The Panama Canal expansion and the australian trade

Last time I mentioned that Panama started to recover after the crisis and had the great challenge of expanding the Panama Canal.

The Panamanian people are very enthusiast about this project which will drive the economy. It will allow the transit of larger vessels so there will be more traffic and the government would collect more taxes for the passage of boats.

However, this is not a good deal for everyone. In his blog, Samuel Taliaferro talked very well about the consequences of the expansion of the Panama Canal “ Australia’s iron ore exporters are going to have to start dealing quite soon with the implications of the upgrade to the Panama Canal... Bear in mind that while Australia enjoys a geographical advantage over Brazil as an iron ore supplier to Asia, Vale's iron ore is of slightly higher quality, so competition to ship ore into China is going to heat up...”

You can find his post here: How the canal expansion may affect Australia mining?

The source article was published in The australian.com. It shows the concern of Australian ore exporters because of the Canal expansion which will increase competition for the export of ore to China. It is interesting to see the Panama Canal in this light. The coming years will tell how the Australian trade is impacted by the expansion of the canal and if the expectation of the government and the Panamanian people is reached. Stay tuned.

The Panama Canal expansion

After a severe economic crisis that shook the global economy, some regions return to top. Panama is one of them. Indeed, this year, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) expects a 5% growth rate for the country, the highest growth of the region after the Dominican Republic, which expects 6% growth rate.

While the Dominican Republic bases its economy on tourism, Panama focused its economy on public infrastructure such as mining projects and the expansion of the Canal. The Panama Canal generates $ 5 million a day in revenue for Panama, but it became obsolete.

The expansion of the Canal is a pharaonic site: 7 years of work, five billion dollars to accommodate bigger ships.

Since its opening, the canal was a huge success and continues to be a key conduit for navigation. Each year, it is used by more than 14,000 ships carrying more than 203 million tons of cargo.




Its construction has been one of the most difficult engineering projects ever. Its impact on maritime trade was considerable, since it shortened the route of vessels. Although restored to Panama, the canal is still considered an inland waterway by the United States: it is thus stipulated in the treaty of surrender that ships flying the American flag have a right of way over another.
The Panama Canal is, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) , one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

In Panama -a small country of three million inhabitants in which the U.S. has restored Canal December 31, 1999- everything related to shipping is a state-wide matter. This unprecedented investment - a $ 5.2 billion - has first been the subject of a national referendum. In 2006, nearly 80% of the population voted in favor of the initiation of work. The day it began,September 3, 2007, all employees and students enjoyed from a Panamanian holiday, to better savor this historic moment.

The Canal has already brought four billion dollars to the country's budget hence Panama, wants to make it a business.

Successful challenge for the solar plane Solar Impulse

The fact that we can fly 24 hours around the clock with nothing but sunlight has been successfully demonstrated by Solar Impulse. Solar impulse is an experimental aircraft that has been designed by a Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard who completed the first trip around the world with a hot air balloon in 1999. It was piloted by Andre Borschberg, CEO and co-founder of the project, a former fighter pilot.




The electro-solar plane landed today,Thursday, July 8 in the morning without incident after a flight of 26 hours only powered by solar energy and batteries.
The aircraft hit the runway at the military base of Payerne, in western Switzerland, cheered by hundreds of spectators.
The prototype, whose wings are covered with 12,000 photovoltaic cells powering four electric engines, took off Wednesday morning and continued the night flight without interruption , a first for the aircraft and the team. The lithium-polymer batteries 400kg installed on the aircraft, which have been recharged by solar panels throughout the day Wednesday, provided the energy to keep the aircraft in the air during red-eye hours. Solar Impulse had succeeded on April 7 in Switzerland its first flight about an hour and a half, the first step in a series of tests. "We did it, it's fantastic!" Said Bertrand Piccard.

The team of about 70 people plans to conduct more flights to calibrate the machine and eventually build a second copy, which will tour the world in five stops in 2013 or 2014.

Civil aviation test the fuel from algae

We've heard a lot about algae which polluted seafood and attracted the ire of local residents. Beyond the negative effect of algae on shellfish, it is used as food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Today, I will talk about the use of algae in biofuel production. Indeed, freshwater algae can produce biomass. The first barrels of fuel made from algae have been produced and it is precisely the aviation industry who decided to test this new type of fuel, which explains my interest in the subject.

