14 planes retired: Lufthansa A380 on the ground forever

September 20, 2020September 20, 2020 by drbyos

Friday September 18, 2020

Lufthansa is ironically saving itself from the crisis. A few days ago, CEO Spohr declared that the red pencil had to be pulled out again. Now even a whole type of aircraft is to be decommissioned.

The Airbus A380 fleet from Lufthansa is apparently finally about to end. A corresponding decision could be made in the supervisory board at the beginning of next week, writes “Der Spiegel”, citing corporate circles. Since there are hardly any intercontinental flights anymore due to the corona crisis, most of the aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet are currently on the ground. The group had announced that it would decide on the possible shutdown of parts of the fleet in the third quarter.

Lufthansa 8,60

Six of the 14 Airbus A380s operated by the core airline Lufthansa were phased out prematurely in the first half of the year, as the interim report shows. The group continues to say that it is very unlikely that the remaining eight A380s will ever take off again. In future, the airline will rely on the newer Boeing 747-8 and the fuel-efficient, smaller Airbus A350 for its long-haul routes.

Germany’s largest airline is threatened in its existence by the corona pandemic. The state had to step in with billions in aid. In order to make ends meet, the former Dax company is following a rigorous austerity course. There are no specific decisions about the design of the fleet or about further job cuts, a spokesman said later.

So far the group has announced that it intends to cut 22,000 jobs worldwide, which corresponds to around 26,000 employees due to the high part-time quota. It is already known that the initially planned reduction of the fleet by 100 to around 660 machines may not be sufficient. In particular, the four-engine overseas machines, which are difficult to use and also consume a comparatively large amount of kerosene, are at risk. The newer Boeing 747-8 Jumbos alone still have a future in the group, Spohr is said to have said according to the aero.de portal.

With the flight attendant union Ufo, the group has ruled out redundancies for Germany. This could quickly become obsolete if demand continues to develop weakly. Lufthansa has not yet concluded any long-term restructuring collective agreements with the unions for the pilots and ground crew.

Porto again out of TAP’s recovery plans

September 16, 2020September 16, 2020 by drbyos

TAP will replace several flights to Europe, Africa, Brazil and the United States in October. And announced its intention to create, in the summer of 2021, six new routes to tourist destinations. All departing from Humberto Delgado Airport, in Lisbon, once again leaving Porto – which will have only one new route, starting in December, to the island of Sal, in Cape Verde – outside the company’s recovery plan.

These measures lead Nuno Botelho, president of the Commercial Association of Porto (ACP), to strongly criticize the TAP Administration and the Government that, through Minister Pedro Nuno Santos, had promised to reverse a policy of centralizing a company that is being replaced , in the North, by private companies. The prime minister himself, António Costa, had argued that the initial route plan designed by TAP “had no credibility”. But now, confronted by the JN, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing has referred to silence.

“The country is completely anesthetized and the Government, apparently, resigned from having any opinion in the strategic decisions to resume TAP flights”, says Nuno Botelho. “The money injected into TAP is completely useless”, he adds.

The big player who could upset the Quebec fall, here he is

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020 by drbyos

Monday, September 14, 2020 at 6:00 AM – La Niña, the temperature anomaly in the mid-west Pacific Ocean, is low in intensity but is expected to gain strength within a few weeks. If this scenario materializes, the repercussions will be felt as far as the Atlantic, and the Quebec fall could indirectly suffer the consequences.

Hyper-tropical season

Hurricane season is in full swing, to say the least, knowing that we recorded more than fifteen named storms during the first half of the season, whereas in normal times we has twelve for a full season that ends November 30 in the Northern Hemisphere.

The 2020 season could dethrone the year 2005 when it comes to the number of named tropical storms. This tropical hyperactivity could upset the tendency for mildness expected in our Fall preview.

One of the causes of this tropical hyperactivity is the negative anomaly of water temperatures in the Pacific, commonly known as La Niña. One of the characteristics of La Niña is a weak windshear in the Atlantic. Associated with the warmer temperatures in this ocean, this lack of shear offers tropical waves the perfect conditions to emerge, first, and gain in intensity, second.

