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PHOTO: SCROGGINS AVIATION 

Filming Hollywood’s Flights of Fantasy

by Christine Negroni 

When the movie 'Flight', starring Denzel Washington, is over you might wonder, ‘Just how many airplanes did it take to make that picture-perfect airliner crash?’ The answer is three: McDonnell Douglas MD-80s salvaged from Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and the former Continental Airlines. I know this because I have talked to the man who helped make it happen.

If a movie is about airplanes, there are only a few specialists who can take a Hollywood producer’s flight of fantasy and make it look real. AIRWAYS spoke to three of them.

(Christine Negroni writes about aviation and travel for The New York Times and Executive Travel and blogs at www.christinenegroni.blogspot.com and www.gohowknowhow.com .)

 PHOTO: ANDREAS ROHDE

Flying the Fokker 100

by Andreas Rohde

Take a jump-seat in the cockpit for a Fokker 100 trip from Stuttgart, Germany, to Bilbao, Spain.

PHOTO: IAIN HUTCHISON

By Aer Arann Islands to Inis Mór

by Iain Hutchison

Weather conditions caused a 90-minute delay to the scheduled departure time, in-flight catering was non-existent, there was no sighting of cabin crew throughout the duration of both outward and return flights—but it was a great day out. Travel with us by Britten-Norman Islander to a picturesque island off the Irish coast.

PHOTO: ANDREAS SPAETH

Safety—not by accident

by Andreas Spaeth

The sky is blue over London Heathrow Airport, but inside the British Airways Cranebank Flight Training Centre all hell suddenly seems to break loose. What looked like a normal aircraft cabin is turning into an inferno within seconds. The ‘aircraft’ shakes and shudders, then an impact is felt. Thick smoke crawls out of the overhead bins, and after a few moments ‘passengers’ can’t even see their hands before their eyes. “Evacuate! Evacuate!” screams the pilot over the PA from the cockpit. The flight attendants quickly open the doors and yell: “Come this way! Here! Out!”

Welcome to the ‘Flight Safety Awareness Course’ offered by British Airways.

PHOTO: RFD-TIM SPEERS

Chicago Rockford Shows the Way Flying Should Be

by Bradley Sunshine

On Interstate 90 in Illinois, to the west of Chicago’s suburbs, signs for Chicago Rockford International Airport start appearing amidst green farm fields. If a motorist envisions small aircraft on a quiet tarmac, they would soon wonder when Cessna started making wide-bodies—especially when a heavy jet airliner flares over the threshold of the airport’s 10,004ft (3,049m)-long Category III Runway 7/25.

When the modern terminal appears with McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and Airbus A319s nuzzled against its four airbridges, any remaining small-scale perceptions are lost in the surrounding 3,000ac (1,200ha). Chicago Rockford (IATA: RFD) is a first class airport that offers viable and cost-effective options for leisure travellers and freight carriers.

PHOTO: RAND PECK

Multi-legs

by Rand Peck

Captain Peck recalls his first commercial pilot job, as a Twin Otter first officer with Hyannis, Massachusetts-based Air New England, which operated throughout New England, plus New York-LaGuardia.

PLUS

THAI International Airbus A380 inaugural

by Jerrold Wu

Space Shuttle Endeavour’s Final Flight

by Bob Shane

Pan Am Charter to Moscow

by Hilary Adams Zwicky

DEPARTMENTS

Both Sides: The Musings of a Mad Man

by Clayton Taylor

Coach Flyer: United trans-Atlantic

by David C Forward

Debrief

Stan Solomon offers a varied selection of anecdotes from the Airways.

Mailbag

Our global forum for our readers’ opinions, feedback, and contributions.

News from the Airways

Colorfully illustrated highlights of the major news developments from North America and around the world, including fleet changes, new airlines, and new paint schemes.

Veteran & Vintage: The Longest Day
TWA Polar Route Lockheed 1649A Starliner/Jetstream operations

by Jon Proctor

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