jetgala magazine issue 9

November December 201109

A BULGARI RETROSPECTIVE | STEFANO RICCITOP TOKYO SUITES | A LANGE & SÖHNEUBS ON ASIAN PHILANT ROPY TRENDS

AUDEMARS PIGUET’S OLIVIERO BOTTINELLI

BOEING 787 VIP INTERIORS

THE LOCKHEED JETSTAR | MODERN AIRSHIPSSPITFIRE FIGHTER | THE STORY OF PIPER

WINGWALKER AEROBATICS | STRATOLINER

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Invention of the Tourbillon, 1801

With the Classique “ Grande Complication” Tourbil lon Messidor wristwatch, Breguet reinvents its most spectacular invention, the tourbillon, designed to compensate for the effects of gravity. Held between two sapphire crystals, the tourbillon floats weightless inside its carriage, while the sapphire dial offers a transparent vision of the complex proprietary movement and its meticulous hand finishing. History is still being written …

www.breguet.com/inventions

Breguet, the innovator.

B R E G U E T B O U T I Q U E – B 1 - 11 9 T H E S H O P P E S A T M A R I N A B A Y S A N D S 2 B A Y F R O N T A V E N U E S I N G A P O R E + 6 5 6 3 3 8 6 0 0 6 – W W W . B R E G U E T . C O M

We prefer not to be measured by dimensions.

The R I C H A R D L A N G E TO U R B I L LO N “Pour l e Mér i t e ”

incorporates no fewer than four exceptional mechanisms

that enhance precision: the tiny fusée-and-chain transmission, the

delicate tourbillon, the ultra-thin Lange balance spring, and – not

least – the patented stop-seconds device for the tourbillon which

makes it possible to set the watch with one-second accuracy in the

first place. To showcase the fascinating interaction of the many

individual parts, an aperture in the dial affords an unobstructed

Sincere Fine Watches:The Hour Glass:

Four tiny mechanisms with a big impact on accuracy

(shown original size from top to bottom): fusée-and-chain

transmission, tourbillon, Lange balance spring, and

patented stop-seconds device for the tourbillon

Unless it’s a new dimension of accuracy.

view of the movement. Just before the hour hand sweeps across

this opening, a newly developed pivoting dial segment with the

numerals VIII to X completes the dial, so the hour remains clearly

legible at all times. Never before has an A. Lange & Söhne watch been

endowed with so many complications that simultaneously enhance

its rate accuracy, settability, and readability. And so, this remarkable

timepiece truly deserves the attribute “Pour le Mérite”, an honour

so far conferred only on three other A. Lange & Söhne watches.

Sincere Haute Horlogerie: www.lange-soehne.com

The RICHARD LANGE TOURBILLON

“Pour le Mérite”

BREATHE EASY

NEW PLASMA

AIR FILTER TECHNO-

LOGIES ARE AVAILABLE,

BUT THEY ARE COSTLY

NOTAM

JETGALA8

t is one of the best-kept dirty little secrets of aviation. It is controversial and has champions on both sides of the divide. And — despite being invisible — it may well be one of the better arguments for flying private. We are talking about the air we breathe while flying on a jet aircraft. Critics ranging from former airline crew members to a variety of medical associations have long argued that not only the quality, but often the quantity of air

circulated in a cabin during flight is inadequate.Commercial airlines are masters at shaving minute amounts of money

off every tiny operational detail. Doing so adds up to staggering amounts of extra cash at the end of the year. Tempting options include reducing the frequency of air circulation in the cabin, or reducing the amount of fresh air pumped into the cabin, where it mixes with recycled air. The percentage of fresh air can be arbitrarily reduced by pilots to about 20 per cent. All of this saves fuel.

More cost reductions can come from less frequent servicing of air filters, or doing away with HEPA filter systems altogether. They are not mandatory. Tests conducted by a German TV program found unhealthy levels of TCP (a neurotoxin) in the cabins of several European airlines. New plasma air filter technologies are available, such as AirManager, but they are costly and therefore not very popular, especially with budget airlines.

On solid ground, we take the air we breathe for granted. In the air, we should not. But as a passenger of a commercial airline, the matter is beyond our control. Lucky then are those who can decide what air they breathe, how it is filtered and how often it is refreshed. Private jet fliers, in other words.

Now please sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy this latest instalment of Jetgala.

Rainer SigelPUBLISHER

I

www.blancpain.com

BLANCPAIN BOUTIQUES ABU DHABI · BEIJING · CANNES · DUBAI · EKATERINBURG · GENEVA · HONG KONG · MACAU · MADRID · MANAMAMOSCOW · MUMBAI · MUNICH · NEW YORK · PARIS · SHANGHAI · SINGAPORE · TAIPEI · TOKYO · ZURICH

Villeret CollectionComplete Calendar Half-HunterPatented under-lug correctorsSecured calendar and moon-phases mechanism

Ref. 6664-3642-55B

26

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8 NOTAM Breathe Easy14 CREW

16 LOUNGE

New & Exclusive24 WINGS

26 JET DREAMS

VIP Interiors For Boeing’s New 78732 EAST MEETS WINGS

Airbus’ Phoenix Cabin Concept For Asia36 ROCK ON WOOD

The Natural Approach To Private Jet Interiors40 THE PLANE THAT COULD

Piper’s Proud 75-Year Legacy44 BIG AIR

Zeppelin Airships Stage A Comeback48 LADY LEGEND

The Spitfire — First Contrails In The Sky52 TRAIL BLAZER

Lockheed Jetstar, A Business Jet Pioneer56 RIDING THE WILD WIND

The AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers59 AVIAN INSPIRATION

The Stratoliner — Tomorrow’s Aircraft?60 HYBRID FLIGHT

Carter’s Personal Air Vehicle62 CAPTAIN SPEAKING

Going To Paris?

CONTENT

59

56

09ontents44

Latin America +55 12 3927 3399, U.S., Canada, Mexico and Caribbean +1 954 359 5387Europe, Middle East and Africa +33 1 4938 4444, China +86 10 6598 9988, Asia Pacific +65 6734 4321 www.EmbraerExecutiveJets.com

E X E C U T I V E J E T M A N U F A C T U R E RF A S T E S T G R O W I N G

It’s where you want to beOver the last two years, our market share has grown faster than any other executive jet manufacturer. We believe it’s because every executive jet we build has to be truly outstanding in its class. Like the Legacy 650.

Not only does it have an impressive range, so you can fly from London to New York or Dubai to Johannesburg, it also has the largest living space in its class divided into three comfortable cabin zones. With this uncompromising commitment to excellence, no wonder more people are deciding Embraer Executive Jets are where they want to be.

74

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CONTENTCONTENT

ontents

100

82

64 LUXE

66 TIME AND AGAIN

The Story Behind A. Lange & Söhne70 ACTIVE PASSION

Audemars Piguet’s Oliviero Bottinelli74 CELESTIAL COMPLICATION

The Latest Moon Phase Watches78 RULES OF THE EXTREME

H2 Yacht Design Goes For Big Boats82 ASSYMETRIC RACER

Carlo Mollino’s Legendary Le Mans Racer87 GO FLY A BIKE

A Superbike With Four Wings88 KING OF TIES

Italian Master Tailor Stefano Ricci92 STYLE RESURRECTION

Panama Hats, A Story Of Revival96 THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

Bulgari’s Retrospective Exhibition98 LIFE

100 SUITE TOKYO

Staying In Asia’s Perennial Supercity106 POWDER PLUNGE

Zany Heli Skiing in Canada110 VITALITY SIGNS

COMO Shambhala’s Bali Retreat114 RUSSIAN EPICURE

Russian Fine Dining In Singapore116 WHY GIVE A DIME

UBS On Asian Philanthropy Trends118 TRUE COLOURS

Fashion Portraits By Martin Bauendahl124 GLACIAL PORTRAITS

Stephan Zirwes’ Snow & Ice Mission131 AIRBORNE

132 BRIEFING

Business Aviation In Brief138 PLANE SPEAK Aviation Glossary142 AIR SHOW DIARY 144 TAILHOOK Crash Course

CONTENTEDITOR-AT-LARGE Kim Lee

DEPUTY EDITOR Katrina BalmacedaART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Sylvia Weimer (Spacelab Design, Sydney)

ONLINE EDITOR Rainer SigelEDITORIAL & MARKETING ASSISTANT Lynette Siew

CO DESIGN & PRODUCTION Elliott Bryce Foulkes, Sara Morawetz

CONTRIBUTORSAlvin Wong, Charlie Streeter, Chris Bangle, Jack Carroll, Jim Gregory,

Jinesh Lalwani, Liz Moscrop, Rebecca Morris, Robert La Bua,Roger Norum, Steve Slater

COMPANYPUBLISHER Rainer Sigel

MANAGING DIRECTOR Michelle TayASSISTANT DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Susan Ng

OFFICE MANAGER Winnie LimCIRCULATION & PRODUCTION MANAGER Caroline Rayney

EVENTS MANAGER Lee May Ling

CONTACT 12 Prince Edward Road, #04-10B

Bestway Building, Podium B, Singapore 079212T: +65 6222 1415 F: +65 6222 1465

EMAILSADVERTISING [email protected] EDITORIAL [email protected]

EVENTS [email protected]

MARKETING [email protected]

CIRCULATION [email protected]

ADMINISTRATION [email protected]

WEBSITES MAGAZINE www.jetgala.com

GROUP www.orientalmediagroup.comSINGAPORE www.oriental-publishing.com

VIETNAM www.oriental-ltd.comEVENTS www.oriental-exhibitions.com

DIGITAL EDITIONS & DOWNLOADS www.digital.jetgala.comFACEBOOK www.facebook.jetgala.com (Luxury News)LINKEDIN www.linkedin.jetgala.com (Aviation News)

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JETGALA is published bi-monthly and circulated throughout the Asia-Pacific. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors

and not necessarily endorsed by the Publisher.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All rights, including copyright, in the content of this publication are owned or controlled by Oriental Publishing Pte Ltd, Singapore. You are not permitted to copy, broadcast, download, store in any medium, transmit, show or play in public, adapt or

change in any way the content of this publication for any other purpose whatsoever without the prior written permission of Oriental Publishing Pte Ltd, Singapore.

TRADEMARKS NOTICE: The masthead logo ‘JETGALA’ is a Registered Trademark of Oriental Publishing Pte Ltd, Singapore. All rights are cumulatively reserved by Oriental

Publishing Pte Ltd, Singapore. Their protection will be pursued to the full extent of the law.

Printed by KHL Printing Co, SingaporeMICA(P)075/03/2011 KDN PPS 1775/10/2012 (022810)

PHOTO CREDITSCOVER Photographer: Martin Bauendahl c/o bauendahl.com

Model: Natalia c/o modelwerk.de Styling: Sascha Gaugel c/o ballsaal.comHair-Makeup: Karim Amerchih c/o ballsaal.com Postproduction: deluxeplus.de

SECTION OPENER WINGS Image courtesy of William BrownSECTION OPENER LUXE by Alessandro Nassiri, Archivio Museo Scienza

SECTION OPENER LIFE Image courtesy of Mike Wiegele Helicopter SkiingSECTION OPENER AIRBORNE Image courtesy of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

CREW

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Rebecca Morris is a UK-trained journalist. Seeking adventure, she left London 14 years ago for Singapore, where she has worked as an editor on a number of luxury lifestyle publications. An inveterate traveller, she has visited more than 50 countries but also enjoys relaxing in her apartment overlooking a river — a glass of wine in one hand, a good book in the other, with some classical music filling the air.

Charlie Streeter is a Singapore-based pilot currently operating a Gulfstream GV aircraft. Originally from Montreal, his flying has taken him to all continents on behalf of various companies including Bombardier Aerospace and a Fortune 50 corporate flight department. He considers Asia his adopted home but always looks forward to the next destination.

Steve Slater is best known across Asia as the ‘voice’ of Formula One, having worked as commentator for ESPN Star Sports TV for more than a decade. Away from the race track he is an enthusiastic vintage aircraft pilot and restorer, as well as an author of several books on aviation and automotive history. Based in the UK, when not behind the microphone he is likely to be ‘chilling out’ in the open cockpit of a 1930s Tiger Moth biplane.

One only needs to look down the street for evidence of Chris Bangle’s ingenuity and far-reaching influence. A designer whose work has provoked both inspiration and discussion, Bangle is best known for his tenure as Chief of Design for the BMW group, where he was responsible for bringing the designs of the BMW, Mini Cooper, and Rolls-Royce into the twenty-first century. After pushing car design language to its limits for twenty-eight years, Bangle announced his departure on February 3, 2009 from the auto industry. He is pursuing his own design-related endeavours from his studio in Italy, focusing on new ideas and cutting-edge innovation.

www.orientalmediagroup.com

LOUNGE

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JACKIE’S JETBrazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer announced at the NBAA show in Las Vegas that movie star Jackie Chan will take delivery of his all-new personal Embraer Legacy 650 aircraft before the end of 2011. At the same time, Jackie Chan has agreed to become a brand ambassador of Embraer Executive Jets. The state-of-the-art twin jet Legacy 650 has a range of 3,900 nautical miles (7,223 kilometres) and can fly nonstop from Beijing to Dubai or from Hong Kong to Adelaide with four passengers under NBAA IFR condition. www.embraer.com

Eco-friendly, fun and sporty. Together, you get the Exo, a new electric watercraft presented by Exoconcept at the Cannes Boat Show 2011. The transportable water machine comes in a choice of four colours and two materials — reinforced ABS and carbon fibre. Water sports enthusiasts can rent this machine in water sports centres, without concern about noise and smoke pollution. For those who like speed and personalisation, Exo’s carbon fibre line comes with the most powerful 7 Kwh engine and customisation features. www.exo-concept.com

AQUA ZONE

High-end road bicycle manufacturer Colnago has teamed up once

again with Ferrari. The duo produced the CF8 and CF9, two limited edition bicycles with handcrafted carbon fibre frames. The 6.9 kg CF8 has a battery integrated into the frame, and Shimano Dura Ace

Di2 electronic gear. Out of the 200 pieces made, 10 are exclusive

for Ferrari. The 8.8 kg CF9 has RS30 alloy wheels, a Shimano Ultegra flat bar

mechanical 10s groupset, and a saddle made by Selle Italia. www.colnago.com

c ar bon

FRANCK MULLER BOUTIQUEFRANCK MULLER BOUTIQUE SINGAPORESINGAPORE ION ORCHARD (65) 6509 3380 MARINA BAY SANDS (65) 6634 8825 ION ORCHARD (65) 6509 3380 MARINA BAY SANDS (65) 6634 8825 MELBOURNEMELBOURNE COLLINS STREET (613) 9650 0288 COLLINS STREET (613) 9650 0288 JAKARTAJAKARTA PLAZA INDONESIA (6221) 310 7608 PLAZA INDONESIA (6221) 310 7608 BANGKOK SIAM PARAGON (662) 610 9423 SIAM PARAGON (662) 610 9423 HONG KONGHONG KONG CENTRAL (852) 2522 8800 LEE THEATRE PLAZA (852) 3579 2525 CENTRAL (852) 2522 8800 LEE THEATRE PLAZA (852) 3579 2525 KOWLOONKOWLOON PENINSULA (852) 2368 0250 OCEAN TERMINAL (852) 2314 1181 PENINSULA (852) 2368 0250 OCEAN TERMINAL (852) 2314 1181 TAIWAN REGENT TAIPEI (8862) 2523 3600 REGENT TAIPEI (8862) 2523 3600 MACAU VENETIAN (853) 2882 8262 VENETIAN (853) 2882 8262 SHANGHAISHANGHAI IFC (8621) 5012 0768 SHANGHAI IFC (8621) 5012 0768 SHANGHAI PLAZA 66 (8621) 6288 6676 PLAZA 66 (8621) 6288 6676 AUTHORISED RETAILERSAUTHORISED RETAILERS SINGAPORESINGAPORE SINCERE FINE WATCHESSINCERE FINE WATCHES NGEE ANN CITY (65) 6733 0618 MARINA BAY SANDS (65) 6634 9782 SUNTEC CITY (65) 6337 5150 VIVOCITY (65) 6278 1698 NGEE ANN CITY (65) 6733 0618 MARINA BAY SANDS (65) 6634 9782 SUNTEC CITY (65) 6337 5150 VIVOCITY (65) 6278 1698 SINCERE HAUTE HORLOGERIESINCERE HAUTE HORLOGERIE HILTON SINGAPORE (65) 6738 9971 HILTON SINGAPORE (65) 6738 9971 WATCHES OF SWITZERLANDWATCHES OF SWITZERLAND PARAGON (65) 6732 9793 PARAGON (65) 6732 9793 KUALA LUMPUR SINCERE FINE WATCHESKUALA LUMPUR SINCERE FINE WATCHES SURIASURIA KLCC (603) 2166 2181 PAVILION KL (603) 2141 8418 THE GARDENS MID VALLEY CITY (603) 2287 1133 KLCC (603) 2166 2181 PAVILION KL (603) 2141 8418 THE GARDENS MID VALLEY CITY (603) 2287 1133

11_0512 Franck Muller Grand Prix Tourbillon Jetgala Jul11 FPFC_v5_.indd 1 6/16/11 7:23:11 AM

Piaget’s newest collection marries the Dragon and the Phoenix and boasts the talents of the company’s best watchmakers, goldsmiths, jewellers, gem-setters and enamellers. To be launched in December in honour of the Year of the Dragon, the collection has a range of more than 20 models in limited editions and one-of-a-kind pieces. In Chinese mythology, the dragon represents the emperor while the phoenix symbolises the empress. www.piaget.com

IMPERIAL AURA

THREE TO GO

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The dragon rears its head in Rolls-Royce’s Year of the Dragon Collection. Some bespoke elements include a twin coachline hand-painted with a golden dragon on each side of a Phantom or Phantom Extended Wheelbase; a leather headrest embroidered with a dragon in tan, golden, black and white thread colours; and the collection’s name spelt in LED lights on illuminated door sills. The car owner can also choose between modern and traditional marquetry for the veneers. www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Morgan Motor Company, founded by Harry Morgan, reinvents vintage with its 2011 Morgan Three-Wheeler, inspired by a vehicle it created in the World War I era. The 500 kg, simple and reliable ‘get-in-and-drive’ car features a V-twin engine and Mazda 5-speed gearbox. A sturdy tubular frame with two rollover bars surrounds the passenger compartment and an aerodynamic bullet-shaped hull protects drivers from the weather. www.morgan3wheeler.co.uk

PROSPERITY WHEELSSPACE BALLOONNo spacesuit required for this trip to see the curvature of earth, or the burning ball of the sun against an infinity of black. All it takes is a five to six-hour trip in a pod lifted by a large helium balloon to 36 km above the earth. José Mariano López-Urdiales of zero2infinitiy calls this vehicle bloon, and he intends to offer rides on it. The pod can fit two pilots and four to six passengers who can enjoy the view for at least two hours. To descend, the pod is slowly released from the balloon and a parafoil glides it gently back to earth. www.inbloon.com

LOUNGE

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SKI

Bang & Olufsen’s successful 46-inch BeoVision 10 television adds a new colour scheme with the range called the Chanterelle, featuring a warm wood-coloured exterior and matching light brown speaker cover, influenced by Scandinavian aesthetics. The style of its stand conforms to the

original BeoVision 10 concept of a TV set casually leaning against the wall or floor like a painting. Only 500 numbered pieces are available. www.bang-olufsen.com

Rolling Stones and K2 Skis celebrate their 50th anniversaries with four sets of attention-catching skis called the K2 Rolling Stones Limited Edition Ski. Each pair features four quintessential Stones graphics, and the bases of the skis carry the band’s iconic lip and tongue logo. Other graphics included are an original concert set list, lyrics and rare photographs of the band. www.k2skis.com

MOTION PICTURE

With 2012 being the Year of the Dragon, this powerful mythical creature graces many watch faces. In Cornelius & Cie’s Chronosome 46 XY, a gold, silver-plated and oxidised dragon plays on the dial, sculpted by master engraver Kees Engelbarts. The antiqued silver finish matches the look of the steel face and case, partly made of hard but resilient Damascus steel. The unique watch has a tourbillon, but clients may order customised versions. www.cornelius-cie.com

DRAGON DAZE

Body architect Lucy McRae’s Swallowable Parfum is uniquely yours, literally. Swallow the scented capsule, and it causes your skin to act as an atomiser — somewhat like a biologically enhanced second skin. When you perspire, you exude tiny scented drops over your body. The fragrance potency varies based on your body’s reaction to temperature, stress, exercise or arousal. www.swallowableparfum.com

INSIDE JOB

SATISFACTION

LOUNGE

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Fashion label Pierre Hardy has teamed up with Gilles Vidal, styling director of Peugeot, to create a flats-to-high heels concept. The brushed metal shoes become ballet flats while driving and transform to high-heeled shoes with the aid of a contraption built into the shoe. The design was inspired by Peugeot’s HX1 Concept Car and presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2011. www.pierrehardy.com

Furniture designer Visionnaire’s new collection takes a new spin on lights and seats. A teacup chandelier encases light bulbs in fine porcelain cups and teapots, with a string of Schler crystal pendants hanging from the spout like liquid drops. The ‘tableware’ sits on eighteen chromed brass arms. Another piece is a chaise lounge in the form of a bear lazing on the ground, with its head as an extended footrest. Ecological fur skin is used. www.ipe.it

KILLER C HIC

The first Commercial Space Station (CSS) introduced by Orbital Technologies in partnership with Energia provides accommodation in outer space and caters to those on commercial, state and private spaceflight, as well as exploration missions. The CSS can be used by scientists and as a supply station for future deep space explorations. www.orbitaltechnologies.ru

ON THE FRONTIER

A new version of the iconic Jensen Interceptor sports car is to be built at Jaguar’s former Browns Lane factory in Coventry. CPP Global Holdings is engineering and building the car for the Jensen brand owners, Healey Sports Cars Switzerland Ltd. The Interceptor was originally built between 1966 and 1976, and CPP hopes to start the delivery of the redesigned beauty in 2014. www.cpp-uk.com

JUST INTERCEPTED

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Singapore, Cairnhill, is not owned, developed or sold by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.Royce Properties Pte Ltd uses The Ritz-Carlton marks under license from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.

