An ideal airport for airplane lovers

The glass wall in the departure lounge at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport faces the apron, giving aviation enthusiasts ample opportunity to watch planes take off and land. (JP/Novan Iman Santosa)

It was early morning in September when my airplane made its final approach to Paris -- it was still dark outside so the city lights were clearly visible.
I was aboard an Air France Boeing 777-300ER, which had flown out of Singapore and was about to touch down at the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Roissy, on the outskirts of Paris. I noticed another airplane was about to take off on the port side, but unfortunately I had sat on an aisle seat so I couldn't take a closer look to examine what aircraft and airline it was.
This is a fun thing for me, to land at an airport with parallel runways so you can see other airplanes taking off or landing.
This might be a good omen of what is to come.
Shopaholics may praise Changi or Dubai as a shopping paradise but CDG -- the airport code according to the International Air Transport Association -- provides a feast for the eyes.
Aviation enthusiasts love to visit airports to watch planes taxiing, taking off and landing, both at home and abroad.
Airplane lovers surely wouldn't miss the chance to visit CDG as it provides plenty of spots to take pictures of their favorite airlines and airplanes -- both inside and outside.
A major outdoor landmark surely not to be missed is none other than the Air France Concorde just outside the Hilton Hotel CDG in Roissypole.
The hotel is a strategic place to stay in the airport compound as it is also next to Terminal 3 (T3) which is dedicated to budget airlines.
Another plus is that is faces the taxiway linking northern runways with the southern.
Early September is a good time to visit as the sun shines for quite a long time, not setting until as late as 9:30 p.m., and the weather is fine.
Even if you don't stay at the pricey Hilton Hotel, the spot is still easy to get to if you go via the Regional Express Network (RER) urban rail network. Take the RER B line and exit at the Charles de Gaulle 1 station. From there it's within walking distance.
While an urban rail network is somewhat a requirement for major airports this days, it's not necessarily needed for fast intercity trains.
If you prefer to travel by land to other French cities such as Avignon or Toulouse (ah ... Toulouse, another must-visit with its Airbus assembly plant), then go the Charles de Gaulle 2 station and simply walk to the TGV bullet station.

While waiting to board their flight, children (and adults) can play a quick game on the PlayStation consoles in the departure lounge. (JP/Novan Iman Santosa)

Inside the terminals, Satellite 3 or S3 offers perhaps the best view of the airport's southern parallel runways and adjacent taxiways.
While most boarding lounges and waiting rooms only face the apron or faraway runways, S3 gives an unobstructed view of the runways and taxiways thanks to its glass-wall enclosure.
Inaugurated on June 26, 2007, Air France is starting to use S3 as its main hub together with airline members of the Sky Team.
Built by Aeroports de Paris at about 650 million euros, the complex is the first phase in a series of innovations that will significantly improve hub operations for Air France.
The airline itself has spent about 32 million euros constructing a lounge in S3.
The name could be somehow confusing, though. Officially it is called the Satellite 3 Boarding Lounge at Terminal 2E of Charles de Gaulle Airport.
There is not however, a S1 or S2 in the airport although S4 is under construction. It is expected that S4 will be operational by 2012.
The airport itself has three terminals. Terminal 1 (T1) is the oldest, Terminal 2 (T2) is the newest part of the airport and T3 is dedicated for low-cost airlines.
T2 itself is not a huge, singular terminal but is comprised of six halls, named 2A to 2F with S3 on the eastern side of both 2E and 2F halls. S4 is being constructed further east from S3 and is separated with an apron.
Air France calls the new boarding lounge the backbone of its hub promising a waiting time of less than two hours for about 20,000 connecting flights every week.
As most major airports all over the world prepare for the Airbus A380 superjumbo, the S3 boasts its two-level aerobridges, the first of its kind.
Other airports use single-level aerobridges to reach both the upper and lower decks of this gargantuan flying machine.
Each of S3's boarding gates will have three aerobridges -- two for the lower deck and one for the upper deck.
There will be six of these gates in S3 while the future S4 will have four.
Air France is slated to receive its Airbus A380 super jumbo jetliners in 2009 with flights linking Paris with Tokyo and Singapore.
The waiting time may be just under two hours for those with connecting flights but that does not prevent Air France from providing all the amenities to its travelers.
In addition to watching airplanes taxiing, taking off and landing, passengers -- especially the young ones or young at hearts -- can kill time with PlayStation consoles or get the latest info on their destination through PCs connected to the Internet.

Snacks and beverages on offer as well as free internet connectivity are just some of the conveniences long-haul travellers enjoy in the comfy business lounge. (JP/Novan Iman Santosa)

Other than staring at airplanes or PlayStation monitors, passengers do have the chance to shop. They can, for example, roam La Galerie Parisienne, a mall built by Aeroports de Paris with 3,200 square meters of shops and 1,400 square meters of bars and restaurants with a view of the ... runways!
For business class passengers, there is a 2,600-square-meter lounge with a seating capacity for 700.
As S3 was fully operational on March 30, it provides an additional number of gate-parked long-haul flights at T2 from 52 percent to 80 percent.
Gate-parked means an aircraft is parked directly at the gate allowing for a faster boarding process through the aerobridge compared to remote parking stands requiring passengers to be transported by ground vehicle before boarding an airplane.

