Naim

Condy's 4th in line. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condoleeza_Rice .naim

Errr...thanks mate. Shots are from TV3 news. Wanna be the first. OK lah kan? Anyway, here are the genuine stuff. Snapped by my good buddy, Mr Ishak Ariffin, on his arrival from Tioman this morning. He SMS-ed me when he saw the plane and I said to him, man you are very, very lucky! Why wait? Start shooting! Thanks, Ishak! .naim

Yes, befitting a person who is 4th in line to the USA throne. .naim

I was told by my DCA mole that the first batch of 6 buses designated -214 (AFA to AFF) had no recliner seats (now it seems AFC does, maybe the ManU factor?). The next batch, designated -216 (AFG onwards) would have different engines and ... wahey! recliner seats too. .naim

Yes, yes, I managed to get a couple of shots of 80001. Don't ask me how. The Foreign Minister arrived an hour before Condy, if I'm not mistaken. .naim

Yes, it's the same plane at SZB. I saw it on TV3 news just now, but too late to snap a pic! .naim

This is the plane. So it must be easy to spot at SZB. Unless she changed planes in Rome. Rome, 25/7/06 Rome, 25/7/06 Larnaca, 24/7/06. She then hopped onto a chopper for the shuttle to Beirut. Larnaca, 24/7/06 .ny

Ya, so try to avoid AFA-AFF. AFG onwards should have recliner seats, so I'm told. .naim

Please keep politics out. Am interested only in the planes lah, so do not hijack this thread. There must be a number of rare VIP planes around (KUL/SZB). I read the Iranian FM arrived just before Condy. .ny

Yes, she's now in town, and Subang's the place. .naim Protests? That's part of the circus, what? See: http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=311713&sid=WOR .naim

'Shot' by a camera I hope, not by a Katyusha. .naim

Thanks for pics, Radzi. Very educational. .ny

That spunky gal, Condy, should be in town now. Hope our spotters are in action - KLIA or Subang? .naim +++

Remember the Armavia A320 crash almost 3 months back? This is quick. .ny

This sounds even cooler, but no KUL. .ny

нет! .ny

This sounds cool. .ny +++

Here's the story. .ny +++

Lengthy write-up on AK. .ny +++ ===

Great to see Joe Sutter alive and well. Seen Joe's famous patent #212564 for the 747? Here goes (from Wide-Body: The Triumph of the 747 by Clive Irving ). .ny +++

Comparative chart. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/277877_airshow18.html .ny

No need to be apologetic, Sir. As a paying customer whose life is in the pilots' hands, you have the right to complain. .ny

How much would a 2nd-hand 737-200 cost? .ny +++ How can I buy an airliner? WHO, WHAT, WHY? The Magazine answers... Airbus A320 Want one? It could cost you $65m The air industry's biennial jamboree at Farnborough is the scene for many a major deal, but how exactly does one go about buying an airliner? Airliners cost millions of dollars and everything to do with them, whether it is manufacture or financing seems to be governed by Byzantine complexity. The two main manufacturers globally are Boeing and Airbus. If you wanted a 747-400, an updated version of the legendary jumbo, it comes with a $216-$247m list price. Of course, this is only a starting point for negotiation. If you're a major airline and you were thinking of switching permanently and publicly from Airbus to Boeing or vice versa, then you might be able to get yourself some bargain wings. Down to the smaller planes of the short-haul market, and you are looking at a list price of $54-$64m for a Boeing 737-700 - the workhorse of the budget airlines - or anything up to $65m for an Airbus A320. Your first move would be an approach to either Airbus or Boeing expressing an interest. The firms would be looking to rapidly establish your credentials and ability to pay, and would then set about working out a schedule for delivery and the nitty-gritty of the financing. If you are buying just one airliner, it could be three years before you get your hands on it. Like the purchase of a new car there are a number of routes for financing any deal. The first port of call for any company making a significant order might be an export credit agency such as the UK's Export Credits Guarantee Department or Coface in France. These agencies act as guarantors for the financing of goods being sold abroad. Their participation in any deal allows a lower interest rate for the buyer, and the agency has done its bit to stimulate industry as well as making itself some money. Another option is some kind of leasing arrangement. Typically a company like Airbus might sell to a commercial lessor such as a bank or specialist firm, who will then lease the aircraft to the airline. Boeing 737-700 Boeing's 737-700 is a popular choice Then there is the option of a commercial loan which, as Martin Webb, head of aviation at Alliance and Leicester, says it is "very much as you would get a mortgage on a house". The last option is cash. If you've got a few million knocking around in the bank, why bother with a costly loan. Alasdair Whyte, group editor at Airfinance Journal, said as many as 20% of airliners sold are bought with cash. Fastidiously run airlines such as Southwest in the US and Singapore Airlines are among those who often go down this avenue. And Airbus executive vice-president of marketing Dr Kiran Rao said there are certain planes such as their luxury corporate jets, adapted A319s custom-fitted to resemble a five star hotel and with a list price of $60m, that are usually bought outright. Dr Rao will not reveal how many airliners Airbus has sold at Farnborough but says by the end of the show, the consortium will have at least half a dozen new customers. Of all the planes sold, between 20-30% will be financed with the help of an export credit agency, and 20-30% will pass through the hands of lessors, with the rest being bought with commercial loans or cash. Anybody who has stumped up their $60m should also remember the pilots, cabin crew, landing fees, baggage handling charges, insurance, regulation costs, maintenance and the price of fuel. Oh, and a snazzy logo. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5189038.stm

Like the one on this recording? http://www.4shared.com/file/2592479/7a3793f8/voc_005a.html .ny

Some related pics I filched off the web. It must have been a beautiful airport. And now this ...