mrcoreymonroe

[mrcoreymonroe]

52 Reasons Grand Velas Riviera Maya Should Be Your Next Mexico Vacation

I recently visited the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya ultra-luxury resort during my yearly Travel Writers Academy mastermind. Nine travel writers and bloggers ...

The post 52 Reasons Grand Velas Riviera Maya Should Be Your Next Mexico Vacation appeared first on 52 Perfect Days.

from 52 Perfect Days http://bit.ly/2Zt4xii

[mrcoreymonroe]

52 Reasons Grand Velas Riviera Maya Should Be Your Next Mexico Vacation

I recently visited the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya ultra-luxury resort during my yearly Travel Writers Academy mastermind. Nine travel writers and bloggers ...

The post 52 Reasons Grand Velas Riviera Maya Should Be Your Next Mexico Vacation appeared first on 52 Perfect Days.

from 52 Perfect Days http://bit.ly/2Zt4xii

[mrcoreymonroe]

Bad Spate Of GA Accidents

A Beechcraft Duke light twin similar to the one that crashed in Fullerton, California, late last week. Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Late last week and this weekend were particularly terrible ones for GA accidents, with a pair of crashes of light twins, both Beechcraft models, which were fatal for all aboard. While the NTSB continues to investigate both crashes, each one has the early signs that a loss of engine power in one engine might have led to a loss of control with fatal consequences.

Are you an aviation enthusiast or pilot? Sign up for our newsletter, full of tips, reviews and more!

The first to occur took place on Thursday night. A Beech Duke, a 1970s era twin-engine piston pressurized twin, was taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport when it went out of control, rolled inverted and crashed nose first into the ground. While it is not known what caused the loss of control, from the video it looks to be a departure from controlled flight consistent with the loss of an engine below safe single engine speed. The NTSB is investigating.

The pilot of the flight was Robert Ellis, a Utah dentist who used the plane to commute between Southern California and central Utah, where he had practiced. Ellis is survived by his wife and four children.

The video of the crash sequence has been widely circulated, and we have chosen not to include it with this story. If you do choose to find it online, please be advised that it is graphic and hard to watch.

On Sunday morning another crash of a twin-engine plane, a Beech B-58 Baron, claimed the lives of all six on board when it crashed while on approach to Kerrville Municipal in the Hill Country of Central Texas, after a 90-minute flight from the West Houston airport. The flight seemed to be proceeding without incident until it was on final approach to Kerrville. Flight data show the plane’s speed and altitude beginning to fluctuate greatly before it crashed approximately six miles short of the runway.

The pilot, Jeffrey Weiss, 65, was a financial analyst. He was an experienced, well-respected pilot, according to posts on his social media pages. His Facebook page is filled with tributes and memories of happier flights with him. Weiss was a frequent volunteer in flying patients to hard to reach health care facilities.

The victims of the crash, four men and four women in their 40s and 50s, were all from the Houston area.  

    The post Bad Spate Of GA Accidents appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

from Plane & Pilot Magazine http://bit.ly/2PpQZiX

[mrcoreymonroe]

Bad Spate Of GA Accidents

A Beechcraft Duke light twin similar to the one that crashed in Fullerton, California, late last week. Photo: Wikipedia Creative Commons.

Late last week and this weekend were particularly terrible ones for GA accidents, with a pair of crashes of light twins, both Beechcraft models, which were fatal for all aboard. While the NTSB continues to investigate both crashes, each one has the early signs that a loss of engine power in one engine might have led to a loss of control with fatal consequences.

Are you an aviation enthusiast or pilot? Sign up for our newsletter, full of tips, reviews and more!

The first to occur took place on Thursday night. A Beech Duke, a 1970s era twin-engine piston pressurized twin, was taking off from Fullerton Municipal Airport when it went out of control, rolled inverted and crashed nose first into the ground. While it is not known what caused the loss of control, from the video it looks to be a departure from controlled flight consistent with the loss of an engine below safe single engine speed. The NTSB is investigating.