According to the US Agency for Ocean and Atmospheric Observation (NOAA), La Niña is well established, which means tropical hyperactivity in the Atlantic will continue until late fall. This could upset weather trends in Quebec.

The aftermath in Quebec

When a hurricane moves, warm surface water is mixed with deep water. The more tropical storms there are, the cooler the surface water is. Yet it is thanks to these warm Atlantic waters that an atmospheric ridge should allow the province to enjoy milder weather this fall.

“With cooler surface water, the ridge may be less well defined and the heat from the United States may not rise enough towards the province for the northernmost sectors to benefit,” explains Anne-Sophie Colombani , videographer-meteorologist at MétéoMédia.

In addition, if tropical storms approach the coast, it is possible that they are caught by the jet stream and directed towards Quebec or the Maritimes. “Significant amounts of precipitation could be spilled over parts of the province,” said Colombani, adding that “the number of days with precipitation would not be higher than seasonal norms, but the amounts of rain could be” .

To find our Fall Snapshot, go here.

To know more…

The girl

In the west-central Pacific Ocean, climatologists and meteorologists around the world are monitoring the Southern Oscillation, or water temperature anomalies. If this anomaly is greater than +0.5 ° C, we speak of El Niño; when it is less than -0.5 ° C, it is La Niña; and between these two values, the anomaly is considered to be neutral.

To be qualified as El Niño or La Niña, an anomaly must remain stable for three months in a row. NOAA has just announced that after August having recorded an anomaly of less than -0.5 ° C, “La Niña conditions are now present”.

IN VIDEO: THE IMPACTS OF THE PHENOMENON ON OUR WINTER:

Everything “even passengers” is inside the wings … the plane of the future “took off”

September 8, 2020September 8, 2020 by drbyos

Holland, And the Dutch airline KLM.

A team of researchers and engineers tested the plane at an air force base in China GermanyWhere they worked with a team from a company "Airbus" To test takeoffs, maneuvers, approaches and landings.

Roelof Voss, an assistant professor at the School of Aeronautical Engineering at Delft University who led the project, said earlier concerns were the same "The plane may encounter some difficulties upon takeoff"This prompted the implementation of the miniature flight model to ensure that no problems occurred, which he said "You have to fly to be sure"According to what was quoted "CNN".

The researchers pointed out, that through Aircraft control From a distance, they took off at 80 km / h, while flight speeds, angles and thrust were as planned.

But there is still work to be done to improve the aircraft’s capabilities before it takes off and actually takes passengers on board.

The experts plan to use the data gathered from the test flight, allowing them to program it into a flight simulator for future tests, and improve the capabilities of its flights.

The team will conduct further tests on the model, and hope to supply Flyino-no-no-no-no-ng-V. With sustainable propulsion, since the design lends itself to working with liquid hydrogen, instead of Kerosene.

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The Flyino-no-no-no-no-ng-V is a plane that will carry passengers in its wings, as its unique design places passenger compartments, cargo compartments and fuel tanks on the wings.

The reason for this is one thing: experts believe that this dynamic shape of the plane will reduce fuel consumption by 20% compared to today’s aircraft.

The experts tested a miniature 22.5 kg, 3-meter model of the future plane, developed by researchers at Delft University of Technology in Holland, And the Dutch airline KLM.

A team of researchers and engineers tested the plane at an air force base in China GermanyWhere they worked with a team from “Airbus” to test the operations of take-off, maneuvers, approach and landing.

Roelof Voss, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Delft, who led the project, said that previous concerns were “that the plane may face some difficulties upon take off”, prompting the implementation of the mini-flight model to ensure that no problems arise. “You have to fly to make sure of this,” according to “CNN”.

The researchers pointed out, that through Aircraft control From a distance, they took off at 80 km / h, while flight speeds, angles and thrust were as planned.

But there is still work to be done to improve the aircraft’s capabilities before it takes off and actually takes passengers on board.

The experts plan to use the data gathered from the test flight, allowing them to program it into a flight simulator for future tests, and improve the capabilities of its flights.

Futuristic ‘Flying-V’ plane makes successful test flight – CNN

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020 by drbyos

An airplane that can carry passengers on its wings 1:10

(CNN) — Researchers have conducted a successful test flight of the Flying-V, a futuristic, fuel-efficient aircraft that could one day carry passengers on its wings.