EADS, the parent of Airbus, has managed to fly a plane with a fuel derived from 100% algae. It was at the Berlin Airshow. The manufacturer estimated that biofuels could represent up to 30% of jet fuel used by 2030. EADS was very satisfied with the trial and they decided to keep going on in this direction. "It is a world first and a milestone for research at EADS, said Jean Botti, Chief Technical Director responsible for the multinational experience.This open the door for flignts carbon neutral and we will continue our research in this exciting field.”
Ecology has become a major concern for the aviation industry as evidenced by the Green Air Show held at Bourget a few days ago, which I talked about earlier.

The use of algae would be a good alternative to first generation biofuels such as ethanol which reduce the area dedicated to food culture, exacerbating hunger world. EADS said that the production of algae was not a threat to the crop for food because the alga was grown on very poor soils irrigated with unclean water or salt water.

But the challenge is to reach a production of algae at large scale and competitive price as yet, it is more expensive to produce algae oil then fuel made from oil. The aviation industry must innovate in clean fuels.

My five favourite golf courses in France

I would like to write a few posts about one of my hobbies, that is to say golf. Throughout my travels all over the world, I've known many kinds of players and of golf courses. I do believe that golf and aviation are linked, somehow, because the two sports have the pleasure to discover new places and lanscapes in common.

Thanks to my various journeys, I have made a quite personal ranking of my favorite places and golf courses.

Let's begin by my homeland, France.

My five favourite golf courses in France:

- Golf d'Etretat (http://www.golfetretat.com/fr/home.php): playing my favourite sport on these cliffs, made famous by Arsene Lupin, Maupassant, Monet or Corot, is an absolute delight. Not only the golf course is set on an amazing place, just in front of the sea, but the golf course itself is very well designed. The famous N°10 hole is really amazing. It is worth noticing that this golf is often classified among all best French Golfs by "Golf Européen" magazine.

- Golf de la Chouette (http://www.golfdelachouette.com/) : open during the whole year, not far from Paris. A 18-hole course designed in the magnificent Chateau de la Chouette. Nice landscapes with water obstacles and woods. Very technical and strategical course.

- Golf Terre Blanche (http://www.terre-blanche.com/#/Le-Golf) : amazing golf course located on the French Riviera. Lakes, valleys and waterfalls are the main components of this beautiful course ! Good training techniques and quite rookie-friendly. A really well-thought course.

- Golf de Biarritz "Le Phare" (http://www.golfbiarritz.com/ ): one of the oldest golf courses of France. Within one Century, Biarritz has become a golf legend. The Biarritz Golf Club organizes many international competitions. Fast greens, cautious roughs.

- Golf de Sologne (http://www.golfdesologne.fr/): even if nine on eighteen holes are being restored, the golf de Sologne remains one of my favourite courses in France thanks to its huge superficy and to its "rural" landscapes. A real sensation of peace and calm emanates from this very place.

I have not shared my choices with my friend Jack Nicklaus yet but I'm pretty sure that he will agree about at least two or three of these courses.

Andre Beladina

Andre Beladina: My passion for aviation

I have developed over the years a genuine passion for aviation. You might find funny for a Lawyer...

Well actually, it all started when I worked for the Chalons Vatry Airport, where I found out more about planes and helicopters.

I decided to study hard in order to get my private pilot’s license which gave me the ability to fly jet planes in the United States. There I earned my ATT professional pilot’s license and a helicopter license as well.

I still maintain a strong interest in this field now that I live in Panama as you will see in my upcoming posts.

Andre Beladina

My first post by Andre Beladina

Hi Everyone,

My name is Andre Beladina, I am a Frenchman living in Panama.

Over the years I have developed a passion for aviation and especially for jet planes which I learned how to pilot in the US.

I also have a my helicopter license and I pilot as often as I can.

This is the starting of this blog: sharing with you fellow aviation fans information and tips about our passion.

Please do not hesitate to share ideas, links and anything you wish with me in the future. I see this blog as an opportunity to discover new things and make new friends.

Best regards,

Andre Beladina