Hot Topic: Le Petit Déjeuner du Chien

We know, "dogs breakfast" is just a fancy way of saying, "more than one Hot Topic subject", so we thought a little French might be more impressive. Here we go: The WAEA Conference 2007 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is this month (Sept. 17 - 20) and if you are in the In-flight Entertainment business, you need to be there. Show scheduling has been rearranged and it now runs from Monday thru Thursday with the Welcome Reception on Sunday night. Since the Avion Awards are now scheduled for Monday morning, there should be more participation and better travel options. Further, the Networking Event is now on Tuesday night and note there is a new session called New Vendor Showcase. The session will feature vendors new to the WAEA this year and their products and services. Check out the WAEA website for more info and if you can't find it, there is a link at the bottom of our HT. We also note that there looks to be a combined US Aircraft Interiors/WAEA Conference next year. Perhaps the suggestion that the public be invited has some validity?

Next, we wanted to tell you about a wonderful piece of software, the likes of which we have never seen. It is called Holding Pattern and is a screen saver that features views from aircraft seats...with animated motion of the outside plane, generated by "stitching" together still images. The moving scenery appears 3D and in the purchased version, there are over 50 interior, out-the-window shots combined with random generated beautiful exteriors. One observer noticed that the interesting people included in the shots gave the screen saver a human quality. We agree. This incredible product can be downloaded free (demo version only with limited images) for PC or Mac; however, we think it would be a terrific giveaway at your next trade show and is particularly applicable to IFE and seat manufacturers. The Author, Cathy Davies, says that she has developed giveaway quantity pricing. There are a lot more features that you need to see so use the link below or contact Cathy direct at idletime@mac.com. Honestly, we never thought that a screen saver would capture our attention as much as this one... it has been on our machines for 4 months now.

A tip-o-the-hat to United Air Lines Captain Denny Flanagan, a 20 year veteran who should have an airline named after him. Why? He personally greets all boarding passengers, snaps pictures of pets in the cargo hold to allay fears of travelers with pets, personally calls passengers of every unaccompanied minor when destinations are reached, writes thank you notes to Premium Class passengers acknowledging the value of their business, and has picked up the food tab for flights stuck on the tarmac. Perhaps a name change is in order - DennyAir or Flanagair might work. Well, it beats Ted.

The Catholic Diocese of Rome has singed a deal with the Italian Post Office airline, Mistral Air, to ferry pilgrims to their favorite religious sites around Europe. They presently serve over 300,000 pilgrims each year. The only reason we are running this story in our Hot Topic is because of the crew training and IFE. One article quoted the Vatican as providing "crew trained in voyages of a sacred nature, and the in-flight entertainment will consist of religious music and videos." We aren't sure what the first part means but we would surely prefer safety and aircraft evacuation as priorities...while the concept of a sacred journey while flying has too many meanings to ponder. The IFE is another matter. Lets just say that you wont be watching South Park on their screens.

Have you heard about Google's IFE product on Virgin? Better yet, watch their short YouTube video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDe6FH99XNg

WAEA Link http://www.waea.org/2007_presidents_letter.html

Idle Time Software Download Link http://www.idletimesoftware.com/hp2coach/index.php

Vatican Airlines http://www.catholicexplorer.com/explore4325/nationworld/pilgrim-globe-trotters-modern-jet-setters-or-old-f.shtml