Developer: Royce Properties Pte Ltd Company Registration No.: 200614720K Developer’s License No.: C0240 Tenure: Freehold Lot/Mukim: 770V & 803X, TS27

BP No.: A1323-00673-2007-BP01 (25 October 2007) and BP No.: A1323-00673-2007-BP02 (27 August 2009) Expected Date of TOP: 31 May 2013 Expected Date of Legal Completion: 31 May 2016

Be pampered by the legendary Ritz-Carlton services.An exclusive collection of 58 luxurious residences in one 36-storey tower.

Enjoy a range of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities including private function room,gourmet kitchen, lap pool, tennis court, steam room, gymnasium, maze garden and much more.

Choice units available for sale.

11_0799 Ritz-Carlton Residences Jetgala 220mm X 300mm FPFC_v3.ai 1 10/7/11 3:38 PM

WINGS

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The much-anticipated Boeing 787 inspires VIP interior concepts from top design houses

DREAMSJETGALA 27

JETAN INNOVATIVE AIRCRAFT INSPIRES

ICONIC VIP INTERIORS

by Liz Moscrop

BOEING 787 VIP INTERIORS

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WINGS

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

A swathe of concepts show the possibilities for the 787’s interiors — a movie room by Lufthansa Technik (LHT), master bedroom with en-suite bathroom also by LHT, a mood-lit theatre room by Teague, Jet Aviation’s cinema in the sky and a spacious guest suite by Greenpoint Technologies

As Japanese airline ANA celebrates taking delivery of the world’s newest airliner, the luxury world is waiting to see the first VIP variant of the Boeing Dreamliner 787. Such an iconic aircraft requires something special

when it comes to an opulent cabin, and the world’s biggest and brightest interiors houses are lining up to demonstrate their vision and creativity.

An aircraft as spacious as the 787 offers plenty of scope for indulgence. For example, owners can choose bedrooms with en-suite showers, a sauna or hammam (Turkish sauna) — or a gym, a dining room, a private cinema, even a garage for a Rolls-Royce or stables for their prize horses.

In each project, a designer will determine where the owner will want to sit, what he likes to do, and what his favourite colours and textures are — plus a thousand other and often minute details. For example, one designer built a large kitchen in the middle of a customer’s jet because the owner liked

to cook for his guests himself.Hamburg interior completions

specialist Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has staked a claim in the market by collaborating with British designer Andrew Winch on a joint VIP cabin concept for the Dreamliner. August Henningsen, LHT’s chairman of the executive board said, “The decision to buy a Boeing 787 is more than an acquisition, it is also a statement for absolute perfection in the most advanced form available. The project begins in the mind of the future owner.”

Winch added, “The main driver of design lies in understanding what an owner wants on board. The owner’s wishes are the force of gravity on all decisions, and designs are drawn from his lifestyle on board.”

The result is a cabin containing 32 lie-flat seats, including nine that convert into double beds. The forward lounge is in the quietest portion of the cabin. It incorporates three seating areas with divans and coffee tables, which may be raised and converted into dining tables.>>

FROM TOP

Teague says its Dreamliner interior design is created for passenger well-being on both physical and emotional levels LHT’s dining and conference room, where work and pleasure come together With the Dreamliner’s luxury of space, Greenpoint Technologies makes room for an elegant entryway

JETGALA 29

AN AIRCRAFT AS SPACIOUS

AS THE 787 OFFERS PLENTY OF SCOPE FOR

INDULGENCE

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WINGS

The 787 flight deck has larger displays, dual head-up displays and dual electronic flight bags Greenpoint Technologies creates an atmosphere of calm for work

>> There is one full-width master stateroom, which — by virtue of its location at the rear of the aircraft — offers maximum privacy. Behind the bedroom are a large circular shower, his-and-hers basins, a full-height wardrobe, dedicated storage and a private lavatory. The sitting room includes a 42-inch plasma video screen, chaise lounge and table.

CONSTRAINTS & CREATIVITYRenowned Swiss completions house Jet Aviation has also been working on an interior package for the Dreamliner for several years. In 2005, the company partnered with expert yacht and corporate aircraft interior designer Peder Eidsgaard on a project to create concepts for the next generation of corporate aircraft. The key thing to remember with aircraft design is that designers are always working with a tubular shape. The art is to integrate visual tricks, such as design details and materials, which reduce the feeling of “being in a tube”. As Eidsgaard explained, “Understanding the client and therefore his ‘comfort zone dimensions’ is vital in placing corridors, seats, divans and beds, and utilising the available interior space to the maximum.”

There are always limitations to deal with in aircraft interiors projects: shape, weight, and airworthiness are major factors to consider, as well as passenger comfort and personal space. According to Eidsgaard, “The first part of the process was to sketch out an interior flow design. I needed to create long sightlines and space to allow passengers to feel secure and in control. More secluded areas offer privacy and personal space.” The most striking design feature is an on-board cinema — a luxury previously seen only in yacht interiors. Accessible only through a timber hallway, this cinema is designed for relaxation. It is equipped with raised-level seating, a 60-inch pop-up plasma screen, and an enormous mezzanine daybed. Jet Aviation anticipates taking around a third of the VIP 787 market.

OTHER CONCEPTSWashington-based Greenpoint Technologies also has its eyes on the Dreamliner. The company uses state-of-the-art technology to create concepts for its cabins and uses digital computer aided drafting to build virtual interiors and renderings to help visualise décor concepts and design elements. Interior colours, textures, layouts and features are adjusted and fine-tuned on screen.

Boeing is so proud of its latest aircraft that it entered the entire 787 for a prestigious Crystal Cabin Award at the Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Show along with its design partner Teague, saying that the jet “combines groundbreaking technology with award-winning design.”

Such a sophisticated airframe means that it will take an experienced company to handle the job of outfitting the Dreamliner for the business jet market. As LHT’s Henningsen pointed out, “The realisation of a real VIP cabin is one of the most demanding jobs in the industry.”

COMPOSITE CRUISER

The Dreamliner is a revolution

in aircraft design. It is the first

major commercial airliner that

uses composite materials in

more than half its construction.

It is 80 per cent composite

materials by volume and 50

per cent by weight, making

for a lighter, stronger aircraft.

Its production was delayed

for three years due to the

complexity of delivering such

new technology as well as

supply chain issues.

A 787 VIP can stay in the

air unrefuelled for 20 hours.

Boeing states the new aircraft

will use 20 per cent less fuel,

and produce 20 per cent fewer

emissions than similarly sized

aircraft. The airframer also

believes that the jet will be 30

per cent lower in maintenance

costs, and improve operating

costs by 10 per cent once it

enters commercial service. At its

rollout in 2007, it became the

fastest selling wide body airliner

in history. The first Dreamliner

to start flying commercially is

Japan’s ANA, which just started

service this year.

JETGALA 31

A 787 VIP CAN STAY IN THE AIR UNREFUELLED FOR 20 HOURS

Teague’s design incorporated various nooks for different passenger purposes

EAST MEETS WINGS

by Liz Moscrop

AIRBUS’ PHOENIX CABIN

AN ASIAN INTERPRETATION OF VIP INTERIOR ENVIRONMENTS

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Asia’s rise is throwing up new luxury cabin ideas for the market, and few lead the way as spectacularly as Airbus’ orient-inspired VIP Phoenix cabin

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T he phoenix is revered in China as the Empress of birds, which is why Airbus has chosen the name for an opulent interior design study for its VIP airliners. Collaborating with some of its team members based in Asia, the Toulouse-based company has worked for some time on concepts aimed at appealing to Far East clients. Customers in China,

in particular, have already ordered elements of the entire design for installation in their aircraft.

The mythical phoenix has a colourful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. It would not be out of place perched in its namesake’s interior. The Phoenix cabin design draws from Chinese culture, sporting bold colours set off against elegantly simple cream and brown seats, red walls, and traditional accessories styled with a modern twist. Carved wooden details emphasise the oriental theme, along with high-gloss lacquered surfaces, including a mahjong table.

Accessories, such as teapots, cushions and bed covers that feature flower motifs and Chinese characters, continue the dramatic theme. Other stylish items include a table with a lazy Susan for typical Chinese dinners, and elegant gold and red detailing — the oriental colours of prosperity — on cupboard handles and credenzas. >>

CUSTOMERS IN CHINA HAVE ALREADY ORDERED ELEMENTS OF THE ENTIRE DESIGN

Personal touches add to the Phoenix cabin’s Asian appeal

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The cabin configuration is radically different from the rows of seats customarily found in an executive aircraft. In seeking a design that would appeal to Asian custom, the Phoenix offers places for six people around a large circular table, a nod to the fact that families in Asian cultures tend to sit around a table to dine and to talk.

“We have featured a round table on other aircraft, as family life is vital for busy entrepreneurs who are constantly on the road,” said David Velupillai, Airbus’ product marketing director for executive and private aviation. “People are increasingly looking to take their whole families with them when they travel, and so like to be able to sit down together with them over a meal.”

The table can also fold into a rectangular shape, making it easier to work or play games during the journey. Another fundamental diversion from Western aircraft amenities is the karaoke lounge, decorated with fabrics and colours popular with Asian cultures.

“Customer expectations are always increasing in private aviation,” added Velupillai. “People used to be satisfied with a traditional cabin — now they require something more comfortable and suited to their needs.”

Airbus chose to collaborate with Xiamen-based TAECO (Taikoo Aircraft Engineering Co Ltd) as the company is already immersed in the maintenance, repair and overhaul market, and well able to obtain certification and approvals for the various components of the interior. It is also capable of maintaining the cabins once installed. “It is important for customers to have someone in the region they can turn to for maintenance,” said Velupillai.

The feathered version of the phoenix is an immortal animal. TAECO, too, is hoping its concepts will stand the test of time.

BOLD BIRDS

TAECO has not only created

the Phoenix concept, but it is

also the first Airbus approved

cabin outfitter in the Asia-Pacific.

The company, a subsidiary of

Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering

Company Ltd (HAECO), built an

ACJ cabin mock-up to highlight

its capability in the field. While

TAECO has yet to announce a

customer, Chief Executive Officer

Patrick Healy said, “Expanding

into cabin completions for Airbus

corporate jets is an important and

exciting new business opportunity

for us, and we look forward

to receiving the first Airbus

corporate jet to be fitted out at

our completion centre.”

This may not be too long

coming. Airbus has proven

popular in China and South East

Asia. The company has so far

sold 25 VIP airliners in the region.

Customers include Hainan Group

subsidiary Deer Jet, Hong Kong’s

BAA Jet Management, China

Sonangol, the Royal Thai Air

Force, and TAG Asia.

The popular Chinese pastime of mahjong is accommodated on board with a square table for the game

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ROC K O N WOO D

by Robert La Bua

GARRY COHN DESIGN

NATURAL MATERIALS AND FRESH IDEAS FIND THEIR WAY INTO JET INTERIORS

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THE MISSION OF EVERY JET INTERIOR DESIGNER: make a metal tube as personally appealing and comfortable as possible. A simple statement, but a task daunting and complicated with restrictions on materials, space and weight. Creating something original can be difficult, and it sometimes takes a newcomer to breathe fresh air into this design genre. Dublin-based New York interior designer Garry Cohn is one such new face in aviation interiors. One of the world’s top interior designers known for fusing elements of fashion into his designs, he has some new and very different ideas up his sleeve for private jets.

Cohn’s penchant for atypical use of common materials and for playing with texture, shapes and proportions caught the eye of Brendan McQuaid, COO of members-only private jet charter company Quintessentially Aviation. Cohn is now working on two very different jet projects. One is highly confidential, and the other a Boeing Business Jet for Quintessentially, in collaboration with award-winning designer Carol O’Grady of Design Squared. The client for the BBJ project will enjoy several unique ambience zones on board. The floor plan is developed for maximum flow of space, yet it retains a sense of intimacy within each area. A separate bedroom facilitates sleep, easing adjustment to changes in time zones.

Private jet interiors tend to embrace a similar layout and set of amenities. Smooth surfaces and muted tones are reigning themes, but Cohn’s BBJ interior design concept proposes highly textured walls and bursts of bright yellow in furniture. It includes engineered wood for the floor of the bedroom, lounge and dining room. >>

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COHN’S BBJ INTERIOR DESIGN CONCEPT PROPOSES HIGHLY TEXTURED WALLS AND BURSTS OF BRIGHT YELLOW IN FURNITURE

Designer Garry Cohn brings natural textures, tones and bold colours and textures into jet interiors

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STYLE GURU

Garry Cohn, once a professor at

Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of

Technology, has been a designer for more

than 20 years. His portfolio includes hotels,

clubs and residences, as well as a range

spanning a showroom for Escada and

chocolate displays for Godiva, to leadership

roles at artistic design houses in the US and

Europe. This panoply of experience from

ganache to gouache got Cohn nominated

by the prestigious Andrew Martin Interior

Designer Review as one of the top interior

designers of 2011.

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CONSIDERATIONS SUCH AS ERGONOMIC USE OF SPACE AND ILLUMINATION ARE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

>> Cohn also believes in basic materials like stone to achieve a different look and texture without compromising on safety. For now, he has it on counter tops, but other charter jet companies have been experimenting with stone-tile floors because they are more durable than carpets. The firmness and strength of stone finished tables also balance soft features like chairs, sofas and beds.

Integrating natural elements fashionably into jet interiors is an aspect of Cohn’s work, one he sees as a trend waiting to happen in aircraft interior design. Unconventionally, Cohn designs first as an artist, with “a big idea, then go past it to shrink it down to practicality” — the latter is a practice especially necessary for a jet environment.

Cohn and his business partner Aoife Rhattigan understand the needs and preferences of their clients, and the need to find a way to make them a reality. Aside from constraints on the selected materials’ weight and flame retardant qualities, considerations such as ergonomic use of space and illumination are also significant issues. Lighting is an area in which Garry has experience and expertise in, as he has his own collection of lighting products. This comes in handy when planning interiors where days and nights may be shortened or lengthened to match the time zones being crossed.

In bringing his fashion and furniture savvy into the air, Cohn makes flying a true extension of one’s lifestyle. His land-based works have often been called the ‘haute couture of interior design’ — and are soon to be appreciated in the air.

Engineered wood flooring lends intimacy to the bedroom in the air

Natural elements give the jet an atmosphere of a home in the sky

Cohn’s design ensures a seamless flow of movement from one part of the aircraft to another

THE PLANE THAT COULD

by Steve Slater

PIPER AIRCRAFT COMPANY

AND TRUE TO ITS HERITAGE, STILL DOES - SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS ON

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I f you are reading this aboard your personal jet, raise a glass to a little known Pennsylvania businessman of the 1930s — William T Piper. Chances are

that at least one amongst your flight crew began his or her career in an aircraft carrying his name.

Piper’s first ever flying machine — the Piper Cub — started out in 1930 as the Taylor E-2. Times were hard, and the Taylor Aircraft Company was one of thousands of engineering start-ups that didn’t make it through the Great Depression. William Piper though, who was one of the original investors in the company, decided to take a chance and bought up its assets. And so, with a single signature and a cheque, the Piper Aircraft Company was born in 1936.

Piper gambled on the notion that a simple, strong, no frills aeroplane would sell, even in the depths of an economic recession. The Cub’s steel tube fuselage and high-mounted wings were covered in doped fabric, tough and easy to repair. To keep costs low, Piper took a page out of Henry Ford’s manufacturing manual, and offered >>

ITS NEW RANGE OF ALL-METAL LIGHT AIRCRAFT CARRIED THE NAMES OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES

LEFT TO RIGHT The Meridian turboprop, ideal for rough weather and short runways requiring quick altitude climbs

Image courtesy of Piper aircraft Inc

William Thomas Piper Sr, founder of the Piper Aircraft Corporation, is known as ‘the Henry Ford of aviation’

Image courtesy of the Roger W Peperell Collection

OPPOSITE The Piper Cub is a versatile training plane that many pilots, military and otherwise, cut their teeth on. Here, the LJ-4, a variant of the legendary J-3 Cu

Image courtesy of Roger W Peperell

RIGHT The Apache was Piper’s first twin-engine aircraft

Image courtesy of the Roger Peperell Collection

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The Twin Comanche flies fast and high, yet it is considered the most fuel efficient aircraft in its class


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THE CHEROKEE’S DNA CAN STILL BE FOUND IN PIPER AIRCRAFT SOLD TODAY

>> the Cub in just one single colour: Cub Yellow. Equally important, the Cub flew very well. Responsive controls, good visibility and a slow approach speed made it the perfect training aircraft, to be used on small pastures as well as larger airfields.

The Cub went on to become one of the first aircraft to be powered by an air cooled, flat four cylinder engine developed by Continental and Lycoming. The earliest examples produced just 40 horsepower, but by the end of the 1930s, the 65-horsepower Continental A-65 made the J-3 Cub the most popular light training aircraft in the world. Even more amazing when considering that its production run only ended in the 1980s.

Engines as powerful as the 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 gave the final ‘Super Cubs’ a short-field performance beloved of sport pilots and bush pilots alike. Today, derivatives remain in production with specialist makers such as Aviat and Cub Crafters.

Piper also had by 1952, unveiled the first of its new range of all-metal light aircraft which carried the names of various Native American tribes. The Piper PA-23 Apache was a four-seat twin with 160-horsepower engines and retractable undercarriage. In 1958, an upgraded version with 250 horsepower, six seats and a swept vertical tail appeared, named Aztec. The Piper twins, along with the later

PA-31 Navajo, became the foundation of ‘air taxi’ businesses around the world. Although production ended in 1984, they remain the most popular light twin-engined aircraft ever built.

Piper’s sleek single-engined PA-24 Comanche started a new line in 1956. A laminar flow airfoil section gave the Comanche a performance still barely matched by many single-engined light aircraft today. It was swiftly joined by the PA-30 Twin Comanche, rightly nicknamed the ‘E-Type Jaguar of the skies’. Some, however, found the slippery Comanches a little too demanding to fly. Piper’s answer in 1960 was the PA-28 Cherokee, designed for flight training and personal use. The versatile Cherokee began life as a simple, rugged all-metal, single-engine trainer and tourer. It evolved into the Arrow, stretched to form six-seat variants, gaining a retractable undercarriage, higher performance features and even begetting twin-engined variants.

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LOOKING EAST

Piper has its eyes firmly looking east, with support from Imprimis, the Asian

corporate finance and investment management firm that operates from

Bangkok, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. The Piper company has now

based its global fleet sales headquarters in Brunei, along with a sales office

to better service the Asia-Pacific region.

Significant investment by the Imprimis Group has allowed Piper to press

ahead with the development of the Piperjet Altaire (see Jetgala Issue 6). In

October 2010, the company began the complete renovation of its 7,000 sq m

factory in Vero Beach for this next chapter in its illustrious history.

The Piper Altaire is Piper’s new fuel-efficient very light jet

Piper’s Vero Beach facility in 1962, initially limited to Piper Cherokee production. Today, Piper is the largest private employer in Vero Beach, Florida


The Cherokee’s DNA can still be found in Piper aircraft sold today: the Seneca and Seminole piston-engined twins, the single-engined four-seat Archer, the Matrix unpressurised six-seat ‘cabin class’ single-engine piston aircraft, a pressurised Mirage variant, and the high-performance turboprop-powered Meridian. All stem from one of aviation’s classic designs.

In the 75 years since the first Pipers took to the skies, more than 144,000 aircraft have carried the iconic name — 85,000 of which are still in flying condition. Recent investment from the Brunei-based Imprimis Group has ensured an equally exciting future for Piper.