The increase in gate-parked aircraft is due to a flexible arrangement of gate configurations from 11 long-haul and eight medium-haul flights to four long-haul and 22 medium-haul flights.
This configuration of between 19 to 26 gate parking stands depends on the type of flight handled, long- or medium-haul.
Other than Air France, the S3 boarding lounge is also used by members of the Sky Team: Aeroflot, AeroMexico, China Southern, Delta, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines.
As the airport is still undergoing expansion, hard core planespotters should consider CDG Airport a main destination before all open spaces are filled in.
Oh -- and one more thing. Dedicated airplane buffs should also visit the nearby historical Le Bourget Airport where the Le Bourget Salon is held every other year on the odd years. The smaller airport also houses the French Museum of Air and Space.
Alas, my schedule was so tight I didn't have the chance to visit although I did make a stop at the Le Bourget RER station.
Who knows -- maybe one day I can return and make a pilgrimage to Le Bourget and Toulouse.
The writer was invited by Air France to visit Charles de Gaulle Airport's S3 for a familiarization trip .

Source: The Jakarta Post Sun, 09/14/2008

,

Airbus A380: A new breed of airplane

Kenny Santana, Contributor, Toulouse, France

After 18 months of delays, Airbus finally delivered its much-awaited A380 on Oct. 15, in a glittering ceremony at the Airbus Delivery Center in Toulouse, southwest of France.
Long before D-day, Airbus' new baby had been the talk of the aviation industry. The reasons are obvious: this double-decker plane can accommodate around 555 people onboard in three class configurations, not to mention that it consumes less fuel.
As Airbus puts it, it's a greener, cleaner, quieter and smarter plane.
As the first carrier to fly the passenger plane, Singapore Airlines will use the A380 for the Singapore-Sydney route.
Thomas Burger, the senior marketing analyst for A380, explained at the launch that the birth of the A380 was a combination of market needs and Airbus' will to invent a better plane in its class.
""The market for large aircraft is led by the Boeing 747 with a 35 percent share. With the new A380, Airbus will be able to compete in this market. And we're confident the A380 will be the most important flagship for the next 30 years.""
However, the delays caused rumors to fly behind the scenes. Burger said the problem was wiring that had to be reinstalled and developed.
""We'd like to deliver the best to our customers. And it turns out that with more time, in the end we became fundamentally solid, even exceeding our expectations,"" he said.
Sitting together with CEOs from Rolls Royce (Sir John Rose) and Singapore Airlines (Chew Choon Seng), Airbus' CEO Thomas Enders said of the delay that they had underestimated the complexity of the aircraft and that the Airbus team (French in Toulouse and German in Hamburg) was not integrated enough.
""Nothing is guaranteed in life. The (A380) is not coming automatically, it is not a walk in the park,"" he reminded.
It certainly is not. For years the development of the A380 has been watched by the aviation industry. Its initial $12 billion budget swelled to over $18 billion, with Airbus losing a reported $7 billion.
However, all the hard work seemed to have paid off at the launch. The more than 500 international guests were treated to a slide presentation. The first thing they noticed, of course, was the plane's big capacity, but they were also informed it is eco-friendly.
Nicknamed the Gentle Green Giant, the A380 along with its Rolls Royce Trent 900 engines -- chosen by Singapore Airlines and seven other airlines to power their A380s -- has set the target for the cleanest and greenest aircraft today. On a seat-mile basis, the A380 burns around 20 percent less fuel than today's large aircraft with carbon dioxide emissions per passenger lower than any other aircraft's.
The A380 produces only half the noise energy at take-off, reducing by half the noise level around the airport runway, making it the quietest large passenger jet ever built. The quiet factor is also experienced inside the cabin.
Comfort is certainly A380's primary goal. In a tour of the cabin, invitees were taken from economy class to business, to the all-new suites.
The 12 private cabins of the suites were created by French yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste and are equipped with a hand-stitched leather chair, Bose headphones, personal jacket storage room and a double bed -- from two seats arranged together completed by sliding doors and roller blinds for further intimacy.
Proud Chew Choon Seng said to the Toulouse ceremony guests: ""From today, there is a new queen of the sky for air travel ... This is the plane for today and tomorrow"".
He said the Boeing 747 was regrettably a ""has-been"" and history marched onward.
Indeed, the A380 is only the beginning of the new history of the aviation world. Working forward from what A380 has achieved, Thomas Burger stated that Airbus is projecting for zero emission airplanes for the future. ""The journey will never end, but today we're one step closer."" A380 is that step.

A380 FACT SHEET

• Aircraft Range: 7,100 nautical-miles
• Engines: 4 X Rolls Royce Trent 900
• Aircraft Capacity: 471 in 3 class layout
• Configuration: 12 Suites, 60 Business Class, 399 Economy Class
• Height: 24.1 m Length: 73 m
• Fuselage Diameter: 7.1 m
• Cabin Length: 49.9 m
• Maximum Cabin Width (Main Deck): 6.6 m
• Maximum Cabin Width (Upper Deck): 5.9 m
• Wing Area: 845 m2
• Wingspan: 79.8 m (wing tip to wing tip)

Source: The Jakarta Post , Monday, 10/29/2007