BigDUSA

I see in another topic a number of guys have picked up on what a nit picking butt wipe you are.

PARIS - Shares in European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. fell Thursday after a U.S. government agency recommended reopening a $35 billion U.S. Air Force tanker contract that it won with partner Northrop Grumman. In Paris trading, shares in Airbus parent company EADS fell 2.5 percent to close at 13.21 euros ($20.48). The General Accounting Office said it found "a number of significant errors" in the selection process that led to the Air Force awarding one of its biggest contracts in decades to Northrup and EADS instead of U.S. competitor Boeing Co. The decision is not binding, but it puts heavy pressure on the Air Force to reopen the contract and could help Boeing capture part or all of the deal. For EADS, breaking into the world's largest military market is crucial to CEO Louis Gallois' strategy of reducing the group's dependence on the commercial airliner market. Gallois said Wednesday he was "disappointed" with the GAO decision, but noted the evaluation concerned "the selection process, not the merits of the aircraft." The Air Force's decision provoked fury among U.S. politicians, who objected to the military deal being awarded to an overseas contractor. Boeing had supplied refueling tankers to the Air Force for nearly 50 years. Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama lauded the GAO decision and called for a "fair and transparent" rebidding of the contract. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who was instrumental in the Pentagon's long attempt to complete a deal on the tanker, called the GAO decision "unfortunate for the taxpayers." Under the EADS-Northrop proposal, the tanker frame is to be based on the Airbus A330 passenger jet, and final assembly would take place in Mobile, Alabama. Civilian Airbus A330 freighters would be assembled there, too. Europe would play a role in building the tanker, with the nose made in France, the wings in Britain and part of the fuselage in Germany. Northrop said its tanker contract would support four new factories and 48,000 jobs with 230 U.S. suppliers. Boeing estimates the tanker contract would support 44,000 new and existing jobs with more than 300 U.S. suppliers. Boeing shares rose $1.93 to $76.58 on Thursday.

Level of service is excellent. Rooms are serviced daily. On site laundry service with same day return. Pete the owner is very responsive if you have a problem with your room. Get a room in the back and noise is low. There is a beer bar 100 meters away that plays crap music till 2AM.

Airbus Military has rolled out the first A400M military transport aircraft from the final assembly line for the new airlifter in Seville, Spain. Designed initially to a requirement from European air forces for a new airlifter, the A400M incorporates materials and technology being used in the newest civil jets. The new aircraft incorporates features such as electronic flight controls, carbon composite structures and an automated handling system will bring new standards of operability and safety to military aircrews. Launched under a single contract in 2003 with orders for 180 aircraft from seven European launch customers, the A400M is the most ambitious military procurement program ever undertaken in Europe. Launch customer nations Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom were later joined by Malaysia and South Africa, which ordered the A400M for their own requirements and brought commitments for the new airlifter to 192 aircraft. Chile, too, has signed a letter of intent to acquire A400Ms. "This event demonstrates our joint determination to show that EADS can design and manufacture a long-range military transport aircraft which will set new standards in airlift and open further potential in international markets. It also serves to justify the confidence which our customers placed in us when awarding the initial contract," said Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS, parent of both Airbus Military and Airbus. The initial 180-aircraft contract, worth some 20 billion euros ($31.16 billion), was signed between Airbus Military and OCCAR, (Organisation Conjointe de Coordination en matière d'Armement), the contractual body representing all seven European customer nations). Airbus Military designed the A400M to be versatile enough to offer both tactical and strategic airlift capability. With a payload of up to 37 tonnes over ranges of up to 4,700 nautical miles (5,409 miles), the A400M is designed to carry all loads and vehicles in the European Staff Requirement (ESR) inventory, serve as an aerial delivery platform and act as an in-flight tanker for both fast jets and helicopters. Typically, the A400M will be capable of carrying a 32-tonne payload over 2,000 miles, and can carry up to 116 paratroopers, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). It will be able to drop cargo by parachute, by gravity extraction from its loading ramp, or by landing on rough landing strips. The Royal Air Force's A400M fleet will be based at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the RAF's main transport-aircraft hub. The turboprop-powered A400M will be able to travel at speeds comparable with jet transports both at low level and at altitude, according to the MOD. The crew of three, comprising two pilots and a loadmaster, will have available the same advanced flight-deck and cabin technology used in the latest Airbus commercial jet programs, such as the A380. EADS says the A400M is the first truly new military transport aircraft of its category designed in over 30 years, with twice the capacity and twice the payload of the aircraft types that it will replace in European service. The A400M is powered by four new-generation TP400-D6 turboprop engines, developed, manufactured and supported by EuroProp International (EPI). EPI is a European joint venture company, the partners of which are Rolls-Royce, Snecma Moteurs, MTU Aero Engines and Industria deTurbopropulsores (ITP). EPI's TP400-D6 engine is rated at more than 11,000 shaft horsepower. It drives Ratier-Figeac FH386 advanced-airfoil propellers that allow the aircraft to fly up to a cruise speed of Mach 0.72.

