Alphen aan den Rijn Sunday September 26 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
The cover page of the Thursday morning paper said ; “The red heart is bleeding….”.It means Martin Air Charter is stopping , after more then 50 years, with its passenger flights to all holiday destinations world wide and will only continue with cargo. That has a big impact on aviation in Holland and….. we are going to miss in the future, the red stewardesses at Schiphol Airport .
KLM took over Martinair in 2008 as a 100 % daughter. But it seems that losses up to 70 million, forced KLM to this step.
As the wife of a Transavia pilot in the past , we ,[ that we-feeling was very strong,] thought asnd felt “green”, as “our” stewardesses were dressed in nice green out fits . KLM was dressed in blue and as said Martinair in red. That friendly-concurrence-feeling was always there, you belonged to either blue, green or red.
As Transavia is a 100% daughter from KLM as well, I hope they are not going to re-organize the “green ” as well.
Martin Schröder former owner and founder of Martinair is shocked that after 52 years his business will be gone out of Dutch Aviation history , but though he is very emotional under it, he also is a realist.
I feel sad about it as well, as through the years I was from a distance involved with the weal and woe from the different companies, including Air Holland, a company from a later date and “not living too long”. And of course with the cargo site continuing, still a bit of Martin air will exist.
They hope that nobody has to be sacked and that most of the employees can be fit in the KLM and or Transavia , so red turns blue/green.
26 years old and a man of 7 Milliard, is Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. It is nice to see that such a lot of people use his social network. I always tried to avoid it, but since 3 months I “collapsed”under the pressure of my friends and to be honest I like it. Don’t do too much on it, but it is nice to see how specially my younger friends react on things. Sometimes I just have to react on an item as well , out of full enthusiasm. And…it is nice to be remembered that friends celebrate their birthday, so a short congratulation makes 2 people feel good.
I just found pictures from 2007 about some of the young ones at Sportavia in that period, lovely!
And…..all FAI ECG’s, WCG’s , JWGC’s and WWGC’s use it as well.
Our queen was very much against it in her last Christmas speech, as she thought that personnel relations , talking, writing were better/ more human, but after everybody “fell over her”, she is on both Facebook and since yesterday on twitter as well!! Good on her!
Best OLC FAI pilot this year clearly was Alexander Müller who flew himself in the picture of all cross country lovers. In the next October issue of Aerokurier you can read a portrait on him. He flew this year till now 23 x1000 km.flights and 7 of them were flown in Germany. Great guy, great pilot!
By the way in the new 2011 OLC season the Baron Hilton Challenge is back. More news about the 2011 OLC season can also be read in the Aerokurier.
Good to see that glider “3 W “, the new straight -from-the -factory SUPER-toy is in a container to Australia / Corowa, as well. The ASH31 MI, self launcher has a span of 21 or18 m. can fly in open class and 18 m. class. It looks really fabulous. Have a look for yourself at www.alexander-schleicher.de under Flugzeuge.
From Australia I received the message that Virgin had some problems [again!].
Computers are great when they work…
“Computer glitch strands thousands of travellers
A computer problem has disrupted the travel plans of thousands of Virgin Blue passengers who remain stranded at airports around the country.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/26/3022143.htm
This morning I heard that the top of the Mont Blanc is full of snow with minus 10 and lower it is very wet. Yes autumn is in full swing now with winter looking around the corner. Here it really is autumn with sometimes sun, heavy rain and heavy showers.
Still nice long flights in the Europe – mountain -destinations, with Vinon as the topper yesterday with 755 km in a CIRRUS!!!!! That IS good!And the flight last Friday in an ASW 20 was great as well; 884 km from good old Wiener Neustadt in Austria over the ridges to the area of Unterwössen in Germany. This area had good wave that day and pilots from the local club enjoyed a fantastic day as if it was spring!
See you on Wednesday
cheers Ritz