The company is launching the single-engine Piperjet Altaire, aimed at becoming the world’s most fuel-efficient seven-person business jet. It is proof that over the past three quarters of a century, the Piper company continues to be every bit as robust as its aeroplanes.

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by Jack Carroll

ZEPPELINS

B I GA I R

A rigid skeleton allowed earlier Zeppelins to be larger and carry heavier loads. Modern airships are semi-rigid, based partly on frames and partly on internal pressure

Image courtesy of Bernhard Gering

THE APPEAL OF AIRSHIPS HASN'T DIMINISHED IN OVER A CENTURY

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Y ou can see the giant airship long before you hear it. Then comes a faint humming sound as the low-flying Zeppelin NT (New Technology) slips in and out of view, threading through the tree line. Suddenly in the clear, it appears stately and

majestic, as did the Zeppelins of the 1930s.I should have been up in it, but I learned a little late that

there are three facilities named Zeppelin in Friedrichshafen, Germany. As fate would have it, I was misdirected. But I finally arrived at the NT’s giant hangar — minus its 747-sized occupant — in time to have a few words with Thomas Brandt, CEO of Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei (DZR), to learn more about the new breed of Zeppelins and the company’s rich history.

But first, we wait at the grassy landing area, looking east for the Zeppelin’s expected return. Suddenly, we’re enveloped by a huge shadow slipping stealthily over our heads. It was coming in from the west, heading into the breeze. You need to experience having a Zeppelin fly just 30 metres or so above you to appreciate the bulk of this remarkable airship. Swivelling its tail engine, the NT pirouetted gracefully towards us and landed gently for a change of passengers, before lifting off quietly for another 90-minute tour.

Back at the hangar, Brandt explains, “After years of feasibility and market studies, the Zeppelin project was finally

approved and funded by the Zeppelin Foundation. Since certification by the German Aviation Authority (in 2001), we’ve carried over 100,000 passengers…for sightseeing trips.”

THE ZEPPELIN FOUNDATIONRevisiting the past, Brandt tells, “Count Graf von Zeppelin started building his airships in Friedrichshafen nearly 110 years ago. When the most promising model was destroyed on the ground, it looked like the end of his adventure. But lucky for the Count, the people of Friedrichshafen had the last word, contributing whatever they could spare to keep the project going. Imagine, in those days, raising over six million gold Deutsche Marks to keep a dream alive.”

While the good people of Friedrichshafen bet with their hearts, the Count used his head to establish a foundation for the many enterprises he planned to support airship production. A percentage of each company’s profits would be distributed via the Zeppelin Foundation to its shareholders, including the city of Friedrichshafen. Among the companies he organised were Maybach for engines, Dornier for engineering and ZF GmbH for transmissions and gears. Brandt points out, “Today ZF has more than 75,000 employees and some 15 billion Euros in turnover. And that’s just one company under the foundation. It’s also a good reason why a city of just 60,000 (people) is one of the richest in Europe.” >>

LONGER THAN A 747, THE NT'S THREE QUIET-RUNNING ENGINES ROTATE ON

COMMAND FOR LEVEL FLIGHT OR VERTICAL TAKEOFF AND LANDING

Early Zeppelins were used for carrying airmail and, like today’s airships, popular for sightseeing trips

Image courtesy of Achim Mende

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Airships Then & NowEarly airships, filled with flammable hydrogen, were accidents waiting to happen. When the Hindenburg’s luck ran out in the infamous fire of 1937, the largest airship ever built — and still the largest object ever to fly — had completed 63 accident-free voyages by the end of 1936, flying some 3,500 passengers and 66,000 pounds of airmail. The doubt cast by the disaster on the safety of such flammable airships grounded The LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin, which flew 1.7 million kilometres in its lifetime, including around the world in 1929. The airship era ended abruptly in 1939 when the LZ-130, also named Graf Zeppelin, was decommissioned after only 30 trips. It was the last flight of a large Zeppelin until the advent of today’s non-flammable, helium-lifted Zeppelin NTs.

The design brief for the Zeppelin NT included greatly improved manoeuvrability; the ability to withstand a wide range of wind conditions on the ground and aloft; and a stronger, safer structure with carbon fibre components.

“In the past, any force, such as in a hard landing, would directly affect the structure,” explains Brandt. “With the new triangular carbon fibre framework, the force is evenly dissipated. And thanks to ultra-light carbon composite construction, the entire structure within the tough, multi-laminate envelope is a mere 1,000 kilograms.”

Longer than a 747, the NT’s three quiet-running engines rotate on command for level flight or vertical takeoff and landing. The engines are attached well behind the passenger gondola for near-silent, vibration-free flight — perfect for sightseeing, aerial photography or broadcasting. In fact, the Zeppelin NT will replace all the Goodyear Tire blimps that have been ‘eyes in the sky’ for TV stations for years.

Cruising at 125 km/h, the NT is no jet challenger. But it has the endurance to stay aloft for about 20 hours — just the ticket for a leisurely flight at around 300 metres (1,000 feet), where you can see all the things you can’t from a jet at 12,000 metres (40,000 feet). Your first Zeppelin flight may leave you feeling as Nobel Prize-winner Herman Hesse did after his in 1911: “As soon as I get a chance to fly again, I will grasp it with both hands!”

Today’s Zeppelins give vibration-free flights powered by three engines that rotate on command for level flight or vertical takeoffs and landings

Image courtesy of ZLT

FLYING NOW

Zeppelin NT airships operate in

Europe, Japan and North America

today. Airship Ventures, based

in the San Francisco Bay area, is

quite popular with its wide range

of tours. If you fancy an airship

to yourself, you can charter one

for a party of 12, or buy one from

Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei, the

company behind it.

For more information, see

www.zeppelinflug.de

For trips in the US, visit

www.airshipventures.com.

A Zeppelin is about the size of a Boeing 747

Images courtesy of ZLT

IT HAS THE ENDURANCE TO STAY ALOFT FOR ABOUT 20 HOURS

LADY LEGEND

by Steve Slater

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

THE CURVED WINGS THAT PAINTED THE FIRST CONTRAILS IN THE SKY

STILL FLY TODAY

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The Supermarine Spitifre was a game-changing fighter aircraft that became one of Britain’s most historically significant aeroplanes

All images courtesy of RAF © UK MOD Crown unless otherwise stated

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T he sight of a Supermarine Spitfire and the low growl of its Rolls-Royce engine is as British as cream teas, thatched cottages, cricket on the green or a pint of bitter ale. Whether it is the evocative name, the inspirational history, its raw power or simply the aesthetics of its curvaceous shape, the Supermarine Spitfire is more than just an

aeroplane. It is an icon, and this year it celebrates its 75th birthday.The brainchild of Reginald J Mitchell, who had already gained international

renown for designing a line of racing seaplanes, the new fighter aircraft first took to the skies in March 1936. It was quite literally a game-changer, as Mitchell conceived the Spitfire in the still ongoing era of fabric-covered, open cockpit biplanes. It was among the first to pioneer a sleek, all-metal, monoplane design with retractable undercarriage and a fuselage structure, allowing the skin to provide part of the structural strength. >>

The Spitfire and Hurricane played a big role in The Battle of Britain. Some still fly today

THE LOW GROWL OF ITS ROLLS-ROYCE ENGINE IS AS BRITISH AS CREAM TEAS

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THE LAST SORTIE

The Spitfire is the only fighter to remain in operational

service from the beginning of World War II until after

its end. It was continuously developed and its engine

power doubled. The final Rolls-Royce Griffon gave it

over 2,000 horsepower.

The last operational flight was undertaken on 1 April

1954, when a reconnaissance Spitfire flew from RAF

Seletar in Singapore to photograph jungle in Johore

thought to contain guerrilla hideouts. Its ground crew

painted “The Last!” on the nose. The aircraft later

returned to the UK and was restored by the RAF Battle

of Britain Memorial Flight. It flies today, still with “The

Last!” painted on the engine cowling.

FROM TOP

Much loved by pilots, the Spitfire became the backbone of the RAF Fighter Command after the Battle of Britain

The last Spitfire to fly on official assignment

Image by Andy Leonard www.flickr.com/photos/rover75

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>> Its design was deemed so advanced that the British Air Ministry was reluctant to fund the development. So the small Supermarine company had to bet the house by developing the new aircraft at their own cost. Likewise, Rolls-Royce’s new engine, later renamed ‘Merlin’ after the legendary wizard, was a ‘private venture’, developed without government support.

Just two months after the prototype made its maiden flight, Spitfire began its evaluation as a potential war machine by RAF pilots. The trials revealed a top speed of 349mph (562 km/h), 50 per cent faster than any fighter in service. Air Ministry orders were swiftly placed.

FIRST VAPOUR TRAIL During one test flight, a Spitfire climbed to an unprecedented altitude of 34,700 feet (10,580 m). Suddenly, white smoke belched from the engine’s exhaust, yet all the while the engine ran seamlessly. A hasty scan of the instruments revealed nothing awry. It was only later realised that the ‘smoke’ was condensation of the exhaust gasses in the freezing temperature. The Spitfire was leaving the first recorded vapour contrail.

The Spitfire’s curved elliptical wing shape was key to two things that made it truly great in the air: its speed and its turning capability, vital in many a dogfight to come. The wing design allowed a pilot to tighten the radius of a turn by increasing the amount of G-force without entering a high-speed stall.

“The Spitfire would talk to you,” says Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum, whose best-selling book First Light chronicles his life as a 19-year-old Pilot Officer. He was the youngest Spitfire pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain. “As you pulled around a turn, the aeroplane would give a little buffet, a tremor on the stick, and if you eased the back pressure you would keep turning. Other aeroplanes would fall out in a spin.”

THEIR FINEST HOURThe Spitfire, along with the RAF’s other fighter, the Hurricane, earned immortality in September 1940 when The Battle of Britain was fought in the skies above southern England. Germany’s Luftwaffe needed to establish air superiority in the theatre, if there ever was any hope for a German invasion across the English Channel.

The single biggest air battle took place on 15 September, 1940. An armada of almost 500 German aircraft was repulsed by 21 squadrons of fighters. The Luftwaffe withdrew after losing more than 20 per cent of their forces in a single day. Invasion plans never moved forward.

Later that week British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made his famous speech: “Never in the field of human conflict, has so much been owed by so many to so few.” “Good god,” one Battle of Britain pilot is said to have commented. “He must have seen our bar bill.”

WHITE SMOKE BELCHED FROM THE ENGINE'S EXHAUST, YET ALL THE WHILE

THE ENGINE RAN SEAMLESSLY

What’s the twist? It’s not the quietly luxurious interior or the state-of-the-art avionics suite, those are expected. It’s not even the undeniable ramp appeal and airstair door entrance, though certainly a bonus. It’s the value. With a fuel burn of just 37 gph the Piper Meridian is the most fuel efficient six-place turboprop available today – 30% more efficient to be exact. The cost of this value? About one million dollars less than its closest competitor.

I’ll take the turbine with the value twist, please.

Turbine power with a twist.

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A LEGENDARY JET ENTERS HISTORY AS THE PREFERRED CHOICE OF PRESIDENTS, ENTERTAINERS, ECCENTRIC BILLIONAIRES — AND JAMES BOND’S PUSSY GALORE

TRAIL

by Rainer Sigel

LOCKHEED 1329 JETSTAR

BLAZERThe Lockheed JetStar was the first business jet aircraft

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The general view amongst aviation aficionados is that Bill Lear’s first jet heralded the dawn of executive aviation. Actually, not so. Both the Learjet 23 (first flight in 1963) and Germany’s Hansajet (first flight, 1964) were beaten to the threshold by the world’s first ever business jet to

enter production — the Lockheed 1329 JetStar.As pioneering technical efforts go, its birth was

convoluted and difficult. If not for an inspired decision by Lockheed’s management, it may have never taken to the skies at all. The program started out as a concept for a US Air Force (USAF) flight inspection and navigational test aircraft. The USAF, however, halted the project halfway through, but Lockheed decided to continue with an eye on the evolving business jet market. The result? A twin engine JetStar prototype made its first flight on 4 September 1957.

As with many other groundbreaking Lockheed projects,

the driving force behind the JetStar program was legendary aviation engineer Clarence ‘Kelly’ Johnson. His design for the JetStar was considered an engineering revolution. With its 30 degree swept-back wings and two British Bristol-Siddeley Orpheus turbojets, it promised to be fast and agile. It did not disappoint.

Yet, there was a problem. Bristol-Siddeley declined to license its powerful turbojets in the US. Lockheed therefore was left with only two pairs of engines to power the two prototypes, and there was no engine yet available in the US of similar size and power. So Kelly Johnson did what he did best — thinking out of the box — and decided to simply mount two additional engines onto the fuselage for a total of four. How hard could it be? As a result, the second prototype flew with four Pratt & Whitney JT12 turbojets, grouped in a 2 + 2 configuration. Not only did they do the job, they also gave the JetStar its signature macho stance.

The aircraft thus became the only four-engine business jet ever serial produced, and for a long time, it remained the largest of its kind on the market. Its weight of 19.2 tons and its four engines meant it suffered high fuel consumption, so slipper tanks were added to its wings as standard equipment. The aircraft thus could do 4,500 km in one stretch, a nearly intercontinental range — and quite a rarity among aircraft of its era.

Over time, the JetStar became legend. It is probably the only executive jet with a valid claim to having flown several sitting US Presidents. A variant called VC-140B >>

THE JETSTAR IS PROBABLY THE ONLY EXECUTIVE JET

WITH A VALID CLAIM TO HAVING FLOWN SEVERAL

SITTING US PRESIDENTS

The JetStar started as a concept for the US Air Force before it became a private project within Lockheed

All jet images courtesy of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

The JetStar had a narrower passenger aisle compared to those of modern jets

A JetStar prototype takes off from the grounds of Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

British-born American comedian and actor Bob Hope was an owner of a JetStar 731 plane

Pioneer American aviator Jacqueline Cochran established 30 speed records flying her Lockheed JetStar

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>> was used by the USAF as VIP transport, and six of the aircraft regularly flew US Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan. Johnson in particular liked the JetStar, and often used it for trips to his Texas ranch, where one of them is on display today. Every time a President was on board, the JetStar became the smallest Air Force One on record.

The JetStar also became a favourite of many entertainment legends, including the likes of Bob Hope and Elvis Presley. Presley dubbed his The Hound Dog, and today, it can be admired at Graceland Museum. The eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie The Aviator, personally piloted his JetStar around the world. The aircraft even made it onto the silver screen as Pussy Galore’s jet in the James Bond classic Goldfinger.

Although the USAF had left the original program, they bought 16 JetStars from Lockheed and called them the C-140. In addition to VIP transport, the USAF used them

for airborne navigational testing and operational support, including during the Vietnam conflict. Other countries’ air forces too flew the jet, such as the German Luftwaffe, Indonesia (where it became a favourite of former President Sukarno), and other Islamic countries like Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya and Saudi Arabia.

Due to the jet’s high fuel consumption and ever more stringent noise restrictions at key US Airports, Lockheed decided to upgrade the JetStar in 1976 with a better engine type. Refitted with the Garrett TFE 731 Turbofan and redesigned external fuel tanks, this version was called — what else? — the JetStar II. It became the last evolution of this iconic jet, and its improved range of 5,200 km made it so successful that Lockheed was able to sell 40 more of them.

Despite all that, the end of this fascinating design was in sight. More advanced aerodynamic and engine designs evolved, which burned less fuel and were easier to service. The JetStar, on the other hand, had four maintenance-

HOWARD HUGHES, PORTRAYED BY LEONARDO DICAPRIO IN THE MOVIE THE AVIATOR, PERSONALLY

PILOTED HIS JETSTAR AROUND THE WORLD

PERFORMANCE IMPERIAL METRIC

MAXIMUM SPEED

AT 30,000 FT (9,145 M)

547 MPH 800 KM/H

(476 KNOTS)

CRUISE SPEED 504 MPH 811 KM/H

(438 KNOTS)

RANGE

(LATER EXTENDED)

2,995 MI 4,820 KM

(2,604 NMI)

SERVICE CEILING 43,000 FT 13,105 M

RATE OF CLIMB 4,150 FT/M 21.1 M/S

SPECIFICATION IMPERIAL METRIC

CREW TWO PILOTS AND TYPICALLY ONE FLIGHT ATTENDANT

CAPACITY 8-10 PASSENGERS

LENGTH 60 FT 5 IN 18.41 M

WINGSPAN 54 FT 5 IN 16.59 M

HEIGHT 20 FT 5 IN 6.22 M

MAXIMUM TAKE-OFF WEIGHT 44,500 LB 20,185 KG

The first two JetStars were built in Burbank, the rest assembled at Lockheed’s Marietta Georgia plant in USA (above)

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Upon completion of his Master

of Science degree from the

University of Michigan in 1933,

Johnson joined Lockheed as

a tool designer. From there,

he was promoted to Chief

Research Engineer in 1938. In

1952, he was appointed Chief

Engineer, and later advanced

to Vice President of Lockheed’s

newly commissioned Research

and Development organisation.

One of the most prolific

aircraft designers in aviation

history, Johnson became best

known for running Lockheed’s

Skunk Works, the ultra-secret

aviation lab for the USAF and

the CIA. He was personally

involved in designing about

40 of the world’s most iconic

aircraft, including the legendary

U-2 Dragon Lady and SR-71

Blackbird spy jets, and the F-104

Starfighter. Johnson retired from

Lockheed in 1975 as Senior Vice

President, and passed away on

December 21, 1990.

CLARENCE L (KELLY) JOHNSON

ELVIS PRESLEY DUBBED HIS JETSTAR THE HOUND DOG, AND TODAY, IT CAN BE ADMIRED AT GRACELAND MUSEUM

intensive engines that were becoming obsolete. So, in 1979, after a total production run of just over 200 aircraft, Lockheed terminated the program.

True to its maverick reputation though, the JetStar did not glide quietly into the history books. Even today, a small number are still flying in places like Mexico, Argentina, Iran, Ghana and South Africa. In fact, several of them are still available on the used jet market, in flying condition. Just in case you want to build your own Pussygalore-Land one day...

CR Barcode of Lockheed Jetstar II first flight

R I D I N G TH EW I LD W I N D

WINGS

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Wingwalking involves not only being flexible and balanced, but also the ability to remain so against wind pressure

by Jinesh Lalwani

AEROSUPERBATICS

ADRENALIN PURE ON THE OPEN WINGS OF A BIPLANE

Wingwalking — sounds audacious, dare devilish, foolhardy. It all started out with 26-year-old pilot Ormer Locklear climbing out of his open cockpit onto the lower wing of his biplane during an Army Air Corps training in World War I to sort out a mechanical problem.

This life-saving stunt soon turned into headline showmanship when Locklear went on to thrill a crowd in Texas with his wingwalking skills. The feat not only provided heart-stopping entertainment but gave the Army

Air Corps the means for the first ever air-to-air refuelling. In 1921, pilot Wesley May strapped a fuel tank on his back for a plane-to-plane transfer, leading to long distance flight records.

After World War I ended, wingwalking garnered more practitioners and fans, when scores of retired war pilots started buying up surplus aircraft, in particular the Curtiss JN-4 Biplane, aka ‘Jenny’. Flight for the everyday man was totally novel, and these pilots found they could make a living by flying around America, landing in open fields and offering folks joyrides in their planes.

Aerial stunts offered during these events drew even bigger crowds, and soon some maverick pilots managed to persuade their girlfriends to walk out on >>

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FROM TOP

The Breitling Wingwalkers thrill over six million spectators each year in the UK alone

The Breitling Wingwalkers were part of the Festa al Cel Airshow in Barcelona last October

MAVERICK PILOTS

PERSUADED THEIR

GIRLFRIENDS TO WALK OUT

ON THEIR BIPLANE'S

WINGS

WINGS

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CORPORATEHIGH FLYERS

Closet daredevils can train with

the Breitling Wingwalkers and

become members of the team

in Gloucestershire, England.

They can then perform their

own wingwalking display before

colleagues and friends. There are

conditions though: you have to

be under 183 cm, weigh less than

86 kg, agile enough to climb to

the top wing and down unaided

— and you do this only when the

plane is stationary on the ground.

While you do not get to

perform any acrobatics in the air,

you do get to wave to your family

and friends on the ground below.

Wing-mounted cameras capture

your performance, ensuring

bragging rights to your private

display. Based in one of the most

beautiful private airfields in the

UK, with a hangar kitted out to

take corporate crowds up to

300, AeroSuperBatics’ dedicated

events team create bespoke

occasions, and are popular with

those in the know. More details at

www.aerosuperbatics.com.

The AeroSuperBatics team with founder Vic Norman, a veteran aerobatics pilot

>> their biplane’s wings. Some banded up as flying circuses, and entire towns would shut down as people flocked to watch wingwalkers and their swashbuckling pilots. New restrictions on air space by the federal government, the end of sales of Jennys by the military, and ageing aircraft eventually shut down this dangerous and often fatal era of aviation.

