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Airtours plc.

Airtours Plc is one of the largest integrated tour operators and travel agents in the European and North American markets. Based in England, where the group is the second largest holiday package vendor after Thomson Travel Group, Airtours has been expanding rapidly in the late 1990s, achieving leading tour and travel positions in the Scandinavian, German, Dutch, French, and Belgian markets, while also building a strong position in the United States and Canada.

Airtours' operations are divided into three areas. The first is the company's holiday tour package sales, represented by the Airtours and other brand names, including Spies in Scandinavia; Sunquest Vacations in Canada; Suntrips in California; Sun International SA in Belgium; Direct Holidays, a direct sales package seller in the United Kingdom; and others, such as the company's 1998 additions of Frosch Touristik in Germany, Panorama Holidays in Ireland, and Vacation Express, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Added to the company's tour operations is Airtours' own network of nearly 800 travel agencies under the Going Places brand name in the United Kingdom. Since the mid-1990s Airtours has been building operations in a new area: cruise lines. In 1998 the company counted three cruise ships in its possession, carrying more than 90,000 vacationers to more than 40 ports. A fourth cruise ship was expected to be added in 1999. Supporting Airtours' activities is a solid infrastructure that includes not only company-owned resort and other hotels, but also the company's own charter airline. The company operates a fleet of some 20 airplanes, ranging from Airbus A320s to Boeing 767s.

Airtours continues to be led by founder David Crossland. A public company listed on the London stock exchange, Airtours is partly owned by the United States' Carnival Cruise Lines, the world's leading cruise line operator, which bought up nearly 30 percent of Airtours in 1996. After rising to the top of the British tour market in the 1990s, Airtours has been actively participating in the ongoing consolidation of the international tour and travel industry, as well as expanding into new markets. Already boasting a string of acquisitions, in December 1998 the company floated a convertible bonds issue, boosting its war chest by more than £250 million.

From Travel to Tours in the 1970s

David Crossland entered the travel business by a side road in the early 1960s. After leaving a self-described "mediocre" school career at the age of 16, Crossland sought work in hospital management. Crossland's lack of qualifications, however, prevented him from finding work in this field. Instead, Crossland found a job stamping brochures for a local travel agent. That job turned out to be an eye-opener for Crossland. As he told the Financial Times: "It was super leaving school and this was a marvelous opportunity, lots of colorful brochures and different places. It was like someone had opened the door and there was this big, shining light."

The shining light proved to be Crossland himself. After only three months, he added salesman's duties, selling holidays for the agent. Crossland turned out to be a natural salesman, with a knack for recognizing his customers' needs--a quality that would come into play strongly in his later career. Crossland's career received its next boost in 1971, when he met a couple preparing their retirement who were looking to sell their two Lancashire travel agencies. The couple offered to sell to Crossland, who jumped at the opportunity. "To this day, I don't know why I didn't say I had no money," Crossland told the Financial Times.

Buying the travel business would cost Crossland some £11,000. The agencies' owners themselves loaned Crossland £4,000, and Crossland sold a one-third share to his sister for £3,000. The remaining £4,000 came from Barclays Bank. Crossland quickly began earning back that loan--by the time he had signed the papers, he had sold a holiday package to the bank's manager. In 1972 Crossland took over Pendle Travel Services Ltd. It would take Crossland only nine months to pay off his company's debts.

Crossland proved to be not merely a good salesman, but a good manager as well. Over the next decade, Crossland sought out more travel agents who were looking to sell their agencies to retire. By the end of the 1970s he had built a chain of 12 travel agencies. Yet Crossland's ambitions would lead him into a vast expansion over the decade to come.

"Serious Business" in the 1980s

Despite Crossland's success, Pendle remained a relatively small company. A new inspiration in 1980, however, would lead the company into a new era. In that year Crossland recognized an opening in the tour packages industry. "I could see that passengers were coming in and asking for products that the tour operators weren't manufacturing," Crossland told the Daily Telegraph. "They weren't listening to the customers so in the 1980s we started a tour operation."

