Author: Vincent Lambercy
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The Chilling Truth About Icing in Aviation: What You Need to Know
For most people, flying through clouds seems like a peaceful experience—an escape into a world of white mist. But hidden in some clouds is a silent and dangerous threat: aircraft icing. If you’ve ever wondered why planes are sprayed with fluid before takeoff in winter, or how ice affects an aircraft mid-flight, you’re in the…
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Why does Swiss balance first class weight with lead in the tail instead of better, heavier economy seats
Swiss International Air Lines recently made headlines with a rather unconventional move—adding around 1.5 tons of lead to the tails of some of their Airbus A330-300 aircraft. Why? To balance the weight caused by their luxurious new first-class suites. Let’s dive into the reasons behind this decision, its impact, and whether it’s a necessary trade-off.…
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Living the Dream at 35,000 Feet: Why I’m (Playfully) Jealous of Christian Van Heijst
Let’s get one thing straight from the start: I’m jealous. Not in a bitter way, but in that lighthearted, “I-wish-I-could-do-that” kind of way. After all, how could I not be when Christian Van Heijst has the ultimate dream job? He flies the Boeing 747—yes, the Queen of the Skies—while also capturing some of the most…
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Voepass 2283 accident – preliminary report
The investigation of the accident of the flight Voepass 2283 is still in progress and is lead by the Brazilian CENIPA – Centro de Investigação e Prevenção de Acidentes Aeronáuticos. The investigation did reach a first public milestone with the publication of an intermediary report. Before we dig into it, a few reminders: Click here…
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A Splash of Tradition in the Sky: The Water Cannon Salute
You know, the aviation industry is all about efficiency, safety, and streamlining operations. Every procedure is designed with precision, and there’s hardly room for anything that doesn’t serve a clear purpose. That’s what makes the water cannon salute such a delightful contradiction. It doesn’t serve any practical function—no added safety, no fuel-saving hack. It’s just…
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Cathay Pacific 383 – Engine fire after take-off – EASA orders inspections
Cathay Pacific flight CX383 from Hong Kong to Zurich suffered an engine failure shortly after take-off on the 2nd of September. It stopped its climb at 9’000 feet and flew two loops over the sea before being vectored back to the airport, where it did land without problem. The total flight time was 1h15 and…
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Chaos in the Skies: EasyJet Flight Diverts to Munich After Unruly Passenger Causes Uproar
What should have been a routine flight from London Gatwick to the sunny island of Kos turned into an unexpected adventure for passengers aboard an easyJet flight on September 3, 2024. In an incident that highlights the growing problem of unruly passengers, a heavily intoxicated man managed to disrupt the flight so badly that the…
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The Rise of Unruly Airline Passengers: Global Trends, Consequences, and Penalties
In recent years, unruly passenger behavior has become a growing concern for airlines around the world. While it’s not a new issue, the number of incidents has increased dramatically, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. In this post, we’ll look at the factors behind the rise, how airlines and authorities manage unruly passengers, and the penalties…
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Go-arounds are safe!
In aviation, not every attempt to land ends as planned. If something is not ok, if something looks unsafe or uncertain, pilots can decide to abort the landing attempt and “go-around”. Because every attempt does not end with a landing, plans are in place to ensure that go-arounds are as safe as a landing. Everything…
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The unusual case of Air France flight AF1162…
Aviation is a well oil, global travel machine and it has an excellent track record, but every now an then, there are hiccups. On the 29th of August 2024, Air France flight AF1162 on the suffered not from one, not from two of those hiccups but… five! AF1162 is a scheduled flight from Paris Charles…