Air France

I read the summary of the Air France crash this morning and I am sadly dismayed at the implications. I am a pilot and have been for 50 years, and I am amazed at the similarity between this crash and the Buffalo airline crash. In both you had the crew reacting to a loss of altitude by pulling up and stalling the aircraft, not once but several times. The Air France crew at the controls were in instrument conditions, and the auto pilot was turned off or disengaged after some turbulence was encountered.

I read the summary of the Air France crash this morning and I am sadly dismayed at the implications. I am a pilot and have been for 50 years, and I am amazed at the similarity between this crash and the Buffalo airline crash. In both you had the crew reacting to a loss of altitude by pulling up and stalling the aircraft, not once but several times. The Air France crew at the controls were in instrument conditions, and the auto pilot was turned off or disengaged after some turbulence was encountered.

Air France's planned takeover of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines NV, which would create Europe's largest airline, may spur more combinations as carriers try to cut costs after two years of losses. "There will be just three or four major carriers who will dominate the airline industry over the next five to 10 years," Rigas Doganis, the former chief executive of Greece's Olympic Airways, said in an interview in London yesterday. Air France, Europe's second-largest airline, has offered 784 million euros ($913 million)

"A politician is worth nothing if he cannot invent some interesting and unimportant issues to divert the eyes of the populace from the problems actually involved. " That quote is from the philosopher Will Durant in his essay, "Is Democracy a Failure?" It gets to the heart of the difficulties facing our politicians in the early 21st Century. An ever-increasing percentage of the people politicians represent and govern are aware of the "problems actually involved. " Their living standards are deteriorating.

WASHINGTON - Air France yesterday canceled six flights between Paris and Los Angeles at the request of the French government acting on U.S. intelligence reports that al-Qaida might be planning to hijack aircraft for a Sept. 11-style suicide attack. Three of the flights - two bound from Paris to Los Angeles and one in the opposite direction - were scheduled for yesterday. Two more Los Angeles-bound flights and one to Paris were to have flown today. The cancellations followed U.S. intelligence reports that followers of Osama bin Laden have been looking to circumvent security measures at foreign and U.S. airports and hijack airliners for suicide attacks on the United States during the Christmas holidays, according to U.S. officials.

Supersonic history 1956: Research begins in Europe to design a supersonic airliner. 1962: British and French agree to a joint venture to manufacture a supersonic jet. 1965: Construction of two prototypes begins. 1967: First test version unveiled. 1969: A supersonic flight from Toulouse, southern French city where the Concorde was built, to Le Bourget Airport near Paris. 1973: Maiden flight of the first commercially produced Concorde. Oil crisis causes fuel prices to skyrocket. Several air carriers cancel orders for the gas-guzzling Concorde.

The Brazilian air force said Tuesday that it had located debris in the Atlantic Ocean from an Air France jetliner that disappeared late Sunday with 228 people on board. Brazilian government spokesmen said one of the many military aircraft involved in a search-and-rescue mission spotted a seat, an orange-colored buoy, a tank and a fuel slick about 400 miles northeast of Fernando de Noronha, an island off Brazil's coast. Air France Flight 447, which left Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night for Paris, disappeared after flying through turbulence and sending an automatic alert of an electrical short circuit.

My wife and I fly each year with our cat to the South of France from Florida. Delta and Air France let us take the cat in the cabin. American, however, requires that it stay in the cargo bay for the trans-Atlantic leg. Airlines have different requirements about transporting pets. Air France (airfrance.com) and its code-share partner Delta (delta.com) allow cats and dogs up to about 11 pounds to travel in the cabin. Larger animals are consigned to the hold. American Airlines (aa.com) does not accept carry-on pets on Hawaii flights, trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flights or Central and South America flights.

In a first move to put his own team in place, USAir Chairman Stephen M. Wolf has named a 42-year-old Air France executive as the airline's new president and a former United Airlines official to another top post.The Arlington, Va.-based company announced yesterday that Rakesh Gangwal, executive vice president for planning and development at Air France, will become USAir's president on Feb. 19. He will succeed Frank L. Salizzoni, who has announced plans to retire.In addition, USAir said that Lawrence M. Nagin, 54, will become executive vice president-corporate affairs and general counsel, succeeding James T. Lloyd, effective today.

PARIS - French and British authorities canceled seven flights to and from the United States yesterday after U.S. authorities warned French and British counterparts about intelligence reports indicating that al-Qaida might target the flights. Air France canceled its Paris-to-Washington flight No. 26 for today and tomorrow. British Airways canceled its London-to-Washington flights No. 223 for today and tomorrow and the return flights to London No. 222. The British airline also canceled its London-to-Miami flight No. 207 for today.

