Hairy O'Hare
American 777 Heavy: "Chicago ground, I can't take Bravo...I'm surrounded by RJ FOD!" Chicago Ground: (with heavy irony) "OK...OK. I'll get you to the gate as soon as poss...I know the human suffering involved in waiting in airplanes on the ground." Unknown: "Particularly if you're stuck on an RJ!"
Kalendar girls
Frankfurt-Hahn airport, legendary home to the fabled Zeppelin races of old (which always ended up in a dead heat, as your Uncle recalls), has come up once again with an innovative marketing ploy. It is selling limited edition copies of its "sensual women calendar, Women-Hahn Airport 2004". Available for the knock-down price of only €9.95 (plus p&p), this collector's item includes two check-in agents, an administrator from the technical department (I'm not making this up), an air traffic controller, two accounts clerks, two "colleagues from the real estate department, an architect, a secretary working in administration, the head of terminal marketing and the deputy marketing manager". All have been (and I'm still not making this up) "seductively photographed on the apron, in the departure and arrival halls, and in the cargo area". And for the girls...alas, back copies of 2003's Muscular Men of Hahn calendar have sold out.
Week's worst headline award
(From...oh well, better not say really) "EADS' tanker win in UK seen prompting it to compete in US."
Ejector feat
Last millisecond (eight-tenths of one second to be exact) ejection from a doomed US Air Force Thunderbirds Lockheed Martin F-16 at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho last September captured in this remarkable image. Misjudging the higher elevation of the airfield, the pilot apparently climbed to only 1,670ft (rather than 2,500ft) before starting the "pull down" to the split-S manoeuvre. And now a word from our sponsor... Soft drink at show: $4 New undies for pilot: $15 New F-16: $20.4 million Photo opportunity: priceless
Source: Flight International