The opening Crossland spotted was in holiday packages for his working class customers. Whereas most tour packages at the time were being offered on a Wednesday-to-Wednesday basis and, therefore, were not easily adapted to customers' vacation schedules, Crossland began designing Saturday-to-Saturday tours. The shift to the weekend made all the difference. In 1980 Pendle would take some 900 customers on holidays to Malta. By the following year, that number would grow to more than 23,000, and the company began offering a choice of destinations. By 1983 Crossland's tour operation--created as a separate division dubbed Pendle Air Tours--had expanded the company to 23 agencies and more than 200,000 tour customers per year.

Until then, Crossland had led Pendle Travel Services as an entrepreneurial concern. But in the mid-1980s Crossland recognized his own limits and the limits of entrepreneurship. As he told the Financial Times: "I can remember thinking, 'I haven't got the capability to work any more hours, so if I want to expand the company, I'll have to find people with business disciplines I don't have.' In my own mind that was one of the turning points for the group, changing from a one-man entrepreneur into a serious business."

Crossland began recruiting a management staff, bringing in former executives from such firms as Marks & Spencers, Kellogg's, and Granada. The new team began reshaping Pendle from its former travel agent business to a full-fledged tour operator. By 1986 the company's tour business had become the primary source of revenues and growth. In that year Pendle sold off its 25 Pendle travel agency chain stores, and renamed itself Airtours, concentrating solely on its booming tour package operations.

Airtours continued to expand rapidly in the late 1980s. Fueling this expansion was the company's listing on the London stock exchange in 1987. The public company, and Crossland in particular, would be credited with bringing a new level of professionalism to the traditionally volatile travel business. Airtours also would prove adept at discovering new travel niches. In 1990, for example, Airtours launched its EuroSites brand of self-drive camping holidays. In keeping with the popular European-style camping holiday--where a "camping" often resembles a small resort more than a simple campground, complete with restaurants and recreational facilities--a EuroSites holiday offered a tent or mobile home rentals, as well as a choice of location in England, Holland, Germany, Denmark, and other European continent countries. The EuroSites concept proved to be a hit, bringing Airtours to one of the leading positions in that segment.

Vertically Integrated Travel Giant in the 1990s

The 1990s would see Airtours transform itself from tour package operator to a vertically integrated holiday provider. The company took an important step toward this transition in March 1991, when the company launched a new division, Airtours International, offering charter flights on the first of a soon-to-expand company-owned fleet of airplanes. The addition of Airtours International would help propel Airtours to the U.K. lead in the air-inclusive tour operators segment.

The following year Airtours reentered the travel agency business with the acquisition of Pickford Travel Agencies and that company's 330 travel agencies in the United Kingdom. The return to retail travel sales enabled the company to move closer toward vertical integration--a move that would be completed as the company began to acquire its own resort and hotel locations.

The troubled travel industry of the early 1990s--hit by the triple blow of overcapacity, traveler fears arising from the Persian Gulf War, and the recessionary economic climate&mdash′ovided fresh opportunities for growth for Airtours, as the company began seeking out more acquisitions. In 1993 Airtours bought Aspro, Ireland's largest tour operator and the number seven ranking tour operator in the United Kingdom as a whole. The Aspro acquisition also extended Airtours' airline activities, as it included Aspro's Inter European Airways subsidiary.

At the time that the Aspro acquisition was made, Airtours also purchased the Hogg Robinson Travel Agency and its chain of 214 retail stores. At the end of 1993 Airtours combined the Hogg Robinson and Pickford travel agent chains into a single operation, renamed Going Places. Further acquisitions would build the Going Places chain to more than 700 stores before the end of the decade.

These acquisitions would prove to be only the first of many more to come, as Airtours began seeking expansion beyond its U.K. base, as well as a diversification of its product offerings. After buying up Tradewinds, the leading long-haul tour operator in the United Kingdom, in December 1993, Airtours turned to a new market opportunity. With the purchase of the MS Seawing, Airtours entered the growing cruise ship market. By 1995 the company had added a second liner, the MS Carousel, and had launched its fly-cruise holiday packages.