The pilot of the flight was Robert Ellis, a Utah dentist who used the plane to commute between Southern California and central Utah, where he had practiced. Ellis is survived by his wife and four children.

The video of the crash sequence has been widely circulated, and we have chosen not to include it with this story. If you do choose to find it online, please be advised that it is graphic and hard to watch.

On Sunday morning another crash of a twin-engine plane, a Beech B-58 Baron, claimed the lives of all six on board when it crashed while on approach to Kerrville Municipal in the Hill Country of Central Texas, after a 90-minute flight from the West Houston airport. The flight seemed to be proceeding without incident until it was on final approach to Kerrville. Flight data show the plane’s speed and altitude beginning to fluctuate greatly before it crashed approximately six miles short of the runway.

The pilot, Jeffrey Weiss, 65, was a financial analyst. He was an experienced, well-respected pilot, according to posts on his social media pages. His Facebook page is filled with tributes and memories of happier flights with him. Weiss was a frequent volunteer in flying patients to hard to reach health care facilities.

The victims of the crash, four men and four women in their 40s and 50s, were all from the Houston area.  

    The post Bad Spate Of GA Accidents appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

from Plane & Pilot Magazine http://bit.ly/2PpQZiX

[mrcoreymonroe]

First Class Adventures on a Qantas Airbus A380

I recently shared my story of flying Qantas economy, premium economy, and business class cabins. Today, we cover the first class experience.

A Qantas A380 being towed in Sydney – Photo: Colin Cook

When my girlfriend Molly and I first started planning our trip to Australia, I was skeptical that we would find any award availability in a premium cabin. With flights from the west coast to Australia averaging 15+ hours, premium cabin awards are extremely difficult to find, especially for more than one seat. During the several weeks that I searched, I rarely found any coach availability on desirable flights, and no premium cabin award space at all. Finally, one fateful Saturday afternoon, I hit the jackpot. I found two seats in First Class on Qantas, using Alaska Airlines miles. Score!

  The spacious and well-appointed Qantas First Lounge at LAX – Photo: Colin Cook

Our flight to Sydney departed from LAX, and we arrived at the airport three hours early, in order to allow plenty of time to visit the Qantas First Class lounge. Unlike some lounges where there’s just snacks, the Qantas lounge offered a la carte full meal service. While I knew we would get a meal onboard, we wanted to try some food here. The famous Qantas salt & pepper squid was delicious, as was the toasted meatball sandwich. Overall, we found the lounge to be large, and thoughtfully designed. The staff was very attentive, as one would expect for this caliber of a lounge.

Bonus: Read Blaine’s full review of the Qantas First Lounge

First class is located in the front of the main deck on the Qantas Airbus A380 – Image: Qantas

Before long, it was time to head downstairs to board our A380 bound for Sydney. I’d only previously flown on an A380 once, in British Airways’ First Class. I enjoyed that experience a lot, and I could only wonder if this Qantas ultra-premium flight could top the BA flight. Molly and I chose two seats on the right-hand side of the aircraft; one in front of the other. Upon arriving at the seat, the flight attendants distributed a nice Martin Grant amenity kit, containing pajamas, slippers, and the usual toiletries. They also brought us a glass of champagne, a caviar tartlet, and a roast duck tostada. The caviar was sweet and delicious and the duck was really delightful as well. Our cheerful flight attendant told us that once we were airborne, she would break out the really good bubbly.

That’s one big airplane! Pre-departure at LAX. – Photo: Colin Cook

Bonus: Flying First Class on British Airways

Our Qantas A380 (registration VH-OQD) was nearly nine years old, but certainly did not show its age. Qantas does a nice job maintaining their international fleet, and this was no exception. The Qantas First Class cabin contains 14 suites laid out in a 1-1-1 configuration, meaning the seat is incredibly spacious (BA has a 1-2-1 configuration). While their suites do not have a door like some other carriers, there was a nice amount of privacy, as you could turn your chair to point toward the windows. Speaking of windows, if I had one gripe about the seat, it’s that you are quite far away from them.