The unique design of the Flying-V places the cabin of passengers, the cargo hold and the fuel tanks in the wings, and experts expect the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft to reduce fuel consumption by 20% compared to current aircraft.

Experts tested a 22.5kg, 3-meter scale model of the futuristic aircraft, developed by researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and Dutch airline partner KLM, to carry the long-awaited aircraft along its next development steps.

On the wings: Dutch airline KLM has agreed to find the development of a V-shaped aircraft known as the Flying-V, which incorporates the passenger cabin, fuel tanks and cargo hold in the wings. Edwin Wallet, OSO Studio

A team of researchers and engineers tested the plane at a guarded air base in Germany, where they worked with an Airbus team to test take-offs, maneuvers, approaches and landings.

“One of our concerns was that the aircraft might have some difficulty taking off, as previous calculations had shown that ‘spinning’ could be a problem,” explained in a statement Roelof Vos, an assistant professor at the Delft University of Technology faculty of aerospace engineering, who led the project.

Aerial efficiency: The plane is said to use 20% less fuel than the Airbus A350-900 while carrying a similar number of passengers, just over 300. Edwin Wallet, OSO Studio

“The team optimized the scale flight model to avoid the problem, but the proof of the pudding is in eating. You need to fly to be safe, “he said.

By remotely controlling the aircraft, the researchers managed to take off at a speed of 80 km / h, while the aircraft’s flight speeds, angles and thrust were as planned, they noted.

Best by design: The plane’s increased fuel efficiency is due in large part to its aerodynamic design, say its creators, though its reduced weight also contributes. Edwin Wallet, OSO Studio

Experts worked hard to optimize the plane: To improve telemetry, the team was forced to change the plane’s center of gravity and adjust its antenna.

There is still work to be done to refine the plane before it can fly with passengers on board: the researchers said the test flight showed that the current design of the plane allows too much “Dutch roll”, causing a rough landing.

Researchers say it could be ready for service between 2040 and 2050. Edwin Wallet, OSO Studio

The experts plan to use the data collected from the test flight for an aerodynamic model of the aircraft, which will allow them to program it in a flight simulator for future tests and improve flights. The team will conduct further tests on the model and hope to provide the Flying-V with sustainable propulsion, as the design lends itself to carrying liquid hydrogen instead of kerosene.

Competition Court reduces and suspends TAP fine forcing an apology – Aviação

September 4, 2020September 4, 2020 by drbyos

The sentence handed down this Wednesday by the Competition, Regulation and Supervision Court (TCRS) partially considered the challenge presented by the Portuguese Air Transport Company (TAP) to the conviction, by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), for 24 infractions, committed in 2014 and 2015, due to violations of the time band and restrictions on night operation at Humberto Delgado airport, in Lisbon.

Judge Vanda Miguel determined as a condition for the suspension of the payment of the single fine of 220,000 euros today imposed the obligation to publish, for one month, by TAP, a public acknowledgment that it violated rules related to flights at night, apologizing to the population for the damage and implications for their health and committing to make every effort so that these situations do not happen again, with indication, wanting, of all the measures that it has already adopted in this sense.

The suspension of payment, for a period of two years, requires the publication, on the websites of ANA and ANAC, for 30 consecutive days, of a declaration of recognition of having operated at Lisbon airport, on six flights carried out in 2014 and 2015, at night time not allowed due to the noise level of the aircraft used. In that publication, TAP must include an “apology expressed to the entire population that lived or worked in the areas affected by the noise produced”.

He must also declare that he “became aware of the negative effects that such behaviors can cause in the populations thus affected, such as direct damage to their health, due to their impact on the quality of sleep, with an increased risk of vascular injuries, arterial hypertension, and may compromise the cognitive development of children and create psychological problems, such as anxiety and irritability “, affirms the sentence handed down today.

In this publication, TAP also has to commit itself to “make every effort so that, in the future, this does not happen again, and may, if it deems relevant, publish, in the same way, all the measures it has already adopted with in order to comply with the standards in question and to minimize the noise produced by the aircraft, in favor of the health and rest of the populations and of the environment “.