The company's international expansion began in earnest in 1994 with the acquisition of Sweden's Scandinavian Leisure Group AB (SLG), which included not only that company's Ving, Saga, and Always tour brands, but also SLG's 50 percent ownership of Premier airlines, the largest charter airline operator in the Scandinavian countries. In addition to giving Airtours SLG's tour and airline operations, the acquisition placed SLG's Sunwing Hotel Group under Airtours' wing, giving the company a number of resort hotels in popular holiday destinations such as Majorca, Spain. Capping 1994, Airtours acquired a new retail operation in the form of Late Escapes, a teletext-based direct sales holiday provider.

After launching its cruise line operations in 1995, Airtours turned its attention to North America, purchasing Sunquest Vacations and Silverwing Holidays, two prominent Canadian-based holiday providers. These would be followed in 1996 with a move to consolidate Airtours' position as the leading tour operator in Scandinavia with the acquisition of the tour operators Spies and Tjaereborg, the hotel group Stella Polaris, and the acquisition of full control of Premier airlines.

Airtours' strong growth and its rapidly expanding cruise ship division, which was reaching more than 75,000 passengers per year, caught the eye of others in the travel industry, in particular the United States' Royal Caribbean Cruises, the largest cruise line operator in the world. In April 1996 Royal Caribbean became Airtours' leading shareholder with the purchase of 29.54 percent of the company's stock. The purchase sparked rumors of a possible takeover bid by Royal Caribbean; a possibility that neither side could discount completely for the future. Meanwhile, the shareholding position provided the basis for a partnership between the two companies, including the sale of one of Royal Caribbean's cruise ships to Airtours, which renamed the ship MS Sundream.

If the mid-1990s presented a difficult market, with increasingly consolidated, global competition sparking a price war that cut deeply into the company's profits, the second half of the decade would show impressive growth in Airtours. From revenues of £1.7 billion in 1995, the company would reach more than £3 billion by 1997.

Among the company's acquisitions during the period were the joint venture purchase with Royal Caribbean of Italy's Costa Cruises, which held the lead in the Mediterranean market and the number five spot worldwide; the acquisition of Northern California's Suntrips tour operator; and the 1998 acquisition of Sun International SA, bringing the company into the Benelux and French markets, as well as strengthening Airtours' short-break holiday business in the United Kingdom.

Airtours would show no sign of slowing down its expansion through 1998. After the Sun International purchase in February of 1998, the company would add a new cruise ship to support its booming cruise division, before moving into the German market with the purchase of a 30 percent stake in Frosch Touristik. By the end of September, Airtours had further strengthened both its U.K. and U.S. presence, with the acquisitions of Panorama Holidays in Ireland and Vacation Express in Atlanta, Georgia.

Under Crossland, Airtours promised continued growth for the future. After moves in December 1998 to move into the Polish market, under the Ving brand name, and the extension of the company's U.K. travel agency division with the purchase of the 116-outlet Travelworld, Airtours showed its hand with the launch of a £250 million bond issue. As the worldwide travel market entered a new phase of consolidation, Airtours appeared likely to take its place among the upper ranks of travel's global leaders.

Source: International Directory of Company Histories , Vol. 27. St. James Press, 1999.

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AIR PLAY MOON SAFARI

Simple Flying

Holiday jet horror: the story behind british airtours flight 328.

How a flight to the Mediterranean became a day of terror for 137 passengers and crew.

It was August 22nd, 1985, and the start of another busy summer day at Manchester Airport (MAN) in the north of England. Passengers were excited to be boarding their annual flight to the sun for a week or two - families, couples, and friends queued up at the British Airtours check-in desks, handing over their bags for their early morning flight to Corfu, one of the larger Greek Islands.

However. of the 131 passengers boarding that flight, 55 of them (along with two crew) would not survive beyond the airport boundary. Let's look at one of the most horrific events in British aviation history.

Just a routine holiday flight

British Airtours was the charter arm of British Airways , which operated both long and short-haul flights for its sister company, British Airways Holidays, alongside other inclusive tour operators. British Airtours flight 328 (callsign 'Beatours 28M') was to be operated by a Boeing 737-200 that day, registered G-BGJL and named 'River Orrin'.

At 06:08, with all 131 passengers and baggage onboard and its two engines started, the aircraft - crewed by two pilots and four cabin crew - was cleared to taxi towards Manchester Airport's then-single Runway 24 for departure.

