Info Michel Tabachnik, conductor

In the picture: Sabine and Michel Tabachnik with the Pope Jean-Paul II

You might never have heard about Michel Tabachnik, but if you hear his music, you’ll see instantly why he is considered one of the most talented conductor of the 20th century.

Born in Switzerland, Michel Tabachnik grew up with his uncles and aunts after his parents passed away at an early age. His father was a conductor as well.

Michel Tabachnik studied music in Geneva and was quickly spotted by Pierre Boulez who made him his young apprentice. Followed a great career of excellent orchestra conducting, traveling all over the world to lead operas and meet a crowd that cherished him as a prodigal son.

Today, Michel Tabachnik is still a conductor with the Brussels Philarmonic.

Biking mob rushing down a mountain

More Mountain Biking Videos

Welcome to crasy bikers associated! Watch those guys going down the hill as if bones couldn’t break! I got my adrenalin rush!

Do you know John Sayegh Belchatowski?

John Sayegh Belchatowski is a famous Paris-based art collector and private dealer. You may have encountered him during the Lucio Fontana’s slashed canvas “Concetto Spaziale, Attese” bids, at the New York’s Marianne Boesky Gallery buying an untitled, 104x168 inches Barnaby Furnas painting from 2009, at Chrstie's, or bidding as high as £4 million on a Francis Bacon's "Portrait of Henrietta Moraes,".

If the man is very famous in the international art scene, I feel like he is very little-known by the wider audience of the mass media. Let's hope this post helps get the word out!

Christophe Van de Wegh, John Sayegh Belchatowski, John Dodelande

John Sayegh Belchatowski, Augusta Pokrovskaya, Kristina Pokrovskaya

Lucio Fontana’s slashed canvas “Concetto Spaziale, Attese”

Francis Bacon's "Portrait of Henrietta Moraes,"

Young Panamenos found alive after 28-day ordeal at sea

An 18-year-old has been picked up by the Ecuadorean coast guard, after apparently surviving a 28 day ordeal at sea.

Adrian Vasquez, from Panama, was found drifting alone near the Galapagos Islands, in a fishing boat he had apparently gone out in with two friends.

Mr Vasquez said neither of them survived, but that he had always held onto the hope he would be rescued.

He said he stayed alive by drinking rain water and eating raw fish.

Source: BBC

Picture: Press Association

Coup d'état: Is democracy a failed utopia?

I just landed on this video, a documentary that covers the December 19th 1989 attack of the United States on Panama. This invasion of the country, that happened during nightime, was a terrible incident of the American diplomatic and armed forces: After the US stopped working with Panama's head of state, the infamous Noriega, he refused to leave his position to be replaced by a new US-compliant president. Then-president George Bush decided that it could not afford to have an ennemy ruling Panama, hence the blitzkrieg launched against Panama in December 1989.

The Panama Deception (1992), winner of the 1992 Academy Award for Documentary Feature.

While this sounds like an old story, there are still coup d'état happening nowadays, in many countries. Those coup d'état seriously violate the UN's guidelines for a demoncratic world, but they happen, sometime failing, sometime succeding.

Here are a few examples:

• In 2006, in the Fidji Islands, Frank Bainimarama ousted Laisenia Qarase, the 4th coup d'état in 19 years
• In 2009, in Honduras, the Army expelled then-president Manuel Zelaya out of the country.
• In 2009 again, in Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, with the help from the army, ousted Marc Ravalomanana
• In 2010, in Niger, General-Lieutenant Salou Djibo kicked former president Mamadou Tandja out
• And more recently (March 2012), the Malian army overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré.

In other words, some countries do not live with a democratic system: Every new leader gains power with violence because all actual leaders violate the principles of democracy out of a fear of losing their power. While this is sad, it reflects the reality of things: Is democracy a failed utopia?

Less likely to die in a plane in 2011

Good news: The year 2011 hit a record in terms of plane crashes: where 94 accidents happened in 2010, only 92 occured last year! That's a -2% decrease, which is not sensational but worth mentioning.

The more positive numbers are for Western-built aircrafts, whose accidents dropped from 17 in 2010 to 11 in 2011. The African aircrafts also experienced a sharp increase in security: Only 8 accidents in 2011, compared to 18 in 2010.

So if Western- and Africa-built planes are seeing a sharp drop of accidents, which geographical zone has experienced a sharp increase of accidents, since the total number of crashes hasn't really changed since last year?

