Latest news with #Northolt
Times
4 hours ago
- General
- Times
Jeremy Clarkson: Why does any plane need a fuel cut-off switch?
Whenever Lisa and I board an aeroplane, we are usually pretty confident that it will land safely because between us, we've walked away from three crashes over the years. Both mine involved broken landing gear and were fairly minor but hers was a proper shunt. She was the only passenger in a Learjet that careered off the end of the runway at Northolt and on to the A40, where it was hit so hard by a van that it split in two. It's amazing no one was killed and if you google the images, you'll see what I mean. But whatever, the upshot is that the law of averages suggests we are unlikely to be involved in any such thing again, which is why we can both enjoy the champagne and the food, and settle smoothly into a state of deep relaxation. And there's more too, because these days we've come to understand that flying in a plane is safer than driving to the airport. They are flown by computers and if they fail, there are two humans on hand to take control. And they're not just any old humans. They're pilot humans. So they have reassuring one-syllable Christian names and three-syllable surnames. And they have reassuring voices too so even the most terrifying announcement sounds like a breeze. 'Hello ladies and gentlemen. It's first officer Mike Anderson here. Don't be alarmed by the noise you just heard. One of the engines has fallen off but we have the situation in hand now and I trust you're not in too much distress.' You then have another glass of fizz and go back to sleep. However, after the Air India crash a couple of weeks ago and the preliminary report into what caused it, I must say that the next time I get on an aeroplane I will have a moment of doubt. Because now I know that the buttons which shut down the fuel to the engines are located between the pilots, right next to the throttles. Why put them there? I once made an expansive gesture at a friend's Sunday morning drinks party and the consequences of my exuberance were fairly terrible, because I sent a tray of four bloody marys cascading through the room, covering everyone and everything in a thick layer of tomato juice. That was bad, but now we discover that if a pilot makes a similar gesture while flying a plane it's not just a few drinks that get spilled. There's a period of silence followed by some G-force and lots of fire. Surely then, the switches for something as critical as fuel getting to the engines should be tucked away somewhere, in a locked safe perhaps, under the pilot's seat. Or how's this for an even better idea? Don't fit fuel cut-off switches in the cockpit at all. Because I've racked my brains and I cannot think of a single occasion when you'd need them. 'Hey Mike. Do you think the passengers would sleep more soundly if there was less noise?' No one's ever said that. No one ever will. And nor has any boss written to his flight crew urging them to save the airline money by trying to take off using nothing but some rosaries and a dollop of hope. Think about it in terms of your car. What if there was a switch right next to the heater knob that disengaged the steering? You'd do your damnedest to never knock it by accident but eventually, you'd start to wonder: 'Why would I ever want to have no steering? And why is there a stalk right next to the indicator which turns off the brakes?' Or at home. You have two side-by-side switches in your kitchen. One turns the lights on. The other ignites the gas tank. I think part of the problem here is that industry is becoming stupidly obsessed with giving customers a level of choice they simply don't need. In my car, for example, I'm able to select the colour of the interior lighting from a palate that makes Farrow & Ball's look mean-spirited. And at home, I have a controller that allows me to make each room a different temperature, and for that temperature to change up to four times a day. In a modern tractor, the farmer is given a bewildering array of buttons and now each of those buttons can be tailored to do something different. And if you look at a steering wheel in a modern Formula 1 car, you realise that the driver can, as he goes along, make his car feel like a Morris Marina. Or even a food blender. And even those have become way too complicated. You bought it because you like to liquefy your vegetables and now you can choose from a vast menu of options that are just annoying. Tech designers can't help themselves. They see that something is possible, so they provide it, whether anyone needs it or not. And that brings us back to the world of aviation. The old jumbo had 10,000 switches, dials and gauges in the cockpit, all of which were necessary because it was a big analogue Heffalump. But modern planes aren't. They have glass screens, so in theory all the panels could be as smooth and as uncluttered as a Swede's kitchen sideboard. But no geek is going to allow that. He's going to give the pilots choices. Does he want to control the plane from the glass screen or in the old-fashioned way and whoa, how cool would it be to fill that panel over there with switches and choices as well? So on a modern-day commercial jet, the roof panel alone has over 200 buttons. And this is on a machine that only ever needs to go up, down, left or right. Small wonder then that when the tech wizards got to the central console, where the thrust levers are located, they thought: 'Wow. We could fill that up with options. So let's have two switches which allow the pilot to turn the bloody fuel supply to the engines off.'