There was plenty of room in the suite – Photo: Colin Cook

Within the suite, there was a tremendous amount of room, including two cubbies where you could store personal items. The seat has a 17-inch touch screen entertainment system, with a corded remote as well. Given that the screen is far away from the seat, the remote came in handy. There is also a secondary screen, where you can watch the flight path. Another nice feature of the suite is that there is plenty of room for a traveling companion to join you, as the ottoman also works as a second seat (it even has a seat belt).

Not a bad place to spend 14+ hours – Photo: Colin Cook

The Qantas First Class menu is curated by chef Neil Perry, who is a famous Australian chef and restaurant owner. For the first course, I selected the prawns with grilled chorizo, which did not disappoint. The prawns were grilled to perfection and the chorizo had some spice and was quite flavorful. Molly went with the buffalo mozzarella with chargrilled radicchio, green bean pistou, and hazelnuts, which was also quite tasty.

Plenty of space for dinner for two – Photo: Colin Cook

For my main course, I chose the beef fillet with potato gratin, sautéed spinach, mushrooms, and green peppercorn sauce. I’ve found that one of the most difficult airplane catering tasks is to ensure beef is tender and not overcooked. More often than not at 35,000 feet in the air, beef tastes too well done and lacks flavor. Qantas, however, did an incredible job, as the fillet was flavorful, surprisingly tender, and delicious. It was easily the best fillet I’ve ever had in the sky. Molly had the herb-crusted salmon with corn puree, broccolini, and king mushrooms, which was also cooked to perfection. For desert, we both selected the vanilla madeleine cake with lemon curd and blueberries, which was good but a little rich for me.

The beef was surprisingly tender – Photo: Colin Cook

Qantas is well-known for having an excellent wine list, having won multiple awards for wines offered onboard. We enjoyed the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2006 vintage champagne, as well as a couple different red wines from Australia. Of the reds, the Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2009 was my favorite. If I had one complaint about the drinks offered, it would be the lack of a premium whiskey or scotch. I was spoiled when I flew British Airways First Class, as they had Johnny Walker Blue Label, so perhaps I’m a bit biased. The only relatively high-end whiskeys they had were Woodford Reserve Bourbon, and The Glenlivet Small Batch Single Malt Whisky. Not bad options by any means, just a little lacking for a First Class cabin.

Qantas First Class amenity kit – Photo: Colin Cook

Once we were done with dinner, Molly and I went upstairs to the lounge area, located at the front end of the upper deck. The lounge area is designed so that Business and First Class passengers have an area to congregate and relax. While the area seemed a little small, with room for around five people, we were the only ones in the lounge for the entire 30 minutes we spent there.

The First & Business Class lounge upstairs on the A380 – Photo: Colin Cook

I really didn’t want to sleep too long, as not to miss out on the incredible experience, but I decided it was time for some rest. The flight attendants converted my seat to the bed position, which I found to be comfortable. To convert the seat to a bed, the main chair is turned about 45 degrees towards the window and extended to connect with the ottoman. Qantas provides a memory foam mattress pad, blanket, duvet, and your selection of a pillow via their pillow menu (yes… a pillow menu). Overall, the bed was very comfortable, wide, and long, and allowed me to get several hours of good sleep.

The Qantas First cabin. If you look closely, you might recognize someone. – Photo: Colin Cook

The flight attendants came by around 90 minutes prior to landing to start their breakfast service. For my meal, I ordered some fruit, yogurt, and ricotta pancakes with caramelized berries and maple cream. The cream was a little rich, but I found the entrée overall to be delightful.