I stay at a small 8 room guest house located on 2nd road near soi 6. It's clean with in room safe, AC, TV and fridge. Offers in room wired internet service. No pool but it meets your price point. www.skytopcenterpattaya.com

The reality is it's a Toyota design but built in a factory jointly owned and operated by GM and Toyota. GM tweaked the suspension and added a high end stereo option. Years ago I owned a Geo built in the same factory and it was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned.

Fit's my needs and it's paid for.

No I'm not wintering in LOS just making my usual three to five trips a year to LOS. BTW the increase in airfare is of little concern since I have no problem in financing my trips to LOS. My 2009 Pontiac Vibe is a car not a pickup truck.

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE - In yet another sign that the Boeing Co. may get another shot at bidding on a new Air Force refueling tanker, the nation's top military officer Thursday said the $35 billion contract should be renegotiated in a fair, legal way. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his remarks a day after congressional investigators upheld Boeing's protest of the tanker contract awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp. and Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. Mullen, the top military adviser to the president and defense secretary, discussed the issue during a visit to McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma and in an interview with KOMO News. "Clearly, they (the Air Force) are the responsible service, and it should be done in a way that supports obviously the law, the regulations, our acquisition authorities, so a decision can be made," he said of the tanker contract bidding. But he added that the decision on what to do is up to the Air Force, since he has no direct authority to intervene in contract bidding to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of air refueling tankers. "Where we go with this quite frankly is to the service to generate," he added. The Government Accountability Office said Wednesday that it found "a number of significant errors that could have affected the outcome of what was a close competition between Boeing and Northrop Grumman." So far, the Air Force has had no immediate reaction to the GAO findings, saying only that it is aware of the report and will review it. Boeing said it looks forward to working with the Air Force on the next steps in this "critical procurement for our warfighters." Northrop said it continues to believe its plane was the service's best option. While the GAO decision is not binding, it puts tremendous pressure on the Air Force to reopen the contract and could pave the way for Boeing to capture part or all of the award. It also gives ammunition to Boeing supporters in Congress who have been seeking to block funding for the deal or force a new competition. The contract has sparked a fierce backlash among lawmakers from Washington, Kansas and other states that stand to gain jobs in Boeing succeeds in landing the contract. "Boeing and the American people are the big winners in this decision," said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. "The Air Force will have no choice but to rebid this project." House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., agreed: "The GAO did its work, and the Air Force is going to have to go back and do its work more thoroughly." By statute, the Air Force has 60 days to inform the GAO of how it will respond to the recommendations. Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, called on the Air Force to rebid the contract and said he would introduce legislation requiring a new competition if the service does not reopen the process. Boeing estimates the tanker contract would support 44,000 new and existing jobs with more than 300 U.S. suppliers. The company would perform much of the work in Everett, Wash., and Wichita, Kan. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., stressed that Congress needs to examine more than just the narrow technical issues raised by the GAO review, including the role of subsidies and American jobs in defense contracts. The contract for 179 aerial refueling tankers is the first of three deals worth up to $100 billion to replace the Air Force's entire tanker fleet over the next 30 years.