Today though, wingwalking lives on. It has evolved into a profession for intrepid men and women that evokes the glamour and daring of yesteryear’s airshows. Wingwalking remains a crowd-pulling favourite with enterprises like UK-based AeroSuperBatics. It manages a team known as the Breitling Wingwalkers, which uses four 1940s Boeing Stearman biplanes. It represents the world’s only professional all-women formation wingwalking team. Their brand of high-flying entertainment has been performed at over 2,500 events, mainly throughout Europe and the UK, but also in China and the United Arab Emirates.

Its four wingwalking ladies have dance and gymnastic backgrounds, and make their acrobatics look effortlessly graceful while combating immense wind pressures. Their routine begins by climbing from the open cockpit to the centre of the top wing while the pilots fly in formations at 225 km/h. Their acrobatics on the wings are done in the face of +4G to -2G pressures.

Stunts include the Mirror, where one aircraft rolls upside down while a second moves in beneath, close enough for the girls to attempt to hold hands. Other moves are Wingrider, where wingwalkers sit unharnessed on the edge of the wing above the plane’s propeller; and Cockpit Lady, where balletic poses are struck between the cockpit and the wing. This year, the team took in its youngest and newest member, 21-year old university student Charlotte Voce. “Wingwalking is not a sport,” says she. “It is a specialised display act, so this makes wingwalking teams very rare.

“Our team has a 100 per cent safety record. We only climb around the aircraft if the weather is suitable. On bumpy, windy days we stay secured to the rig. Wingwalking is great fun,” says the athletic girl, “but probably the toughest activity I have attempted so far. The wind force is so strong, making it very difficult to move and perform against. I have certainly built up a lot of muscles since I started back in April! The added aspect of being on an aircraft looping and rolling through the sky took a bit of getting used to — imagine performing to an audience while on a rollercoaster!”

Professional wingwalkers only work during summer, surely one of the most unusual summer jobs around.

A typical team consists of two to four planes performing aerobatic manoeuvres with female acrobats attached to a post above the wings

by Kim Lee

WILLIAM BROWN’S STRATOLINER CONCEPT

WINGS

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME FOR FUTURE LONG DISTANCE FLIGHT?

W hat could the commercial aircraft of the future look like? What would it have to achieve or avoid? Designer William Brown started out by looking at current trends shaping the industry, and came up with an elegant giant jet that could carry more people, fly higher and further, and ideally allow zero emissions.

His vision is one of oversized bird-shaped wings to provide the lift needed for flight at higher altitudes, where thinner air reduces drag and thus fuel consumption. The downward wing sweep is a bold nod to futuristic

wing design. The form would create an unstable airframe when flown with current technology, but Brown expects advancing computer technology to compensate for it. The final aim is to achieve solid stability, along with exceptional manoeuvrability for this giant jet of the future.

The designer envisions the aircraft to be powered by Cryogenic Hydrogen Turbofan engines. Cryogenic hydrogen is an exceptionally light fuel that possesses more than twice the energy density of heavier, traditional jet fuels. Pure water is the clean by-product. In addition, the aircraft’s engines would be built to respond over a broad range of conditions. It would allow throttling down to a lower power state at the end of flights — effectively turning the airframe into a giant glider to make a slow, computer controlled descent. Assuming this happens over 20 per cent of a journey, fuel consumption could be whittled down by 10 to 20 per cent, adding up to significant savings and an ever greener footprint.

Brown calls his concept aircraft the Lockheed Martin Stratoliner. While he has no association to the aircraft maker, the name is a nod to Lockheed’s reputation of bringing revolutionary concepts to play in aviation. We wonder, could it prove prophetic?

AV IAN INSPIRATION

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Ever since the infant days of powered flight, air travellers fantasised about their own flying machine, as personal and independent as a car. The notion of loading the family vehicle at home and flying it to a distant destination has inspired countless science fiction authors — even famous cartoon family The Jetsons, way back in 1962.

Jay Carter, Jr, a Texas researcher and developer with a background in wind farming, is using that inspiration to build his dream. His Carter Aviation Technologies LLC has designed and flown a

proof-of-concept four-passenger Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) that uses patented designs that may just bring the futuristic vision into everyday reality.

Carter’s PAV is a hybrid of an airplane and a rotorcraft that uses a propeller in the back to push the aircraft forward. His unique “Slowed Rotor/Compound™” technology is designed to lighten the aerodynamic loads on the autogyro rotor in order to slow the rotor blades down. This reduces drag and allows faster flight than one would get with a helicopter because of the lift that comes from the fixed wing.

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CARTER’S PAV IS A HYBRID

OF AN AIRPLANE AND A ROTORCRAFT

by Jim Gregory

CARTER PERSONAL AIR VEHICLE

HYBRID FLIGHTARE WE STANDING ON THE BRINK

OF TRULY PERSONAL FLYING MACHINES?

WINGS


MULTIPLE PROPRIETARY APPROACHESThe second generation, proof-of-concept has a 45-foot diameter rotor and wingspan, with a 300 hp Lycoming piston engine. It is designed for normal operation at 3,500 pounds max gross weight, slightly lighter than a Mercedes-Benz E350 coupé, which also seats four. Carter predicts that after a nearly vertical jump takeoff, the PAV can cruise at up to 180 mph (289.68 km/h) at 7,500 feet.

A Carter subsidiary, Carter Aerospace Development, built and began flight-testing the PAV. “We decided to break down the PAV flight-testing into two phases so that it would be easier to validate the control functions of the aircraft,” Carter said. “For takeoff and landing it’s an autogyro. For cruising, it’s a fixed-wing.

“We’ve now tested and refined the autogyro segment, proving that we have the capability to do jump takeoffs and zero-roll landings. This is a huge accomplishment for us. A major advantage of our technology is its vertical takeoff and landing capability.”

From the results, Carter upgraded the PAV to a 350 hp, turbo-charged engine. The turbo version will provide an estimated 210 mph (337.96 km/h) at full power at 7,500 feet. At 12,500 feet it could do 223 mph (358.88 km/h), and at 20,000 feet, 242 mph (389.46 km/h). And the high speed, long endurance and vertical/short takeoff and landing capabilities could come in at relatively low cost with Carter’s multiple proprietary approaches.

Until Carter finds an established manufacturing company to produce his PAV, you won’t find it on the market anytime soon. Luckily for fans of future flight, he is set on taking man’s oldest dream one step further, by turning a flying machine into a highly personal vehicle.

COMMON TECHNOLOGY

Personal Air Vehicles (PAVs) and the

green technology of wind turbines

may seem like worlds apart, or are

they? Before founding Carter Aviation

Technologies, Jay Carter, Jr began

Carter Wind Systems in 1976 and was

its president and principal designer for

17 years. The company installed wind

turbines in the UK, US, and all the way

up to 300 miles north of the Arctic

Circle. He sold the company to outside

interests in the 1990s, but some of the

same turbine blade technology comes

into play in his PAVs today.

IT IS SLIGHTLY LIGHTER THAN A MERCEDES-BENZ E350 COUPÉ

Could PAVs replace cars as personal vehicles of the future?

Technology for wind turbine blades plays a role in the Carter PAV

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WINGS

CAPTAIN SPEAKING...by Charlie Streeter

GOING TO PARIS?

“IN COMING TO TERMS WITH THE INADEQUACY OF COMMERCIAL

AIRLINES, I HAVE ADOPTED A ZEN STATE OF MIND”

I used to dread my annual simulator training in Dallas because it requires several commercial flights to get there. On each trip, I am reminded of how miserable airline services have become. Chaos seems to be the operative word as intrusive

security checks, unannounced delays and shouting passengers crank up the frustration level. Anxious people wander the overcrowded terminals confused and angry because they cannot get basic flight status information. New terms like ‘air rage’ and ‘sky marshal’ reflect the situation.

In coming to terms with the inadequacy of commercial airlines, I have adopted a Zen state of mind, for two reasons. Firstly, as an airline passenger, I recognise that I am along for the ride (or lack thereof). When problems occur, I am kept in the dark of any action plan. Since there is nothing I can change, there is no point sweating over it. Secondly (and selfishly), as long as commercial airlines infuriate passengers, private aviation will continue to grow, which bodes well for my job security.

On my recent commercial airline trip, as the baggage agent tapped busily on his keyboard trying to locate my “un-locatable” bag, checked in — for an extra USD25, I used my new found clarity of mind to ponder over what allows private aviation to thrive.

A few things that came to mind were: being pampered in a luxurious business jet cabin that flies direct to one’s destination on one’s schedule, the absence of groping security agents and real food on board. But the most significant factor for me boils down to communication.

For example, when my employer tells me he needs to be at a 10 am meeting in Salzburg next Tuesday, I know exactly what his requirements are. I need to consider the coordination of the entire trip, including all flight planning, overflight permits, ground transportation and accommodation. I propose the itinerary for his approval and then put all the pieces of the puzzle into place. More importantly, if there are any subsequent issues that impact his schedule, I notify him immediately.

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My employer refers to me as his travel agent, not his pilot. And to be a good travel agent, understanding the client and clear communication are critical.

The lesson hit home years ago when I was a young pilot for a charter operation on Martha’s Vineyard. I had to fly an elderly deaf woman to her winter home in South Carolina. The trip was at the limit of my single pilot aircraft’s range and the weather was ominous — fuel would be an issue. Closer to destination, things got even worse as massive thunderstorms slammed the area. We were hammered by heavy turbulence as rain pelted the windscreen and lightning crackled around us. The air traffic control radio was squealing in my headset as pilots jammed the frequency fighting to get a word in. Every plane in the sky was scrambling to avoid the severe weather and begging for a reroute. My destination airport shut down, and I had that awful feeling in my gut as my fuel and options rapidly diminished. I felt like a plate-spinning acrobat whose dishes were starting to lose momentum, wobble and crash to the floor.

I attempted to overcome the noise of the rain and thunder by shouting at my passenger. Of course, being deaf, she could not hear me no matter how loudly I yelled. But my biggest mistake was assuming she recognised the gravity of our situation and my desperation to find an airport to land. I scribbled on a shred of paper, “Which city do you prefer?” and strained against my shoulder harness to hand it to her. She soon returned the note.

It was only then I realised my complete failure to communicate. In that poetic instance, this lovely lady thought I was taking a moment to strike up a casual conversation. Amidst the lashing storm, I broke out in hysterical laughter.

In perfect writing on that sliver of paper was the word, “Paris”.

“THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADIO WAS SQUEALING IN MY HEADSET AS PILOTS JAMMED THE FREQUENCY FIGHTING TO GET A WORD IN”

A German watchmaker, resurrected from a dark past as a socialist commune? Highly respected even by its most illustrious Swiss peers?

Utterly unthinkable even a few decades ago. Yet, Lange is ever busier creating timepiece after timepiece with what is considered among the most inventive and best finished technology in the business. Its designs are iconic; its mechanisms, while highly technical, emanate poetry and artistry. However, the luxurious and artfully crafted timepieces also belie a turbulent past.

The brand was founded by Ferdinand A Lange, son of a gunsmith, and an engineering prodigy. As a youth, he picked up his horological skills from an apprenticeship with a clockmaker named

JC Friedrich Gutkaes, who eventually went on to become the Royal Court Clockmaker. Later, Ferdinand travelled across Europe, working for the region’s prominent watch and clock makers before earning master’s rights and returning to Glashütte. He partnered with Gutkaes in the latter’s watchmaking business before establishing his own pocket watch manufactory on 7 December 1845.

Although he started the factory with the aim of training the impoverished region’s youth in watchmaking, Ferdinand went on to develop several epochal techniques and innovations, many of which continue to be used in the brand’s timepieces today. These include a system that allowed watchmakers to craft components with greater precision by measuring pieces in millimetres; and the

JETGALA78 JETGALA66

LUXE

by Alvin Wong

A. LANGE & SÖHNE

FROM A TUMULTUOUS PAST TO REBIRTH AS A BEACON OF HIGH HOROLOGY

TIME AND AGAIN

‘The original digital clock’, built in 1841 by Ferdinand Lange and his mentor for Dresden’s Semper Opera


THE LUXURIOUS AND ARTFULLY CRAFTED TIMEPIECES BELIE A TURBULENT PAST

brand’s now iconic three-quarter base plate that improves a movement’s stability. During this time, he acted as Glashütte’s mayor, a post he held for 18 years.

In the late 1800s, Ferdinand’s sons Emil and Richard joined the company, which was then officially named A. Lange & Söhne. Ferdinand passed away in 1875, but both sons continued to innovate. One of their greatest contributions was to improve the performance of a watch’s balance spring by adding beryllium to the existing alloy. Again, this development continues to feature as a key element in contemporary watchmaking.

Indeed, it was the company’s reputation for quality and innovation, perpetuated by third-generation owners Otto, Rudolf and Gerhard, that ensured its continued prosperity throughout World War I and the ensuing global

economic crisis. In the turbulent war years, all production of consumer watches was stopped, and Lange became among the many watch manufacturers creating marine chronometers for the navy.

Yet, nothing could have prepared the company for the devastation brought about by World War II. In 1945, the year the factory would have turned 100 years old, a bombing raid almost completely destroyed the factory. Three years later, the communist east German regime expropriated A. Lange & Söhne and turned it into a ‘people’s owned’ watch factory.

It took 42 years for the company to get back on independent feet — thanks to Ferdinand’s great-grandson Walter, who had fled to the West during the war and returned after Germany’s reunification. He sought the help of entrepreneur Gunter Blumlein, who was also instrumental in >>

NOTHING COULD HAVE PREPARED THE COMPANY FOR THE DEVASTATION

BROUGHT ABOUT BY WORLD WAR II

Twenty years after Ferdinand A Lange died, the town of Glasshütte honoured him with a monument

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>> reviving brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC. Walter founded Lange Uhren GmbH on 7 December 1990, 145 years to the day that Ferdinand first opened his factory doors.

Walter and Blumlein sought to restore Lange to its previous eminence by embracing its original tenets of innovation and craftsmanship. Just four years after re-opening, A. Lange & Söhne presented its first collection of modern timepieces: the Lange 1, Saxonia, Tourbillon ‘Pour Le Mérite’ and Arkade.

IT TOOK 42 YEARS FOR THE COMPANY TO GET BACK ON INDEPENDENT FEET

With its emphasis on quality handmade mechanisms, Lange produces only a few thousand watches per year

Only 2.9 mm high, the Saxonia Thin is one of Lange’s slimmest watches


LANGE TODAYTo appreciate the extent of Lange’s rebirth, look no further than its new timepieces for 2011. A highlight is the Richard Lange Tourbillon ‘Pour Le Mérite’, the brand’s fourth timepiece to be bestowed with the ‘Pour Le Mérite’ distinction. (Pour Le Mérite is an order of merit first instituted by King Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1842. Lange applies this term sparingly to its watch models which are great technical feats and contain the unique fusée-and-chain mechanism.)

Meantime, there is also a reprise of the Saxonia collection, which now comes in a variety of models including basic automatic, dual-time, and ultra-thin variants. There is also a reinterpretation of the Lange Zeitwerk, a digital watch-inspired timepiece with jumping numeral display, which now features a striking mechanism.

The Lange of today is an undisputed watch marque where technical innovations and refined craftsmanship are concerned. Besides these qualities, watch collectors are also thrilled by the brand’s heritage — a consideration that often influences their purchase decisions. And as far as watchmaking legends go, Lange’s is unmatched.

LANGE IN 2011

Richard Lange Tourbillon ‘Pour le Mérite’ This mechanical tour de force features

a tourbillon and a fusée-and-chain

transmission system that keeps the

watch ticking at optimal regularity. The

watch’s most capricious feature is a

hidden hour sub-dial disc, which pops in

and out at the appropriate moment to

cover a cut-away portion of the dial as

the hour hand makes it rounds.

Lange Zeitwerk Striking Time Launched two years ago to great

acclaim, the Lange Zeitwerk returns

endowed with a striking mechanism

that chimes the hour and quarter-hours.

Anchored by a digital-style dial with

jumping hour and minute indicators,

the watch allows the wearer to view the

striking hammers in action, which are

located just below the time display.

Saxonia Thin

One of Lange’s slimmest watches,

the Saxonia Thin is housed in a case

measuring only 5.9 mm high, courtesy of

a new hand-wound in-house movement

that measures only 2.9 mm thick. Besides

its svelte profile, the watch’s minimalist

aesthetic sits well with this year’s trend

for classical and austere timepieces.

The Richard Lange Tourbillon ‘Pour le Mérite’ is one of Lange’s newest, most complicated timepieces

The Saxonia Dual Time’s second time zone hour hand can be adjusted by exactly one hour forward or backward using two simple pushpieces

The Lange Zeitwerk Striking Time harks back to Lange’s history with digital clocks and adds a chiming mechanism

ACTI V E PASSIO N

LUXE

OLIVIERO BOTTINELLI

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Q: What lies ahead for the iconic Royal Oak series in 2012?2012 will be the Royal Oak’s 40th anniversary. It was first released at Baselworld in 1972. People were very sceptical because at that time all watches were either round or square, and here was an octagon. Also, the watch was in stainless steel. Steel was not used in high-end watchmaking at the time, yet the price of the steel Royal Oak was the same as that of gold watches.

In 2012, we will have a lot of nice things for collectors, watch lovers and people who like the Royal Oak. I cannot reveal what these are yet.

Q: Audemars Piguet has a strong sporting profile: sailing, golf, racing, polo, and the rather exotic elephant polo. How and why did Audemars Piguet get involved with elephant polo?When I went to Thailand three or four years ago, my friend Mr Bill Heinecke, chairman of Minor Group in Thailand and of Anantara Hotels, told me they were doing elephant polo and looking for a sponsor. The cause was to bring elephants and their mahouts living in the city back to the countryside, so the elephants could be very well treated all

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OPPOSITE PAGE

The stainless steel Royal Oak Offshore “Gentlemen’s Driver” fetched BHT1 million (approx USD32,436) when auctioned at this year’s elephant polo gala dinner

THIS PAGE

Bottinelli’s favourite watch, a Royal Oak Skeleton Perpetual Calendar

While many watch movements are admired through sapphire casebacks, the Millenary 4101’s movement was made to be admired from the dial’s face

the time —they can eat, sleep and drink much better, as well as work.

I was very touched by the story. I went back to Singapore and discussed it with my marketing team. I think it’s a great cause. We have been sponsoring elephant polo in Thailand for the last three years and have signed on for 2012 already. We also bring our customers and clients to Thailand, and they spend days learning about the elephant.

Q: What does this inclination towards sports watches and events tell us about Audemars Piguet?It’s really the customers who trod the path for the Royal Oak to be a sporty, elegant watch. We listened to them. F1 and golf are prestige sports, and we knew the people attending these events were wearing the Royal Oak or the Offshore. We noticed that the customers watching F1 at the paddock loved it, maybe because of the aggressiveness of the shape and the boldness of the watch.

Q: What Audemars Piguet innovation are you most proud of? Tell us about the future of AP and technology.There are quite a few. AP was the

first brand to put a tourbillon on a wristwatch in 1986 — a world record. We were the first to use tantalum, a metal I find very beautiful — dark grey with a little bluish tint, as heavy as gold. Sailors need to have something strong but also very light and waterproof, so for the last America’s Cup we came out with forged carbon, a very light process.

We also came out with a fantastic new movement called the new AP escapement. It is much faster and very reliable. The regular escapement has 18,000 to 29,000 beats per hour. This has 43,200 beats per hour. We will use this AP escapement more and more in all our watches.

Q: What is your favourite Audemars Piguet watch? And why do you often wear two watches?I can have two time zones, one in each watch. Also, I really love too many watches, so why not wear two at a time? It often starts a conversation in which I could also share the AP story.

My favourite is the one that I’m wearing today on my right arm — a Royal Oak Skeleton Perpetual Calendar in platinum — because it embodies all the strengths of the brand. First, it is a

classic Royal Oak, an iconic watch, a lasting legend, a beauty. Second, I need the perpetual calendar because I never know what day I am in. This watch also has the thinnest automatic perpetual calendar in the industry. Thirdly, AP doesn’t make many skeleton watches a year, so we make it perfectly when we do.

Q: You’ve been at Audemars Piguet Asia for a while. How have you seen public perception of the brand evolve in Asia ?Fifteen years ago, we were six people in the AP office in Singapore. Now we are 37. The brand has been very well liked and appreciated by Singapore, Hong Kong and the rest of Southeast Asia. China is growing too fast for us and it is a good market. Japan has been very strong and steady. Taiwan has been a beautiful gem of a market. What I’m happy about is that we are doing well in Asia, but are also very strong in Europe and the US. AP makes 27,000 watches a year, and only 35 per cent of this is allocated to the whole of Asia. Today, many brands are doing very well because of Asia only.>>

I REALLY LOVE TOO MANY WATCHES, SO WHY NOT WEAR TWO AT A TIME?

