Cseries Fly-by @ CYTZ

Today, the new proudly Canadian made aircraft, Cseries, made a special and surprise fly-by over the core of Downtown Toronto, and honorably twice over the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport for Porter employees and airport stakeholders.  Watching this amazing innovative aircraft for the second time live in person, I felt another step closer to what may seem to be questionable by the media, financial investors, and parts of the general public, a proud Canadian milestone.  Of course, I am saying this because I am bias for obvious reasons, and as mentioned throughout my entire blog, postings will be bias based on what I wish to express about my views and opinions.  I work in the aviation industry and I am extremely passionate about it; I'm also a Canadian who just simply am enthusiastic about expressing my thoughts on my blog.  

With the honour of receiving an invitation to a Hangar event, I joined the crowd of airport stakeholders by the opened hangar doors.  As usual, I was constantly tracking BBA505 throughout the entire morning.  By around 1200L, Flightradar24 showed BBA505 (FTV5/C-GWXZ) circling around the airspace of Downsview Airport.  By 1250L, BBA505 wearing its Swiss Air livery was visible to the crowd, coming from the East of Rwy 26.  It flew above the Toronto Islands and turned West towards Rwy 08, where it made a fly-by from the 08 direction.  BBA505 did a turn around and made a second fly-by from the same direction.  Both fly-bys earned cheers and excitement by the airline staff and other airport stakeholders.  

So with this noise issue that certain groups are concerned about, was there noise?  Well yes, obviously there was noise!  It is a vehicle that relies on mechanical structures and something call engines.  Was it noisy and annoying?  Based on my bias thoughts, no it does not, and it definitely did not cover the noise of one single motorcycle roaring across the street as if it was running at 400km/h while only going at 60km/h.  It also definitely did not cover the noise of a grumpy streetcar driver honking continuously at the pedestrians who are standing near the edge of their tracks or cars accidentally running into the track lanes on Queens Quay West.  To me, the noise was smooth and comfortable, but again I am bias because I love the sound of jet planes!  

Swiss Air will be taking the first delivery of the Cseries, followed by numerous airlines and aircraft leasing companies.  Current commitments on the book totals to 603 orders, including firm orders of 243, both CS100s and CS300s.  This and next year, would be just as exciting as when the A380s, B787s and A350s were certified and delivered (what I called the milestone years of aeroplanes!)  

 

First Fly-by

First Fly-by

Second Fly-by, Above the Porter Hangars

Second Fly-by, Parallel View

Farewell, and see you soon Cseries!

Celebration Cupcakes

           




























































































































































#Cseries #CS100 #CS300 #Bombardier #PorterPlans
  
 

In-flight Entertainment - Above Your Head

My recent trip on Transat to Paris was a blast!  Aside from knowing that it is a leisure and somewhat low cost carrier, I did not expect much but a casual flight out.  Service was top notch in terms of individual behaviours and friendliness.  True enough, certain things were charged on-board, but complimentary items were sufficient to make an enjoyable experience.  For a medium-haul Trans-Atlantic flight, two complimentary meal services were offered, which included wine and other beverages.  The red eye sector offered a hot meal plus a morning refreshment, while the afternoon return flight offered two hot meal services.  What impressed me the most, by surprise and with full contradiction, was the overhead entertainment screens on the A310s. 

Our return flight, CGD-YQB, was serviced by an A310.  Not to mention my excitement for my first flight on the second model ever produced by Airbus, the retro in-flight experience reminded me back in the days when traveling in the early 90s.  When I first stepped on-board, I noticed the lack of individual seat entertainment systems (unlike on the way to Pairs on their A330s).  There was a big screen at the forward cabin and multiple smaller hang-down style screens throughout the rest of the cabin.  

The mixed feeling of, my lord I am stuck with this for the next 8 hours, versus, oh wow this was how I used to travel, was contrary.  However, when the first movie was played, it felt extremely different.  A unique feeling draws back the good memories of the past when I was a little boy who was always excited to be in the cabin, and enjoyed every in-flight moment.  I plugged my headsets into the "back-in-the-days" style controllers on the side of the arm rest, where only channels and volume buttons exist.  Channels, by the way, is not meant for changing the channel on the shared screens, obviously.  It was for changing the dubbed languages of the movie, plus to the multiple radio channels, which are all controlled by the crews

Transat revamped their cabins with modern seating and mood lighting, which makes the cabin fairly modern and comfortable (the mood lighting that is).  It was a pleasant blend of retro entertainment and modern cabin.  That's right, those living in more developed countries and born post-millennium, this was traveling back in the 80s and 90s, where we looked up at the screens of entertainment.  This was how I traveled with my parents as a frequent flyer between HKG-SIN back in Primary school.