Source: LA Times

Heart transplantation with Pr Dreyfus

I just landed on this amazing video produced by a French TV channel 10 years ago. It's about cardiac surgery and cardiac transplantation. Though in French, the video follows a fellow who's about to get his heart replaced with a new one. Professor Gilles Dreyfus is in charge of this operation.

It is amazing to watch: At the end, the patient leaves the hospital as if he had just walked in for a cold: He is standing up, jokes and laughs, wants to drive his car... Breath-taking, and a bit scary too!

Source: Nouvel Obs

Airlines do not track in-flight medical episodes

This is interesting: Since airline companies have become huge corporate moguls, that have integrated a lot of fields of expertise to satisfy their customers onboard, but one thing that's missing is medical assistance. Today, airline companies still rely on the presence of doctors on the plane to provide medical care to sick persons.

Medaire is a medical advisor for airlines. the company managed 19,000 flights in 2010, out of which 442 had a sick person onboard that required diverting the plane. Also, 94 people died onboard.

It should be mentioned that airlines are not required to track in-flight medical episodes, nor to report them.

Source: NYT

I'm sorry, are you a plane doctor?

" - You're not supposed to be on the phone, it's bad for the plane.
- Oh, I'm sorry, are you a plane doctor? No? So shut the fuck up!"

I find this line captured from the movie She's out of my league just brilliant!

Air traffic controller taking a little nap

This has to happen once in a while: the air traffic controller of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport fell asleep while on duty. Two airplanes were un pleasantly surprised when they tried to contact the traffic operator before landing, to realize that nobody was on the other end of the line.

Airport officials talk about "human fatigue" and long night shifts as the cause of this incident. However, those uncontrolled events are very rare in the flying industry (never ever heard of something similar), and even when they did occur at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the two planes managed to land safely.

Source: CNN

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.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, winner of the Open de France:

Last week, I was so impressed by the Solar Impulse that I have not talked about the open de France. So let me catch up on that story.

One week after the BMW tournament in Munich, to the Open de France Alstom took place in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The specificity of this event is that it never happens in the same city twice year after year.

Following a decisive play-off hole No. 18, Miguel Angel Jimenez won the most prestigious tournament EPGA, played on the course of the Golf National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The Spanish defeated his compatriot Alejandro Canizares, and the Italian Francesco Molinari. Gregory Bourdy ranks 9th, four shots behind the winner. German Kaymer, who won the title last year, has played well the last day but he could not go through.

Two weeks after his great run at the U.S. Open where he finished in 2nd place, Gregory Havret did not shine in his homeland: the 94th Open de France Alstom was over for the leading french player only two days after it started. Another french Grégory, Gregory Bourdy, ended up first in the list of the french players attending this edition 2010.

At 46 years old, Miguel Angel Jimenez breaks a record:never in the history of the open de France have we seen someone that old win the tournament. He posed for the official photo with a big smile and a cigar in his mouth.

94XGGK4SKH5B

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.

Lucquin performance at BMW International Open

Jean-Francois Lucquin made a good performance of the weekend at BMW International Open. The event was organized by BMW. A “hole in one on 17” and he left Munich at the wheel of a BMW 5 series. The French golf players are on a roll. I mentioned in a previous post the performance of Gregory Havret at Pebble Beach. now let’s see if they maintain that success at the Open de France which takes place from July 1st to 4th in France.

Robertson, BMW Group Board Member for Sales and Marketing, said: “Extraordinary sporting exploits deserve special reward. We’re very pleased that finally another player has succeed in winning this excellent prize, and wish Jean-François Lucquin every enjoyment with the BMW 535i.”
Lucquin celebrated with planting a kiss on the bonnet of his new car. Just one player had ever previously managed a hole-in-one at the Dornröschenloch, Raphael Jacquelin winning a BMW Z8 in recognition of his achievement here in 2001. And now his fellow compatriot Lucquin has followed in his footsteps.

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.

Europeans have dominated the US Open

The U.S. Open at Pebble Beach had a surprise ending. The victory of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the top-ranked golf players, was expected. However this was not the case. In the end, the British player Graemme McDowell won. He recorded 284 hits in total counting after four innings.By winning the U.S. Open, the 30 year-old Brit, became the first European to win the title last 40 years. It is the biggest victory of his career.

"It's wonderful, I cannot believe it” admitted McDowell, receiving the trophy for the winner. “Winning a tournament is always demanding and winning the U.S. Open on a course like Pebble Beach is extraordinarily difficult. "

The Europeans have made a good run in this tournament : The French player -Gregory Havret- reached the second place even though this was his first participation to this competition. The two men succeeded to handle the stress to share a competition with the golf superstar Tiger Woods.