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Q: What new Asian territorial inroads will Audemars Piguet focus on in 2012, and why?China is going to be important but we are a little late compared to other brands. It was done on purpose because we didn’t know the market well. We opened our subsidiary first. We are not in a rush and want to do things well. We have good capable people in place who understand the market very well.

Hopefully next year, we will open more than five new retailers in China.

All the other Asian markets are pretty mature. In Korea, we want to open a service centre, because now the market is strong enough. India is an important market and is already quite strong but it lacks the infrastructure to accommodate luxury. We will see how we can open maybe one or two retailers there in 2012. Our focus in 2012 is spending money on customer service in Asia.

Q: You have a daunting social calendar for Audemars Piguet. What is the toughest part of it?Remembering what day I’m living in. It is quite intense and engrossing. We are not getting younger everyday. You have to try and balance your lifestyle. With age, you learn to do it. You have to remain fit mentally and physically. It would not be possible without the passion I have for the brand.

Q: What has been your personal highlight of the year in the Audemars Piguet whirl of events?Elephant polo has a special place in my heart. Also, there was the event we did prior to F1 — we brought a three-star Michelin chef Philippe Rochat and 20 of his employees to cook for our guests in Singapore. That was really a magical evening.

Q: What is it that you enjoy most about working with Audemars Piguet?I enjoy everything about the brand. My team here in Singapore is always doing a great job, always well motivated. At the end of the day, the stars of AP are really the watchmakers. I really enjoy getting to say hello to them and watch what they are doing at the factory. I love the transformation from a sketch to a product.

AP has been here for a long time and it is here to last. AP comes from a part of Switzerland where watchmaking was invented. We have very strong roots, very genuine. AP is still a family run company.

UP CLOSE

What sports do you play? Tennis.

I would have liked to be a great

tennis player.

What was your childhood ambition? To be a very good

chef. I would have loved to be a

watchmaker as well.

What is the best gift you’ve received? My family.

What belonging would you never throw away? My Royal Oak.

What is your favourite home cooked meal? Good pasta with

nice pieces of cheese and a glass

of red wine.

What is your favourite method of relaxing? I am trying too many

things. Sports (tennis, soccer,

jogging, Muay Thai), a bit of yoga

and meditation.

What is your morning routine like? Drink bottoms up a big

glass of water with lemon, do 20

minutes of back exercises

What car do you drive? A white,

fast Italian car.

How did you earn your first dollar? By selling love letters in

boarding school (I used to write

poems and love letters when I

was 11 or 12 years old).

IN 2012, WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF NICE THINGS FOR COLLECTORS AND WATCH LOVERS AND PEOPLE WHO LIKE THE ROYAL OAK

BOX

Bottinelli with AP team captain Peter Prentice (left) and Bill Heinecke (right), who first introduced Bottinelli to elephant polo

ABOVE

The Audemars Piguet elephant polo team reigned in this year’s tournament, defending its 2010 championship title

FOR CENTURIES, THE MOON HAS MOVED MANKIND TO DREAM, INVENT AND ACHIEVE. It has inspired paintings and poetry of yore, and space exploration today. The

moon continues to cast its spell through time, more specifically fine timepieces, with watchmaking wizards crafting minuscule mechanisms for one of the most lyrical

complications — the moon phase indication, which reveals the waxing and waning of the lunar orb on our wrists with the passing of time.

The moon phase complication has taken on many forms, from being paired with other high complications (especially calendar

functions) to being artfully rendered against traditional engraving and enamelling work. Here are

our favourites among the latest releases.

A. LANGE & SÖHNE DATOGRAPH PERPETUAL

The Datograph Perpetual is A. Lange & Söhne’s first model to incorporate both a chronograph and perpetual calendar. Bolstered by the precision and longevity of the manually wound L952.1 movement, the timepiece’s

chronograph function can measure time accurate to one-fifth of a second. Meantime, the perpetual calendar display,

which indicates day, date, month, leap years, day/night and date, requires no adjustment until the year 2100, when it needs

to be advanced by one day with just a touch of a button. The moon phase display is rendered in blue and gold.

by Alvin Wong

MOON PHASE WATCHES

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EXCLUSIVE WATCHMAKERS CHART THE MOON

AUDEMARS PIGUET JULES AUDEMARS MOON PHASE

CALENDAR

Elegant and austere, this assertive gentleman’s watch has a slim bezel and balanced dial that ensure its astronomical indications (day, date and moon phase) are highly readable. Its automatic Calibre 2324 guarantees up to 40

hours of power reserve. Despite its understated mien, the watch

is meticulously finished, evinced on the exquisite satin-brushed dial

and the movement bridges — all have been hand-bevelled, polished and

adorned with Côtes de Genève engraving.

BLANCPAIN VILLERET CHRONOGRAPHE MONOPOUSSOIR QUANTIÈME COMPLET

Stylistic purity balances this timepiece’s many complications. Despite having a mono-pusher chronograph and complete calendar display with moon phase indication, the dial is highly legible, thanks to its geometrically sound layout. The only artistic flourishes are a blued steel serpentine hand indicating the date; and the moon phase display, illustrated with a face akin to 18th century clocks. The Calibre 66CM8

automatic movement also features patented correctors for easy adjustments to the displays, and redesigned gear trains that

minimise movement damage.

BREGUET CLASSIQUE 7787

This timepiece’s Calibre 591 DRL, just 3.02 mm thick, is one of the thinnest moon phase movements ever created. The movement features

a silicon escapement and balance spring. (Silicon watch components are extremely robust and light,

and considered among high-end watchmaking’s most advanced technologies.) Yet, the watch’s design and

decoration are firmly rooted in tradition, featuring hand-guilloché work on a high-fired enamel dial, and minute

markers inspired by 18th century pocket watches. >>

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AUDEMAUD

CA

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OOOOFF TTHHHEEEE TTHHHINNNNNNEESSTTT MMMOOOOOONNNN PPHHHAASSEEE

MMMOOOVVVVEEMMEEENNTTTSSS EEEVVEERRR CCCRRREEEAAAATEEDDDD

SSSSTTYYYYLLIISSTTTICCC PPPUURRITTYYYY BBAAALLLAAAANNCCCCEEESS TTHHHISSS

TTTIIMMMEEEEPPIIEECCCEEE’SS MMMAANNNYYYY CCOOOOMMMPPPLLICCCCAAATTIIIOONNNSSS

FRANCK MULLER EVOLUTION 3-1

Created in 2010, the Evolution 3-1 brings together a trio of technical innovations — a tri-axial tourbillon that rotates on three perpendicular axes (encased in three cages that rotate separately in one-, eight-, and 60-minute intervals to nullify gravitational errors); a patented 10-day power reserve indicator mounted directly on the energy barrel; and a perpetual calendar

that displays day, date, week, month, leap year and moon phases.

The watch is presented in the brand’s signature Cintrée Curvex case.

PATEK PHILIPPE REF. 5496P PERPETUAL CALENDAR WITH RETROGRADE DATE

Among Patek Philippe’s most accessible releases this year — a year that saw the brand launch several technically astounding high-complications — is the quietly refined 5496P. The watch

comprises a perpetual calendar with a retrograde date hand. While the combination of complications

is not unusual for Patek, this timepiece will appeal to purists for its classic case modelled after the 1930s Ref.

96 Calatrava watch. Elsewhere, distinction is expressed by slim hands, day and month windows, and a date arc

above a traditional moon phase display.

BULGARI GEFICA HUNTER GERALD GENTA COLLECTION

Inspired by the original 1988 Gerald Genta Gefica, a watch that pays homage to hunters of Africa’s big five game animals, Bulgari’s new Gefica Hunter is ideal for adventurers and travellers. Its bronze case with titanium rings frames a multi-layered dial, which displays jumping hours, retrograde minutes, a 24-hour sub-dial for the second time zone, and another sub-dial for north and south hemisphere

moon phase displays. The visually dramatic indicators are driven by a new in-house

automatic movement, the Genta 1008, which comes with a 45-hour power reserve.

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BULGARI GENTA

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PPPHHAAAASSSEEE DDISSSPPPLLLAAAYYYSSS

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by Robert La Bua

H2 YACHT DESIGN

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A SMALL COMPANY FINDS SUCCESS INSIDE VERY BIG BOATS

RULES OF THE EXTREME

Mars, a futuristic 90-metre yacht

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Just as interior designers have transformed jets from cold shells to sumptuous residences in the sky, so too have they turned yachts into homes on water. Yachts present their owners with a decorative tabula rasa ready for personalisation, usually with the help of a specialist designer such as H2 Yacht Design, based just outside London.

H2 began as a company for retrofitting existing yachts with splendid passenger environments and quickly earned a reputation for excellence, which served the company well in establishing credibility among the world’s ‘glitteryachti’ and gave it the chance to progress to the creation of interiors for new-build vessels. As owners of H2-interior yachts acquire ever larger water toys, they keep a raft of commissions floating to the door of Jonny Horsfield, H2’s founder and

chief creative force. The company’s collaboration with Proteksan-Turquoise shipyard in Istanbul, which goes back to its early history, has helped it penetrate the Turkish new-build market to include other builders such as Nilgin Yachts and Logos Marine. Major projects in Russia and Italy are also underway.

A look at H2’s inspired yacht interiors and decks reveals an Art Deco motif. Yet, there is no design monotony; each yacht has a distinct look and character. Such variety might have one thinking that Horsfield has unlimited choices at his disposal, but just as for jets, there are certain regulations that govern yacht interior design. He says, “In a way, it

FROM TOP

H2 takes pains to make outdoor facilities as splendid as those indoors

An intimate living room, part of a 120-metre yacht that will take 54 guests

The stunning staircase of Project 120, which will be delivered by late 2012

For H2, a yacht's exterior and interior are two parts of one entity

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appears we are unlimited in our palette of materials, but in reality there are regulation and cost limitations that mean that the palette is not exhaustive.”

Although he admits that yacht interior design is by far less limited than that of jets, Horsfield points out that both have similar challenges: “Like a jet, a yacht is actually operating in an extreme environment for much of the time, and as professional designers we have a responsibility to use only materials that are ‘fit for purpose’ or appropriate for use.”

Larger projects demand even more considerations. The company is working on Project 120, a yacht designed for transoceanic voyages with a capacity of 54 passengers. “As the yachts get bigger, we are then classified as a cruise ship and we then face much stricter controls on materials.” Project 120, for example, is being outfitted in total compliance with SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) requirements without sacrificing luxury or comfort for guests on board. Project 120’s streamlined style belies the functionality and safety considerations integrated into the master plan.

For Horsfield, a yacht’s exterior and interior are two parts of one entity; you cannot design one without considering the other. This philosophy was evident early on in H2’s work with new-build yachts and continues today. Talisman C, a Proteksan-Turquoise product launched this year, is a 70-metre replacement for the owners’ 54-metre vessel that had also been designed by H2. The graceful lines of this larger yacht are complemented by sumptuous interior spaces, which elaborate further on the Art Deco theme of its predecessor.

Given its assiduous attention to details, it is not surprising that H2 has won awards for excellence in yacht design, taking the first prize at this year’s International Yacht & Aviation Awards in the 25-40 metre power yacht category for its work on the superyacht Meya Meya. Designed with a strict budget, the Meya Meya is ‘aggressive and edgy’ on the outside and equally contemporary inside, with neutral toned linens, grey timber and stained teak. But H2’s Mars project is possibly its most dazzling concept yet — at least, it is the one of which Horsfield is proudest. Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for a client who eventually had a change of heart (read: financial trouble), Fincantieri retains possession of this impressive private ship until it finds a new owner. An avant-garde maritime machine, anyone?

PERSONAL TOUCH

For both owners and creators of luxury

yachts, the personal touch is vital to

a satisfactory result. As with private

jets, yachts are seen as extensions of

their owners’ personalities, physical

embodiments of their success, tastes,

and wealth. Says H2 Yacht Design’s

owner and head designer Jonny

Horsfield, “I am very keen for my

clients to have an active role in the

design process and this is one of the

advantages for my clients compared to

some designers who try to avoid this

interaction. However, due to (their) very

limited time schedules, most clients

yield the majority of the design process

to us. They invite us to surprise them.”

"We have a responsibility to use only materials that are 'fit for purpose'or appropriate for use"

On board: a private dining room and a sushi bar

Enfocus Software - Customer Support

Text by Chris Bangle

BISILURO

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text to coe

Photos Alessandro Nassiri / Archivio Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy.

From Domus 950/September 2011, Courtesy Editoriale Domus S.p.A. All rights reserved

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CHRIS BANGLE, FORMER CHIEF OF DESIGN AT BMW, REVIEWS THE BISILURO, THE LEGENDARY BUT ILL-FATED RACING CAR DESIGNED BY CARLO MOLLINO FOR THE 1955 LE MANS 24-HOUR ENDURANCE RACE

A S Y M M E T R I CR A C E RTH E

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CAR DESIGN-WISE, THE BISILURO FITS INTO A CATEGORY I WOULD CALL “NON-CAR CARS”

They say that the earliest design language for the primitive is that of repetition and symmetry. Regarding the design of “things that move”, history gives us quite a catalogue of proposals to improve the breed by echoing a form across some sort of bridging element. With names like “twinpod”, “twin-boom”, “twin-fuselage”, “doublehull”, or “catamaran”, the designer’s fascination with

mirroring a good idea has been around ever since the Garden of Eden, when God decided two breasts looked seriously cooler than one.

Car Designers owe the origins of their craft to the hull-lofting techniques of naval architects, and while it is true that for centuries there have been parallel-hull designs for boats (from a Tahitian out-rigger to a divided hull that Da Vinci sketched), the real inspiration for modern twin-fuselage wheeled machines are the aircraft of World War II. (To be fair, the twin-boom Fokker M.9 was of World War I vintage.) Pilot and aircraft aficionado engineer Mollino must have been highly influenced by innovations from the War, and perhaps he knew that German engineers had prototyped a Messerschmitt Bf 109Z-1 “Zwilling” with a single pilot flying a two-fuselage fighter. Certainly, the sexy Lockheed P-38 inspired his generation of Car Designers as did the F-82 “Twin Mustang”, which was built from 1946 to 1953.

However, despite the sense of orderliness the latter aeroplanes share with the elegant Nardi-Giannini 750 Bisiluro (“Twin Torpedo”), they are truer to the principles of symmetry given that they had two engines and/or two officers aboard. Perhaps a more correct muse for his race

car would have been the German Blohm & Voss BV 141, a German recon plane built with the engine and propeller and tail fins in one fuselage and the pilots next door in the neighbouring pod. In fact, looking at the images of the Bisiluro racing at Le Mans in 1955 one finds a closer visual connection to modern motorcycle sidecar racers than to aeroplanes. (It was not the last four-wheeled race car to work this asymmetry scheme either. A notable composition was the Smokey Yunick sidecar racer attempt at Indy in 1964). In any case, the concept from Nardi and Giannini seems to have been established when engineer Mollino came on board the Bisiluro project as designer.

Looking at his creation today one sees much more pre-war heritage in the lines and details than one associates with the 1950s’ Car Design scene around him. From the “Baleen whale” strainerteeth of the front surface cooler to the vertical side gills for the engine cooling, the car is very 1930s’ Carrozzeria Touring-esque in its execution. By 1954, cars had a mix of open and closed wheel fairings but in general


THE REAL INSPIRATION FOR MODERN TWIN-FUSELAGE WHEELED MACHINES ARE THE AIRCRAFT OF WORLD WAR II

Carlo Mollino built the Bisiluro with racers Enrico Nardi and Mario Damonte

(Opposite page) The Bisiluro’s right-hand section houses the cockpit and fuel tank while (above) the left side contains the engine and transmission

there was more emphasis on the tailfin; the Bertone BAT of the time put it all together quite nicely. A bit more fin on the Bisiluro could have come in handy, for despite the care and attention invested in the project — from the fuselage shapes to the wonderful details such as the retractable rear-view mirror — the innocent application of aerodynamics was its undoing. That the lightweight racer was literally sucked off the course by a passing Jaguar must have been doubly frustrating for the team.

Car Design-wise, the Bisiluro fits into a category I would call “Non-Car Cars”, those purposeful objects that stir the imaginations of Car Designers by allowing them to incorporate a new proportion, perspective, form, structure or detail into their concept of a “Car” without having to carry all the functional and cultural baggage of being “automobiles”. The phylum contains a wide variety of (mostly) man-made constructs, including aqueducts, medieval clocks, aeroplanes such as those mentioned above, V2 rockets, submarines, pistols, racing cars and land-speed record vehicles, the Graf Spee warship and even the Eiffel Tower. The world of Car Design is richer for the visual metaphors and appropriations lifted from these “Non-Car Cars”, even though it is usually not possible to make a direct link between inspiration and effect.

But as an “aeroplane on wheels” the Bisiluro makes a nice showpiece. First of all it presents itself as two long shafts of red, the colour de rigueur of anything fast and Italian. >>

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>> Although Car Design loves sexual innuendos, admittedly the image of Mr Macho Racer climbing in his aluminium phallus gets a bit wonky when there are two of them. Proportionally speaking, the car seems a tick on the stubby side; it is not helped by the fact that in those times the dogma of aerodynamics called for the side view of a sports car to be a closed ellipse, flattened on the bottom like an aerofoil section. This required enough upward slope to be planned into the front overhang to make the curve a natural one, a form that in reality is not helping the aerodynamic downforce and blunts the torpedo shape. (I recall that when we were making the BMW Z8 in the late ‘90s we took the classic BMW 507 and “modernised” it, including totally flattening the underbody to minimise the air build-up there. Chuck Pelly, who designed the Scarab racer in the ‘60s, criticised me roundly for having violated the canon of the “side-view ellipse”.)

The engine fuselage has a nice bulge about the rear wheel, although the relationship to internal wheel-movement requirements is not so clear. But it gives the car some direction on that side and visually balances the large statement of the helmet fairing that dominates the pilot side of the car. The carrozzeria is the work of artigiani, the classic handworker-metal-beaters, and so one celebrates the minor diversions in fillets and radiuses rather than search in vain for perfection in every joint and line.

The mid-section “wing-bridge” that joins the two torpedoes is a bit busy with the ins and outs of cooling air, but overall the effect is not too dissimilar to that of the later Can-Am and Le Mans race cars. Effectively they enlarged this wing-bridge of the Bisiluro to sit the driver in the middle. The curving intersection between it and the fuselage is a classic Car Design problem: too much “negative” curve makes the vehicle look hollow, too little and the torpedo sections become flat. Here engineer Mollino made an elegant compromise, and the single round headlight eyes flair nicely back into the tall oval section of the body. One cannot help but think of Tintin and his pals when confronted with shapes like these!

A wonderful car made by special people for a celebrated race in a glorious Age of Car Design Innocence, what more can one ask for? Designers everywhere have been finding excuses to homage the Bisiluro and its kind in every possible project including Star Wars, and we should all be thankful that this unique example is well cared for and still here to inspire us.

ADMITTEDLY THE IMAGE OF MR MACHO RACER CLIMBING IN HIS ALUMINIUM PHALLUS GETS A BIT WONKY WHEN THERE ARE TWO OF THEM

MISTER FANTASTIC

Carlo Mollino, born 1905 in Turin,

Italy, became best known for his

often outrageous interpretation of

art, design, architecture, the occult —

and race cars. An all-round colourful

character, he was once credited as

saying, “Everything is permissible

as long as it is fantastic.” That credo

resulted in a highly diversified and

vastly creative career.

Mollino designed many iconic

buildings in Italy, made furniture

and interiors, created fashion and

theatre and film sets. He loved

raunchy photography, and liked to

play daredevil. He not only designed

the ‘Bisiluro’, but drove it at the 24

Hours of Le Mans race in 1954. More

controversially, he was so obsessed

with the occult and the afterlife, that

he decorated his own tomb. He passed

away in 1973.

Image courtesy of Museo Casa Mollino, Torino

by Lynette Siew

BULLET BIKE

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HARDCORE BIKER–CUM–CONCEPT DESIGNER PHIL PAULEY has his mind set on the ultimate speed rush with his Bullet super-bike. For starters, he put wings on the Bullet — four of them to be exact, plus a tail fin. A compact jet engine propels this mean machine, an electric gas turbine hybrid that is part plane and part motorcycle.

The wings also double up for additional fuel storage. Pauley sees the Bullet as “purely a circuit-racing hybrid, for engaging in long straights. I wanted to demonstrate a low-level airborne circuit race series in excess of 480 km/h.”

How does this white macho super bike fly then? Activate the thruster at speed, and the wings generate sufficient lift to get the front of the bike off the ground, much like during a wheelie. The rear wheel then follows, elevating the entire machine over a foot in the air. Airborne and without ground resistance, the Bullet is expected to do much higher speeds than any other current bike. A kill switch deploys a parachute at the rear, to bring the jet-powered bike back to earth.

