Sir Richard Branson's LIAT complaint letter example posted on TWITTER

Sir Richard Brandson recently tweeted (or "twitted" as I call that forum or whatever the fuck it is called) one of the most remarkably witty missives I've ever read in English:  "How to write a complaint letter – read this hilarious note from a frustrated airline passenger."

It is a complaint letter written by a dissatisfied customer to an airliner after a particularly horrible trip.  This letter is utterly biting.  Utterly witty.  But most of all, utterly effective.   And that is why  Branson tweeted to his Twitter followers the letter that is excerpted below from Huntington Post (click here to see the Huntington-Post article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/01/liat-complaint-letter-arthur-hicks-branson_n_3529385.html)

Dear LIAT:
May I say how considerate it is of you to enable your passengers such an in-depth and thorough tour of the Caribbean.

Most other airlines I have travelled on would simply wish to take me from point A to B in rather a hurry. I was intrigued that we were allowed to stop at not a lowly one or two but a magnificent six airports yesterday. And who wants to fly on the same airplane the entire time? We got to change and refuel every step of the way!

I particularly enjoyed sampling the security scanners at each and every airport. I find it preposterous that people imagine them all to be the same. And as for being patted down by a variety of islanders, well, I feel as if I’ve been hugged by most of the Caribbean already.

I also found it unique that this was all done on “island time,” because I do like to have time to absorb the atmosphere of the various departure lounges. As for our arrival, well, who wants to have to take a ferry at the end of all that flying anyway? I’m glad the boat was long gone by the time we arrived into Tortola last night — and that all those noisy bars and restaurants were closed.

So thank you, LIAT. I now truly understand why you are “The Caribbean Airline.”

Arthur Hicks

P.S. Keep the bag. I never liked it anyway.

ME WANT! Coming soon--FLYING CAR

Terrafugia, a Massachusetts based firm, has announced they are developing a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle called the TF-X which could, in theory, hop over traffic and fly for 500 miles. The vehicle would cost approximately $300,000.

The TF-X will travel at 200mph powered by a 300 hp jet engine.  On the ground, the TF-X is a plug-in hybrid and drives like any other automobile.  I'd love tooling around in this and all of the stares and gapes it would garner.

It also can take off vertically.

The car on the street and highway with the wings folded.

Here's a video:


The company also offers a propellor version of this car/aircraft know as the Transition®.
This version is in a more advance stage and is a more economical version.

ME WANT: Gulfstream begins delivering outfitted G650 aircraft

Can't wait until mine arrives!  Ha!

This new beauty flies approximately 700 miles an hour and can travel a distance of 8,000 miles.  I want to be a stewardess on one of these.  Since I'll never have the $65 million to buy one.  This plane, according to the CNN article below, also has a separate crew galley, restroom and rest quarters.  Now that is civilized living for the help, no?  No Marie Antoinette's here.

I did a previous blog on this jet as well as other business/corporate jets.  Click Here: Previous blog entry on the G650 and other private jets.

Also check out an interesting (well sort-of....in someways it disgusts me) story at CNN.com about one of the new G650 owners at
http://us.cnn.com/2013/02/06/travel/private-jets/index.html?hpt=hp_c2.

At the beginning of the article are a series of photos not to be missed showing private jets of some of the richer celebrities/individuals own (I guess routine millionaires can't really afford to operate a plane like this....they have to charter!  Do they feel like they are flying coach like the rest of us???)  Beyonce bought Jay-Z one as a father's day gift.  Ha!

photo from aero-comlab.stanford.edu

photo from eflightlevel.blogspot.com

Interior--photo from privatejetscharter.net

photo from corporatetakeover.wordpress.com

ME Want #1--GULFSTREAM 650 private jet--an object of my obsession

I' ve always wanted to have a private jet. I'd even just like to actually take a trip on a private jet. Now, I'm not talking about one of those weenie Learjet things. I'm talking about a JET.

