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MOAN MOAN MOAN .... WHINGE WHINGE WHINGE

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Kiwithrottlejockey
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« Reply #25 on: August 04, 2016, 05:09:20 pm »


from The Press....

Turbo props: slower, noisier, more cramped. Does
Air NZ think Christchurch travellers are suckers?


By DEVIN DORE | 9:03AM - Thursday, 04 August 2016

There are no security checks before boarding an ATR. Probably because hijackers and terrorists don't like flying them either. — Photograph: Andy Jackson/Fairfax NZ.
There are no security checks before boarding an ATR. Probably because hijackers and
terrorists don't like flying them either. — Photograph: Andy Jackson/Fairfax NZ.


IS OUR national air carrier exploiting our pride and loyalty to the point where it is arrogantly and surreptitiously taking us in Christchurch for suckers. I think so, and here is why I think so.

In my lifetime, the Christchurch-Wellington sector which we used to call the “Main Trunk” has been serviced by the DC3, the Vickers Viscount and the Fokker Friendship aircraft.

We left behind the lower, slower turbo prop aircraft and entered the jet age, first with the prodigious Boeing 737 followed by the Airbus A320 which provided excellent service before being replaced by the lower slower ATR 72 and Q300 turbo prop aircraft.

Now of course if you don't fly between Christchurch and Wellington more than a couple of times a year this won't bother you too much, but never the less consider these facts:


  • According to Air New Zealand's website schedules, The ATR and Q300 aircraft are around 30 percent slower than the A320.

  • If you don't fly regularly you are more than likely not aware that the ticket you have purchased is not for a flight on a modern jet service until you reach the airport. Yes there is always palpable sense of WTF on an ATR between CHC and WLG.

  • Of 11 flights from Christchurch to Wellington on a typical day, nine of these — yes nine — out of 11 are either ATR or the even smaller Q300 propeller driven aircraft.

  • Boarding is from the recently built but often over crowded regional lounge designed for flights to smaller centres like Westport or Oamaru or Blenheim. If indeed they still fly there of course.

  • If you're into exercise you'll enjoy the 250 metre trek just to get to the gate before you pass the puffer jacket clad flight attendants who ensure you don't walk into a spinning prop or board the wrong aeroplane. Forget using the Koru Club it's even further to walk.

  • There are no security checks on passengers boarding an ATR or Q300. Probably because hijackers and terrorists don't like flying in them either.

  • There are no airbridge facilities available for the ATR or Q300. This means that you are subjected to all weather conditions to board your aircraft and we all know what Wellington for example can turn on in that department.

  • It is much noisier in the cabin of a turbo prop aircraft and they are subject at times to significant vibration.

  • The seating is more cramped, it has to be, the cabin is much smaller.

  • The navigation systems in an ATR are not as sophisticated as an A320. What this means is that if you are flying to Queenstown in an ATR you are often diverted to Invercargill and given a free 2 hour bus ride to Queenstown. An A320 on the other hand can use RNP to fly into Queenstown operating to a much lower weather minima.

The Airbus A320 is significantly faster than an ATR turbo prop aircraft. — Photograph: Bevan Read/Fairfax NZ.
The Airbus A320 is significantly faster than an ATR turbo prop aircraft.
 — Photograph: Bevan Read/Fairfax NZ.


Get this, a seat on an ATR is the same price as an Airbus A320 and often more.

Now as mentioned previously, of 11 flights from Christchurch to Wellington on a typical day, nine of these are either ATR or Q300 turbo prop aircraft.

Also on a typical day there are 14 flights between Wellington and Auckland. Every single one of these is an A320 yet this sector is only a few minutes longer than Christchurch to Wellington. Try just once putting an ATR on this sector and there would be huge indignation. That's one way of putting it.

Which begs the question, why are we in Christchurch being treated so poorly by Air New Zealand.

There are other issues of course, such as I discovered when I went to book a trip to Sydney a few days ago. Of five Air New Zealand flights from Christchurch to Sydney the only direct flight at 6.15am was on a Virgin Australia service, say no more, but at least it was a jet service.