Pauley is developing the Bullet with Cranfield University’s Department of Power and Propulsion. “Bikers can’t believe that someone has come up with the idea — let alone attempt to build and trial one. But it has received worldwide enthusiasm from the biking community,” he explains.

One thing is for sure, no long straight will ever look the same when eaten up at close to 500 km/h.

NO PILOT’S LICENCE REQUIRED TO TAKE OFF IN THESE WINGED WHEELS

O FLY A BIKEG

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by Katrina Balmaceda

STEFANO RICCI

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KING OF TIESAN ITALIAN TAILOR’S CONSUMMATE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION

I talian tailor Stefano Ricci opened a boutique in China at an unfashionable time of its history — more than a decade before the country’s rise as a global economic power. Ricci, who confesses to deliberately opening as few as two stores around the world annually, fell in love

with China when he first visited it in 1994. His shop swiftly followed in Shanghai that same year.

What could Italians like him have in common with the Chinese? The appreciation of fine things, and silk. China is credited as the first country to develop silk, while Italy has long been hailed for its sartorial tradition. At Ricci’s historic workshop in Florence (see box), much time and attention go into the production of silk, especially for neckties.

Ricci has been called the ‘King of Ties’, although he has an entire fashion line ranging from shirts and shoes to cufflinks and briefcases. He personally designs each tie, drawing from over 7,000 colour combinations and 60 to 70 patterns for each collection. The production process is just as rigorous as the design methods, with only two neckties produced every hour on antique looms. The serographic instruments used for tie production are then destroyed, ensuring each collection’s uniqueness.

Ricci maintains a close relationship with his clients and can customise products according to their wishes, such as by embellishing ties with crystals. But it is his multi-patchwork design of 280 tiny hand-sewn squares of silk that fetches most admiration and a price that makes it one of the most expensive ties in the world.

In making silk shirts, Ricci is just as meticulous. As much as 29,900 yards (27,340 metres) of raw Egyptian cotton yarn >>


Wildlife inspires the colour schemes and materials used in Ricci’s designs

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>> are woven at the slowest possible speed for 30 days before being allocated for the different parts of a shirt — body, sleeves, collar, yoke, cuffs and pocket. These pieces are individually cut, then sewn together using no less than 25 stitches per inch. Only one tailor works on each shirt. Ricci shares that he often stores a finished shirt in a room to let the fabric regain its softness before finally pushing it out into the distribution line — much like the act of decanting wine.

Even the most exacting clients can find satisfaction in the details — the way the sleeves of a patterned shirt are attached to the body so that the sleeve designs perfectly line up with those of the shoulders and cuffs; or how the buttons of a shirt are the exact same shade as the fabric.

If Ricci cannot find any material that meets his standards, he creates it. Being both businessman and artist, this is an obvious solution. It has led to his development of sable cashmere, a mix of 95 per cent cashmere with five per cent sable fur in a process that ensures the hair never falls off or separates from the yarn. Although it neither improves nor

IF RICCI CANNOT FIND ANY MATERIAL THAT

MEETS HIS STANDARDS, HE CREATES IT

diminishes the quality of cashmere, sable fur’s varied colours — ranging from black to beige — add an elegant visual impact to the end product.

Beyond the use of fur and the selection of high quality skins for shoes, belts, jackets and briefcases, animals have also influenced Ricci’s designs in subtler ways. A duck’s yellow eyes and the grey feathers of its head are reflected in a grey tie with a speckled yellow pattern; a snow leopard licking its paw inspired a purple tie and dark grey-and-white suit ensemble.

It is the experience of such subtleties that turns Ricci’s craftsmanship into artistry. It also defines his concept of true luxury, mentioned in his book Luxor of Egypt as: “creating a garment that satisfies the customer in his need for a personal status symbol, being able to afford, for example, a wallet with a leather exterior and crocodile interior. Overall, to go beyond appearances.” Ricci also describes luxury as “a glass of water in the desert” — in other words, pleasure that only few can actually indulge in.

Ricci thinks in terms of the entire outfit — from shirts to shoes, ties to cufflinks, hats to briefcases


HE PERSONALLY DESIGNS EACH TIE, DRAWING FROM OVER 7,000 COLOUR COMBINATIONS AND 60 TO 70 PATTERNS

SILK STREET

In the 14th century, silk weaving brought

wealth to Florence, Italy, and led to

the prominence of some families. Four

centuries later, the silk enriched nobility

put up a workshop that would house

all their looms and design equipment

under one roof. The workshop, located

in Via de’ Tessitori (Weavers Street)

and eventually named Antico Setificio

Fiorentino, produced silks mostly for

draping castles and churches, and for

bridal trousseaux. It was later moved to

Via Bartolini and sits there today within a

historic garden.

The Stefano Ricci company acquired

the Antico Setificio Fiorentino in 2010

along with its ancient fabric designs and

antique handlooms, semi-mechanical

looms and a unique warping machine, all

of which are in working order.

Ricci’s multi-patchwork tie is one of the most expensive in the world

BELOW Each classic shoe is handmade and uses top grade skins

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by Rebecca Morris

PANAMA HATS

A finished Italiano Fedora (above) and an unfinished Monti Cristi

STYLE RESURRECTIONPASSION AND A GOOD BOOK REVIVE THE ART OF THE BESPOKE PANAMA HAT

C an reading a book change your life? For nearly 30 years, Brent Black had been making a good living in the US advertising industry. Then he came across the book, The Panama Hat Trail by Tom Miller, who in the 1980s predicted that the

art of hand-weaving fine Panama hats would die out within 20 years.

Intrigued, Black travelled to Montecristi in Ecuador to see the hats for himself — mind you, not Panama, but Ecuador, where they are actually made. They did however become popular in Panama, particularly when the Panama Canal became a passageway for prospectors in the California Gold Rush, and the name stuck. What Black found were artisans producing superbly woven straw hats for barely subsistence wages. “I fell in love with the hats,” he says, and embarked on a mission to save the art of fine hat weaving in Montecristi, where the best weavers are to be found.

The Panama hat is a timeless fashion accessory. It imparts instant, refined style to wearers — from rock stars, actors and businessmen right up to presidents and kings. Black’s business model was to create an appreciation and demand for a hand-woven work of art that can take months of painstaking toil to produce. His hats have become designer items for those prepared to pay for such finesse. And in raising the value of the weavers’ craft, he is able to pay them a sum that makes the industry viable.


He calls his enterprise The Panama Hat Company, but for many of his clients it is simply Brent Black. He not only sells the hats, but finishes — ‘blocks’ — the hats himself, crafting each basic hat into a bespoke fedora, homburg, planter, or other style of the client’s choice.

Black does not believe in hat sizes. Each client is asked to measure his or her head to the nearest 1/8 inch, and receives a number of sweatbands to ensure the perfect fit. “Every Montecristi Panama hat is custom blocked and custom sized. I don’t just reach over and take a hat off a shelf and ship it to you. I actually block, style and size your hat for you,” he promises.

He offers some 17 basic styles, including the classic Fedora, the Optimo, and the classic Panama-style hat that in Ecuador is called the Natural. The Plantation comes with a wider brim and the Aficionado is a cross between a Plantation and a Fedora. The look immortalised by >>

PANAMA HATS ARE MADE IN ECUADOR. THEY BECAME

POPULAR IN PANAMA... AND THE NAME STUCK

One of Black’s personal favourites is the archetypal fedora, often worn in classic films and sultry climes

The Optimo shares similar aesthetics with the one worn by Sean Connery in the film The Man Who Would Be King

Stacks of unfinished hats waiting to be ‘blocked’ by Brent Black

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STRAW TO STYLE

Panama hats start life in the Ecuadorian

jungle, where leaves from the toquilla

palm provide the straw for the hats.

Weavers strip the outer casing to access

the tender leaves inside — a process

performed using both hands and feet.

The leaves are boiled to a spaghetti-like

appearance before being bleached with

sulphur. It is then split into fine threads

for the long, highly-skilled operation

of being hand-woven into fine, near

symmetrical rows. This basic hat is then

shipped to Brent Black in Hawaii, who

‘blocks’ the hat — hand-moulding it into

its requested design before sewing on

the band and ribbon.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Mother and daughter team up to weave the hats in the small town of Montecristi, Ecuador

Brent Black’s quality check involves closely examining each hat’s weave

Straw used for the hats comes from toquilla palm leaves, boiled, hang dried and split into fine threads

>> Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind was achieved with a Planter-style Monte Carlo. Ribbons come in different colours and widths, while sweatbands come in a choice of leather or cotton twill. Brims can be made narrower or wider according to taste. Open-weave hats are an option.

A hat from Brent Black can cost from less than USD500 to well into five figures. The difference? Firstly, the thinner the straw, the tighter the weave — and the longer it will take to make. The very best Panama hats will feel like cloth and weigh next to nothing. The evenness of the weave is another factor. Like Persian rugs, all Panama hats have human faults that make them unique, but the best ones have an exceptionally even weave. The colour should be ivory rather than white and will darken with age. Large hats, wide-brimmed hats and taller crowns take longer to weave, and that is reflected in the cost.

Whatever your choice, an exquisitely made Panama hat lends immediate panache. To wear it well, Black has a simple request: “Don’t stoop.”

IN RAISING THE VALUE OF THE WEAVERS’ CRAFT, HE IS ABLE TO PAY THEM A SUM THAT MAKES THE INDUSTRY VIABLE

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A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION TRACES THE EVOLUTION OF AN ICONIC BRAND


BULGARI RETROSPECTIVE

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ow does an important piece of jewellery pass from one hand to another? Through death, disease and divorce — and this is the route Bulgari curator Amanda Triossi has traced for years in tracking down the brand’s vintage jewellery pieces. These classics, along with contemporary pieces, form part of the BVLGARI: 125 Years of Italian Magnificence

retrospective exhibition, currently displayed at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

The 578 pieces of jewellery, watches and precious objects on exhibit illustrate the story of a glamorous brand, but the task of digging them up was long and tedious — albeit enjoyable for art historians like Triossi, who also got leads through her previous work at auction house Sotheby’s. Sometimes, finding these rare works meant knocking on doors of strangers and asking them about their ancestors. Other times, it involved bidding at auctions to buy back a piece of jewellery Bulgari designed and created decades ago. But as word spread about the exhibition (which travelled to Rome in 2010 and Paris earlier in 2011), Triossi found herself facing a more happy dilemma — more private collectors volunteering their jewellery for exhibit. However, not all could be displayed.

“The idea was to choose very representative pieces of Bulgari design,” says Triossi. In selecting and pulling items together for the exhibition, she had to “tell a story”. This story is the evolution of Bulgari’s look, from its earliest days of silver work (the oldest exhibit is an 1875 silver bracelet) to the bursts of colour that eventually defined the brand.

Grecian belts and tiaras of the early 19th century reveal the Bulgari founder’s roots, while Parisian motifs, as well as a dominance of emeralds and diamonds, trace the dolce vita era. Of note are the Tremblant flower spray brooches that tremble like real sprigs in the slightest breeze, beloved by actresses like Ingrid Bergman on and off screen.

Bolder, more daring designs began to emerge in the 1950s, and the ensuing decade marked Bulgari’s colour revolution. Various shapes, symmetrical patterns and, most importantly, different gem types were united in single designs. The piece that best exemplifies Bulgari’s hand with colour is a 1967 necklace featuring rounded shapes and patterns using yellow gold, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. It was worn by actress Keira Knightley at the 2006 Oscars, proving the vintage piece’s enduring wearability. Other collections show the brand’s knack for making unexpected items the focal point of their designs. At some points, ancient coins used as pendants, and serpent shaped bracelets and watches became signature looks of the brand. The rising number of Middle Eastern buyers led to a dominant use of yellow gold in the 1980s, while Asian, especially Chinese, influences show in the use of porcelain and jade. There is even a collection inspired by artist Andy Warhol, who once commented, “I always visit Bulgari, because it is the most important museum of contemporary art.”

Like any work of art, the value of vintage Bulgari jewellery lies not only in its visual techniques but also in the quality of its materials. The high value of Le Sette Meraviglie (The Seven Wonders), a 1961 diamond and emerald necklace considered the most important piece on exhibit, comes from its seven very large, circular-cut Colombian emeralds that perfectly match one another in colour, clarity and cut — a symmetry rare in gems.

But if one were to ask Triossi what to buy, her prime advice for collecting jewellery is: “Buy what you like. Buy the best quality you can afford. Never buy something that would have been worth more — those pieces never keep their value.” Those that do, well, they are hoarded by discerning collectors — until death, disease or divorce prompts their owners to pass them on or put them up for sale.

The Bulgari retrospective exhibition will move to Shanghai on 16 February 2012.

LEFT TO RIGHT

A 1967 necklace and earrings set considered one of the most iconic Bulgari vintage pieces

A bib necklace with 30 Burmese rubies, loaned by a Taipei-based collector

Snake-themed bracelet watches were characteristic of 1970s Bulgari

TOKYO OFFERS TOP TIER HOTELS STEEPED IN BOTH MODERNITY AND TRADITION

by Jinesh Lalwani

TOKYO SUITES

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SUITETOKYO

Originally known as Edo, Tokyo has transformed from a small fishing village into a major Asian financial centre

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Tokyo’s futuristic hospitality landscape became a fitting background to Sophia Coppola’s 2003 Oscar-winning film Lost In Translation. It captured the cultural zeitgeist and Hollywood’s heart with a tale of a washed up actor falling for a nymphet, against the backdrop of the iconic city. In spite of the movie’s theme of alienation and disenchantment, it also shone the spotlight on Tokyo’s ultramodern cityscape and unique style. We take in Tokyo’s top hotels.

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS HAVE NOT DIMMED TOKYO’S REPUTATION AS ASIA’S PERENNIAL SUPERCITY. IT IS A CITY WITH THE WORLD’S MOST MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANTS, THE HEADQUARTERS OF 47 OF FORTUNE’S GLOBAL 500 COMPANIES, AND THE BASE OF FASHION ICONS LIKE YOJI YAMAMOTO AND COMME DES GARÇONS.

Tokyo’s architecture, as seen from the Mandarin Oriental, is largely shaped by Tokyo’s history


FALL INTO THE DEEPEST SLUMBER IN THE MOST EXPENSIVE BED IN JAPAN

The intimate Hotel Seiyo Ginza is located amidst Japan’s luxury boulevard and financial district — a fact not lost on Elizabeth Taylor, a former guest.

Guests enjoy a personal secretary and round-the-clock concierge services such as shopping consultation appointments and reservations at famous Kyoto ryokans (traditional inns). The staff is known for surprising guests on their birthdays with a cake, card and flowers. Upon reservation, executive chef Shoji Hirota can create a customised menu based on the preferences of guests, who can also join Hirota as he handpicks seafood from the famed Tsukiji fish market near the hotel. The meal is served at night at the hotel’s French restaurant, Répertoire.

Fall into the deepest slumber in the Premier Suite on the most expensive bed in Japan, a USD13,360 Sealy Edinburgh mattress. The interiors of the 1,711 sq ft suite, designed by Wilson & Associates, were created to feel like an opulent private residence.

At 3,730 sq ft, The Peninsula Suite of Peninsula Hotel is one of Tokyo’s largest. Its dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows allow for unobstructed views of the Imperial Palace Gardens, Hibaya Park and the Tokyo skyline. Further afield, the lush Hibaya landscape gives way to the dynamic Marunouchi district, home to the Imperial Theatre and the National Diet Building — a view better enjoyed using the in-room telescope.

Mood lighting and black-out screens in the suite ensure ambience and privacy, while a mini gym, fully equipped kitchen and 42-inch plasma TV keep guests occupied. Japanese accents include a tatami (bamboo mat), cherry blossom ceiling patterns and a hot tub that offers an onsen (hot spring) atmosphere. >>

The spacious living space in the Peninsula Suite at The Peninsula Tokyo

The Hotel Seiyo Ginza’s Premier Suite was designed to feel like a grand residence

LIFE

VARIOUS ARTEFACTS PAY CULTURAL HOMAGE TO ASIAN ART

Each piece of furniture in the Mandarin Oriental’s Presidential Suite was carefully chosen for design harmony

Tokyo Suite in Park Hyatt looks and feels like a personalised residence

>> The Mandarin Oriental’s Presidential Suite was conceived with the theme ‘Woods and Water’, owing to the abundance of both in Japan. This finds expression in the suite’s evocative motifs on wall treatments, carpets, screens and furniture. Light floods through glass walls and gives a deep sheen to the walnut flooring. The 2,691 sq ft room’s walls feature a unique kimono pattern.

The suite can be configured with one or two bedrooms. Guests enjoy a generously sized walk-in wardrobe, Jacuzzi and in-room spa, and have access to a VIP dining room and wine cellar.

The Mandarin Oriental occupies the top nine floors of the Mitsui Tower in the historic Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. The snow-capped Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance.

Perched 50 floors above the Tokyo metropolis, the newly launched Tokyo Suite of Park Hyatt Tokyo is a harmony of opposites. Tokyo itself may be a frenetic cityscape, but the deep green marble, brown and grey stone, hand-tufted carpets and fibre-woven wall coverings of this suite’s interior spaces ensconce guests in a warm cocoon.

Various artefacts, including washi lanterns and silver animal sculptures, pay cultural homage to Asian art. The suite also has a mini-library walled with 1,000 books and monographs on architecture, film, opera, travel and fine arts. If you need a break from things cerebral, you can unwind by watching the 50-inch plasma television in the living room, or using the dry sauna or rain shower. Then draw back the curtains and take in the view, which stretches southwards to the sea or towards Yoyogi Park.

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CONTACTS

Hotel Seiyo Ginza1-11-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku,

Tokyo 104-0061 Japan

T: +81 3 3535 1111

F: +81 3 3535 1110

E: [email protected]

The Peninsula Tokyo1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo, 100-0006, Japan

T: +81 3 6270 2888

F: +81 3 6270 2000


Mandarin Oriental Tokyo2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi

Chuo-ku

Tokyo 103-8328, Japan

T: +81 3 3270 8950

F: +81 3 3270 8886


Imperial Hotel, Tokyo 1-1, Uchisaiwai-cho 1-chome,

Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo, 100-8558 Japan

T: +81 3 3504 1251

F: +81 3 3504 1258

Park Hyatt Tokyo3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku


T: +81 3 5322 1234

F: +81 3 5322 1288


Hotel Okura Tokyo2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku


T: +81 3 3582 0111

F: +81 3 3582 3707


The Imperial Suite in the South Wing of Hotel Okura is suitable for VIP guests visiting Tokyo

Located across the road from the American Embassy, Hotel Okura is a reminder of the glory that dominated the Japanese psyche in the Meiji era. Its Imperial Suite has a view of a meticulously groomed Japanese garden of delicate bonsai and features an expansive dining room, double master bedroom and a study. Its décor is rendered in shades of vanilla and cream, with a marble long bath, wood furniture and other European furnishings.

The property itself is a short walk away from the upscale Roppongi Hills district, where you can catch exhibits at the Mori Art Museum, take in greater Tokyo at the panoramic observation deck or have a meal at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

BY ROYAL DECREE

Created in collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the

Imperial Hotel’s Frank Lloyd Wright Suite features replicas of the

architect’s most celebrated furniture pieces and design motifs from

the iconic 1923-1967 Imperial Hotel, designed by Wright. The interior

is populated with replicas of his original designs, including furniture,

chandeliers and bedding, and has rare display pieces, such as an Oya

volcanic stone relief quarried from a famed Tochigi Prefecture quarry. The

suite offers study, living and dining rooms, as well as two bedrooms.

The Imperial was founded by royal decree in 1890 as Japan’s first

Western style guesthouse. The adage that old is gold has not been lost on

the suite’s previous occupants, which include Queen Elizabeth II, former

French president Françoise Mitterrand and Marilyn Monroe.

PO W D ER PLUN G E

LIFE

by Roger Norum

MIKE WIEGELE HELICOPTER SKIING

THE RACE IS ON FROM ULTRA HIGH ALTITUDES IN DEEP SNOW

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A view of 1.2 million acres of snow nestled in the Cariboo and Monashee mountain ranges

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ANYONE WHO HAS EVER BEEN HELICOPTER SKIING CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT IT IS EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE. Ask Mike Wiegele. Growing up on a farm in Austria and later escaping the country’s post-war hardship to work as a carpenter in Canada, he suffered not a few setbacks to his skiing aspirations. Yet, today, Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing has become one of the most revered names for backcountry adventure skiing.

Wiegele’s operation is set in the heart of British Colombia’s stunning Cariboo and Monashee mountain ranges, which comprise the single largest heli ski area in the world: 1.2 million acres (4,506 sq km) of terrain and more than 1,000 peaks soaring above high altitude alpine glaciers and forested, gladed valleys. This is where warm air from the west meets cold, dry air from the north, generating more than 10 metres of pillowy powder each winter. Skiing down, you’re nearly guaranteed to pass over parts of the planet few have traversed before.

