If you’re in Houston, there’s a party being held for the arrival of the first Lufthansa Airbus A380 flight on 1st August.

This will be the first arrival of the type on the Frankfurt – Houston George Bush Intercontinental route, as it takes over from the regular Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

General visitors are encouraged to head to the IAH Airport Ranger Trailhead viewing location off FM 1960 just east of Farrell Road to watch the arrival, which is scheduled for 1.50pm. There will be a party held to greet the arrival, including yodelling competition, Lederhosen contest, live DJ, food and drink, and a free gift for all who come.

The party takes place from midday to 2pm. Check out this website for more information, including directions: http://www.fly2houston.com/A380party

An official party is being laid on at the gate for press and those who pre-register, with the opportunity of a tour of the aircraft, and more festivities.

The device looks like a small clip, and attaches to the back of the phone. It can then be used to attach the phone to your hand without you having to grip it, and giving you the chance to easily type a text, e-mail, or bring up your boarding pass whilst dragging your luggage through the airport.

FlyGrip is a new solution for those with smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone, to help with using it on the move and whilst travelling.

Additionally, the FlyGrip can be used to prop up your phone allowing you to watch videos, read e-mails, or play games whilst it rests on your seatback tray, for example.

Naturally, in addition to smartphones, the FlyGrip can be used on MP3 players and small tablets. The example I tried wouldn’t be of much use with larger tablets, such as the iPad, however there are three sizes available so the larger ones may be more suitable.

The FlyGrip comes in a variety of colours, from subtle to the loud, and comes with full instructions and protective wipes and pads for the device.

It is priced from $29.95. You can find out more and order here: http://www.flygrip.com/

This guest post is from the experts at Baltic Aviation Academy – a specialist training centre in Lithuania which trains airline pilots. They are constantly investigating the characteristics of various aviation markets. This article summarizes research results of the Asia Pacific aviation market by pointing out five key facts.

1.    Asia Pacific accounts for a 34% of the global passenger traffic.

A few hundred years ago the journey from China to Europe took tea traders a year. By ship in 2012 it takes almost a month, by air it will last about 10 hours. The demand for flying in the Asia Pacific region is high and it continues to grow further due to constantly increasing population. At the moment the region has 359 airlines operating in 1207 commercial airports, executes about 6247000 flights and transports about 779 565 798 passengers a year. This results in Asia Pacific accounting for more than one third of the total global passenger traffic.

1. 2.    Asia Pacific soon will become the second-largest world region for air traffic.

A large share of the global passenger traffic speaks for itself, but it is also useful to compare the situation with the rest of the world. The Asian Pacific international traffic level is projected to grow by 6.9% annually in the period between 2010 and 2015. This will place Asia Pacific as the second-largest world region for air traffic after the Middle East. International traffic level for Europe is expected to grow at 5%, while the world’s average is projected to climb up by 5.8%.

1. 3.    The fleet of airlines operating in the region concentrates on A320 and B737.

Even though the regions’ fleet is quite diversified, the largest share belongs to Airbus and Boeing. Two most popular aircraft models are A320 and B737, while the top-five also includes B777, A330 and B747. The majority of confirmed orders for new aircraft is composed of these types as well, but also includes new A320 NEO and B787. The most common Non-Boeing/Airbus aircrafts exploited in the region are ATR, DHC-8 and ERJ190.

1. 4.    The demand for Full Flight Simulators in the region is expected to grow dramatically.

240 Full Flight Simulators are currently operating in the region. However, the number is about to change significantly in the future. At least 20-30 new FFS will be needed in the next 3 years, while the total number of FFS demanded is expected to reach about 500 in 2030.

1. 5.    Asia Pacific region will be the biggest customer for new pilots over the next 20 years.

According to Boeing estimates, from year 2011 to 2030 the world will need 460,000 new pilots along with Asia-Pacific area accounting for 40% of the number. This means that the region will face a need of 9,684 pilots per year, which will make it the main customer in this type of labor market.

‘We see a huge demand for senior specialists – highly experienced pilots and instructors who could train the excessive number of pilots-beginners in order to reduce the lack of qualified professionals faster. In terms of resourcing professional aviation training instructors, Baltic Aviation Academy has already achieved major success in the markets across Central Asia, so the next logical step is to address the Asian-Pacific region,’ commented Egle Vaitkeviciute, Chief Executive Officer at Baltic Aviation Academy.

Baltic Aviation Academy is addressing the rapid expansion of Asia Pacific market and its future needs of qualified aviation personnel by taking the initiative to adapt European standard training programs and assigning its aviation specialists to the regions.

