Eric Joiner's Freightdawg.com - The Logistics and Supply Chain Blog!

Lufthansa MD-11F Crash at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

On Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, a Lufthansa MD-11 Freighter bound from Frankfurt, Germany to Riyadh, KSA crashed on landing destroying the air frame, however without loss of life.  LH8460 was subsequently scheduled to fly from Riyadh to Sharjah then on to Hong Kong.   Lufthansa only operates the MD-11 as a freighter. 

The MD-11 suffers from a bad reputation given its few numbers built (200 aircraft).   Of the 200 built, now 8 have crashed.   Three of those were FedEx freighters. Compared to other wide body jets this number of crashes is very high.  

Here are some comparisons to other aircraft currently flying.

• MD-11: 8 crashed out of 200
• B744: 3 crashed out of approximately 700 (166 pure freighters built)
• A340: 3 crashed out of approximately 390+
• B777: 1 crashed out of 860+

Previous MD-11 crashes are detailed here.

• 31-JUL-1997 MD-11F N611FE FedEx
• 02-SEP-1998 MD-11 HB-IWF Swissair
• 15-APR-1999 MD-11 HL7373 Korean Air
• 22-AUG-1999 MD-11 B-150 China Airlines
• 17-OCT-1999 MD-11F N581FE FedEx
• 23-MAR-2009 MD-11F N526FE FedEx
• 28-NOV-2009 MD-11F Z-BAV Avient

I'll be honest...if I was a FedEx pilot I'd be working on getting a rating to fly something else.  I have friends who are Delta pilots who "inherited" the MD-11 when DAL purchased other airlines.  There were always complaints that this aircraft was complicated to fly and was less-than-intuitive when it came to systems.  Most were not unhappy to see these birds retired.  

I will say as a passenger, I never liked the MD-11's older sister, the DC-10.  When American had the horrific crash at Chicago ORD many years ago, that crash scared me.   I always flew on the L-1011 because I thought it was a safer bird.   The MD-11 is a derivative of the DC-10. Perhaps the recent crashes are not linked, but as a guy who rides in back...I pay attention.

Lufthansa is still sorting out the freight manifest for this flight and as far as I know, no losses have been formally confirmed to freight forwarders or shippers with freight aboard.  That, I am sure is coming, but so far nothing has been put forward by the airline that I am aware of.

Eric

Already Gone...

I've been in a rail fan kind of mood lately and reloaded Microsoft Train Simulator on my PC.  This is an old sim from almost 10 years ago, but being a transportation geek, I enjoy virtually moving trains around, especially Double Stack Trains and the old F and E unit car body locomotives... However, this is a French Duplex high speed train.  Speed to BURN baby.

That looks pretty cool...but this is a game. Check this video out. This is the real deal absolutely screaming across France.

Here's another video that compares the French TGV against the Japanese Shinkansen.  I've had the pleasure several times of riding the Japanese bullet trains.  They are fabulous.

And yes, I have a fairly current gaming computer.  I get over 50 frames per second in this old sim.

Some Stuff is More Important than Work.

Today our newest grand son, Liam Michael Wender, was born!  

Our daughter Claire gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy weighing 6 lbs, 12 oz, and 17 inches long.  That's a bit smallish for our end of the family, but it's quality we are measuring here, not quantity!

The kid got here fairly quickly and in the rush, my wife Mary managed to lock the doors on our RUNNING automobile.  So, my bride took my car and rushed off to the hospital. 

I stayed and waited on the locksmith.  Liam got here so quickly I missed the "event", but no matter.  I'm waiting for 5 years to go by so I can take this kid fishing.   We only have to wait 3 years for Disney World.  Won't be too long before I have both these young'uns and their Uncle Clint in a boat with a hook wet.  

Here's a quick snap of a happy granddaddy and Liam on first meeting.  Liam gets to meet his 2 year old big brother Gavin tomorrow!  His education on SEC football commences tomorrow as well. 