At 06:12, the aircraft was lined up at the end of the runway and subsequently cleared for take-off. Back in the briefing room, the flight crew had decided that the first officer, Brian Love (aged 52), would be the handling pilot for the Manchester to Corfu sector that day.

Rejected take-off

As the 737 accelerated down the runway, the captain, Peter Terrington (aged 39), made the routine '80 knots' speed check call. However, just twelve seconds later, with the aircraft fast approaching 'V1', the speed beyond which the plane is committed to flying regardless of what might occur, a massive 'thump' was audible by all those onboard.

Want to know more? What happens when a pilot decides to reject a takeoff?

Following standard procedures and fearing that a tire had burst or a bird strike had occurred, the captain immediately called 'stop,' rejecting the take-off. The throttles were closed, and reverse thrust was selected to slow the aircraft. The maximum recorded speed during the take-off run was 126 knots.

Forty-five seconds after the aircraft had commenced its take-off run and nine seconds after the 'thump' was heard, the airplane decelerated through 85 knots. The fire bells sounded for engine one in the cockpit, and the captain relayed this to air traffic control.

Evacuation ordered

An evacuation was ordered 25 seconds after the 'thump' and 20 seconds before the aircraft fully stopped. The air traffic controllers on duty, already seeing smoke pouring from the aircraft, responded by informing them that the airport fire service (AFS) was being dispatched to the plane. However, the fire service had already initiated a response, witnessing the aircraft alight for themselves. Having taken guidance advice from the tower controllers, the flight crew ordered passengers to leave via the right, or starboard, side of the plane once it came to a halt.

This decision, in theory, should have kept passengers away from the left (port) side, where engine number one was already engulfed in fire. The aircraft turned off the active runway, vacating onto a short taxiway known as 'link D.' The plane finally came to a complete stop facing northwest, fortuitously in a location close to the airport fire station.

Once the aircraft stopped, the flight crew carried out the number one engine fire drill, and the number two engine was shut down. Once this was complete, the passenger evacuation was carried out, with fire spreading rapidly forward on the aircraft's left side. Both flight crew members escaped through the sliding window on the right-hand side of the cockpit.

Inferno engulfs the rear fuselage

An intense fire developed rapidly across the plane's left side as a light wind of 7–8 mph (11–13 km/h) from the west fanned the fire and dense smoke directly onto and into the rear of the passenger cabin. Cabin windows began to crack, and the fuselage skin buckled as the intense heat entered. Upon reaching a stop, passengers attempted to move up the aircraft towards the exits.

In the chaotic series of events that followed, the purser on the flight attempted to open the front right door (R1), but the escape slide container jammed on the doorframe, preventing the slide from deploying and stopping the door.

The purser crossed to the left front door and opened it (contrary to the captain's instructions). Twenty-five seconds had now passed since the aircraft had stopped. He then returned to the right-hand door and freed it. This was now 85 seconds after the plane had halted.

Which Aircraft Types Did British Airtours Fly?

Passengers hampered in the evacuation.

In the meantime, passengers had also managed to open the right-hand overwing exit. Additionally, the right rear door (R2) had also been opened, but due to the density of the smoke and the intense heat at the rear of the chain, no one chose to escape through this exit. The subsequent inquiry found that 17 surviving passengers escaped through the L1 door, 34 through R1, and 27 through the overwing exit. However, serious difficulties were encountered around the overwing exits.

The left overwing exit was blocked by smoke and flames, while the passengers seated at the right overwing exit did not fully understand how to operate the hatch. At the time of the accident, there was no requirement that exit-row passengers be briefed on how and when to open the overwing exit.

Once the exit hatch, which weighed 22 kg (48 lb), was eventually released, it fell inwards, trapping the passenger seated next to it. Although two passengers put the hatch on a seat in the next row back, the restricted seat pitch and having the armrests down for take-off severely inhibited the egress of passengers through this exit.

Passengers towards the plane's rear panicked as smoke and flames poured into the cabin, which induced something of a stampede to escape the burning aircraft. There were 82 survivors of the accident, while 55 died as a result.

It was found that a combination of toxic smoke and fire was the cause of death for 53 passengers and two cabin crew, 48 of them purely from smoke inhalation. Seventy-eight passengers and four crew escaped, with 15 people sustaining severe injuries.