Once again you don't know what your talking about but that's not unusual for you. I'll be back in September for another three week vacation. Third trip to LOS this year.

I agree it's a good place to stop in for a few drinks and food.

Boeing said Friday that tests on the 787 Dreamliner's power systems were successful, putting the plane on schedule for its initial flight in the fourth quarter and delivery to customers next year. The so-called power-on process began June 11 for the Dreamliner, which will use more electricity than current models to help conserve fuel. Boeing's new carbon-composite aircraft has been pushed back at least 14 months from the original delivery target of last month, partly because vendors were unable to complete all the work they promised. "They had missed so many deadlines that it's important that they met this one on target, even if that target was revised," said Michael Derchin, an analyst at FTN Midwest Research Securities in New York. The 787 milestone follows a win two days ago for another Boeing plane, the aerial refueling tanker. A government agency agreed with Boeing that the Air Force made errors in February when it awarded the $40 billion program to a team of Northrop Grumman and Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space (EADS). The Air Force is now deciding whether to reopen the bidding. "It's a very good week for them, because the tanker was very big, and this is a big step in the 787 program for them," Derchin said. Boeing stock fell $1.12 to $75.83 Friday, following the broader market lower, but it was up 71 cents for the week. Boeing is counting on the 787's fuel efficiency to help it win orders from airlines struggling to cut costs. Boeing already has orders for 896 Dreamliners, valued at about $155 billion at list prices, from 58 customers, a record for a new plane that hasn't yet flown. The Dreamliner's reliance on electricity, along with lighter-weight composite materials and new technology, will reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent from comparable planes in service now. The electrical system on the 787, whose power levels are five times higher than on Boeing's 767, is largely independent of the jet engines, reducing fuel usage because power isn't being bled away to run lights and other systems. "We have verified both that the electrical-power distribution system is installed as designed and that it functions as intended," Pat Shanahan, who was put in charge of the 787 program in October to get the plane's production back on track, said in a statement Friday. Power on is 100% successful and Boeing has 896 orders for this plane. Not bad for a plane that has never flown. BTW how may A380 has Airbus sold???

Government Accounting Office (GAO) has a rock solid rep as fair and balanced.

It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

EADS faces new US lawsuits over Airbus insider trading claims Last Updated: 11:44pm BST 17/06/2008 European aerospace group EADS faces a number of fresh legal challenges in the US over accusations of insider trading. EADS is the subject of at least two new separate lawsuits relating to the company's investment in plane manufacturer Airbus. Delays to the Airbus A380 "Super Jumbo" led to EADS's shares falling by 26pc in one day in June 2006, and sparked a crisis at the parent company from which it is not yet fully recovered. One of the lawsuits, filed by New York solicitors Dreier, alleges that Airbus's parent company and its controlling shareholders - Daimler and Lagardere - committed securities fraud and insider trading related to delays in delivering the Super Jumbo in 2005-6. More on aerospace Dreier's lawsuit was filed on behalf of individual EADS shareholder Danielle Bobin. It also targets two senior EADS managers who are US citizens. A second, filed on behalf of an unnamed institutional investor and undisclosed individual investors by San Diego law firm Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins, cites similar complaints and violations of the Exchange Act in how the company allegedly misled investors when selling EADS shares. The allegations are sparked by EADs's actions in summer 2006, but for the first time allege that EADS continued to conceal the extent of the problems until March, when it issued a press release announcing a loss of €446m for 2007 related to Airbus's production delays over the A380. EADS and its major shareholders have consistently denied charges of insider trading and fraud, which are the result of a number of major investigations in both France and Germany as to whether investors and directors knew about the Super Jumbo's delays when they sold down positions in EADS. A French court has placed former EADS co-chief executive Noel Forgeard under formal investigation and is expected to question a handful of other current or former executives and representatives of the major shareholders as a result. Although EADS is not American nor is it quoted on a US stock exchange - it is legally domiciled in Amsterdam - the lawsuits have been filed in the US because the lawyers involved argue that the company does enough business in the US and has enough American shareholders. An EADS spokesman said: "We are convinced we have followed all rules applying to financial communications." I'm curious do the French still place prisoners on Devil's Island?