My father was a private pilot and I grew up flying in private planes. The largest plane we had was a Queen Air which had a galley and small lavatory. It was quite fun! I suppose that it was those experiences which later attracted me to this current era of private jets.

The private jet I most want is a Gulfstream (I know friends out there may have different preferences). The newest Gulfstream will be the 650 so that is the one I want!

The Gulfstream appeal to me aesthetically, I guess.....more so than others. Gulfstreams are the jets that movie stars own (Tom Cruise, Schvarzenaaaaager, John Travolta). They are to me the most beautiful and elegant of the private jets. See:




























I love the Gulfstream's large oval windows. And as we'll see in the video below, the high ceilings.

This post is sort of a mini-documentary about the beauty and elegance of something I've never personally experienced: a private jet. I've yet to fly on one of these.....but we can still dream can't we:) And what a schweeeeeet dream this is. Come on with me through the various short videos and photos to follow and we'll enter a world of enchantment. Once you're finished you'll have a lovely fresh bright new day ahead!

So, first, check out this tall dude as he shows us inside my dream private jet, the upcoming Gulfstream 650:



Pretty damn plush, no?

Okay, so since I've never flown on one of these things (believe me a Queen Air is cute but it is not a JET), and since you've "prolly" (as daninokc says) never flown on one of these things let's take a trip to the world of private jets. This first video is fun....and with the champagne and cute dudes we'll get a little buzz on. This plane is a pretty decent Dussault jet (not a weenie one) I think. I especially love an Australian accent. This video indulges me on several levels....you'll see why):



Okay, so now that we've completely entered a sublime, who-cares-about-reality reality, at least for the moment, let's completely dream LARGE. Now here is a JET.



That was an Airbus Business Jet which is roughly the size of a Boeing 737 (Boeing also makes a 737 Business Jet). This is the way I'd love to live! Here's the Boeing 737 Business Jet and a real slice o' life look at a family flying on it. Couldn't they have a maid to run around after the children and pick up? And where is the Air Hostess? I realize that the screaming kids may ruin the serenity of our journey on private jets so I've disabled the sound so you can watch it peacefully:)



So who exactly can afford a jet like this? Well let's take a look at one example.......the pretty cute dude Russian Roman Abramovich. He's got a Boeing 767.

The thing about this fella is that he's in his early 40's, he's handsome and he's got billions. It wouldn't suck to be him, now would it? (I won't say anything else:)) He also has a lot of ME Wants :)

Here he is jumping off the back of his private Yacht (another toy that I have a yen for).



But, guess what?? This guy is into living LARGE. I mean LARGE. First of all, he is the owner of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's former home Chateau de la Croe in Cap D'Antibes (which would be my ultimate ME Want....well, that and Le Moulin de la Tuilerie).



He just ordered a new private jet and get this: it's the LARGE Airbus A380.


Here's what the inside of this beauty will look like....since I've completely suspended all sense of reality :)












This beautiful work of art of an aircraft cost that dude £300million. This thing has three-floors and an elevator that takes you down to the landing tarmac. Absolutely ingenious, if you ask my opinion. That little airplane engineer was inspired.

Now this would be a great place to wake up in the morning, no?

I think its time for us to start our descent back into the real world. We'll make our landing with this fun video of a trip to Monaco on a sort of weenie Cessna Citation (methinks?). Cute dudes again and more champagne...that should make for a less bumpy landing at the end of this blog post.



I don't know that I'll ever own a private jet but it sure is fun thinking about it. I'm not sure that I'll ever even have an opportunity to fly on a private jet but hell I'd do it as an "Air Hostess" if that was my only option!

Welcome to your final destination, back to your life. I hope after our lovely journey through the perfect world of private jets that you'll have a very peaceful, soothing and beautiful day!

Ring of Water--photo captures plane hitting the speed of sound

Christopher Pasatieri / Reuters

"Ring of Water
An F/A-18F Super Hornet hits the speed of sound. As the plane pushes air away, the temperature drops and water vapor in the air forms a ring cloud around it."

Time Picture of the week May 22, 2009