Heroic cabin crew: The British Airtours disaster from the perspective of the cabin crew

Upon subsequent inquiry, the UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that the cause of the accident was an uncontained failure of the left engine, initiated by a failure of the combustor can, which had been incorrectly repaired following a recent inspection.

Sections of the turbine disc were ejected forcibly from the engine, struck, and fractured an underwing fuel tank access panel. Fuel poured from this point of fracture and immediately ignited. The resulting fire developed primarily because of the adverse orientation of the parked aircraft relative to the wind, even though the wind was light.

The primary cause of the fatalities was rapid incapacitation due to the inhalation of the dense toxic/irritant smoke atmosphere within the cabin, aggravated by evacuation delays caused by a forward right door malfunction and restricted access to the exits.

Findings of the inquiry

In summing up its findings following the inquiry into the accident, the AAIB stated that the following factors aggravated the loss of life onboard Flight 328:

• The vulnerability of the wing tank access panels to impact from objects
• The lack of adequate provision for fire fighting inside the aircraft cabin
• The vulnerability of the aircraft skin to external heat and fire
• The highly toxic nature of the emissions from the burning interior materials
• The final orientation of the aircraft gave the direction of the wind at the time of the accident

Lessons learned from this tragic event

There were many lessons to be learned by the aviation industry following this. As a result of the appalling loss of life, changes to passenger aviation were introduced, the impacts of which remain in evidence today.

The spacing of seating adjacent to emergency exits and overwing exits was increased, with briefings for those passengers seated in these rows regarding how to use the exits being made a requirement. Additional fire extinguishers are also to be provided in the passenger cabin.

Emergency floor-mounted lighting was introduced, and new rules regarding the use of fire-resistant seat coverings, wall panels, and ceiling panels were brought in. Finally, passengers must be reminded that their nearest exits may be behind them during the pre-takeoff safety briefing.

Although research into the introduction of smoke hoods for passengers followed the accident, the research results were never enacted by airlines, given the contradictory findings of this research. It was found that while hoods could save lives, the time it takes passengers to find and put them on could take valuable seconds of critical time, particularly in a smoke-filled cabin.

Nonetheless, the accident involving British Airtours Flight 328 almost four decades ago has been described as a defining moment in the history of civil aviation following the introduction of these various new safety measures.

ABOUT REDTAIL AIR

Established in 1978, Redtail Air is Southeastern Utah’s premier National Park Air Tour Operator & FBO. Being the only air tour operator that holds permits to fly directly above Arches & Canyonlands National Parks as well as Monument Valley ; Redtail now operates its own fleet of 7 piston aircraft, 2 turbine-powered aircraft, & the famous open cockpit WACO. It has doubled its facilities in Moab with the acquisition of Slickrock Air Guides in 2011. Redtail Air flights also operates the Air Tours & FBO at the Price, Utah Airport. Come Fly With Us!

THE REDTAIL SQUADRON

We often get asked if our company name came from the famous Redtail Squadron of World War II. Our company was named after the red-tailed hawk, the largest hawk in the hawk family, which is prevalent in our region. The “Redtail Squadron” were America’s first Black military pilots along with their support personnel. They are best known for their extraordinary efforts in the air war of World War II, and for challenging the stereotypes that had kept Black Americans from serving as pilots in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Redtail Air is proud to recognize these brave and fearless aviators.

Meet The Team

Randy | Director of Business Operations

As the Director of Business Operations at Redtail, Randy manages the business side of the company. Randy was born and raised in Chicago, IL, and still has a huge love for the Chicago Cubs. He and his family of three grown daughters moved to Moab 22 years ago. When he is not collecting airline miles and hotel points to travel the world, he continues his six-time National Fantasy Baseball Champion reign.

Jenny | Director of Sales & Marketing

Jenny was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. Since being out West she has attained a love for hiking, snowboarding, paddle boarding & traveling in her time off. After hiking Longbow Arch she enjoys her favorite dishes at Hidden Cuisine.