I bought a new 2009 Pontiac Vibe, all wheel drive car the other day. We've been making a few Dad & daughter trips out to rural Pennsylvania taking pictures and one of the nice things about having a Garmin GPS, we may run out of a dirt road but were never lost. Over the years I've taken our daughter on many trips and still could afford to come to Pattaya three to five times a year. Few years ago one of our daughters teacher's asked if she was an only child? I said yes she is. The teacher said she doesn't act like one. I laughed and responded, my wife and I spent many hours making sure she felt loved but not entitled. Over the years almost all of our daughters friends have told us they wish they had parents like us. Not because our daughter lived well but because we listened to her and had respect for her as a person. I'm more then satisfied with the job, I've done as a father. We have a well adjusted, happy young women whose turning into a fine adult.

When we went shopping for the camera, I suggested the D300 but she said it was to much money and she'd rather have the D80. Years ago my daughter and I travelled through New Zealand and I rented a camper van for 30 days. NZ is a great scenery trip with good roads. If you take the ferry from Wellington to the South Island book in advance as you'll save some major bucks.

I've been having a lot of fun with my Nikon D80 since I bought it. When our daughter made the Dean's List I asked her what she'd like as a present and she asked for a D80. Since I bought her the camera we've been going around taking lots of photo's. Last week we were in the Italian market in Philly getting people shot's. Next week looks to be a day or two in Cape May, New Jersey. One of the coolest things about being a Dad is when your adult child wants to spend time with you.

Since the Thai Embassy is part of the government of Thailand and list the documents needed to get a retirment visa................. Your point is? O that's right your just being a wanker.

It's sad your comprehension must be slipping as I didn't write the Thai Embassy issues retirment visa.

I would suggest you PM Harris Black. He has a rep on this forum for money management. I'm certain you'll be more then satisfied with his honesty and integrity.

How apt that quote is. I've started to gather the documents the Thai Embassy requires for a retirment visa. So far I've gotten a financial statement from our bank and the criminal records check. Next on my list is the MD certificate. I'm getting a lot closer to making the move. As I've stated before once our daughter is doing well in college were on our way. BTW our daughter made the Dean's List and next year will move to a prestigious local university on a academic scholarship.

Boeing Co said on Monday its 787 Dreamliner would make its first flight in the fourth quarter of 2008, repeating the revised schedule for the new airplane's launch announced in April. Dmitry Krol, director of communications for Boeing in Russia and the CIS, said first deliveries of the plane were scheduled for the third quarter of 2009, also as previously stated. "There is no change to the schedule for the 787 that we announced in April, which has us achieving power on by the end of June, first flight in the fourth quarter of 2008 and first delivery in the third quarter of 2009," said Krol. The company clarified its schedule after Mike Bair, vice-president of business strategy and marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said on Sunday the plane would fly "by the end of summer". Bair was speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the St Petersburg Economic Forum. He did not say that the schedule had changed. The fuel-efficient 787 smashed early sales records for Boeing and is seen by some analysts as key to the company's financial future.