Yummy pancakes – Photo: Colin Cook

The A380 is certainly a very revolutionary plane, but one that made the wrong bet. While initial orders were relatively strong when the plane debuted, it has struggled to gain much traction over the years. This is largely due to the fact that many twin engine planes can fly the same distances, with significantly better economics. From a passenger perspective, the A380 is one of the best aircraft around, with a wide cabin, quiet engines, and a very good overall experience. While the plane will continue to operate for years to come, it was announced just recently that Airbus is ending the program. It seemed an inevitable conclusion, but was a sad day for many AvGeeks (yours truly included).

One of my favorite amenities on the Qantas A380 was the ability to watch the tail cam, especially as we were arriving into Sydney – Photo: Colin Cook

While I was very sad to have this flight end, I can easily say it was one of the best I’ve ever been on, if not the best. Many carriers are eliminating their first class cabins, in favor of an upgraded business class, but Qantas seems to be bucking that trend. They have continued to update their first class cabin, and it consistently receives positive traveler feedback. Both the soft and hard products excelled, and I arrived into Sydney feeling refreshed.

Bonus: Check out some of the Qantas special liveries

The post First Class Adventures on a Qantas Airbus A380 appeared first on AirlineReporter.

from AirlineReporter http://bit.ly/2Xz8ujO

[mrcoreymonroe]

How Cirrus Jet Grounding Is Part Of 737 Max Story

Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. Photo by Isabel Goyer

The move by the FAA to ground the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet in the wake of reports of automation anomalies related to a faulty angle of attack (AOA) sensor came as a shock to those of us who’ve flown the plane. It was also impossible not to compare this new story about an automation failure with that of the Boeing 737 Max, which has suffered two catastrophic accidents, both of which are thought to be related to a automatic stability augmentation system known as MCAS, which relies in part on AOA data to determine whether to automatically adjust the trim to keep the plane within a stable flight envelope.

Subscribe today to Plane & Pilot magazine for industry news, reviews and much more delivered straight to you!

While these are very different stories in a few ways, the similarities are striking and informative. Here’s why.

For starters, let me say that I’ve got around ten hours in the left seat of the SF50, and for every bit of it, the automation was as smooth as silk. But the theory is that a faulty angle of attack (AOA) sensor manufactured by had tricked the single-engine jet’s envelope protection system, known as Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) into thinking the plane was at risk of going out of control, thereby activating ESP, along with the stall warning and protection system (SWPS). In fact, the FAA in conjunction with the plane and sensor and avionics manufacturers has already pinpointed the cause and seems to know precisely why the AOA instrument malfunctioned.

The explanation, in fact, features one of the most tortured phrases I’ve read. The malfunction, the report reads, was caused by a “quality escape.” If I might translate, that means that somebody screwed it up. In this case, the agency thinks some literal screws in the AOA assembly were incorrectly torqued and installed. Perhaps the assembly personnel were as well. 

So the announcement by the FAA was a welcome shock on the heels of the agency’s mismanagement of the Boeing 737 Max fiasco in which the entire world seemed to figure out the plane needed to be grounded before the FAA did. As you doubtless know, the agency’s failure to ground the plane persisted for months after the Lion Air tragedy in late October and showed every sign of continuing even past the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in early March. It might still be flying here in the United States had the executive branch not stepped in and forced the grounding of the plane. It’s still grounded, by the way. And the FAA’s work in re-certifying the Max is being overseen by regulators from other transportation segments, which has to be humiliating for the FAA, which is also being investigated for its actions and inactions leading up to the Max crashes.

But in this case, the FAA got it right.

I’d like to point out another big difference between these two crashes. For starters, the AOA sensor and the avionics are made by different companies than the 737 Max systems. The training for the Cirrus Jet, moreover, is better and the design of the system is superior.

As I’ve written before, one of the big reasons that Boeing didn’t include specific mention of the new MCAS system in the training manuals or require any simulator differences training for pilots moving up to the Max from previous versions of the 737 was that providing that training costs money that Boeing’s customers would rather not spend. That additional training, as it turns out, looks as though it could have saved hundreds of innocent lives lost in the two 737 Max crashes.

