A very cuddly co-pilot

Tonight I am cat sitting for a very industrious environmental lobbyist who is away exploring ways to keep the Adirondacks pristine. My feline companion, Misty - aka Misty Misdemeanor Elliot- is already looking forward to our evening together. She told me so.
I stopped by this morning on my way to work and told her that tonight we would be playing Microsoft Flight Simulator all night. She licked herself and left the room.

I have a set routine for my Flight Simulator game nights. My aircraft of choice is a Learjet 45. I have the option of a B737, but I have only been able to land it successfully once, so there is very little point of flying with it at this point.
When choosing my destinations, I have two general rules:

1. I like to keep the flights relatively short, about 45 minutes max, and
b. only go to airports that I am certain I will locate with landmark cues.

My version of Flight Simulator does not have the advanced radar and maps of the deluxe editions so I have to rely on visual landmarks to fly. You can imagine how annoying it is to fly for 45 minutes and then not be able to complete the flight because you can't find the airport.

To meet those two general rules, I generally stay around the Chicago/Great Lakes region. I cannot think of an easier airport to find than Merril C. Meigs (at least in computer world, thank you very much Mayor Daley). It's right on Lake Michigan with Chicago's majestic downtown as a backdrop.

My destination of choice is Gerald Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, MI. It is about a 30 minute hop across the lake from Chicago. From there, I either do a quick turnaround back to Meigs Field, or operate a quick flight to South Bend, IN - which usually takes about 25 minutes from Grand Rapids.
I used to run a flight to Detroit, MI but I have stopped primarily because there are no distinguishing landmarks in "cyber Detroit" to guide me to the major airports. With better visual cues, that would be a great flight, because I used to do it in around 45 minutes and Wayne County Airport is a lot of fun to land on.

Toronto has a nice airport right on the lakefront as well. The appeal of Toronto City Center Airport is that it is easy to find and I have been generally successful with the landings there. The only catch is that a flight to Toronto is a longer flight than I am usually interested in making.
Maybe my cuddly co-pilot will convince me to visit our other neighboring country: Afghanistan.

Sensory overload: Asian Regional

I suppose that once you see the brackets that we still have to go through as we complete the Best Color Scheme Among Flag Carriers Tournament, you will understand why I saved these for last. They are overwhelming. Many countries. Many airlines. Little time - or attention span, I forget which.

I am going to try to tackle one of these monsters today. Let's go to Asia...

This is how the bracketing worked out. I had to hold a mini-primary in my head to get the tournament field down to a manageable level. For the critics out there, I say: "RELAX." Even the World Cup has a qualifying round.

Anywho, I broke Asia up into four regions: West, South, East, and Southeast. There are four representatives from each region, one in each bracket as such:

Bracket 1: Aeroflot (Russia), Air China, Pakistan International Airlines, and Singapore Airlines

Bracket 2: Turkish Airlines, Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Armavia (Armenia), and Thai Airways International

Bracket 3: Air Astana (Kazakhstan), Japan Airlines, Air India, and Malaysia Airlines

Bracket 4: Uzbekistan Airways, Korean Air (South Korea), Ariana Afghan Airlines, and Garuda Indonesia

In addition, I included four wild cards, which will compete in a play-in round against the flag-carrier representing the country with the lowest population in each bracket. Let's go to the play-in matchups first:

Singapore Airlines v. Vietnam Airlines: This is a difficult match to judge. On the one hand, Singapore is one of the most successful airlines in the world, and I have a soft spot for them due to the fact that the first commercial A380 flew under their colors. However, this is not a popularity contest. Vietnam Airlines is the nerd to Singapore Airlines' jock in this matchup. But Bill Gates was a nerd. I am a big fan of the blue, so much so that I have the same shade in my bedroom. WINNER: Vietnam Airlines.

Cathay Pacific v. Phillipine Airlines: I have not hesitated to advance airlines with very simple color schemes. But, Phillipine Airlines is much too dull, especially when seen next to the very nice color combinations on Cathay Pacific. Even though it looks like the Cathay B747 is sporting a moustache, it still breezes through the play-in. WINNER: Cathay Pacific.

Air Astana v. Biman Bangladesh Airlines: Here is a choice between two predominantly white color schemes. Biman is not a fundamentally bad color scheme, and I actually like the crane like bird on the tail, but the fleur-de-lis for me is a symbol associated with much goodness. And I really like how Astana has two of them superimposed on the tail design. WINNER: Air Astana.

Uzbekistan Airways v. Sri Lankan Airlines: On the one hand, we have, again, a rather pleasant white-based scheme. Sri Lankan has enough activity on the tail and the lettering to make the color scheme interesting. Although I am a big fan of the baby-blue on Uzbekistan Airways, why on God's good Earth is most of the color on the top of the plane where nobody can see it? Stop wasting my time, Uzbekistan. WINNER: Sri Lankan Airlines.

Now that the play-in matches have been completed, let's move on to the four brackets. I will play out the matches until we have the bracket winner. The bracket winner then moves on to the regional semifinal. On to Bracket 1...

Aeroflot v. Vietnam Airlines: This match could very well have been the Regional Final. Both of these color schemes are beautiful. Vietnam Airlines is just striking in every sense of the word. The gold livery jumps out of the blue background. Aeroflot combines a very classy metallic gray with an ornate and patriotic tail design. Notice how the red stripe on the fuselage becomes the red stripe on the flag. And matching engines to boot. WINNER: Aeroflot.