Having long harboured a passion for ski racing, Wiegele competed throughout Europe and Canada during the 1960s. After coaching the Canadian National Team and serving as director of the Lake Louise Ski School, Wiegele cottoned on to the fact that the weather records of the region surrounding Blue River showed unheard of conditions — gentle wind patterns combined with over nine metres of annual snowfall, and the penchant for storms to drop a metre of powder in a single go. This prompted Wiegele to found his operation in that area and spend the next few decades building it up into a premier destination for high-powered downhill skiing, constructing chalets at nearby Lake Eleanor and investing in a fleet of high-capacity helicopters. Optimal year-round conditions mean that one can enjoy fresh glacier air in the summer months of July, August and September; and even when it’s 30°C down in Blue River, there could be fresh powder on the peaks.

Days out with Wiegele are full-on experiences in alpine adventure. After a hearty breakfast at 7 am, guests receive instruction in transceiver usage, avalanche search methods and helicopter safety. Wiegele takes safety as a serious priority — apart from being in the Canadian Skiing Hall of Fame, he also founded the Canadian Ski Guide Association, which trains and develops ski guides out of young Canadians passionate about the mountains. Wiegele’s advanced >>

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

The ultimate heli-skiing experience: big mountains, endless snow and unlimited vertical

The exclusive helicopter service fleet includes the Bell 212 and Eurocopter A-Star

More experienced skiers can practice their stunts

All images by John Schwirtlich of Certain Images

CABIN CANADA

Set opposite the lake from Blue

River’s amenity-filled Heli Village,

the lavish Bavarian House Estate

can accommodate up to 18

guests in a five-bedroom, 9,000

sq ft chalet and three-bedroom,

6,000 sq ft cabana. The log

cabin features stone fireplaces,

a private spa, sauna, Wi-Fi and

meals prepared by a private

gourmet chef.

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>> safety systems and contingencies are overseen by highly-trained guides who are certified and chosen both for their heli skiing experience and ski instruction ability. The guides meet several times daily to analyse snow conditions and plan routes based on snow pit data and information culled from remote weather stations.

Wiegele’s 10 helicopters — five Bell 212 twin engines and five slightly smaller Eurocopter A-Stars — can accommodate several groups of multiple skiers, and there is the option of exclusive private use for one group. Following training sessions, the choppers lift the teams high into the peaks to look for pristine powder-filled runs. The reach of the helicopters offers guests the opportunity to experience backcountry serenity and beauty in ways one can only dream of on regular ski lifts. Up here, one can hit high alpine glaciers or ski the treeline, where high-quality loose powder is protected from the wind and sun. Furthermore, new tailored technology of rockered Atomic skis (skis with rocker shaped bases) allows skiers to float through off-piste powder with ease. All skis and boards are tuned and waxed nightly.

The ski area measures 128 km from north to south and 64 km from east to west, with 553 named trails. On a typical day, guests ski some 20,000 vertical feet — around eight to 10 runs per day — at elevations that range from 1,046 to 3,569 metres. During peak season from January to March, guests on private and semi-private packages can possibly ski for as long as 11 to 16 hours a day. Each is given a run log to record the date, trail name, and number of vertical feet skied each day — a good way to record one’s adventure (and for bragging rights), though it is difficult to imagine that such an action-packed heli ski trip can ever be forgotten.

DURING PEAK SEASON, GUESTS ON PRIVATE AND SEMI-PRIVATE PACKAGES

CAN POSSIBLY SKI FOR AS LONG AS 11 TO 16 HOURS A DAY

Wiegele’s guides make sure guests get the best untracked powder in the safest environment possible

VITALITYSIGNS

by Roger Norum

COMO SHAMBHALA

MANY ROADS LEAD TO WELL-BEING IN ONE OF BALI'S TOP REJUVENATION RESORTS

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Where do celebrities of all shades go when they want to get away from it all? Some opt for remote islands, others escape to mountain getaways like Annapurna. A select group, though, settles on a misty, mossy, 23-acre, forested river valley in southern Bali — the COMO Shambhala

Estate. This is not a place where you hope to lose a few inches and get a tan. It is a more serious retreat for travellers seeking a new balance in their lives.

COMO Shambhala advocates what they call proactive holistic wellness; a mix of self-development comprising healthy eating, exercise and an organic vision of the world founded on principles of responsible living.

The resort was set up by COMO Hotels and Resorts founder Christina Ong and designer Donna Karan as a destination to address all aspects of wellness — from diet to fitness to mental repose — with a one-on-one approach.

The resort takes the need for privacy so seriously that you could easily spend an entire day here without seeing a single other guest. Thirty unique suites and nine villas are done up in an amalgam of antique Chinese and Balinese teakwood furnishings, including Indonesian, Victorian and colonial Dutch four-postered net-canopied beds. Each has its own pool. The villas have decks and views to the jungle and river valley below. Guests are assigned a personal butler for the duration of their stay, at the ready for anything one might need: topping up a drink (or the plants), ironing clothes, changing the times of cocktail hour to suit one’s late afternoon excursions, or procuring food from the restaurant to one’s room — at any time of the day or night.

When it comes to dining, no one is restricted to the restaurant menu. The Estate’s Executive Chef, Amanda Gale, creates personal eating plans for guests on request, and hosts cooking demonstrations at Glow, the contemporary Koichiro Ikebuchi-designed restaurant that offers fusion meals prepared from organic, locally sourced produce. >>

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IT IS A COMPREHENSIVE DESTINATION TO ADDRESS ALL

ASPECTS OF WELLNESS

SHAMBHALIC SPA

The COMO Shambhala Estate’s

spa has 12 staff therapists trained

in different traditions, including

Bhutanese, Thai and Abhyanga,

Pizhychil and Shirodhara Ayurvedic

massage. In addition to modern Hot

Stone and Deep Tissue massages, it

offers locally influenced treatments

such as the Balinese-inspired Warm

Muscle Wrap, which uses traditional

tinctures crushed into a restorative

mixture of warm rice and spices.

Additional delights await discovery

in the 25-metre infinity lap pool,

the jet beds of the hydrotherapy

pool and the vitality pool filled with

soft, clear spring water.

The spa offers various relaxing and rejuvenating therapies

Yoga is one of the complimentary activities

A building named Ojas (Sanskrit for ‘vigor’), where guests can lounge and exercise

Guests can also choose from Kudus House, the Estate’s second restaurant, which offers modern Indonesian food in a 150-year-old former Javanese residence. Throughout the day, a range of snacks is available, and body cleansing cocktails with everything from organic ginger to wheatgrass, spirulina to macadamia nuts. Bath products are studies in healthy, restorative luxury — COMO’s signature bath fragrance Invigorate is composed from mood-enhancing grapefruit, fennel, cypress and lime essences.

In addition to activities such as personalised guided walks, aqua therapy sessions, pranayama yoga classes and talks on Vedanta philosophy, guests can head out to explore Bali’s magical surroundings. Venture out on a mountain biking excursion bashing down rough village paths or hike the route that involves lava rock footholds to ascend the 1,717-metre high Mt Batur, one of Bali’s active volcanoes considered a holy site by the locals. On descending the mountain, take a dip in the Danau Batur springs. Alternatively, one can trek to the Tjampuhan Ridge along a grassy walking trail at the confluence of the Wos Kiwa and Wos Tengen rivers. Tjampuhan offers access to sprawling rice paddies, Sanggingan village and the Labuh Temple, believed to be 1,000 years old.

After all this, one might realise that one has, after all, lost a few inches, and even gained a tan. But most who leave the COMO Shambhala Estate realise that they have lost a few other things — like some tension and pain — and gained a somewhat different view of life.

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OFFICIAL AIRPORT NAME:

Ngurah Rai International Airport

(Denpasar International Airport), Bali

OPERATIONAL HOURS: 24H

TIME: UTC+8

CIQ FACILITIES: Yes

IATA CODE: DPS

ICAO CODE: WADD

LATITUDE: 08° 44’ 53.41” S

LONGITUDE: 115° 10’ 01.82” E

ELEVATION: 14 feet (4 metres)

RUNWAY: 09/27, length 9,790 feet (2984

metres ) x 148 feet (45 metres)

RUNWAY PCN: Asphalt, 083FCXT

ILS: Yes

TOWER FREQUENCY: 118.1, 118.5

LIGHTING SYSTEM: PAPI

NAVAIDS:

TYPE: VOR-DME / NDB

ID: BLI / OR

NAME: BALI

CHANNEL: 109X / -

FREQUENCY: 116.2 / 230

DISTANCE

FROM FIELD: AT FIELD

AVGAS: YES

JET A-1: Yes

P +62 361 751 011 F +62 361 751 032 E [email protected] http://dps.ngurahrai-airport.co.id

COORDINATES

YOU COULD EASILY SPEND AN ENTIRE

DAY HERE WITHOUT SEEING A SINGLE

OTHER GUEST

Guests can learn tai chi

BELOW Guests can relax at Ojas lounge

PPR presents

SEE IT HERE

Buyan serves a variety of caviar on its menu, including rare Kamchatka caviar from the chilly waters that feed a multi-billion dollar caviar and seafood industry

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WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE WORLD’S OLDEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE? Not in the hands of world famous collectors, but in a Russian restaurant tucked in a three-level pre-war shophouse in a quiet Singapore street. In an auction last June, Buyan Russian Haute Cuisine and Caviar Bar paid USD49,145 for an 1841 Veuve Clicquot found in a shipwreck buried in the waters south of the Åland Islands near Finland, said to be en route to the court of Russia’s last czar, Nicholas II. The lack of light, heat and oxygen in the seabed preserved the wine excellently.

OF CAVIAR, VODKA AND ALL GOOD THINGS — IN AN UNLIKELY PLACE

EPICURERUSSIAN


BUYAN RUSSIAN HAUTE CUISINE AND CAVIAR BAR

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Buyan’s private dining room The pre-war shophouse housing the three-level restuarant

Buyan owner Julia Sherstyuk and sommelier Indra Kumar with a rare 1841 Veuve Clicquot salvaged from a shipwreck

EVERY TYPE OF WINE IN BUYAN’S

EXTENSIVE COLLECTION IS

SERVED BY THE GLASS —

NO MATTER HOW RARE OR

EXPENSIVE

The purchase ceases to be a surprise when one finds that the husband of restaurant co-owner Julia Sherstyuk is an avid wine collector, having amassed a collection worth millions over the past 20 years. This was partly the idea for the restaurant, which includes a wine museum for its patrons. The establishment’s main intent, however, is to cater to Russian residents in Singapore missing a taste of home, and to introduce authentic Russian dining to the country.

Two sous chefs, one Russian and one Singaporean, were trained by a Georgian chef to prepare the dishes served at Buyan. The menu is based on generations-old recipes, made with ingredients imported from Europe. Sherstyuk upholds social responsibility by using only farmed varieties of sturgeon, wild boar and geese. Among the highlights in Buyan’s menu are a beef stroganoff cooked sous-vide, a method where food is cooked in an airtight bag immersed in warm water for a long time, making for extra tender meat because it retains its juices. Another dish serves up the leg of the largest crab in the world, the Iranian Beluga crab. The menu would not be complete without a caviar selection, and Buyan carries one with variety ranging from Iranian Beluga caviar to Karat Gold.

As for libation, Buyan proffers a staggering 60 varieties of the Russian elixir — vodka. The bar also carries 100 types of beer, including one brewed specially for the restaurant. Sommelier Indra Kumar says that the restaurant only carries non-commercial wines and beers, including some exclusive to Buyan. The source may be an established, age-old winery or an obscure monastery, but it is accepted on the menu as long as it meets Buyan’s standards of taste.

Most impressive is the fact that every type of wine in Buyan’s extensive collection is served by the glass — no matter how rare or expensive it may be. Since the quality of wine begins to deteriorate from the moment a bottle is opened because of oxidation, Buyan uses argon gas to protect the wine’s flavour and bouquet.

Buyan is divided into four areas — a vodka and caviar bar, a casual dining room with the atmosphere of a Russian monastery, a fine dining room with Russian-inspired frescoes and Baker tables like the ones used at the White House, and a private dining room with shelves of wine and a 7.5-metre long wooden table. Use of the private dining room requires a minimum spend of SGD20,000. Not such a difficult thing to do, considering all the exclusive things going on at Buyan’s kitchen and wine cellar.

Buyan’s interpretation of the quintessential Russian salad, the Olivier Salad

by Rainer Sigel

PHILANTHROPY

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UBS AND INSEAD DOCUMENT EVOLVING TRENDS IN ASIAN FAMILY PHILANTHROPY

WHY G IV E A DIME?

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OPPOSITE INSEAD is a graduate business school with campuses in Paris, Singapore and Abu Dhabi

ABOVE Headquartered in Zurich and Basel, UBS also has a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific

sk any wealthy person about money and he will tell you that keeping it is often as difficult as making it. However, when asking an ultra-affluent person, you may well hear that giving it away can be even harder. Asians have a long history of charity, the result of culture, distrust of official institutions and even superstition. Traditionally, Asian charity focused on giving to the local community and the

building of monument-like structures catering to education or healthcare. Having your name on an important building assures a lasting public legacy.

In a landmark study, UBS Wealth Management and INSEAD have documented how these attitudes have changed and continue to evolve. Over one year, approximately 1,000 top clients of UBS Wealth Management were contacted for the study, of which 200 agreed to a quantitative survey. One hundred of them agreed to in-depth interviews, sharing their methods, motivations and frustrations in exercising philanthropy. Geographical coverage included China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

The results reconfirm conventional knowledge, as well as reveal interesting new ground. While the will to give is recognised as a universal human trait, Asian philanthropists have specific motivations for getting involved. Religious or social convictions aside, the primary reason for engaging in philanthropy — true to 42 per cent of respondents — was to ensure the continuity of family values, and in the process create a lasting legacy. The family unit plays an important role in shaping and driving Asian philanthropy, as it

AOne of our goals is to demonstrate to our next generation the very fortunate circumstances they live inteaches principles like compassion, courage and tolerance to younger generations. By providing a common activity and goal for the entire family, it fosters leadership, innovation and responsibility — and facilitates family cohesion.

The study documents how different generations engage in philanthropy. The older generation (32 per cent) primarily feels responsible to its local community, while the younger one is increasingly geared towards national and international causes. The older generation focuses on sectors such as education, health and poverty, while the younger is open to support sectors such as the arts, civil rights and the environment. Management styles are also changing slowly, from decisions made by family consensus towards the use of professional external management.

In line with cultural traditions, Asians give the most to educational causes (36 per cent), followed by poverty alleviation and development (10 per cent), health (9 per cent) and disaster relief (5 per cent). On the other hand, they make relatively small contributions to sectors such as the arts and culture (4 per cent), the environment (4 per cent) and civil rights (1 per cent). Advocacy, it seems, is not seen as a worthy cause throughout.

The study concludes that in order to have a sustained, transformational impact, Asian family philanthropists will need to sharpen their strategic focus, and use a more collaborative and professional approach towards implementation. Their success will depend on the ability to accommodate the aspirations of different generations and develop models of governance that allow for contributions from all family members.

Obtain the full study here: www.ubs.com/philanthropy

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COLOURSTRUE

Photography by Martin Bauendahl

Text by Katrina Balmaceda

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LIKE FLOWING CLOTH UNFURLED over a solid background, a dynamic personality backed by strong character emerges in this series by German photographer Martin Bauendahl. Each change of clothes and colour theme reveals a new facet of the woman’s complexity; yet, the expression of inner strength remains. In this series, Bauendahl chooses not merely to show a model but also to portray the woman she is inside.

Bauendahl is no stranger to high-style mannequins, having photographed the likes of Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum and Swedish model Marcus Schenkenberg, plus countless German actors and models for commercial brands. The music industry is vital to Bauendahl’s story — he used to organise techno and house parties, and met musicians who recognised his talent and asked him to shoot CD covers and promotional materials. Today, Bauendahl considers Europe his hometown and flies from one shoot location to another. He enjoys spending time “with my beloved wife and my two lovely daughters”, and reading: “I’m a bit extreme, I have to read at every leisure.” He hopes to find time for exhibitions, but in the meantime, one can view his works at www.bauendahl.com

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"I WANT TO SHOW ADYNAMIC AND STRONG WOMAN,

A PERSONALITY, NOT ONLY A MODEL"

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"(MY ARTISTIC STYLE IS)

GRAPHICAL AND STRAIGHT"

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GLACIAL PORTRAITS

Photography by Stephan Zirwes

Text by Katrina Balmaceda

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EUROPEAN GLACIERS ENTHRALLED GERMAN PHOTOGRAPHER STEPHAN ZIRWES AS A CHILD. Many of these immense giants no longer exist, and others are fast vanishing. To hold on to his chilly childhood memories, he started immortalising them in pictures. From his precarious perch by the open door of a helicopter flying at 3,500 metres in minus 10 to 25°C weather, he gives us a bird’s eye view of Swiss and Austrian icescapes.

In winter, what appears like candy-coloured miniatures on royal icing turn out to be skiers in bright winter wear, their movements weaving arcs and lines in the snow. But it is in late summer, when the winter snow has totally melted, that you see the true countenance of a glacier. Zirwes says, “Each glacier has an...individual ‘face’, like a human.” It has become a personal mission for him to continue exploring Europe over the next few years to capture these frozen faces whilst they remain.

To organise these shoots, Zirwes gets help from Christine Hübbe, Air Grischa (Samedan, Switzerland) and Schenk Air (Montafon, Austria). His work can be seen at the Krause Gallery in New York, Villa del Arte in Barcelona, Spain and at www.stephanzirwes.com

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"SOME OF THE GLACIERS THAT I KNEW

FROM MY CHILDHOOD DON'T EXIST ANYMORE"

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JETGALA 129

"IT'S FASCINATING...THE STRUCTURES HUMANS LEAVE IN THE SNOW WHILE THEY ARE SKIING"

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Charter company Asia Jet recently added to its fleet the first Cessna

Citation XLS+ in Hong Kong and China, saying the aircraft will be useful for customers on short regional trips and for take-off from short runways or

mountainous areas. The aircraft is ideal for routes such as from Hong Kong to Shanghai, Guangzhou to Beijing, Ho Chi Minh to Macau, etc. Its 1.73-metre-high cabin has been fitted with a refreshment centre and six extra-wide, fully reclining seats with individual TV monitors.

Hongkong Jet has appointed Chris

Buchholz as its Chief Executive

Officer, and Mark Thibault as Chief Operating

Officer. Buchholz, previously the

CEO of Metrojet, and Thibault, formerly Regional Director of Engineering Product Support for Gulfstream and COO for Metrojet in Hong Kong, are familiar heavyweights in the Asia-Pacific aviation circuit. This announcement highlights the HNA

(Hainan Airlines) Group’s dedication to go beyond being a leading operator of business jets not only in Mainland China, but also in the region.

Metrojet became Embraer’s first

authorised Service Centre in Greater

China in August. Metrojet will be fully equipped to provide line and base maintenance for Embraer’s Lineage 1000 and Legacy 600/650 by November 2011. “This cooperation will enhance our leadership position in aircraft maintenance across Asia. It is a great honour,” says Björn Näf, CEO of Metrojet

Ltd. President Guan Dongyuan of Embraer China adds, “This partnership not only indicates Embraer’s strong business growth in the Greater China Region, but also demonstrates Embraer’s commitment to continuously improve support and services for all its customers.”

Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) announced last September that the US Federal Aviation Administration granted Supplemental Type Certificate approval for its High Mach Blended Winglets on the Falcon 900 Series. European Aviation Safety Agency approval is expected to follow shortly. Certification of the winglets represents the culmination of a two-year development program and exhaustive flight testing. It comes on the heels of a similar certification for Falcon 2000 series aircraft in April 2009.

Embraer and GE successfully completed bio-jet fuel trials in early September. The tests benchmarked the operational characteristics of the Embraer 170 when powered by HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids) fuel under a broad range of unique flight conditions. With these tests, both companies confirmed that technical plans and procedures for future fuels testing are robust, enabling value-added and timely testing of additional fuels.

In spite of the slow first half of the year and the recent stock market turmoil, Embraer is maintaining its expectations

of a business jet delivery surge in the second half of 2011. It is holding to its delivery goal of 100 light jets and 18 large jets. And while Embraer has decided against launching a new

corporate aircraft in the near future, its mid-sized, clean-sheet, fly-by-wire Legacy 500 is on schedule for its first flight by the year’s end. The Brazilian airframer delivered 26 Phenom 100 and 300 light jets in the first half of 2011, as compared to 30 from the same period last year. Meanwhile, its large executive jet deliveries of Legacy and Lineage aircraft increased from three to five.

