Airways Magazine - January 2006
(Volume 12 No 11) (Issue No 119) 
Features
'Guppy' Long-Haul to the Windy City
by Mac af Uhr
Any time the adjective 'long' is used in conjunction with air travel it becomes a four-letter word in most people’s vocabularies. There are different ways to define a long flight. You can measure the time or the distance and then break those two into sub-groups. If you use time do you measure the block time (block out to block in) or only the time spent in the air? In the case of distance, should the direct line, great circle route, or actual route flown be used? There are other ways to measure the length of a flight. My personal choice is how long your buttocks can sit in the same seat before numbing out.
LOT— Poles Apart from its Past
by Ken Donohue
Considering everything that Poland has endured over the past century—foreign occupation, the systematic annihilation of three million of its citizens, a World War that laid waste to 85% of its capital, and four decades of communist ideologue—it is surprising that LOT Polish Airlines is still flying, and maybe more surprising the airline is celebrating more than 75 years of service.
Centralwings: Young and Hip in Poland
by Ken Donohue
To many it would come as a surprise that the head of an airline took his first flight only 13 years ago. Yet that is the case with Piotr Kociolek, president and CEO of Centralwings, Poland’s new low-cost carrier, a wholly owned subsidiary of LOT Polish Airlines.
New York Airways: Leaping Tall Buildings in the Big Apple
by Stan Solomon
Flight NY972, a Sikorsky S-61L, had been in the middle of its usual three- to four-minute turnaround on the top of the Pan Am Building. Without warning, the aircraft tilted and collapsed onto its right side. The whirling rotor sliced into four of the passengers, tearing them apart, before striking the rooftop. One of the blades, torn loose by the impact, went flying over the edge of the helipad. As it plunged downward it struck a lower-floor window, breaking in two. Half lodged in the window, but the other portion, together with shards of broken window, was caught in strong wind currents and sailed two blocks, falling on Madison Avenue. The splintered blade struck two women pedestrians, fatally injuring one of them. That grisly accident eventually led to the demise of New York Airways. A more immediate effect was the termination of commercial helicopter service from the top of not only the Pan Am Building but from any New York skyscraper.
Southwest and the Storms of September
by Brian Lusk
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were two of the most destructive natural disasters ever to hit the United States, and airlines serving the Gulf Coast region suffered from the storms of summer 2005. This was especially true for Southwest Airlines which, with 57 flights, was the largest carrier at New Orleans (MSY); and while Rita was much kinder to the Houston area than Katrina was to MSY, the Dallas-based airline faced an even larger catastrophe in Texas with over 180 flights at Houston-Hobby (HOU), along with a reservations center, pilot and flight attendant bases, and a large maintenance operation.
Air Tindi and the Dene Connection
by Andreas Rohde
A vast and unspoiled land in Canada, dotted with literally thousands of lakes but only sparse vegetation—and even fewer people—this is the homeland of the Dene First Nation. The relatively flat country extends around the Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, and for hundreds of miles northward. Distances between native communities are great and because—in most cases—of a lack of roads, the environment creates a significant demand for air service. While several companies compete in the charter market, scheduled flights throughout the area are offered only by Air Tindi of Yellowknife.
Hong Kong Express: Far East regional newcomer
by Luigi Vallero
The introduction of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) and a more liberal air services agreement between Hong Kong and Mainland China has created a surge in business travel and boosted links between the partners. Local aviation entrepreneur Andrew E Tse thus has good reason to be pleased with his new venture in the form of Hong Kong Express.
EAG—Serving and Supporting the Airways
by Kjell Oskar Granlund
Sitting in the headquarters of the European Aeronautical Group in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, surrounded by the latest and best in information and communication technology, it is hard to imagine that this modern company is linked to the pioneering commercial air routes flown by flying boats and canvas-and-wooden airliners in the Thirties. Yet it is.
Ercan: The Non-existent International Airport
by Oz Orman
On another sunny summer’s day in the eastern Mediterranean I am aboard a KTHY (Cyprus Turkish Airlines) Boeing 737-800 en route to a place that does not legally exist. (You may be confused, but read on∙)
Plus
Self-loading Freight
by Hugh Pryor
Departments
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.
Coach Flyer
This month, a review of the intercontinental service of Jet Airways, by Sebastian Schmitz.
Reviews
Chris Sterling checks out the latest noteworthy commercial aviation literature.
Those Were the Days ...
Gordon Reid takes a second look at Honolulu in 1969.
Mailbag
The forum for our reader’s opinions, feedback, and contributions.
Debrief
Stan Solomon offers a varied selection of humorous anecdotes from the Airways.
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