The winners played a good hand because the U. S. Open, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments of the season, is one of four majors.

I like Tiger Woods, he is a great player but it’s refreshing to have unexpected winners. As the saying goes “nothing is impossible”.

The way Easy Jet projects "nature friendly" aviation

Currently, we talk a lot about environment, the role of transport and people behaviour in climate change. Despite the fact that I love planes, I am aware of their downsides, especially when it comes to environment. Flight is one of the most polluting forms of transportation, essentially because of noise and air pollution. Despite the decrease of sound energy and fuel consumption, the air traffic keeps growing thus the pollution too.

People debate about wich is more polluting: road or air traffic? Nevermind the answer, both cars and planes are challenged to do better.

Therefore I’m grateful when I see a growing number of companies thinking about environmental issues in their conceptions like Easy Jet. The company is working on eco planes which will launch in 2015. Code-named EcoJet, this unit would be 25% quieter and it would issue up to 50% less CO2 and 75% less NOx than today's most modern aircraft in operation (families 737 and Airbus A320). It’s a good point.

By the way, speaking at the UN’s climate summit in New York, Mr Walsh, the boss of British Airways, said: "International aviation emissions were not included in the Kyoto protocol 12 years ago. Now we have a chance to rectify that omission. Our proposals represent the most environmentally effective and practical means of reducing aviation's carbon impact. They are the best option for the planet and we urge the UN to adopt them."


Is this a communication strategy or a real desire to fight for the environment? The question is in the future commitment of aircraft industry. The increase of air traffic is the challenge for the engineers conceiving large and clean planes for a “nature friendly” aviation.

Good news for the aviation fans who care about ecology, there will be soon The Green Air Show at the museum of Air and Space of Bourget, 18-20 June 2010. This is a great idea to make people aware of the industry’s commitment to environment. It’s a good opportunity to see exhibitions devoted exclusively to technological innovations in aviation: electric motors, hydrogen fuel cells, solar energy, reduction of noise pollution, use of non-polluting paints, sustainable development applied to airports, runways, aircraft villages, lectures and workshops for engineers, researchers and students, educational workshops to explain new technologies to the general public.

Have a good week end!

A. Beladina

Continental unsheath Dreamliner 787

If there is a plane getting a fair share of the press these days, it's none but the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Some are calling it the iPhone of aviation, because it is the first plane that has been designed exclusively during the 21st century. With around US$10 billion spent on its development by Boeing, this composite material ultra-light fuel-efficient aircraft hopes to revolutionise point-to-point services. In a depressed travel market, the Dreamliner has the edge on fast turn-around routes and manageable size. In other words, thanks to its light weight and its condensed size, the Dreamliner is extremely flexible in terms of endurance and airport regulations.

The Dreamliner is not a low-cost concept. Its interior is voluptuous and designed for comfort. Here are a few novelties brought to the Dreamliner:

- The windows are 65% larger than the wall-holes we have on traditional commercial aircrafts. As Randy Tinseth mentions, VP Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, the windows are dimmable electronically.
- Larger overhead bins
- Better air-filtration system, lower cabin pressure, quieter cabins
- Reduction of motion-sickness thanks to new wing technology

That's a lot of innovation in one shot!

In terms of business, the Dreamliner is not depreciated either. Today, Continental announced it will be the first airliner to assign the Dreamliner to a commercial route. The D-day is scheduled on Nov. 16, 2011. Continental plans to deploy its first 787 on the 7,400-mile route between Houston Bush Intercontinental and Auckland, New Zealand.

As an outing eye-candy, here are a few pictures I snapped from right and left on the Web to bring it to you on this blog:











Official page of the Boeing Dreamliner 787

André Beladina new official Website - Video

Hi friends,

I am happy to announce the launch of my new Website, andrebeladina.com.pa. The new Website delivers quality information about who I am, like my education, my passion for aviation, and my project Isla Viveros.

To better illustrate the look and feel of the new Website, I made this little video above that you can watch.

I already have a blog and a few other social networks hanging right and left, but I needed I well-presented, high-standing, visually-pleasing Website to guarantee a good online reputation. This Website tells you everything about André Beladina, from his birthplace to his new homeland, Panama.

Since Panama is a very international destination, I chose to have the Website in three languages: French, English and Spanish. Hopefully, this will make the content accessible to most people who wish to know more about André Beladina.

Best,

André Beladina