Chris | Pilot

Chris grew up in New Mexico and attended Western State University for Geology. He has been in Moab on and off since 2011, enjoying his professional and personal favorite activities: guiding, hiking, pack-rafting and flying. His favorite restaurant in Moab is Miguel’s and he loves to go hiking in Mill Creek Canyon. During the summer months he enjoys escaping to the nearby La Sal Mountains, and in the winter he loves to do sunny rock climbing!

Dan | Director of Operations

Dan was born and raised in Boise, ID and has been a happy resident of Moab for 6 years with his wife and son. He enjoys flying, mountain biking, and hiking and watching his favorite team, the Huskers.

John | President

John was born and raised in Nebraska and has lived in Moab with his wife Jan for 10 years.  He is an enthusiast of boats and planes.

Ethan | Pilot

Ethan has been playing, living, and working in the southwest for over 15 years. Originally from Colorado, he lived in Utah for 10 years, and Moab for four years. He left 13 years of raft guiding on rivers across the Colorado Plateau for a flying career and is looking forward to showing people the places he loves. In his free time, Ethan can be found riding his mountain bike or hiking with his dogs.

Derek | Pilot 

Derek has lived in Moab for 16 years. In his spare time, he enjoys playing his guitar and flying around the beautiful area he calls home.  His motto is “I look for the positive things, and try to help others.”

Amanda M. | Guest Services Manager

Originally from California, Amanda ended up in Moab and doesn’t plan to leave anytime soon! When she’s not assisting our excited customers, she’s a full time mom to the most clever little boy – whether it’s with school, sports or exploring Moab with him hand in hand. She loves the sunshine and watching the sunsets bounce off the red rock here is what her dreams are made of!

Iris | Senior Accountant 

Iris was born and raised in Moab and is married with two children. She loves to enjoy all of the great activities Moab has to offer with just one rule, “have fun in the sun.” 

Racheal | Payroll & Benefits

Racheal was born in Illinois and raised in Nebraska.  Since moving to Moab 22 years ago with her family she can be found doing her favorite hobbies: traveling, reading, hiking, and photographing the beautiful places she visits. Her favorite hike is Park Avenue and she enjoys following it up with a fantastic meal at her local favorite Antica Forma.

David | Purchasing Manager

David was born and raised in England. He has lived in Moab for 12 years and has been with Redtail for 6 years. His favorite hobby to do in Moab is working on building his home in the beautiful Castle Valley area, all by hand, by himself. His favorite hiking trail is Corona Arch, and he loves to dine at the wonderful Desert Bistro.

Joshua | Mechanic & Pilot

Joshua was born in Phoenix and grew up in New Mexico. He moved to Moab for his position at Redtail Air 5 years ago. He and his partner are also beekeepers! They enjoy climbing all around the surrounding beautiful Moab area, and they have two cats as well. He has been flying since 2007 and learned in Douglas, Arizona. His picture is in front of his plane, a Cessna 120. We are so thankful for Joshua being an important team member for so many years at Redtail Air!

Willie | Director of Maintenance

Willie was born in El Paso and has moved through the beautiful West, including to Phoenix and Oregon. His love for aviation was born with flying in his blood. Willie just joined the team and is looking forward to many activities in the area, including four wheeling.

Arthur | Mechanic & Pilot

Arthur was born and raised in North Carolina. He has been in Moab for five years. Before joining Redtail, he was an outdoor professional. Over the years, Arthur has guided climbing, rafting, whitewater kayaking, fly fishing, canyoneering, backpacking, and mountaineering. His favorite hike is Hidden Valley, and his favorite restaurant in Moab is 98 Center.

Shanna | Guest Service Representative

I have lived in Moab for just over 2 years. We relocated from Texas. I enjoy reading, camping, and exploring Moab in our side by side. I am looking forward to a new adventure here in Moab with Redtail Air.

Zane | Line Crew

Zane was born and raised in Price. While working at Redtail, he began flight training with USU in 2019 and has received his instrument rating. He is currently working on his commercial and twin ratings. When he is not studying, flying, or working for Redtail, he is an avid gamer.

Barbara | Certified Flight Instructor & Pilot

Houston, Texas, is home for Barbara. She enjoys mountain biking, spending time with her dog, and hiking. Barbara is new to Moab but has been coming down for years. She gets to see the world from a new perspective! She likes to fly in the mountains.