In the decision, of October 2019, ANAC assessed TAP for serious violations of the time band and very serious for violating nighttime operating restrictions, with the carrier appealing to TCRS.

In its impugnation request, TAP stated that the situations envisaged happened in the period in which the football world cup was being held in Brazil, with limitations on aeronautical movement imposed by the Brazilian authorities and delay in the delivery of six fleet reinforcement aircraft that were intended to absorb the presumed increase in passenger traffic, as well as the difficulty of accommodation in Greater Lisbon in situations of significant delays or cancellations.

The TCRS acquitted TAP in half of the violations, recognizing that some delays by the carrier were due to reasons of force majeure, namely to ensure the safety of the flights, condemning the company for the practice of 12 violations.

750 million genetically modified mosquitoes released in the United States

September 1, 2020September 1, 2020 by drbyos

Sunday, August 30, 2020 at 6:07 PM – A veritable hordes of genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the United States, with the aim of reducing the transmission of certain diseases dangerous to humans.

The states of Texas and Florida are targeted. The insects will therefore be introduced gradually over a period of about two years.

Male mosquitoes that are released will release a lethal gene in females already in circulation. When mating, this same discomfort will make them sterile.

The goal is to wipe out a whole species of insects carrying viruses potentially fatal to humans, such as Zika or dengue.

This impressive operation would have no significant impact on humans or the environment, according to current analyzes. That was the initial objective: to find an ecological way to eliminate the species of mosquitoes carrying diseases.

Rolls-Royce makes a loss of six billion euros

August 29, 2020August 29, 2020 by drbyos

Aviation is on the ground in the Corona crisis. Because no aircraft are bought for this reason, fewer engines are needed. The British manufacturer Rolls-Royce is now feeling this strongly.

The British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce suffered a loss of 5.4 billion pounds (around six billion euros) in the first half of the year due to falling orders from the aviation industry – a sum that is almost the cost of the Berlin airport breakdown BER corresponds. Rolls-Royce will therefore sell parts of the company in addition to the job cuts that have already been announced and “examine other possibilities to strengthen the finances,” as the company announced on Thursday.

Many people still associate Rolls-Royce with a manufacturer of luxury cars. In fact, the company sold its auto division years ago and since then has only produced engines for aircraft manufacturers – who in turn currently sell almost no machines due to the corona-related restrictions on air traffic.

Rolls Royce plans to cut 9,000 jobs

In this sense, the enormous loss compared to the German car manufacturer VW, which recorded a loss of 1.4 billion euros in the first half of the year, is hardly surprising. Because engines are significantly more expensive than cars.

Rolls-Royce had therefore already announced in May that it would cut at least 9,000 of the approximately 52,000 jobs worldwide. German jobs are also affected. Among other things, 550 jobs in the plant in Dahlewitz (Brandenburg) are to be cut.

The engine manufacturer announced that 4,000 employees had left the company by Thursday and another 5,000 would follow by the end of the year. Around 2,500 of them went in early Interest or after a severance payment.

Rolls-Royce aims to save around 1.3 billion pounds by the end of 2022. The sale of parts of the company is expected to bring in another two billion pounds in the next 18 months, including the Spanish supplier IP Aero. Rolls-Royce had already made a loss in the first half of 2019, it was 909 million pounds. The reason were technical problems with certain engines.

5 great mysteries above our heads.

August 28, 2020August 28, 2020 by drbyos

Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 10:01 AM – As a child, I loved lying on the floor just to look at the stars. I felt like I was losing myself in the infinitely large. It’s something that I still enjoy doing today. And you ? Have you taken the time to observe the sky? There are some things you absolutely must see. Here they are.

MAKE YOUR WISHES

The Perseids are a classic of our summer skies. We look forward to this time of the year when we can go outside, our wish box under our arm, and let ourselves be lulled by the beauty of this meteor swarm.

Around mid-August, the Earth returns very close to the orbit of comet 109P / Swift-Tuttle, whose wake is strewn with billions of dust particles. But to be at the forefront of this shooting star festival, you will need to avoid any light pollution that could harm the show. Also the NASA recommends lying on the ground with your feet pointed northeast, and letting the magic work.

