Bologna Airport has recruited the services of an unusual car for its follow-me drivers to direct pilots to their parking positions after landing.

Since 6th May, a Lamborghini Aventador LP has been in use. It is painted with a red and white chequered livery, and furnished with Follow Me signs. Drivers have been trained to use the car by Lamborghini test driver, Mario Fasanetto.

The use of the car is to promote the 50th Anniversary of Automobili Lamborghini, and will also see an exhibition on Lamborghini inside Bologna’s main terminal.

The V12 engined car will be in use, guiding up to 140 flights per day at Bologna Airport, until 16th May.

Our new book title, Mumbai Airports Through Time gets a nice feature in the current Airports of the World magazine (probably the best enthusiast magazine on the subjects of airport spotting!)

The feature shows a snapshot of pictures from Mumbai’s airports, and gives a taste for the book (copies available here).

There’s also the chance to win a copy of Mumbai Airports Through Time, so grab a copy quickly. Go to this link to order: www.airportsworld.com

Or simply head to your local news agent.

The prototype of the new Airbus A350 XWB has recently been moved into the paint shop at Toulouse, where construction and testing have been taking place.

Sources on various forums have recently indicated that the first flight has been scheduled for 11th June at Toulouse.

This fuels the rumours that the aircraft will make a public appearance during this year’s Paris Air Show, which runs between 17-23 June. The public days of the air show are 21-23, which are the days that the type is most likely to appear if the rumours are true.

I stress that these are just rumours and nothing official has been announced by Airbus yet.

Qatar Airways has announced it will commence flights from its Doha base to Philadelphia, Addis Ababa, and Clark in the Philippines.

The link to Philadelphia will be flown by a Boeing 777-300 aircraft, and comes after previous rumours suggested Atlanta, Boston or Detroit would be the next US destination. The route is expected to start in summer 2014.

The route to Clark – an alternative to Manila Airport in the Philippines – is in competition with Emirates who operate a daily service from Dubai.

Thomson Airways has confirmed that their new Boeing 787 Dreamliner will begin commercial flights on 8 July.

Their first aircraft, G-TUIA, has recently been spotted test flying at Everett Paine Field prior to its delivery some time in June.

The inaugural Thomson services with the airline will be from Manchester and London Gatwick to Cancun and Orlando, FL.

Boeing has given its new 777X the green light, meaning customers can now officially order the new type, which will put the manufacturer in competition with Airbus’ A350 variants.

Boeing’s 777 has been one of the world’s most popular long-haul aircraft since its introduction in 1995. The ‘X’ model is thought to include new engines, folding wingtips and technology used in the recent 747-8 and 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

“We are taking the next step when it comes to engaging customers on the 777X,” spokesman Doug Alder said. The company has “begun to discuss additional technical, pricing and schedule details with customers”, he added.

It is thought the 777X will enter service around 2020.

Etihad Airways, based at Abu Dhabi, have created this infographic showing details of their current fleet of aircraft.

In a fun twist, they’ve added comparisons to Formula 1 cars since Etihad are also one of the Yas Marina Racing Circuit’s key sponsors. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take place on 3 November 2013.

Visit Etihad at www.etihad.com

Last week marked the final flight in Europe of a BAC One-Eleven (1-11) aircraft, with QinetiQ’s (former Royal Aircraft  Establishment) last flying example, ZH763, making the short journey from Boscombe Down to Newquay, in the south west of England.

The aircraft is to be preserved under cover as a fully serviceable exhibit, which will hopefully be seen moving around the airfield under its own power at special events held by its new owners, Classic Air Force, who have a number of serviceable historic aircraft.

As the type approaches its 50th anniversary, it is fitting to retire an example in this way, for future generations to enjoy.

Meanwhile, Classic Jet Tours in the USA are organising four enthusiasts flights on the last remaining operational 1-11 in the USA this October. The aircraft, N999BW, is operated in a VIP configuration by Jet Place Inc. These tours are likely to be the last chance for anyone to fly on a BAC One-Eleven, so if you’re interested make a booking at www.classicjettours.com and get down to Dallas Love Field.

If you want to spend time spotting at Atlanta Airport, most spotters know that the Renaissance Concourse is the hotel of choice, with its ideal position alongside the northern perimeter and rooms with balconies facing the action.

However, a lesser-known hotel which is usually much cheaper and still offers good views of aircraft can be found nearby.

This photo of BEST WESTERN PLUS Atlanta Airport-East is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Best Western Plus – Airport East is located a little further away from the airport, but has rooms offering views of the northern two runways.

Those with an SBS will be able to monitor aircraft on the other runways. If the weather’s clear enough you will be able to see the aircraft approaching and departing the distant runways.

A map of the Best Western Plus Airport East’s location, near runway 26R

Aircraft arriving from the east onto the northern runways can easily be read off from rooms in the *01, *02, *16, *17 range (the higher the better) will have views of the action.

I’d like to take a look at the country of Denmark and what aviation opportunities exist for aviation enthusiasts.

Airports

The main airport gateway to Denmark is Copenhagen Kastrup Airport, situated close to the city and only a short distance across the water from Malmo in Sweden.

Copenhagen is one of the main bases for SAS, and is also a hub for Cimber Air and Norwegian.no. Other principal airlines operating there include easyJet, Widerøe, JetTime, Thomas Cook Scandinavia and TUIfly Nordic.

Interesting and unusual airlines operating to Copenhagen are Air Greenland, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Atlantic Airways with the Airbus A319 link to the Faroe Islands.

By far the most popular spotting location at Copenhagen is the Flyvergrillen cafe, located alongside Runway 22R/04L. It has a dirt mound alongside which offers views over the movements on the runways and taxiways. It is acceptable for photography on afternoons. To reach the spot, walk out of Terminal 1 and turn left at the catering buildings. You can also drive this route. It takes 30 minutes to walk.

Other airports in Denmark include:

• Aalborg, with flights by Norwegian, KLM and SAS
• Aarhus Tirstrup, with flights by British Airways/Sun Air, EuroLOT, Ryanair, and SAS
• Billund, which is the country’s second busiest, with flights by Air France, British Airways/Sun Air, Norwegian, Ryanair, and Turkish Airlines
• Esbjerg, with flights by bmi Regional
• Karup, with flights by Norwegian
• Odense, with flights by Malmo Aviation

Aviation Attractions
Danish Technical Museum
Located at Helsingor, to the north of Copenhagen, this museum has a decent collection of around 30 aircraft. These include a SAS Sud Aviation Caravelle, DC-3, DC-7 cockpit, and a de Havilland Dragon Rapide, amongst a number of military aircraft.

Danish Collection of Vintage Aircraft
A museum of over 60 historic aircraft at Stauning Airport on the west coast of Denmark. Open daily.

Slagelse
Former British Airways and European Aviation BAC 1-11 G-AVMN is preserved outside a technical museum around 55 miles west of Copenhagen.