The rest were through Wellington, Melbourne or Auckland taking either 7 hours 15 minutes or if you are really lucky 6 hours and 35 minutes. As it happens I am I am taking the shorter Auckland route to Sydney on Sunday. And look, when was the last time you saw one of our Boeing 787 Dreamliners or one of our Boeing 777's here in Christchurch.

It may seem to some readers that all this is no more than an attempt to win an Air New Zealand Whine Award but just in case the point has been missed we are talking here about our national airline servicing our country's second biggest city. The word servicing of course can have a number of different meanings as those in the bloodstock industry will acknowledge. I can't help but feel at times that it's the latter servicing that Air New Zealand has in mind for Christchurch.

Come on Air New Zealand we know you own the skies in this part of the world, in other words you have no real opposition and if you do, you buy into them or come to an arrangement, but please don't take the mickey, we deserve better down here, especially on the Main Trunk.


Kevin Dore is a Christchurch businessman, frequent traveller, aircraft owner and holder of a current private pilots licence.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/82769956
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Kiwithrottlejockey
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« Reply #26 on: December 29, 2016, 03:59:37 pm »


from The Washington Post....

Trump accuses Obama of putting up ‘roadblocks’ to a smooth transition

Donald Trump's criticisms come amid days of verbal sparring with President Obama. The president-elect
also made it clear that he is perturbed by steps the Obama administration is taking related to Israel.


By JOHN WAGNER | 4:05PM EST - Wednesday, December 28, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump answers questions from the media during transition team meetings at the Mar-a-Lago Club on December 28th. — Photograph: Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post.
President-elect Donald Trump answers questions from the media during transition team meetings at the Mar-a-Lago Club
on December 28th. — Photograph: Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post.


AFTER having repeatedly praised President Obama's efforts to ensure a smooth transition, President-elect Donald Trump reversed course on Wednesday, accusing the current occupant of the Oval Office of putting “roadblocks” in his way.

Trump took to Twitter shortly after 9 a.m., saying he was “doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.”




“Thought it was going to be a smooth transition — NOT!” the Republican president-elect wrote.

The White House declined to comment on Trump's tweet and others that followed.

Trump's assessment comes amid days of verbal sparring between the outgoing and incoming president. During a ceremony Tuesday marking the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor 75 years ago, Obama cautioned against “the urge to turn inward” and stressed a need to “resist the urge to demonize those who are different” — remarks some thought were aimed partly at Trump.

Trump also made it clear on Wednesday that he is perturbed by a number of steps the Obama administration is taking in its final weeks related to Israel, including a speech that was planned on Wednesday by Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Middle East policy.






“We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect,” Trump wrote in another series of tweets. “They used to have a good friend in the U.S., but … not anymore.”

Trump said the “beginning of the end” was the “horrible” Iran nuclear deal reached last year that was supported by a coalition of world powers but vigorously opposed by Israel.

Trump was also highly critical this week of the Obama administration's refusal to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!” Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to his inauguration date.

During a conference call with reporters later during Wednesday morning, transition spokesman Sean Spicer at first declined to elaborate on Trump's tweets, saying they “speak for themselves.” He later said that Obama and his administration officials have been generous with their time during the transition process and helpful with “mechanical” issues.

On Wednesday afternoon, during a brief appearance before reporters at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump was asked about whether he thinks the transition is going smoothly.

“Oh, I think very, very smoothly,” he replied. “Very good. You don't think so?”

Trump also sounded more conciliatory later in the afternoon, when he told reporters that Obama had called him earlier in the day.

“He called me, we had a very nice conversation,” Trump said, without offering much elaboration.

Trump's view of his Democratic predecessor soured earlier this week when Obama said on a podcast hosted by his former adviser, David Axelrod, that he thought he could have prevailed in an election over Trump.

Those comments prompted two tweets in as many days from Trump contesting Obama's assessment. On Tuesday, Trump chided Obama for the failure of his campaign efforts on behalf of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to bear fruit.

“President Obama campaigned hard (and personally) in the very important swing states and lost,” Trump said in a tweet. “The voters wanted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”


Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report.

• John Wagner is a national political reporter covering the White House for The Washington Post.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/28/trump-accuses-obama-of-putting-up-roadblocks-to-a-smooth-transition
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If you aren't living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space! 

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