The big red autopilot disconnect button on the sidestick controller of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. Photo by Isabel Goyer

In the case of the Cirrus Jet automation malfunction, that training was in place. In three instances with the Cirrus Vision Jet, faulty AOA readings caused the plane’s ESP and SWP systems to automatically maneuver the plane through autopilot flight path corrections and stick shaker and stick pusher activation, even though the plane was in a normal flight condition. In each case, the pilots were able to recover without threat to the safety of flight even though each failure presented itself somewhat differently.

Despite my not having been through the SF50 type-rating course, required to operate as pilot in command of the small jet, I knew immediately what I would have done to prevent loss of control. You just press and hold the big red autopilot disconnect button on the sidestick control. And magically you’re flying the plane by hand. It’s simple, intuitive and foolproof.

It’s how the 737 Max should have been designed.

Cirrus says that the action affects 99 of its jets and is working with customers to get the angle of attack sensors replaced as soon as possible. The FAA has granted permission to owners of affected SF50s, which is all of them, to ferry the planes to a nearby authorized maintenance facility to have the work done.

Plane & Pilot reached out via email to both Garmin and Cirrus representatives for comment on the story but did not hear back from them immediately. 

Read our review of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet Generation 2.

Read more about the dangers of automation.

The post How Cirrus Jet Grounding Is Part Of 737 Max Story appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

from Plane & Pilot Magazine http://bit.ly/2IMRxhP

[mrcoreymonroe]

How Cirrus Jet Grounding Is Part Of 737 Max Story

Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. Photo by Isabel Goyer

The move by the FAA to ground the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet in the wake of reports of automation anomalies related to a faulty angle of attack (AOA) sensor came as a shock to those of us who’ve flown the plane. It was also impossible not to compare this new story about an automation failure with that of the Boeing 737 Max, which has suffered two catastrophic accidents, both of which are thought to be related to a automatic stability augmentation system known as MCAS, which relies in part on AOA data to determine whether to automatically adjust the trim to keep the plane within a stable flight envelope.

Subscribe today to Plane & Pilot magazine for industry news, reviews and much more delivered straight to you!

While these are very different stories in a few ways, the similarities are striking and informative. Here’s why.

For starters, let me say that I’ve got around ten hours in the left seat of the SF50, and for every bit of it, the automation was as smooth as silk. But the theory is that a faulty angle of attack (AOA) sensor manufactured by had tricked the single-engine jet’s envelope protection system, known as Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) into thinking the plane was at risk of going out of control, thereby activating ESP, along with the stall warning and protection system (SWPS). In fact, the FAA in conjunction with the plane and sensor and avionics manufacturers has already pinpointed the cause and seems to know precisely why the AOA instrument malfunctioned.

The explanation, in fact, features one of the most tortured phrases I’ve read. The malfunction, the report reads, was caused by a “quality escape.” If I might translate, that means that somebody screwed it up. In this case, the agency thinks some literal screws in the AOA assembly were incorrectly torqued and installed. Perhaps the assembly personnel were as well. 

So the announcement by the FAA was a welcome shock on the heels of the agency’s mismanagement of the Boeing 737 Max fiasco in which the entire world seemed to figure out the plane needed to be grounded before the FAA did. As you doubtless know, the agency’s failure to ground the plane persisted for months after the Lion Air tragedy in late October and showed every sign of continuing even past the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in early March. It might still be flying here in the United States had the executive branch not stepped in and forced the grounding of the plane. It’s still grounded, by the way. And the FAA’s work in re-certifying the Max is being overseen by regulators from other transportation segments, which has to be humiliating for the FAA, which is also being investigated for its actions and inactions leading up to the Max crashes.

But in this case, the FAA got it right.

I’d like to point out another big difference between these two crashes. For starters, the AOA sensor and the avionics are made by different companies than the 737 Max systems. The training for the Cirrus Jet, moreover, is better and the design of the system is superior.