The freightdawg now has two AWESOME grand sons!!  

Eric

RailTrends 2010: NYC Sept 28-29, 2010

The top railroad conference in North America returns for its 6th year in New York on September 28th and 29th, 2010.   Matt Rose, Chairman, President and CEO of BNSF Railway Co. will be the honored guest, receiving the Railroad Innovator Award, presented by Progressive Railroading Magazine.   Details of the conference are below.

Make plans to be a part of it September 28-29, 2010, in New York City. RailTrends is the rail profession’s reliable source for:

• Industry insights, innovations and advancements
• Executive elbow-rubbing
• Intelligent investment information

Brought to you by two rail-industry authorities, Progressive Railroading magazine and Senior Transportation Analyst Tony Hatch, this two-day summit was carefully crafted to address the issues that matter most to rail professionals. Facilitated by some of the rail industry's most-respected authorities, RailTrends presentations will address all facets of the industry, including:

• Wall Street’s take on the rail industry
• Freight railroad executives’ views on rail in the post-recession economy
• What lenders look for in a railroad
• The Obama Administration’s position on rail policy and high-speed rail

RailTrends provides you with an amazing opportunity to connect with the best of the best from all areas of the rail industry: Shippers, Suppliers, Banks and Financial Organizations, Lessors, Short-Lines and Class Is.

Past heavy-hitter attendees include:
• Vice President, Corporate for Walmart Transportation
• Vice President and Managing Director for GATX Corporation
• Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Gannett Fleming Transit & Rail Systems
• Senior Vice President and General Manager for Siemens Financial Services Inc.
• Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Kansas City Southern

You can register for the conference at this link.

N836D: First of the Last

The Historical Flight Foundation, located in Opa Locka Florida, operates what is today the last flying example of the famous Douglas DC-7. This DC-7B was once operated by Eastern Airlines.  After meticulous and costly restoration, this old girl finally got off the ground on July 4th, 2010. She will now be making the air show circuit in the USA.

Guess what?  You can fly on her.   The HFF will be selling seats for passengers once the aircraft starts making her rounds.  She will be seen at Airventure in Oshkosh, Thunder over Michigan and coming up in August, Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.    Check out this Google slide show as well for interior pictures.  She is a beauty.

Ok, these things are CREEPY.

I spent the last couple of days in south Florida in some customer meetings.   I normally fly into KFLL, pick up a rental car, go to our corporate headquarters to visit my amigos, then go do what I need to do with the Latin American regional offices of my clients that are based in Miami.   This is all quite normal and regular business for me.  

On the return to Atlanta tonight, going through TSA security at Fort Lauderdale, I noted that they had a new (at least since the last time I was there) scanning unit in terminal 2.  It is a backscatter body imaging machine.  These are the units that can see through the clothing of scanned passengers, though said not to either store scans nor compromise the modesty of the scanned passenger. (see for yourself here.)

Since I work with customers who produce some of these kinds of security devices,  I figured I would go through the body imaging line.  No big deal really.  You take off any and all metal, then you proceed to hold your arms up and get scanned.  The TSA officer then tells you to move along.   However, I will say watching a young lady in front of me get scanned, then subsequently get frisked, gave me the willies.  The TSA officers did nothing unusual and were perfectly professional in the examinations. Standing in the unit, then holding your arms up to get scanned, was somehow just a little unnerving.   After a few times, I'm sure it will seem quite normal, but I can think of a few things that might seem normal if you did them enough.

Here is what the TSA says about those who observe these screenings:

"For additional privacy, the officer viewing the image is in a separate room and will never see the passenger and the officer attending to the passenger will never see the image. The officers have 2-way radios to communicate with each other in case a threat object is identified."

Why is this even more unnerving?     I do not want to even know what those people could be doing in the observation rooms, though I can pretty much assure the traveling public my image won't incite anything weird.

