Friday, December 21, 2007 |
| Join T+L Ultimate South-East Asian Rail Odyssey |
I remember, as a child, the firsk commercial light of a Boeing 747 to Australia onSunday, October 4, 1970. It was such a big occasion that my family, along with 20,000 other Sydneysiders, ventured to Kingsford-Smith Airport to greet the Pan Am flight as it touched down, behind schedule, in the murky, early spring twilight. It was an impressive, breathaking sight.
Much of the romance and excitement of that jet-set era has been replaced by the tedium oflong-haul flying but no commercial airliner since the 747 has inspired as much interest as the Airbus A380 "super jumbo", the most eagerly awaited passenger jet in 40 years.
The aircraft, as you may be aware, has been way behind schedule, by as much as two years, due to a series of technical problems and other factors. In the protracted meantime, T+L sent writer Mark Dapin to Toulouse, where the place is being built and where members of the public can participate in guided tours of the Airbus factories. Dapin's quirky account, ("It's all up in the air",) forms part of our first, annual Air Travel Special.
We haven't ignored the impact of air travel on the world environment, as evidenced by our feature on global warming. And while on the subject of climate change, T+L is fortunate enough to have been able to accompany the Australian of the year, Tim Flannery, on a safari to Kenya, where he shares his perspective on the state of the global enviroment from a very different vantage point. Robert Miliken's feature, and Dook's stunning photographic record of the trip.
So we'll just have to keep waiting patienly for the arrival of the first commercial flight of the A380. When it finally happens it's going to be as exciting as the 747's arrival, and Australia will be playing a key role: the first commercial flight i set to be between Singapore and Sydney. I reckon I might wander out to Kingsford-Smith to welcome it, just as I id for the 747.
|
posted by Blogger Menulis @ 8:25 PM  |
|
|
|
|