THE SKY DANCE

During an aurora borealis, the sky looks like the canvas of a great artist. As if, with each brushstroke, the painting comes to life, as if by magic. Is it a fairy tale story? No ! Rather, it’s a very scientific story.

According to canadian space agencyThe aurora borealis, also known as the polar aurora, is formed in the northern hemisphere when charged particles of electrons and protons collide with gases in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. These collisions generate tiny bursts of light that fill the sky with colorful light. Thus, billions of small bursts of light appear in sequence, giving the impression that the dawn is “dancing” in the sky.

SHE WATCHES OVER US

It would be at least 4.51 billion years old. It is part of our nocturnal decor. Without it, the sky would not be the same. Who am I ? The Moon of course!

However, some phases of the Moon are more fascinating than others. Especially when it comes to the super moon! Even though this name evokes that of a superhero, the term has been a real craze since 2010. We talk about a super moon on a new moon or a full moon, and when it is closest to the Earth, or at its perigee. It will then appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual NASA. One thing is for sure, when this happens, take the time to admire her and tell her your secrets.

UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENON

Have you ever seen a Steve? I am not talking about your neighbor, but about a phenomenon similar to the aurora borealis. Steve is a purple and green celestial ribbon that stretches for several hundred kilometers, and follows an east-west alignment. Its name, recognized since 2018 by the NASA, is the acronym for “Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement”, or “sharp increase in the rate of thermal emission”.

The particular aspect of Steve fascinates the scientific community which has difficulty in finding an explanation. But according to researchers from the the University of Calgary in Canada, it could be a phenomenon which forms in the ionosphere, the layer of the atmosphere between 60 km to 1000 km of altitude. Steve’s ions would move faster and be hotter (around 3,000 ° C) than other particles in the same area.

HEAD IN THE STARS

In English, the Milky Way is called Milky Way. A name that I find delicious and which perfectly represents this species of whitish band that can easily be observed at night.

According to NASA, our galaxy, the Milky Way in which our Solar System is located, is made up of gas, dust and stars. As you gaze at the Milky Way, you gaze at nearly 1.7 billion stars. Know that it would take you more than 50 years to count them all, at the rate of one per second. Our Milky Way is about 100,000 light years across and about 20,000 light years thick. Like most galaxies, the Milky Way spins slowly, just like us. A complete rotation lasts about 240 million years. Since our sun was born about 4.6 billion years ago, we have completed more than 19 rotations around the center of our galaxy.

TOWARDS INFINITY, AND FURTHER FURTHER

You can continue your exploration of the cosmos by visiting the following sites:

NASA

Montreal Planetarium

The ASTROLab of Mont-Mégantic

__SEE ALSO: Gardening is good for morale __

Day of the overtaking: the Earth now lives “on credit”

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 by drbyos

Saturday, August 22, 2020 at 11:12 am – This Saturday, August 22, humanity will have exhausted the natural resources that the Earth can produce in one year.

This famous Overshoot Day occurs three weeks later than in 2019. It was indeed July 29, last year, that we reached this threshold.

It is also the first time since 2005 that this fateful day takes place towards the end of August. This is therefore a historical decline, which has never been observed since the beginnings of this calculation.

The crisis linked to the pandemic is also not unrelated to it. Greenhouse gas emissions created by fossil fuels, which are indeed the number one factor influencing humanity’s carbon footprint, have declined dramatically since the start of the year. The latter would have actually fallen by 14.5%, according to calculations by the Global Footprint Network. Logging (which also fell by around 8.4%) and the carbon footprint of agriculture (which remained unchanged) were also considered.

The Global Overshoot Day is calculated by comparing the resources used by humanity and the planet’s capacity to regenerate those same resources (called biocapacity).

However, everything indicates that 2020 will be the exception that proves the rule. No large-scale measures have actually been put in place to ensure that the positive impacts on the environment are felt in the long term.

Since the early 1970s, the deficit has continued to widen, appearing earlier and earlier each year.

Some solutions

Limit as much as possible the presence of plastic products at home, and opt instead for bulk
Favor local products
Reduce or even stop eating meat
Plan meals more efficiently to avoid food waste
Cook more
Opt for active transportation (on foot, by bike) or take public transit

Source : Global Footprint Network