As I’ve written before, one of the big reasons that Boeing didn’t include specific mention of the new MCAS system in the training manuals or require any simulator differences training for pilots moving up to the Max from previous versions of the 737 was that providing that training costs money that Boeing’s customers would rather not spend. That additional training, as it turns out, looks as though it could have saved hundreds of innocent lives lost in the two 737 Max crashes.

The big red autopilot disconnect button on the sidestick controller of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. Photo by Isabel Goyer

In the case of the Cirrus Jet automation malfunction, that training was in place. In three instances with the Cirrus Vision Jet, faulty AOA readings caused the plane’s ESP and SWP systems to automatically maneuver the plane through autopilot flight path corrections and stick shaker and stick pusher activation, even though the plane was in a normal flight condition. In each case, the pilots were able to recover without threat to the safety of flight even though each failure presented itself somewhat differently.

Despite my not having been through the SF50 type-rating course, required to operate as pilot in command of the small jet, I knew immediately what I would have done to prevent loss of control. You just press and hold the big red autopilot disconnect button on the sidestick control. And magically you’re flying the plane by hand. It’s simple, intuitive and foolproof.

It’s how the 737 Max should have been designed.

Cirrus says that the action affects 99 of its jets and is working with customers to get the angle of attack sensors replaced as soon as possible. The FAA has granted permission to owners of affected SF50s, which is all of them, to ferry the planes to a nearby authorized maintenance facility to have the work done.

Plane & Pilot reached out via email to both Garmin and Cirrus representatives for comment on the story but did not hear back from them immediately. 

Read our review of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet Generation 2.

Read more about the dangers of automation.

The post How Cirrus Jet Grounding Is Part Of 737 Max Story appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

from Plane & Pilot Magazine http://bit.ly/2IMRxhP

[mrcoreymonroe]

First Class Adventures on a Qantas Airbus A380

I recently shared my story of flying Qantas economy, premium economy, and business class cabins. Today, we cover the first class experience.

A Qantas A380 being towed in Sydney – Photo: Colin Cook

When my girlfriend Molly and I first started planning our trip to Australia, I was skeptical that we would find any award availability in a premium cabin. With flights from the west coast to Australia averaging 15+ hours, premium cabin awards are extremely difficult to find, especially for more than one seat. During the several weeks that I searched, I rarely found any coach availability on desirable flights, and no premium cabin award space at all. Finally, one fateful Saturday afternoon, I hit the jackpot. I found two seats in First Class on Qantas, using Alaska Airlines miles. Score!

  The spacious and well-appointed Qantas First Lounge at LAX – Photo: Colin Cook

Our flight to Sydney departed from LAX, and we arrived at the airport three hours early, in order to allow plenty of time to visit the Qantas First Class lounge. Unlike some lounges where there’s just snacks, the Qantas lounge offered a la carte full meal service. While I knew we would get a meal onboard, we wanted to try some food here. The famous Qantas salt & pepper squid was delicious, as was the toasted meatball sandwich. Overall, we found the lounge to be large, and thoughtfully designed. The staff was very attentive, as one would expect for this caliber of a lounge.

Bonus: Read Blaine’s full review of the Qantas First Lounge

First class is located in the front of the main deck on the Qantas Airbus A380 – Image: Qantas

Before long, it was time to head downstairs to board our A380 bound for Sydney. I’d only previously flown on an A380 once, in British Airways’ First Class. I enjoyed that experience a lot, and I could only wonder if this Qantas ultra-premium flight could top the BA flight. Molly and I chose two seats on the right-hand side of the aircraft; one in front of the other. Upon arriving at the seat, the flight attendants distributed a nice Martin Grant amenity kit, containing pajamas, slippers, and the usual toiletries. They also brought us a glass of champagne, a caviar tartlet, and a roast duck tostada. The caviar was sweet and delicious and the duck was really delightful as well. Our cheerful flight attendant told us that once we were airborne, she would break out the really good bubbly.