Sky News AU
10-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News AU
What Brigitte Macron really said to Princess Kate after snubbing her husband French President Emmanuel Macron revealed
A lip reader has revealed what Brigitte Macron said to Princess Catherine after she snubbed her husband, French President Emmanuel Macron. Mrs Macron ignored Mr Macron after the President disembarked his jet at RAF Northolt in West London on Tuesday, ahead of their UK state visit. Mr Macron waited for his wife at the bottom of the steps of the jet with his hand outstretched for her to take as she made the short journey down. However, Mrs Macron opted instead used the handrail to guide herself, and her husband, left hanging, had no other option but to drop his hand. The Macrons were immediately greeted by Prince William and Princess Catherine at a Ceremonial Welcome. Footage of the interaction showed the President shaking the Princess of Wales' hand before giving Kate, who stunned in a dusty pink Christian Dior jacket, British-designed hat, and a tulle skirt, an air kiss on her hand. 'Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you… It's good to see you,' he said to the British royal couple, lip reader Jeremy Freeman told the Mirror. As Brigitte greeted Catherine, she told the Princess it was 'so good to see' her and 'you look great', perhaps in reference to her cancer battle. The exchange comes after Kate likened her cancer recovery to a 'rollercoaster' as she opened up about her health journey to patients at a cancer support centre in Colchester Hospital in Essex. '(When) treatment's done, then it's like, 'I can crack on, get back to normal again', but actually, the phase afterwards is really, you know, difficult,' she said earlier this month. 'You're not necessarily under the clinical team any longer, but you're not able to function normally at home as you perhaps once used to.' On Tuesday evening, the Princess of Wales attended a state banquet for the Macrons, which marked her first appearance at a banquet since her cancer treatment. According to a palace insider who spoke to The Daily Beast, courtiers were relieved to see the Princess of Wales attend the dinner. 'Kate has saved the day,' the source said. It is understood Catherine's attendance at the banquet was only confirmed shortly after 6 p.m. local time, about 90 minutes before she arrived at Windsor Castle with the Prince of Wales. Catherine entered the banquet hall in a dazzling caped red dress designed by Sarah Burton, her royal wedding dress designer for Givenchy. The Princess of Wales coordinated the gown with the priceless Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara. The French State visit is set to continued on Wednesday, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosting Mr Macron. The meeting consisted of Britain proposing a 'one in, one out' arrangement for migrants seeking asylum through the English Channel, given small boat crossings in the UK are at a record high, but the leaders are yet to make any agreement. The visit marks the first time a European Union head of state has visited the UK since then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008.
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
King Charles III greets French President Emmanuel Macron on state visit
July 8 (UPI) -- French President Emmanuel Macron was welcomed Tuesday in London by Britain's King Charles III for a three-day state visit in the first since 2008 by France's leader. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were greeted at RAF Northolt in west London by William and Catherine, the prince and princess of Wales, before meeting Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor town centre after a horse-drawn carriage procession through the streets. It marked the first state visit by a European Union leader since "Brexit" in 2020 and a renewal of diplomatic relations with Britain's former EU member states. At Imperial College London, the French entourage will see examples of tech innovation, artificial intelligence, while the official state visit highlights advances in science. "We expect to make good progress on a wide range of priorities, including migration, growth, defense and security, which will deliver on the interests of both the British and the French public," a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC. On Tuesday, British lawmakers and peers will hear Macron, 47, when he gives a speech to parliament. Macron called the visit "an important moment" in the rich history between the two neighboring Western European nations. The Macrons and the royal family will gather Tuesday night for a state banquet at Windsor Castle, where Britain's head of state is expected to give his own remarks about the "shared history and culture between our two peoples." In prepared text, Charles, 76, will warn of present-day risks "emanating from multiple directions" and other issues that "know no borders" from which "no fortress can protect us." He will state that France and Britain must stand united in the face of a "multitude of complex threats" and will issue warnings over defense threats, technology and ongoing threats of global climate change. "For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other," the king's speech will read in part. "Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world," it adds. Macron and the Labor Party leader Starmer, 62, will touch on a number of issues during Macron's visit, such as stopping small boats from crossing the English Channel, which Downing Street said Britain's relationship with France will be "key" to addressing that and other topics. The British government has indicated a desire to reset diplomatic relations post-Brexit with its neighboring nations, still in the EU. Meanwhile, Macron on Wednesday will visit a horse that he gave to the late Queen Elizabeth II on her 2022 Platinum Jubilee to mark her 70th and final year on the throne as the longest-reigning monarch in British history, just prior to her death later that year. France's first couple are also set to visit the tomb of the late queen at Windsor during their stay. Charles and Camilla visited France in 2023 for their own state visit where the king got a standing ovation after his speech to France's senate. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
08-07-2025
