PLANE SPEAKING

Airlines have been in the news this week, even more than usual.

Air New Zealand's new Dreamliner may possibly have problems and have to be refitted.

Air New Zealand is making changes to some international flights after being forced to carry out early maintenance checks on its engines.
In March, Rolls-Royce told airlines to check a specific part of the Trent 1000 engine compressor on all planes earlier than usual.
This type of check is usually required after reaching making 2000 one-way flights, however Roll-Royce are requiring them to now be checked after 300 flights.

                                                                                                            - Stuff News

In a statement, Air New Zealand said there would be some impact to its international schedule, however it could not say how many flights would be affected or when.

Still, it's better than having the engines blow up I guess as happened here:

Southwest Airlines flight 1380, en route from New York to Dallas, with 143 passengers and five crew, was forced to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia, where the mother of two, identified as Jennifer Riordan, was declared dead and seven other passengers were treated for minor injuries.

                                                                                                           - The Australian

A Southwest Airlines passenger was been killed after being partially sucked out of a blown out window, when the plane engine appeared to explode.

Unfortunate wording in this advertisement given the circumstances

I heard a news report where some dispshit American reporter surmised what could have happened if the wings fell off or went on fire (they didn't) but this doomsayer kept banging on about what if .....  what an arsehole.
He might as well have wondered what would have happened as in how many passengers would have been killed if Thor had thrown a hammer out of the skies and it hit the plane.

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Today I read an article about the possible future of airline travel and what sort of seating we might expect.

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Passengers brace yourselves. This image shows what one company wants to do to economy class on flights, and it appears to be rather painful,

You know that annoying game of elbow wars you're already quite used to playing with your seatmare? Well that will pale in comparison to what's planned for you.
And that tiny bit of space they call legroom these days that you've long complained about? Well, say goodbye.
This is what the future of flying will look like, if Italian seat manufacturer Aviointeriors has a say.
The company unveiled their latest design at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2018 in Hamburg. It's called the SkyRider 2.0 affectionately known as the "saddle seat".
In reality, they are more like "standing seats" than actual seats as you'll be left supporting your body weight using the floor. Great for the thigh muscles, though.
Aviointeriors have compared the seating position to that of a horseback rider, stating that cowboys can sit on saddles for hours without feeling discomfort. So why couldn't we?
The design would allow airlines to squeeze in an extra 20 per cent more seats, with the "ultra high-density" seats reducing the space between rows. They will weigh half as much as existing seats.

                                                                                    - New Zealand Herald



So. What next?