated by the magic of flying? London now has a new tourist attraction that will appeal to all aviation lovers – The Emirates Aviation Experience.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, at the opening of the Emirates Aviation Experience
The Emirates Aviation Experience, which costs in excess of £4 million, will take you on an interactive journey into the world of flight. In a UK first, it includes 4 commercial flight simulators under one roof including 2 A380 SIMs and 2 Boeing 777 SIMs. #avgeeks will also get to check out a 3D hologram of the internal mechanisms of an aircraft, a state-of-the-art HD video-wall and a full-size nose-cone and flight deck of an Airbus A380.
Enjoy this walk-around of the Emirates Aviation Experience:
The Emirates Aviation Experience will be open to the public daily from 6th July, from 08:00hrs to 19:00hrs. It is located at the Greenwich Peninsular end of the Emirates Air Line cable car. The closest underground station is North Greenwich.
Flight simulators can be a lot of fun, as you can see in this video below of 3 Arsenal players attempting to land an Airbus A380 at Dubai International Airport in an Emirates A380 Simulator.
In addition to the ‘Flight Simulators’ zone, visitors will be able to look at a cross-section of a Rolls Royce Trent 800 jet engine partially built in LEGO, a virtual wind tunnel application looking at how this influences flight, a touchscreen game explaining the turnaround process of an aircraft, and a replica A380 Economy Class seating area – with a range of aviation themed videos utilising Emirates’ ice system. In addition, the Emirates Aviation Experience will also include a food and beverage outlet and retail zone.
The Emirates simulator experience will start from £45 for a 30 minute slot, when booked in advance online. Entrance to the Emirates Aviation Experience will be £3.00 for adults and £1.50 for children under the age of 12. You can book online at http://www.aviation-experience.com.
Travelogue – A weekend in Jakarta March 29, 2013
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in Airlines, Travel.Tags: Airlines, Boeing 777, Business Class, Emirates, Emirates Airline, Indonesia, Jakarta, Travel, Travelogue
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A visual travelogue from my weekend getaway to Jakarta, Indonesia in October 2012. This was my first trip on Emirates Airline since joining them. Enjoyed the journey on Business Class onboard the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER. Lovely flight, fantastic service. Jakarta is a very chilled out destination. Very green city. Extremely friendly people. The welcoming smiles begin at the Visa on Arrival counter. It is one of the most populous cities in the Far East and can be a bit overwhelming, however I was able to find my unique oasis of tranquility. I enjoyed a relaxing stay at Le Meridien, watched the rains from my window, did a bit of mall crawling and city hopping, and caught up on much-needed sleep, before jetting back to Dubai. I wouldn’t mind going back to Jakarta again. Bali as well, next time!
All pics clicked on iPhone 4s.
An inspiring lesson from Life of Pi February 23, 2013
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in Uncategorized.Tags: Hollywood, Life of Pi, Movie Review
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So I finally got to watch Life of Pi last week and to say I loved it is an understatement. Life of Pi is a beautiful story – a visual adventure replete with rich fantasy and poignant moments. Suraj Sharma gives a fabulous performance as the young Pi. But most importantly, I was wonder struck and hugely inspired by a very powerful theme in the movie – the ability to create a silver lining out of a cloud. The saying ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ is well-known. But no one knows if every cloud comes naturally with a silver lining or if it only lies in the eyes of the beholder. The movie starts off with the young Piscine coming up with an ingenious way to stop his classmates from calling him ‘pissing’ – he rebrands himself as Pi. This watershed incident then goes on to set the narrative of the whole movie. The adult Pi introduces the characters of the tiger, hyena, orangutan and zebra in the lifeboat replacing the more painful, tragic human characters. In the process, he creates a better story for himself and for the viewer. I wonder if a pinch of Pi in all of us would make life and living more worthwhile. The ability to use imagination, ingenuity and fantasy to create a silver lining in the cloud of every adversity should surely make life more beautiful. And in the process, create better stories and inspiring journeys.
Adult Pi Patel: So which story do you prefer?
Writer: The one with the tiger. That’s the better story.
Adult Pi Patel: Thank you. And so it goes with God.
Writer: [smiles] It’s an amazing story.
Seattle Ahoy on the Emirates Inaugural March 9, 2012
Posted by Arun Rajagopal in Airlines, Aviation, Travel, UAE.Tags: avgeek, B777, Boeing, Dubai, Emirates, Inaugural Flight, Seattle, Water Cannon Salute
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So I lost control of my #avgeek senses and flew off to Seattle for a weekend on the inaugural Emirates flight out of Dubai.
I’ve always wanted to go to Seattle, visit Boeing and the Future of Flight Museum, catch up with #avgeek friends in the Puget Sound and most importantly, get on an inaugural flight and experience a water cannon salute. So I HAD to be on the inaugural EK229 on 1 March 2012 and tick off a couple of items on the bucket list.
Seattle is an amazing place and I don’t say that just because it is the home of Boeing. I will be back soon with more stories on Seattle but till then, enjoy these 2 videos!
Click here to read a travelogue of my trip featured on ArabianSupplyChain.com.