I really think it's time to go to a US domestic passport along with some kind of bio marker that says it's me.  Maybe a retina scan or a fingerprint scan, but something that shows I am a safe traveler and something that expedites travel through security. I am convinced that at least one true cost of 9/11 is being borne and costed out on the traveling public by the inefficient use of security measures.   

Politically, I am a center right independent.  Mostly I just want to be left alone by government to pay my own way, take care of my responsibilities and do my own thing.  Most conservatives rail at the idea of any kind of domestic passport on the grounds that it is like Nazi Germany "requesting your papers" just to travel in your own country.  

On a defacto basis I think we are already there.  We are just using technology to verify who is safe and who is not.

Stop screening my shoes and my underwear.   Neither of which is really that interesting.

Eric

BA, American and Iberia win EU OK for alliance | al.com

So much for Virgin Atlantic's competitive motto of "NO WAY BA/AA".   Seems the European Union has approved the merger of BA and Iberia and the subsequent expansion of the relationship with American.  The net result will be deeper ties between the carriers and a larger penetration of the European and American markets.   Associated Press reported the story below.   

It will be interesting to see how the coordinated flight schedules will impact air freight space availability especially in crowded markets like the Latin American trades where American has a significant presence as does Iberia.

BRUSSELS -- British Airways and Iberia won the European Union's regulatory approval to merge and to team up with American Airlines to share more of their lucrative trans-Atlantic routes.

British Airways' merger with Iberia will create Europe's third-largest airline with a market value of around $7.5 billion pounds. They will keep their existing brand identities and claim the deal will create savings of euro400 million ($530 million) a year by the fifth year.

BA and Iberia also plan to expand their oneworld alliance with American Airlines, which currently coordinates how they sell and operate flights between the 27-nation European Union and the United States. They will now also jointly manage schedules, capacity and pricing on flights from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Norway and Switzerland as well.

BA, American and Iberia win EU OK for alliance | al.com

DHL BRU Farewell Party a Great Success!

On June 11, 2010,  staff members at DHL's hub in Brussels, Belgium held a farewell party in honor of team members leaving the company as a result of DHL's hub relocation to Leipzig, Germany.   By all reports, the party was a major bash.   The following is a direct report!

The party was a roaring success with over 620 people attending from as far away as Singapore, the USA & all over Europe including many ‘old’ DHLers. The weather Gods smiled and gave us a beautiful evening allowing many party goers to remain ‘al fresco’ for the duration. The free bar was, quite naturally for a DHL function, very popular while the buffet provided some much needed nourishment to sustain all those present through until the early hours.

The entertainment started at 2030 with ‘Methuselah’ taking us back in time with some oldies on the disco followed by a presentation and slide show covering the history of DHL in Brussels, including some ‘interesting’ old photographs. The excellent band, Xzent, gave us 2 hours of great music before the tombola was drawn with some fabulous prizes as donated by generous suppliers & airlines.

After the ‘official’ business was over, DJs Kristof & Macphisto made sure that the venue rocked through until 0500 with the champagne tent providing a small haven of peace for those who needed it.

Unfortunately the planned auction of old DHL framed photographs could not take place due to technical difficulties but the subsequent ‘on line’ auction raised over Euro 900 for the charity ‘Annick for Kenya’.

A great party in the true traditions of DHL White and the photographs can be found at http://s737.photobucket.com/home/bru110610/allalbums

Cheers,

Neale

The Real Meaning of the Pledge

Tomorrow is America's birthday.   We live in a difficult and tumultuous world with difficult economic circumstances.  However, I am intensely proud and humbled to be an American.   I know that I and my family are lucky to live in the greatest country in the world. 

 Red Skelton I think is one of the most talented American comedians of the 20th century.  In 1969, he did following bit on his CBS television show.  It's one of the greatest renditions of the American Pledge of Allegiance ever done.  

For those who visit here who are not American, the Pledge is an oath that used to be a part of the start of every school age child's day.  It has meaning beyond the understanding of children. 

Enjoy.  

Eric