The Brazilian air force said Tuesday that it had located debris in the Atlantic Ocean from an Air France jetliner that disappeared late Sunday with 228 people on board. Brazilian government spokesmen said one of the many military aircraft involved in a search-and-rescue mission spotted a seat, an orange-colored buoy, a tank and a fuel slick about 400 miles northeast of Fernando de Noronha, an island off Brazil's coast. Air France Flight 447, which left Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night for Paris, disappeared after flying through turbulence and sending an automatic alert of an electrical short circuit.

Air France, KLM, Delta sign deal to reap $12B annually Delta Air Lines Inc., Air France and KLM signed a deal Wednesday to combine two separate joint venture agreements into one to create a trans-Atlantic powerhouse that's expected to generate $12 billion in annual revenue, provide better travel options for customers and more closely align the carriers' operations without a formal merger. Passengers get more nonstop flights between major cities in the U.S. and Europe, while competition and the weak global economy will likely mean fares won't be affected too much.

We have a cruise to Europe planned for October of this year. I haven't booked air travel yet because I want to get the lowest rate possible. When is the best time to do so? My wife thinks it should be as soon as possible. The time to buy an airline ticket is like the time to buy an antique, and that is usually right now (if it's what you want and the price seems reasonable) because it might not be there when you go back. I can't tell you the number of times I've waited to see if the fare would drop, only to regret it later.

My wife and I fly each year with our cat to the South of France from Florida. Delta and Air France let us take the cat in the cabin. American, however, requires that it stay in the cargo bay for the trans-Atlantic leg. Airlines have different requirements about transporting pets. Air France (airfrance.com) and its code-share partner Delta (delta.com) allow cats and dogs up to about 11 pounds to travel in the cabin. Larger animals are consigned to the hold. American Airlines (aa.com) does not accept carry-on pets on Hawaii flights, trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flights or Central and South America flights.

WALTER ROBERT ABELL, JR., 88, died at his home in Sarasota, Florida, on April 2, 2006. Mr. Abell, born May 2, 1917, was the son of Walter Robert Abell and Lydia Miller Abell of Baltimore and was the great-grandson of Arunah Shepherdson Abell, founder of the Baltimore Sun. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Georgette Melcher Abell; son Edward Welch Abell of Wilmington, NC, daughter of Louise A. Huin of Sarasota, Florida; son Christopher Robert...

PARIS - French and British authorities canceled seven flights to and from the United States yesterday after U.S. authorities warned French and British counterparts about intelligence reports indicating that al-Qaida might target the flights. Air France canceled its Paris-to-Washington flight No. 26 for today and tomorrow. British Airways canceled its London-to-Washington flights No. 223 for today and tomorrow and the return flights to London No. 222. The British airline also canceled its London-to-Miami flight No. 207 for today.

Consumer-confidence drop persistsConsumer confidence slipped for the third consecutive month in July, amid poor employment prospects and slow-rising wages.The Conference Board's consumer-confidence index declined to 57.7 this month, from a revised reading of 58.6 during June, originally reported as 58.9. With the July report, the index stands more than 20 points below the high of 78.1 it reached in December after Bill Clinton's election to the White House.Southern Hotel gets extensionThe owners of the vacant Southern Hotel on Light Street received a guarantee from the city zoning board yesterday that they had until 1997 to start construction at the site.

2 airlines to coordinate flightsContinental Airlines and Air France are expected to announce today an arrangement to coordinate flights, allowing passengers easier travel between the United States and Europe.Industry executives said yesterday that the agreement would allow airlines to sell seats on each other's flights so that passengers traveling to Europe could, for example, begin on Continental's domestic system and continue overseas on Air France on a single ticket.American Express earnings surgeAmerican Express Co. reported second-quarter net rose 34 percent as earnings surged in its travel-services and securities divisions.

WASHINGTON - U.S. concerns about terrorist plots to hijack overseas flights headed for the United States remained intense on Christmas Day, officials said, even as French authorities reported that they had found no evidence that al-Qaida operatives had planned to commandeer an Air France jetliner headed for Los Angeles. U.S. intelligence officials said they continued to receive current and credible intelligence indicating that such an attack could be in the works - possibly a series of coordinated hijackings - and that al-Qaida operatives could be targeting any number of overseas cities from which to launch such operations.

WASHINGTON - Air France yesterday canceled six flights between Paris and Los Angeles at the request of the French government acting on U.S. intelligence reports that al-Qaida might be planning to hijack aircraft for a Sept. 11-style suicide attack. Three of the flights - two bound from Paris to Los Angeles and one in the opposite direction - were scheduled for yesterday. Two more Los Angeles-bound flights and one to Paris were to have flown today. The cancellations followed U.S. intelligence reports that followers of Osama bin Laden have been looking to circumvent security measures at foreign and U.S. airports and hijack airliners for suicide attacks on the United States during the Christmas holidays, according to U.S. officials.