Premier air carriers JetSuite and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have a new partnership that bumps up the efficiency of luxury travel. It eliminates the wait times and accompanying inconveniences with seamless connections. Eligible are SIA’s international passengers flying to and from over 500 airports within a few hours flying time of the airline’s gates at Los Angeles International, San Francisco International and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airports. They can now make their connections aboard JetSuite’s fleet of new four-passenger Phenom 100s. Details at www.facebook.com/jetsuiteair

Piper Aircraft started fabrication and assembly for its pioneering, single-engine Piperjet Altaire in August. The target is the inaugural flight of the conforming Altaire in 2012, with certification and deliveries in 2014. “The advantage that Piper has...is a solid underlying commitment by Imprimis, the owner of the company, to appropriately fund the program and see it through to successful completion,” said Piper President and CEO Geoffrey Berger. Nearly 200 engineers and production staff have been assigned to deliver on the promise of the entry-level business jet.

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>>

Piaggio Aero’s Avanti II business aircraft has been certified by Russia‘s Interstate Aviation Committee, and can now be legally registered and operated in the Russian Federation. Chief executive of Piaggio Aero, Alberto Galassi, expressed satisfaction with the result of the Avanti II’s introduction to the Russian market last year, forecasting high potential for sale of the twin-turboprop aircraft in both its executive and special mission versions.

Bombardier Aerospace announced in September that final assembly of its

new Global 7000 and 8000 business jets will take place at its manufacturing site in Toronto, Ontario. “Our Toronto site employees have the knowledge and expertise required to assemble these two new business aircraft,” said Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft. “Their contribution and dedication to manufacturing world-class aircraft are instrumental in helping Bombardier expand its leadership

position in the business aircraft market.”The maiden flight of the Mahindra

Aerospace-NAL C-NM5 turboprop last September was a milestone for Indian aviation — it was India’s first aircraft developed by a public-private

partnership. The flight was conducted from Mahindra’s GippsAero facility in Australia at Latrobe regional airport. The aircraft, previously called the NM5-100, will be marketed globally.

Bombardier Aerospace exhibited a full-size cabin mockup of its all-new C

series jetliner for the first time at the Aviation Expo/China 2011 in Beijing last September. Bombardier’s relationship with China goes back over 50 years and has grown beyond customers and deliveries to include development and manufacturing opportunities, such as the one being worked out with Commercial

Aircraft Corp of China (Comac) on a framework agreement over their CSeries and C919 narrowbody programmes.

Embraer’s Phenom 300 light jet has attained type certification in India from the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. According to Embraer, the Phenom 300 received its first certification in 2009 from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency and is now accepted in almost 40 countries. India is the third Asia-Pacific country to certify the aircraft, after Australia and Indonesia.

The ASA Group, a leading provider of luxury lifestyle services that includes private aviation, and Avolus, a one-stop boutique solution for private aviation and VIP transport worldwide, have announced a partnership that builds on their common strengths in prestige transport. “We look forward to building a long term partnership, providing charter services across private jets, yachts, helicopters and chauffeured cars around Europe for ASA Group’s clients,” says Avolus CEO and founder Alexis Grabar. “The synergies between the two companies make this partnership a natural fit,” added Simon Wagstaff,

ASA Group’s CEO. “The ASA Group’s established presence throughout Asia and Avolus’ established network in Europe and Russia will benefit our customers greatly.”

Bombardier welcomed actor and film producer John Travolta as a brand

ambassador for its Learjet, Challenger and Global jets last September. With his busy filming, publicity and charity work schedules, he embodies the true business traveller. “John is both a film icon and knowledgeable aviator,” said Steve Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “He also recently added the Challenger aircraft to the impressive list of 11 different jets he is qualified to fly. We are thrilled to have him as our brand ambassador.”

September saw the launch of Cessna’s new Citation M2, a light business jet that fills the gap between the Citation Mustang and Citation CJ family. Displayed at NBAA in October, the aircraft takes two crew and up to six passengers, has a maximum cruise speed of 400 kts, and a range of 1,300 nmi (2,408 km). It can operate with runways as short as 3,250 ft (991 m). “We expect to see customers new to the Citation family, Mustang owners looking for a logical next step or CJ1+ operators who want a

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new, more advanced Citation,” said Scott Ernest, Cessna president and CEO.

Scott Neal, 45, a 17-year Gulfstream veteran and top sales executive in the Eastern and Central US sales regions, is now head of the company’s

worldwide sales and marketing

organization. He succeeds Larry Flynn, who became Gulfstream’s president last September. “Scott knows the company, the product and the people of Gulfstream, and has a superb reputation outside the company,” said Flynn. “His tremendous knowledge of Gulfstream products and services will be a definite asset to our customers.”

Bombardier Aerospace has begun production of its Learjet 85 after the aircraft passed the Aircraft Level Critical Design Review. The company has completed a full-length composite fuselage for testing and is now building the first flight test vehicle. Launched in 2007, the Learjet 85 will be an all-composite plane that will boast a cabin taller, wider and larger than any current Learjet. It is expected to go into service by 2013.

An American entrepreneur has taken delivery of a Falcon 900LX equipped with Dassault Falcon’s EASy II flight deck, the first among the Falcon fleet to use this updated technology. The new system, an upgrade to the EASy flight deck used in some 450 Falcon aircraft, includes an enhanced navigation package, optional Synthetic Vision System, enhanced display symbology, updated Flight Management System, and Runway Awareness and Advisory System.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp announced a new large cabin interior option for owners of G540 and G440 aircraft wanting to apply elements of the contemporary,

ultra-large cabin G650. The Elite Interior option will include the Gulfstream Cabin Management System and G650 design touches such as clean passenger service units aesthetics, LED lighting throughout the cabin, ambient lighting, easy-to-use galley with touch controls, and new club seating arrangements.

Cessna Aircraft Company introduced at NBAA its Citation Latitude mid-size business jet. Brad Thress, senior vice president of Cessna Business Jets called the Latitude a “game-changer” in its size segment for its payload (454 kg), speed (442 kts or 819 km/h maximum cruise speed) and range (2,000 nmi or 3,704 km) at a price of USD14.9 million. Cessna projects the aircraft will be able to operate on short runways. Its six-foot-high (1.83 m) passenger cabin can accommodate eight passengers plus two crew members. First delivery is scheduled for mid-2014, with entry into service in 2015.

Embraer grows its presence in China with a firm order for 13 Legacy 650

executive jets from Chinese Minsheng

Financial Leasing Co, Ltd in a deal signed at the NBAA. The first aircraft will be delivered by end 2011 with the remainder scheduled for delivery over the next five years. The large cabin Legacy 650 can carry four passengers nonstop on routes such as Singapore to Sydney, Beijing to Dubai, Hong Kong to Adelaide and London to New York.

Beijing-based aircraft operator Deer

Jet has become China’s largest Boeing

Business Jet (BBJ) charter operator after taking delivery of its second out of four BBJs ordered. “BBJ can carry more people than traditional business jets, as well as have cabins that are around twice as wide with unequalled comfort, space and

freedom of movement, which makes them ideal for carrying business teams,” said Stephen Taylor, President, BBJ. Interiors for Deer Jet’s new BBJ include 28 seats, a bedroom suite and full-sized bathroom.

Adding to its existing fleet of 19 aircraft, Comlux The Aviation Group signed a purchase agreement for two Sukhoi

Business Jets (SBJ), the new VIP version of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional airliner. The buyer’s completion centre, Comlux America, will design and outfit the interiors of the 118 sq m (4,192 sq ft) VIP cabin. The SBJ offers an ultra quiet flight and additional fuel tanks that increase its range to 4300 nm (8000 km). Delivery of Comlux’s two orders is scheduled for 2014.

JETGALA136

AIRBORNEBRIEFING

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PLANE SPEAK

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ABSOLUTE ALTITUDE Measurable height of an aircraft above the actual terrain.

ABSOLUTE CEILING The maximum altitude above sea level at which an aircraft can maintain level flight under Standard Air conditions.

AGL (Above Ground Level) Altitude expressed as feet above terrain or airport elevation (see MSL).

AILERONS An aircraft control surface hinged to the rear, outer section of each wing for banking (‘tilting’) the aircraft.

AIRCRAFT MANAGEMENT Comprehensive services provided by a management company for an aircraft owner. Details vary.

AIRFOIL The shape of any flying surface, but principally a wing, as seen in side-view (cross section).

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE Official notification to aircraft owners/operators of a known safety issue with a particular model of aircraft.

ALTIMETER A highly sensitive barometer that shows an aircraft’s altitude above mean sea level by measuring atmospheric pressure.

ANGLE OF ATTACK The angle between the airfoil’s chord line and the direction in which the aircraft is currently moving.

AOG (Aircraft on Ground) Aircraft unfit to fly, in need of repair. Owner’s worst nightmare.

APPROACH (DEPARTURE) CONTROL Radar-based air traffic control, usually at an airport tower, providing traffic separation up to 40 miles.

APRON Hard-surfaced or paved area around a hangar. Also, ‘ramp’.

ATC (Air Traffic Control) Service providing separation services to participating airborne traffic and clearances to land, take off or taxi at airports.

AVIONICS The electronic control systems airplanes use for flight such as communications, autopilots, and navigation.

BLOCK RATES Pre-paid hours for air charter at a contracted price.

CARBON OFFSET Monetary contributions to renewable energy research and production projects to ‘offset’ carbon emissions of an airplane.

CHARTER The ‘renting’ of an aircraft with crew for a personal, business, or cargo flight from one point to another.

CHARTER CARD Pre-paid air charter plan, either for a block of charter hours at a pre-defined fee, or a set debit balance in dollars.

CLASS I NAVIGATION Operation of aircraft under visual meteorological conditions (VFR) primarily based on ‘see and avoid’ procedures.

CLASS II NAVIGATION Any en route flight operation that is not Class I, i.e. instrument-based navigation (IFR).

CLEARANCE Formal instructions from air traffic control authorising a specific action (climb or descend, entry into controlled airspace).

CONTRAILS Streaks of condensed water vapour created in the air by aircraft flying at high altitudes; a.k.a. vapour trails.

CONTROLLED AIRSPACE An airspace of defined dimensions within which air traffic control service is provided.

CRUISE SPEED The normal speed attained at altitude once the aircraft is no longer climbing and is en route.

CRUISING ALTITUDE A level altitude maintained by an aircraft while in flight.

DEADHEAD To fly the return leg of a trip without cargo or passengers.

DRAG Resisting force exerted on an aircraft in its line of flight opposite in direction to its motion. Opposite of thrust.

DUTY TIME That portion of the day when a crewmember is on duty in any capacity (not just in the air), limited by regulations.

EFIS (Electronic Flight Information Systems) Glass cockpit avionics that integrate all flight parameters into one optimised instrument.

ELEVATOR An aircraft control surface hinged to both rear horizontal stabilisers, changing the aircraft pitch attitude nose-up or nose-down.

EMPTY LEG Also known as ‘one-way availability’. Usually posted as available for travel between two airports during a certain time period.

FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) The Department of Transportation’s agency for aviation.

FBO (Fixed Base Operator) A business operating an airport terminal for non-airline, general aviation aircraft.

FERRY FLIGHT A flight for the purpose of returning an aircraft to base or delivering an aircraft from one location to another.

FLAPS Hinged surfaces on the inboard rear of wings, deployed to increase wing curvature (and thus, lift).

FLIGHT PLAN Filed by radio, telephone, computer, or in person with Flight Service Stations.

FLIGHT TIME Portion of the trip actually spent in the air.

FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP The purchase of a ‘share’ of an aircraft.

FUSELAGE An aircraft’s main body structure housing the flight crew, passengers, and cargo.

GENERAL AVIATION Part of civil aviation comprising all facets of aviation except scheduled air carriers.

GLASS COCKPIT See FIS.

GPS (Global Positioning System) Satellite-based navigation system operated by Department of Defence.

GPWS (Ground Proximity Warning System) System designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground.

GROUND SPEED Actual speed that an aircraft travels over the ground also called ‘shadow speed’.

HANGAR An enclosed structure for housing aircraft. Originated with lake-based floating homes of the original German Zeppelin airships.

HEAVY JETS See ‘Large-Cabin Jets’.

HORSEPOWER The motive energy required to raise 550 lbs. one foot in one second, friction disregarded.

HUD (Head-Up Display) A transparent display that presents data without requiring the user to look away from his or her usual viewpoint.

IATA CODE International aviation code for international airports.

ICAO CODE Civil aviation codes for airports.

AIRBORNEGLOSSARY

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AIRBORNEGLOSSARY

IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) Rules for flights into clouds and low visibility, by reference to cockpit instruments and radio navigation.

ILS (Instrument Landing System) A precision instrument approach system permitting aircraft to land with low ceilings or poor visibility.

JOINT OWNERSHIP Purchase or lease of an aircraft by a number of owners, often through a partnership or limited company.

KNOT (Nautical Mile per Hour) Common measure of aircraft speed equalling 6,080 feet or about 1.15 miles. (For mph, multiply knots by 1.15.)

KTAS True airspeed, in knots.

LARGE-CABIN JETS The largest size aircraft that doesn’t require a major airport runway. Typical capacity 9-15 passengers.

LAYOVER A night spent in the middle of the trip in a city other than home base for the aircraft and crew.

LEG Describes one direction of travel between two points. Commonly used in referring to a planned itinerary.

LIGHT JETS See ‘Small-Cabin Jets’.

MACH SPEED A number representing the ratio of the speed of an airplane to the speed of sound in the surrounding air.

MAYDAY An international distress signal to indicate an imminent and grave danger that requires assistance.

MID-CABIN JETS Typical capacity 7-9 passengers.

MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) Company licensed to provide services for the upkeep and airworthiness of airplanes.

NAUTICAL MILE Defined internationally as equivalent to 1,852 metres or 1.15 statute miles.

NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) A radio transmitter at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid.

PAN PAN International call signal for urgency, indicating uncertainty and usually followed by the nature of the alert.

PART 91 The parts of Federal Aviation Regulations on non-commercial operations covering corporate flight departments.

PART 121 The parts of Federal Aviation Regulations on scheduled airline operations, including the publication of a schedule.

PART 135 The parts of Federal Aviation Regulations on non-commercial operations covering charter carriers.

PART 145 Certificate allowing an organisation to perform maintenance and alterations on US-registered aircraft.

PATTERN The path of aircraft traffic around an airfield, at an established height and direction.

PAYLOAD Anything that an aircraft carries beyond what is required for its operation during flight.

POSITIONING Ferrying aircraft for departure from other than originating airport.

RADAR System that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of moving and fixed objects.

RAMP The apron or open ‘tarmac’ in front of an FBO or terminal facility. This space is busy, used for deplaning, parking of aircraft, etc.

ROLL One of three axes in flight, specifying the action around a central point.

ROTATE In flight, any aircraft will rotate about its centre of gravity, a point which is the average location of the mass of the aircraft.

RUDDER Aircraft control surface attached to the rear of the vertical stabiliser (fin) of the aircraft tail. Forces the plane to veer left or right.

RUNWAY HEADING Magnetic direction corresponding to the centre line of the runway.

SLATS Small, aerodynamic surfaces on the leading edge of the wings of fixed aircraft which allow the wing to operate at a higher angle of attack.

SLIPSTREAM The flow of air driven backward by a propeller or downward by a rotor.

SMALL-CABIN JETS Typical capacity 5-8 passengers.

SQUAWK A four-digit number that a pilot dials into his transponder to identify his aircraft to air traffic controllers.

STATUTE MILE A unit of length equal to 5,280 feet.

SVS (Synthetic Vision System) A technology that uses 3D to provide pilots with intuitive means of under-standing their flying environment.

TAIL NUMBER An airplane’s registration number.

TARMAC A paved airport surface, especially a runway or an apron at a hangar.

TAXI TIME Portion of the trip spent rolling between the gate, terminal, or ramp and runway.

THRUST The forward force produced in reaction to the gases expelled rearward from a jet engine. Opposite of drag.

TRAILING EDGE The rearmost edge of an airfoil.

TRANSPONDER An airborne transmitter that responds to automated air traffic control interrogation with accurate position information.

TURBINE Engine that uses compressed air to generate thrust to spin a metal shaft inside the motor, used in jet engines and turboprop aircraft.

TURBOPROP An aircraft in which the propeller is driven by a jet-style turbine rather than a piston.

VERY LIGHT JETS (VLJ) Small jet aircraft approved for single-pilot operation, maximum take-off weight of less than 10,000 lb (4,540 kg).

VFR (Visual Flight Rules) A defined set of FAA regulations covering operation of aircraft flying by visual reference to the horizon.

VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) Ground-based radio navigation aid.

VORTICES Regions of high velocity that develop at the tip of a wing as it flies through the air.

WIND SHEAR Large changes in either wind speed or direction at different altitudes that can cause sudden gain or loss of airspeed.

WINGLET A small, stabilising, rudder-like addition to the tips of a wing to control or employ air movement, thereby increasing fuel economy.

YAW One of the three axes in flight, specifying the side-to-side movement of an aircraft on its vertical axis.

YOKE The control wheel of an aircraft, akin to an automobile steering wheel.

PLANE SPEAK

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JETGALA142

NOVEMBER 2011

13-17 NOV DUBAI AIRSHOW Airport Expo, Dubai, UAE www.dubaiairshow.aero

DECEMBER 2011

06-10 DEC LIMA 2011 (LANGKAWI INTERNATIONAL MARITIME & AEROSPACE EXHIBITION)

Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre, Langkawi, Malaysia

www.lima.com.my

JANUARY 2012

19-21 JAN BIAS 2012 (BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW)

Sakhir Airbase, Kingdom of Bahrain www.bahraininternationalairshow.com

FEBRUARY 2012

14-19 FEB SINGAPORE AIRSHOW Changi Exhibition Centre www.singaporeairshow.com

22-23 FEB BUSINESS AIRPORT WORLD EXPO 2012 Cannes, France www.businessairportworldexpo.com

MARCH 2011

27-29 MAR ABACE 2012 (ASIAN BUSINESS AVIATION CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION)

Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre, Shanghai, China

www.abace.aero/2012

APRIL 2012

11-13 APR SIBAS 2012 (SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION SHOW)

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, China

www.shanghaiairshow.com/SIBAS

MAY 2012

14-16 MAY EBACE 2012 (EUROPEAN BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION & EXHIBITION)

Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland www.ebace.aero

24-25 MAY ABA 2012 (ASIAN BUSINESS AVIATION) Macau Business Aviation Centre, Macau www.asianbusinessav.com

25-27 MAY AEROEXPO UK 2012 Sywell Aerodome, UK www.expo.aero/uk

JUNE 2012

30 JUN–01 JUL WADDINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW Royal Air Force Waddington, UK www.waddingtonairshow.co.uk

JULY 2012

09-15 JULY FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW Farnborough Airport, UK www.farnborough.com

AUGUST 2012

16-18 AUG LABACE (LATIN AMERICAN BUSINESS AVIATION CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION) 2012

São Paulo Brazil www.abag.org.br/labace2012

SEPTEMBER 2012

11-16 SEP ILA BERLIN AIR SHOW 2012 Brandenberg Airport, Berlin Germany www.ila-berlin.de/ila2012/home/

OCTOBER 2012

30 OCT-01 NOV NBAA 2012 (NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION)

Orlando, Florida, USA www.nbaa.org

12-14 OCT JA 2012 (JAPAN INTERNATIONAL AEROSPACE EXHIBITION)

Central Japan International Airport (Centrair); and Port Messe Nagoya, Japan

www.japanaerospace.jp/english

EBACE 2011 Geneva

AIRBORNESHOWDIARY

Two contro-

versies come

together in

one of Daniel

Askill’s images

in his Modern

Worship

exhibition

Image courtesy

of Daniel Askill

Watch the full

interview here

JETGALA144

CRASH COURSE

AIRBORNETAILHOOK

by Rainer Sigel

ONE IS A POPULAR YET WILDLY CONTROVERSIAL ENTERTAINER. The other — the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 — one of recent history’s worst atrocities. On the surface, they have absolutely nothing in common. Australian installation artist Daniel Askill thinks they do though, and earlier this year juxtaposed these two very public events in a visually arresting exhibition called Modern Worship.

A plane crashes through a glass window, aiming straight at a Michael Jackson-like figure frozen in motion. Tragedy and theatre, both highly public, intertwined. Both utterly senseless and avoidable. Sydney-based theatre critic Hillary Simpson describes the substance behind Askilll’s exhibition as “two ‘where-were-you-when-it-happened’ tragedies, made even more tragic by a subliminal sense of shame, the sneaking suspicion that we had contributed to the demise of a pop icon and the disintegration of an American dream by supercharging them with social importance.”

Far fetched? Maybe. The artist himself describes it in a video interview with Australia’s ABC, stating: “It draws those two things together into a tableau that becomes kind of a modern day iconography.”

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jetgala magazine issue 9

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