Amanda S. | Line Crew Manager

Amanda is originally from Oregon. Her ancestors came over on the wagon trains 7 generations ago and never left. As a nurse and Herbalist, she was drawn to Moab for the incredible plant life, spectacular scenery, and adventure.

Payton | Pilot

Payton is originally from Ohio and has just spent time recently in Augusta, Maine, flying for a skydive operation out there. She is excited to get back into mountain biking now that she is in Moab. She loves to fly in her free time and is excited to explore the amazing landscape of canyons, rivers, mountains, and valleys. She enjoys to eat at the Moab Diner and loves to hike Hidden Valley.

Michael | Helicopter Pilot

Michael was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. In Pensacola, Michael developed a passion for flying and earned his pilot’s license. He has lived in Los Angeles and Steamboat, Colorado, and enjoys race cars, motorcycles, & snowboarding. Michael and his partner moved to Moab to experience the many outdoor activities that Moab offers and are excited to explore the area!

GET IN TOUCH

Let’s get you in the air

Flying is our passion & you’re invited to join us in exploring this incredible area that we call home!

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Airtours International

> renamed | ^ merged in | => merged to form airline | +> or + assets taken | < divided |

Airtours International was launched on 01Oct1990 and began operations on 11Mar1991. Absorbed INTER EUROPEAN AIRWAYS in 1993. Danish tour airline, Simon Spies and it’s airline. Premair were acquired in 1996. UK’s second largest tour operator in 1998 [ – MYTRAVEL AIRWAYS was formed when the parent company consolidated AIRTOURS with PREMIER into a single fleet and renamed it in keeping with the corporate image. Integrated into THOMAS COOK AIRLINES] [ – Thomas Cook Airlines was formed through the merger of Caledonian Airways, Peach Air and Flying Colours as JMC Airlines on 01Sep1999, which took it”s name from the initials of John Mason Cook, son of the founder Thomas Cook. Operations started 27Mar2000. Renamed to current name on 30Mar2003. Mytravel Airways merged in in 2008. Thomas Cook Airlines (UK) ceased operations on 23Sep2019 ~ international passenger charter carrier specialising in holiday traffic]

–:–

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• National Air and Space Museum in DC

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The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center displays thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery , a Blackbird SR-71, and a Concorde, in two large hangars.

10:00 am to 5:30 pm Open every day except December 25

Free admission No tickets required Parking $15

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway Chantilly, Virginia 20151

Preview what you'll see at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, with galleries dedicated to the story of aviation and space exploration, over 3,000 artifacts on display, expert preservation and restoration on view, and more to discover. 

Learn about human spaceflight, World War II aviation, vertical flight, and much more. 

From lectures to family days, experience new ways to learn about air and space. 

See large format films projected on a screen five-stories-high with six-channel digital surround sound.

Discover the collection items currently on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. 

Watch as our specialists reconstruct, repair, and preserve our rare artifacts. 

Fly jet-age combat sorties in simulators that let you perform 360-degree barrel rolls! 

Watch planes take off and land at Washington Dulles International Airport and get a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. 

These portable carts provide opportunities for active looking, discussion, and hands-on activities related to aviation, space exploration, astronomy, and planetary geology.

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 am and 11:00 am, drop in to hear a story about air and space read by one of our Museum educators. Perfect for the youngest air and space enthusiasts!

Learn in new ways while making memories at a unique field trip to one of our two locations. 

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The National Air and Space Museum is committed to providing inclusive experiences. We welcome all visitors.

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1.  Vertical Flight   2.  Sport Aviation 3.  General Aviation 4.  Business Aviation   5.  Commercial Aviation 6.  Pre-1920 Aviation 7.  World War II Aviation 8.  Korea and Vietnam   9.  Cold War Aviation  

10.  Modern Military Aviation 11.  Aerobatic Flight   12.  World War II German Aviation 13.  Ultralight Aircraft 14.  Interwar Military Aviation 20.  Human Spaceflight 21.  Space Science 22.  Applications Satellites 23.  Rockets and Missiles

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Air Announce Moon Safari North American Tour Dates

By Nina Corcoran

Air have been playing their 1998 classic Moon Safari on tour in Europe, and the French duo has now announced the North American leg of the anniversary tour. The shows in Canada and the United States take place in the fall. See all of Air’s upcoming tour dates below.