Starting with 2012 the Academy has been actively participating in aviation events and air shows. On the 28 – 29th of August together with partners from the Bird Group, Baltic Aviation  Academy will arrange a keynote entitled ‘Strategic View to Pilot Training: External TRTO Provider VS In-house Base‘ in Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS) 2012, held in Singapore.

For many in the UK, this week’s Farnborough Air Show was a thrilling chance to see and step aboard the new Airbus A380 in Malaysia Airlines colours.

Their second example, 9M-MNB, was flown to the event for demonstration whilst their first example -MNA has recently entered service on the carrier’s Kuala Lumpur – London Heathrow service.

So where can you see these shiny new behemoth’s? Initially, the Malaysia A380s will be flown on the following routes (all from Kuala Lumpur):

• London Heathrow (3x weekly, until it goes 1x daily on 25 August 2012)
• Sydney (1x daily from 25 November 2012)
• Tokyo Narita (1x daily from 25 November 2012)
• Beijing (1x daily from 1 March 2013)

If you get to fly on the aircraft please leave a comment and let us know what it was like!

Munich Airport has fast become Germany’s second airport following the focus by Lufthansa to make it their main hub after Frankfurt. Whilst Berlin is the capital, and is due to open its delayed new Brandenburg Airport next year, Munich will likely retain its status and popularity.

The current airport, situated to the north east of the city, opened in 1992, following the closure of the older, smaller, Riem airport (the site of which has now been redeveloped).

The airport has two terminals. Terminal 1 handles all non-Star Alliance/Lufthansa flights (except Condor and Germanwings), whilst Terminal 2 is exclusively for Star Alliance and Lufthansa partners.

There are two parallel runways at Munich. Plans for a third runway have recently been put on hold.

Airlines serve Munich from all over Europe, with a dominance by Lufthansa and its partners. There are also links to the Far East, Middle East and North America on a daily basis. Airlines such as Thai, Qatar Airways, Volotea, S7 Airlines, and Monarch Airlines are of interest in Summer 2012.

Photographer: Felix Gottwald http://www.felixgottwald.net/

Where to spot
At the airport itself, there is a viewing terrace on Terminal 2. It is signposted within the terminal, and offers views over the eastern apron and some taxiways.

On the approach road into the airport, the most popular place to spot is the Visitors Park and Hill. This includes a raised hill with views over Terminal 1 and the western apron, as well as aircraft on the runways.

The Visitors Park also houses a number of preserved historic airliners, including a DC-3, Lockheed Constellation and Junkers Ju52.

To reach the Visitors Park by public transport, use the S-Bahn S1 or S8 train and get off at the station named Besucherpark.

Around the southern perimeter there are places to view aircraft on the southern runway, with photography an option.

Munich, and many other airports, is covered in my book Airport Spotting Guides Europe 2012. Buy it here.

British Airways has returned to one of Northern Ireland’s main airports, following its merger with bmi British Midland.

It is a number of years since British Airways last served  Belfast, choosing to leave it to bmi.

However, in a special ceremony today, a British Airways Airbus A319 landed at Belfast City George Best Airport, signalling a return to the city after a gap of 11 years.

Willie Walsh, International Airlines Group’s CEO told guests at an event at Belfast City Airport that British Airways was delighted that the route was again part of the airline’s network and he was committed to maintaining the link. He said: “I am delighted today to see the British Airways colours back in Belfast. I publicly committed to serving Belfast if we acquired additional runway slots at Heathrow and the acquisition of bmi has given us the perfect opportunity to make that happen.”

British Airways is maintaining the current summer schedule on the service, with six daily return flights, but has announced it will increase frequency when it introduces its winter schedule on October 28, adding an additional flight each day, bringing the total to seven.

Thomson Airways recently announced their new livery, to coincide with the arrival of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners next year. In the meantime, it has given us a taster of the new livery by applying it to a Boeing 767-300 (and its new-build 737-800s). Here’s a time-lapse video showing the process of rebranding and painting that 767 (G-OBYG) in Air Livery’s hangars.

As part of our series on improving your spotting productivity, here is a selection of new book titles that you shouldn’t be without. They offer productivity, fantastic reference, and lots of inspiration to take you forwards.