That’s one big airplane! Pre-departure at LAX. – Photo: Colin Cook

Bonus: Flying First Class on British Airways

Our Qantas A380 (registration VH-OQD) was nearly nine years old, but certainly did not show its age. Qantas does a nice job maintaining their international fleet, and this was no exception. The Qantas First Class cabin contains 14 suites laid out in a 1-1-1 configuration, meaning the seat is incredibly spacious (BA has a 1-2-1 configuration). While their suites do not have a door like some other carriers, there was a nice amount of privacy, as you could turn your chair to point toward the windows. Speaking of windows, if I had one gripe about the seat, it’s that you are quite far away from them.

There was plenty of room in the suite – Photo: Colin Cook

Within the suite, there was a tremendous amount of room, including two cubbies where you could store personal items. The seat has a 17-inch touch screen entertainment system, with a corded remote as well. Given that the screen is far away from the seat, the remote came in handy. There is also a secondary screen, where you can watch the flight path. Another nice feature of the suite is that there is plenty of room for a traveling companion to join you, as the ottoman also works as a second seat (it even has a seat belt).

Not a bad place to spend 14+ hours – Photo: Colin Cook

The Qantas First Class menu is curated by chef Neil Perry, who is a famous Australian chef and restaurant owner. For the first course, I selected the prawns with grilled chorizo, which did not disappoint. The prawns were grilled to perfection and the chorizo had some spice and was quite flavorful. Molly went with the buffalo mozzarella with chargrilled radicchio, green bean pistou, and hazelnuts, which was also quite tasty.

Plenty of space for dinner for two – Photo: Colin Cook

For my main course, I chose the beef fillet with potato gratin, sautéed spinach, mushrooms, and green peppercorn sauce. I’ve found that one of the most difficult airplane catering tasks is to ensure beef is tender and not overcooked. More often than not at 35,000 feet in the air, beef tastes too well done and lacks flavor. Qantas, however, did an incredible job, as the fillet was flavorful, surprisingly tender, and delicious. It was easily the best fillet I’ve ever had in the sky. Molly had the herb-crusted salmon with corn puree, broccolini, and king mushrooms, which was also cooked to perfection. For desert, we both selected the vanilla madeleine cake with lemon curd and blueberries, which was good but a little rich for me.

The beef was surprisingly tender – Photo: Colin Cook

Qantas is well-known for having an excellent wine list, having won multiple awards for wines offered onboard. We enjoyed the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2006 vintage champagne, as well as a couple different red wines from Australia. Of the reds, the Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2009 was my favorite. If I had one complaint about the drinks offered, it would be the lack of a premium whiskey or scotch. I was spoiled when I flew British Airways First Class, as they had Johnny Walker Blue Label, so perhaps I’m a bit biased. The only relatively high-end whiskeys they had were Woodford Reserve Bourbon, and The Glenlivet Small Batch Single Malt Whisky. Not bad options by any means, just a little lacking for a First Class cabin.

Qantas First Class amenity kit – Photo: Colin Cook

Once we were done with dinner, Molly and I went upstairs to the lounge area, located at the front end of the upper deck. The lounge area is designed so that Business and First Class passengers have an area to congregate and relax. While the area seemed a little small, with room for around five people, we were the only ones in the lounge for the entire 30 minutes we spent there.

The First & Business Class lounge upstairs on the A380 – Photo: Colin Cook

I really didn’t want to sleep too long, as not to miss out on the incredible experience, but I decided it was time for some rest. The flight attendants converted my seat to the bed position, which I found to be comfortable. To convert the seat to a bed, the main chair is turned about 45 degrees towards the window and extended to connect with the ottoman. Qantas provides a memory foam mattress pad, blanket, duvet, and your selection of a pillow via their pillow menu (yes… a pillow menu). Overall, the bed was very comfortable, wide, and long, and allowed me to get several hours of good sleep.