It’s been over a decade since Air last released an album of new material. After putting out Le voyage dans la lune in 2012—a soundtrack for the restored version of Georges Méliès’ iconic silent film—the duo did share the compilation LP Twentyyears four years later, and it included the two previously unreleased songs “Roger Song” and “Adis Abebah.”

See which album Air’s Nicolas Godin picked for a list of “ 33 Musicians on Their Favorite Albums of the Last 25 Years .”

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

03-07 Paris, France - L’Olympia 03-08 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso 03-24 London, England - London Coliseum 05-30 London, England - Royal Albert Hall 05-31 London, England - Royal Albert Hall 06-02 Zurich, Switzerland - Unique Moments Festival 06-14 Barcelona, Spain - Sónar Barcelona 06-21 Rome, Italy - Cavea 06-22 Ferrara, Italy - Summer Vibez 06-24 Paris, France - Days Off Festival at the Philharmonie 06-26 Halifax, England - The Piece Hall 06-27 Southampton, England - The Guildhall Square 06-30 Dublin, Ireland - Trinity College 07-05 Gdynia, Poland - Open’er Festival 07-09 Cascais, Portugal - Cool Jazz Festival 07-16 Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Neïmenster 07-18 Gent, Belgium - Gent Jazz Festival 07-19 Gent, Belgium - Gent Jazz Festival 07-21 Berlin, Germany - Spandau Citadel 07-23 Vienna, Austria - Metastadt Open Air 09-25 Vancouver, British Columbia - Queen Elizabeth Theatre 09-27 Seattle, WA - Benaroya Hall 09-29 Los Angeles, CA - The Orpheum Theatre 09-30 Los Angeles, CA - The Orpheum Theatre 10-02 San Francisco, CA - The Masonic 10-04 Denver, CO - Bellco Theatre 10-06 Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre 10-08 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre 10-10 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre 10-12 Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall 10-13 Montreal, Quebec - Place Bell 10-15 Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway 10-17 Philadelphia, PA - The Met 10-18 Washington, D.C. - The Anthem 10-21 New York, NY - Beacon Theatre 10-24 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle 10-26 Miami Beach, FL - The Fillmore Miami Beach 10-29 Dallas, TX - Music Hall at Fair Park 10-30 Austin, TX - Moody Amphitheatre

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By Matthew Strauss

By Jazz Monroe

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Come & Explore Our New & Improved Spaces!

The new Space Exploration Gallery and Adventures in Early Learners Gallery The SPACE (Smile, Play, Achieve, Create, Explore), invites you to celebrate the spirit of exploration through state-of-the-art, interactive exhibits that explore our solar system! Come and enjoy our galleries that are designed for explorers of all ages!

Also, check out unique space flight artifacts such as the Apollo 12 Command Module and tons of historic aircraft

IMAX Theatre

Cities of the future.

Prepare to step into the future and discover a world where smart cities are totally sustainable. Renewable energy is our primary power source, solar energy beamed down from space powers entire cities, and we travel in electric flying cars on aerial highways! This isn’t science fiction. Engineers are making plans for a more sustainable world right now. And it’s coming to the giant screen! Learn more in the new film “Cities of The Future”.

The highly anticipated documentary brings the awe-inspiring images captured by NASA’s Webb Telescope to IMAX® — taking audiences on a journey to the beginning of time and space, to never-before-seen cosmic landscapes, and to recently discovered exoplanets, planets around other stars.

Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit

In 2013, a critical life-support system on the International Space Station failed, requiring an immediate spacewalk to fix it. NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy made the repair and saved the Space Station. As an astronaut, he was trained extensively for space walks.  But how do astronauts train here on Earth to work in the microgravity of space …

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Membership includes unlimited exhibit and IMAX admission for one year & free Admission to 300+ reciprocal science/natural history centers around the world through the ASTC Passport Program.

Sigma Series Lectures

Although in-person talks were cancelled from April through November of 2020, Sigma Series lectures resumed in December via the wonder of live-streaming! Click ‘Learn More’ to see what exciting topics are coming up for discussion. 

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