- Politics
- UPI
King Charles III greets French President Emmanuel Macron on state visit
July 8 (UPI) -- French President Emmanuel Macron was welcomed Tuesday in London by Britain's King Charles III for a three-day state visit in the first since 2008 by France's leader. Macron and his wife, Brigitte, were greeted at RAF Northolt in west London by William and Catherine, the prince and princess of Wales, before meeting Charles and Queen Camilla in Windsor town centre after a horse-drawn carriage procession through the streets. It marked the first state visit by a European Union leader since "Brexit" in 2020 and a renewal of diplomatic relations with Britain's former EU member states. At Imperial College London, the French entourage will see examples of tech innovation, artificial intelligence, while the official state visit highlights advances in science. "We expect to make good progress on a wide range of priorities, including migration, growth, defense and security, which will deliver on the interests of both the British and the French public," a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC. On Tuesday, British lawmakers and peers will hear Macron, 47, when he gives a speech to parliament. Macron called the visit "an important moment" in the rich history between the two neighboring Western European nations. The Macrons and the royal family will gather Tuesday night for a state banquet at Windsor Castle, where Britain's head of state is expected to give his own remarks about the "shared history and culture between our two peoples." In prepared text, Charles, 76, will warn of present-day risks "emanating from multiple directions" and other issues that "know no borders" from which "no fortress can protect us." He will state that France and Britain must stand united in the face of a "multitude of complex threats" and will issue warnings over defense threats, technology and ongoing threats of global climate change. "For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other," the king's speech will read in part. "Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world," it adds. Macron and the Labor Party leader Starmer, 62, will touch on a number of issues during Macron's visit, such as stopping small boats from crossing the English Channel, which Downing Street said Britain's relationship with France will be "key" to addressing that and other topics. The British government has indicated a desire to reset diplomatic relations post-Brexit with its neighboring nations, still in the EU. Meanwhile, Macron on Wednesday will visit a horse that he gave to the late Queen Elizabeth II on her 2022 Platinum Jubilee to mark her 70th and final year on the throne as the longest-reigning monarch in British history, just prior to her death later that year. France's first couple are also set to visit the tomb of the late queen at Windsor during their stay. Charles and Camilla visited France in 2023 for their own state visit where the king got a standing ovation after his speech to France's senate.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Jagoda Rubaszko handed suspended sentence for Covid loan fraud
A Northolt woman who invented a business to get a £50,000 Covid Bounce Back Loan backed by the government has been sentenced for Rubaszko made up administrative service company which she falsely claimed had a turnover of £210, then paid the loan into five separate bank accounts in Poland over a two-month was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment, suspended for 21 months, for fraud by misrepresentation at Isleworth Crown Court on 5 June. Fraudulently obtained funds She will be tagged and under curfew between 19:30 and 06:00 every day for six months and must complete 175 hours of unpaid was investigated by The Insolvency Service, a government agency that administers compulsory company liquidations and personal service said it is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained Bounce Back Loan Scheme was designed to enable businesses to access finance more quickly during the coronavirus applied to a bank for a loan on 26 April 2021, which was approved on 28 April 2021 and paid into her bank the application, she claimed she had been operating a business since 1 March 2020 and had a turnover of £210,000. But investigations into Rubaszko's finances showed her tax returns were no higher than £15,100 each year between 2019 and 2021. '£17,500 commission' In a prepared statement, Rubaszko claimed to have been contacted by a man called Daniel, who told her how to apply for the loan, and to declare herself bankrupt to avoid repaying Rubaszko admitted she had never met Daniel, even though she said she paid him a £17,500 commission for his "help" after receiving the £50, bank records showed no such payment was made – instead, 22 smaller payments up to £11,690 were made to five individual bank accounts in declaring herself bankrupt, Rubaszko was subject to a 10-year Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking (BRU) on 12 May 2023. The BRU prevents her from managing a limited company until 2033. 'Staggering cost to taxpayers' Chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, Mark Stephens, said Rubaszko claimed to be a business director, but she had no business at all, and now reality has "caught up with her".He added: "She invented a man called Daniel, who she has blamed for her actions, claiming he had told her to apply for the loan, and she believed she'd get away with this by declaring herself bankrupt."What is definitely real, is that she took money which was meant to help businesses during a difficult period, and sent that funding off to the bank accounts of five men in Poland."The bounce back scheme provided a total of £47bn in loans of which an estimated £4.9bn was lost to House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said in 2022 that the focus on delivery of the bounce back loans meant lenders were not required to do credit or affordability checks - or even verify application offset this risk to lenders the government guaranteed the loans 100% - meaning that if the borrower did not repay the loan, the taxpayer committee concluded that the scheme came at a "staggering" cost to the taxpayer and money that "could have been spent on improving existing public services, reducing taxes or to reduce government borrowing".