The Qantas First cabin. If you look closely, you might recognize someone. – Photo: Colin Cook

The flight attendants came by around 90 minutes prior to landing to start their breakfast service. For my meal, I ordered some fruit, yogurt, and ricotta pancakes with caramelized berries and maple cream. The cream was a little rich, but I found the entrée overall to be delightful.

Yummy pancakes – Photo: Colin Cook

The A380 is certainly a very revolutionary plane, but one that made the wrong bet. While initial orders were relatively strong when the plane debuted, it has struggled to gain much traction over the years. This is largely due to the fact that many twin engine planes can fly the same distances, with significantly better economics. From a passenger perspective, the A380 is one of the best aircraft around, with a wide cabin, quiet engines, and a very good overall experience. While the plane will continue to operate for years to come, it was announced just recently that Airbus is ending the program. It seemed an inevitable conclusion, but was a sad day for many AvGeeks (yours truly included).

One of my favorite amenities on the Qantas A380 was the ability to watch the tail cam, especially as we were arriving into Sydney – Photo: Colin Cook

While I was very sad to have this flight end, I can easily say it was one of the best I’ve ever been on, if not the best. Many carriers are eliminating their first class cabins, in favor of an upgraded business class, but Qantas seems to be bucking that trend. They have continued to update their first class cabin, and it consistently receives positive traveler feedback. Both the soft and hard products excelled, and I arrived into Sydney feeling refreshed.

Bonus: Check out some of the Qantas special liveries

The post First Class Adventures on a Qantas Airbus A380 appeared first on AirlineReporter.

from AirlineReporter http://bit.ly/2Xz8ujO

[mrcoreymonroe]

Where to fish for tilapia: tips from the pros

Where to fish for tilapia. Get top tips from tilapia pros about when, where, and how to catch tilapia, plus most effective bait and tackle. from Take Me Fishing Blog http://bit.ly/2VWKo2c

[mrcoreymonroe]

Where to fish for tilapia: tips from the pros

Where to fish for tilapia. Get top tips from tilapia pros about when, where, and how to catch tilapia, plus most effective bait and tackle. from Take Me Fishing Blog http://bit.ly/2VWKo2c

[mrcoreymonroe]

10 Common Fishing Mistakes You Don't Want to Make

List of common fishing mistakes that you can avoid to ensure a safer, productive day on the water. Check weather conditions, fishing regulations updates, more from Take Me Fishing Blog http://bit.ly/2UQTQHV

[mrcoreymonroe]

10 Common Fishing Mistakes You Don't Want to Make

List of common fishing mistakes that you can avoid to ensure a safer, productive day on the water. Check weather conditions, fishing regulations updates, more from Take Me Fishing Blog http://bit.ly/2UQTQHV

[mrcoreymonroe]

recipe test

blah blah  blah test  

The post recipe test appeared first on 52 Perfect Days.

from 52 Perfect Days http://bit.ly/2Gmhd1U

[mrcoreymonroe]

recipe test

blah blah  blah test  

The post recipe test appeared first on 52 Perfect Days.

from 52 Perfect Days http://bit.ly/2Gmhd1U

[mrcoreymonroe]

5 Steps to Transfer Boat Registration or Title Paperwork

Learn steps to transfer boat registration, transfer boat title in your state. General guidelines, examples of boat registration steps, start boating today from Take Me Fishing Blog http://bit.ly/2Gv37fY

[mrcoreymonroe]

Four Pieces of Unique Fishing Gear

If you usually only fish for a couple of fish species, you will find there is a lot of unique fishing gear out there.  Here are some items you may not have in your boat.  from Take Me Fishing Blog http://bit.ly/2IJzdGm

[mrcoreymonroe]

Lure Fishing for Beginners: Lures Every Angler Should Have

Lure fishing for beginners. Types of lures every angler should have in their tackle box and must-know techniques. from Take Me Fishing Blog http://bit.ly/2Gv35om