The Everett final-assembly line of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner buzzed Monday with energy and activity as mechanics hustled to complete four airplanes lined up nose-to-tail. It's a busier beehive than Boeing planned for. The sections of the first Dreamliners arrived lacking much of the wiring and systems that the company's major partners were supposed to install, and Boeing mechanics have been painstakingly hand-building these planes. But Pat Shanahan, head of the program, said Monday on the first public tour of the production line that the plane now at the back of the assembly bay marks a turning point. That 787, Dreamliner 3, will be built almost the way Boeing originally planned. The first Dreamliners, which arrived as virtual shells, now have dedicated crews working seven days a week to finish them. But No. 3 is already much more finished and doesn't need that special attention. The entire front fuselage section, built by Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan., arrived already wired. Inside the cockpit of the tan-colored, composite-plastic plane, the steering columns are in place and the instrument panels lack only the glass display screens. There's still work to be caught up on. The fuselage is largely empty from the wings back. Insulation blankets cover the sidewalls, where the wiring that should be visible at this stage of assembly is missing. But when this plane moves to the next position, the crew working on it now will stay at their station and turn their attention to the next plane to arrive in Everett. "The production system starts here," Shanahan said, and the tangible progress is producing a new upbeat mood on the factory floor. "If you came here six months ago — long faces, real frustration. Now, they are really motivated. They can see light," Shanahan said. "These guys are pumped." Monday, the four 787s lined up in the assembly bay were: Dreamliner No. 1; then the fatigue test plane, which will never fly — instead being subjected to loads simulating multiple takeoffs and landings equivalent to many airplane lifetimes; then Dreamliners 2 and 3. The look of the factory will begin to change when the next plane comes in, and the progress will be more dramatically visible, said Shanahan. Right now, the wings of all four airplanes are enveloped in basic scaffolding of the type you might see on a construction site. That's because the wings came from Japan so unfinished that they required much systems installation. The scaffolding gives the mechanics access all over the wings. But Shanahan said he anticipates the next set of wings from Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, for Dreamliner No. 4, "may come in complete" with all required wiring and fasteners. He said the mechanics won't need the scaffolding, only cherry-picker-type lifts to reach their work points. That shift will remove much visual clutter and open up the airplane assembly. The support staff who sit with laptops at the many tables along the edges of the line will have a clearer view of the planes, as will mechanics breaking for lunch at the Dreamliner Diner cafe that overlooks the line from the second floor. "Number 4 will be the best airplane yet," Shanahan said. Inside, the whole cabin will arrive with the wiring installed along the entire interior fuselage. "It's [already] done," he said. Though journalists didn't get inside the first three Dreamliners on the line, each was a hive of activity. Through the door of Dreamliner No. 1, one could glimpse a crew of mechanics busy installing components in the rear of the cabin. Shanahan said this first airplane, due to fly this fall, is set to have its power switched on next month. "Power-On" is a significant milestone. It allows Boeing to test everything the mechanics have installed, from wiring to hydraulic and pneumatic tubing. Asked about problematic areas in the systems, Shanahan said "two guys are on my list." He identified these as the suppliers of the airplane's power system (Hamilton Sundstrand of Windsor Locks, Conn.) and of its brake control monitoring system (a Burbank, Calif. unit of Crane Aerospace, a subtier supplier to General Electric). Shanahan said he has promised Hamilton Sundstrand President David Hess a fabulous meal if Hess delivers everything he needs next month. Shanahan also set out his optimistic expectations for a rigorous eight-month flight-test program, and a concurrent process for certification of the airplane by the Federal Aviation Administration. He said that despite the embarrassing delays that mean some airlines will have to wait two years longer than anticipated for delivery of their Dreamliners, Boeing can now meet its newly revised schedule. The first plane is to fly by the end of the year and the first delivery should happen in the third quarter next year. Shanahan said challenges can and will erupt unexpectedly: "This is a program where every half-hour somebody runs in my office and throws a grenade." But he expressed cool confidence that each time this happens, "we'll dispatch the right people and resolve those issues." Shanahan said that despite the problems that have arisen, Boeing will "unquestionably" use the same manufacturing process again — outsourcing the work to partners and making the plane in large single-piece sections rather than many panels joined together. Standing alongside No. 3, he said Boeing has to drill about 10,000 holes to assemble the 787 fuselage, compared with a million holes on the 747 jumbo jet. Elsewhere in the largest building in the world, Boeing has temporarily assembled an enormous fixture — 1.5 million pounds of structural steel — to hold yet another Dreamliner, the static test airplane. Because of the new carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic material used to build the plane, it must undergo an extensive structural test program, more rigorous than usual. The static test plane is one of two that will never fly. It will sit in this giant rig through next spring and be bent, sheared and pressured by forces 1.5 times greater than the limit of those it will ever encounter in flight. Randy Harley, vice president of engineering and technology on the 787, said tests will deflect the wingtips at least 26 feet above their resting position. Boeing still has not decided whether or not to bend the wings until they break — a dramatic moment on all previous airplane programs, and one usually witnessed by a large part of the work force. Boeing will only do so this time if engineers believe they need to learn more about the structure under greater loads. But due to lack of space in the 747 bay, if they do decide to go that far, Boeing won't bring in bleachers for the show. All but a handful of test controllers will watch on video. An article published May 22, 2008, was corrected May 23, 2008. Due to incorrect information supplied by Boeing, a previous version erroneously identified Messier-Bugatti of France, which supplies the jet's brakes, as having problems meeting its commitments. Boeing said the problematic supplier is not Messier-Bugatti, but a subtier contractor to General Electric that makes the brake control monitoring system. Yes progress over the last year has been tremendous. At least Boeing isn't going around with the begging bowl out.