1. JP Airline Fleets 2012/13, BUCHair
If you don’t use a database, then in my opinion the best book you can buy for listing the fleets of airlines, government transport units, FBO’s and charter companies worldwide is JP Airline Fleets. This most recent update is available, and packed full of information, with handy tick boxes for you to mark off aircraft seen.
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA

2. JP Bizjet & Tubroprops 2012, BUCHair
The full, authoritative register of biz jets, biz turboprops, and very light jets (VLJ’s) around the world. Listed by country and registration, with tick boxes for you to mark them off when seen. The best annual publication on the subject.
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA 

3. abc Civil Aircraft Markings 2012, Ian Allan
The long-running annual series covering the full UK civil register of aircraft, including airliners, light aircraft, helicopters, microlights and gliders. It also lists the main fleets of airlines around the world. Has a notes section for you to mark off aircraft that you’ve seen.
Buy on Amazon UK | Buy on Amazon USA 

4. Eighties Ringway 1980-84 (Manchester Airport)
Part of the Ringway Through the Decades series. If you’re from the UK, chances are you spent time spotting at Manchester Airport in the past. It used to have excellent viewing terraces along the terminal roof, and many an exotic charter airline. This book has full movement logs for the decade, some fantastic photos, and lots of information about the airport. More for nostalgia than anything. A second volume, 1985-1989 is due soon.
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA 

5. Wrecks & Relics, by Ken Ellis
This book, by Ken Ellis, has been fully updated for 2012 and lists stored, preserved, displayed and wrecked aircraft around the UK, and details of how to see them. Covers both civil and military aircraft. Perfect to have with you for reference on any journey.
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA

6. Propliners of the World Part 1, and Part 2,  by Gerry Manning
Two large volumes covering propliners around the world, including a huge reference section on the DC-3, and sections on propliners in South America and Alaska.
Propliners 1: Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA
Propliners 2: Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA

7. Landing in Las Vegas: Commercial Aviation and the Making of a Tourist City, by Daniel K Bubb
When commercial flights first arrived in Las Vegas in the mid-1920s, they were carrying mail between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Las Vegas was an old railroad refueling stop and not much more. The mail planes just needed an airstrip and a place to refuel so they could be on their way again. When the airlines began to take paying passengers aboard, enterprising Las Vegans realized they could sell these visitors more than fuel and a few beers. Hotel resorts started going up, replacing the rougher hotels that were little more than saloons. The new hotels had restaurants, live music, swamp coolers (a kind of air conditioning), and slot machines. People began to make Las Vegas their destination rather than just an unavoidable overnight stop. Landing in Las Vegas is a short book at 124 pages of text and photos. There’s plenty of documentation, footnotes, and sources. In addition to an original interpretation of the rise of Las Vegas, Bubb includes many intriguing details, such as the story of the first woman passenger to arrive in Las Vegas by air and Senator Pat McCarran’s successes in getting federal funds for expanding the airport and establishing an Air Force base in Las Vegas.
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA 

8. Above and Beyond: Inspiring Adventures into the Blue, by Heather McKeown
True and fascinating tales from the life of a flight attendant criss-crossing the globe. Heather McKeown welcomes you into the world of the airline service industry, and offers up hope to all who step onto the jetway. From stories of the sick and invalid, to those whose hopes and dreams are a flight away, you’ll see the world from a whole new perspective–from take-off to landing, and beyond.
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA | Buy on Kindle 

9. China Airborne, by James Fallows
A fascinating account of China’s plans to rival America in the air, with aircraft manufacturing, huge airlines and route networks, and countless modern airports across the country. Fallows chronicles life in the city of Xi’an, home to 250,000 aerospace engineers and assembly-line workers, and introduces us to some of the hucksters, visionaries, entrepreneurs, and dreamers who seek to benefit from China’s pursuit of aeronautical supremacy.
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA 

10. Learn to Fly in 21 Days, by Phil Stone
Have you been putting off learning to fly? Maybe now’s the time to bite the bullet and go for it. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you how rewarding and thrilling it is. This book claims to take you there in a very short period of time, and it’s cheap so why not give it a read?
Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Amazon USA | Buy on Kindle

Halim Airport in Jakarta was the city’s main airport until 1985, when the new Soekarno-Hatta International Airport opened to replace it.

Since then Halim has been a base for government and military flights, plus a few domestic operators and air taxi companies. I had the pleasure of taking an airside tour there in 2004, and noted lots of old airliners stored around the airfield, and a few cargo operators also making use of the facility.

Now, news has surfaced that Garuda’s Citilink subsidiary, along with Merpati Nusantara, and the new Lion Air subsidiary Batik Air, are all to relocate operations to Halim airport from early 2013.

The move is to help combat the severe overcrowding at Soekarno-Hatta, which receives more than double its designed capacity.

It is understood that the move would be a temporary one, whilst Angkasa Pura (AP) II, the planning agency, constructs additional apron space at Soekarno-Hatta and modifies Terminal 3 to handle more passengers. They will also assess the future role of Halim to make sure best use is made of Jakarta’s airport facilities.

Here’s a cool time-lapse video of morning departures at Boston Logan Airport. The lines of aircraft waiting to depart, and the variety, is incredible. Enjoy!