• In a role reversal, a passenger had to deal with anirate flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 614 to Dallas this past Sunday. The F/A had been visibly irritated throughout the flight and at one point flipped out on a first class passenger after he merely asked for orange juice. She began yelling and making rude remarks to the man for a period of time before asking other passengers to be witnesses in her claim that he was rude. Though a very one-sided altercation, the passenger was apparently given a note from the Captain issuing a warning in regards to the laws of interfering with the flight crew. Astonished, a group of passengers backed him up when airline officials met the aircraft to investigate upon landing. AA says they are investigating (video). [Consumerist]
• Senator Chuck Schumer had some words with a US Airways flight attendant after she insisted he shut off his cell phone before departure. When she refused to allow him to complete his call, she proceeded to call her the word for a “female dog” as she walked away. When his phone rang one more time, he was quoted as saying “It’s Harry Reid calling. I guess health care will have to wait until we land.” [Gothamist]
• FlyGlobespan, after 7 years of service on three continents as Scotland’s biggest airline, has ceased operations as its parent company, Globespan, was taken under receivership.
• Some engine trouble before departure on a Batavia Air 737 led to a bang which created panic among the passengers. Thinking the aircraft was on fire, passengers at Ngurah Rai Airport in Indonesia insisted on evacuating the plane, three of them injured when they jumped from the door before the escape chute inflated. [AirlineReporter]
For decades, people have been accusing the Russians of stealing aircraft designs from the West. But NYCAviation has uncovered proof that Boeing actually stole the concept of the composite aircraft from a 60+ year old design created by none other than Donald Duck…