Having been delayed almost two years, Airbus’ flagship A380 program seems to have run into yet another stumbling block, much to the ire of its key Arab customer, Emirates. At the end of April 2008, Airbus CEO Thomas Enders stated that the company would be reviewing the production plans. “This is a very steep ramp up and this is something one always needs to be concerned about,” Enders said. “Yes, Emirates can confirm that it has received the letter from Airbus. At present we have nothing more to add,” an Emirates spokesperson told the Gulf News yesterday. However, President Tim Clark told Reuters by telephone in Dubai on Tuesday that the situation “is very serious,” and that it “will do us serious damage.“ Etihad Airways was also among the customers informed of the A380 review - considering the airline is the process of placing its biggest ever order this year, the timing could not have been more precarious. According to sources within these two airlines I have spoken to, both carriers are now expediting their evaluation of the 747-8 Intercontinental. Revealed exclusively last month, Emirates has made no secret that the 747-8I is not completely out of the running. With production at just under 2 airplanes a month, Boeing certainly has the better capability to increase production on an already established legacy airplane. With Airbus dropping plans to sell some factories, Power8 in a state of duress and currency woes biting hard, any further delays to the A380 may just sign the death knell for the behemoth. Already over budget to the tune of some $20bn, the A380 has secured just 3 firm orders so far this year. Oil prices have been reaching record highs, airlines have been collapsing and demand for large airplanes, particularly quadjets have been stagnant and are in the long term not ever likely to replicate the boom enjoyed by the 747-400 back in late 1980’s/early 1990’s. Although the A380 review is not expected to last long, its implications are far reaching. There’s no question Airbus could indeed stick to a higher rate of production, now that the second wave of correctly wired A380’s has entered the production stream - the critical issue remains that with demand for big (passenger) jets on the wane in favour of the 777, 787 and A350, how long can production remain in operation without foregoing a change in the intended delivery regime to customers? Further from that, how long can the line remain open without further sales, especially without a freighter model to support it? Throw in burgeoning fuel costs - by the time some existing customers get their A380’s, the airplane will not be sporting as energy efficient engines as some perceive - we must remember that the engines were designed almost a decade ago. Customers taking deliveries of A380’s in 2015 or beyond will have these older engines, with higher fuel bills compared to 787 or A350 engines. While hindsight is magical, there is no doubt that Airbus must be thinking that developing an all new twin in the A350 is far more important than the A380. Letting the A350 suffer because of ensuing problems will mean that Airbus runs the very high risk of losing customer trust as it did on the big A380. In gearing efforts for a contracting marketplace with the A380, Airbus has no one but itself to blame if the A350 is delayed - with so much riding on it, the company can ill-afford to repeat the fiasco of the A380 all over again. Reading the above, I can understand why Airbus is looking again for EU taxpayer money. Once again the EU taxpayer is by Airbus.