Air China v. PIA: Every plane with Air China's livery that I have seen looks retro. It is an old school color scheme. I hate to say it, but this is what I would have expected from a Communist country. And that's not an insult in any way. At some point, they painted their planes that way, decided that they looked good that way, and kept it. Just like other stuff that Mao did. And, in a way they have a point. Color schemes do not HAVE to be changed all the time. It's sort of like these new businesses rising up that sell you cell phone ring tones. When did "Ring...Ring" stop being good enough? Long story short, Air China is not being punished for being old school. They are being punished by PIA's superior color scheme. WINNER: PIA.

BRACKET FINAL: Aeroflot v. PIA: Frankly, both of these color schemes are not entirely different. Both tail designs feature the nation's flag and there is an underbelly to roof motif on both. The beauty of Aeroflot is that it really makes its planes look sleek and missile-like. PIA is not an inherently poor design, but the ribbon-like stripe is simply no match for the totality of the Aeroflot color scheme. And, I just had the thought that with Pakistani food being served on those long flights to Karachi, the inside of the PIA planes have got to smell like curry big time. I don't think I could handle that. WINNER: Aeroflot.

Aeroflot moves on to the Regional Semis. Now for Bracket Numero Dos...

Armavia v. Cathay Pacific: Wow, I do not think I have seen a color scheme as colorful as Armavia's since Air Jamaica in the North American Regional. You might recall that at that point, I praised Air Jamaica for having a color scheme that stood out, but at the same time noted that even the Houston Astros eventually went to a less "loud" uniform. However, I don't see Houston Astros on Armavia, I see the Denver Broncos Orange Crush. Nicely done, Armavia. And, by the way, I have not been able to find any explanation for the moustache on Cathay Pacific. WINNER: Armavia.

Turkish Airlines v. Thai: The white-based color schemes have been either very disappointing or very nice in this Regional. Turkish falls into the "very nice" designation. I like the matching winglets and the two-tone lettering. Thai sees their bet and raises them a very intricate rear-fuselage livery with a fleur-de-lis-like tail design. These are two very nice color schemes, but Thai's extras overwhelm Turkish Airlines. WINNER: Thai.

BRACKET FINAL: Armavia v. Thai: Continuing the football theme started in the first match of this bracket, I would say that Thai is the Minnesotta Vikings to Armavia's Denver Broncos. There is much to like about Armavia. For example, take a look at how they have created a "mountain range" on the fuselage and tail. And although the lettering is bold, it overwhelms the color scheme. Thai presents a balanced color scheme, which like a previous winner in this tournament, combines the elegance of a white-based scheme with an ornate and unique color combination at the rear of the plane. WINNER: Thai.

HALFTIME...Ok, now back to work. Bracket 3 is up next...

Air India v. Air Astana: Astana flew (get it?) into this round on the strength of it's tail design, which is not only very well finished, but also triggers a soft spot in my heart. I was skeptical that Astana would advance on the strength of the rest of the color scheme because it simply does not really have anything else going for it. Air India has the same problem that Air China did, and that is that it is too old-looking. Look at it...do not tell me that looks like a modern color scheme. WINNER: Air Astana.

Malaysian Airlines v. Japan Airlines: Here is another matchup of white-based color schemes. Malaysian Airlines uses a simple red and blue stripe to highlight the white and I have no objections to the sting-ray like object on the tail. JAL's use of red creates a very bold look for it's aircraft. The red on the tail stands out magnificently, and like before, I have to express my approval of the two-toned writing on the fuselage. On a technical note, I would like to say that only the day-to-day color schemes are considered in this tournament for fairness sake. Many airlines employ one-time color schemes for special occasions or promotions. Malaysia and JAL are two of the best at it, as you can see below. WINNER: JAL.

BRACKET FINAL: Air Astana v. JAL: It comes down to this: these are two white-based schemes with nice tail designs. The difference is JAL's fuselage, which has two-toned writing and a well-placed red strip on the logo. It was a good run for Astana, but the tail could not carry it through another round. WINNER: JAL.

"Are we there yet?" NO! Bracket 4. Right. Now.

Sri Lankan v. Garuda Indonesia: You know, I really enjoy my job as the decider of the best color scheme among flag carriers, but this is getting ridiculous. Two more white-based schemes - who would have guessed? Coming up with reasons to pick one over the other is getting to be like coming up with reasons to pick between milanesa and gnocchi for dinner. In this match, it comes down to this: I like blue, Garuda has blue. WINNER: Garuda Indonesia.

Korean Air v. Ariana: My readers will no doubt recall that I am a fan of the baby-blue. Maybe it's my birthday. Two airlines with baby-blue color schemes. Korean Air uses it as a base, Ariana as the highlights. In the end, we come to the tail designs, and while I enjoy the eagle-like design Ariana uses, it is, for all intents and purposes, a generic moniker. Korean Air employs a national symbol and rides it to the Bracket final. WINNER: Korean Air.

BRACKET FINAL: Garuda Indonesia v. Korean Air: When a flag carrier uses a white-based color scheme, I half expect that the highlighting colors would be those of the national flag. Garuda uses blue, the flag uses red. Fail. WINNER: Korean Air.

So now, eight days later, it's time for the Regional Semifinals. The winners of the following matches play for the right to represent Asia in the BIG DANCE...That's what is keeping me going at this point.

Aeroflot v. Thai: You know, it is because of matches like this one that I get paid the big bucks. Here we have two airlines who flew (get it?) by the competition without serious challenge. Again, we have two airlines with similar approaches to their color scheme. Although I consider the Russian flag to be very handsomely displayed on Aeroflot, I keep coming back to the Thai logo. It is so elegant. And look at the strip of white separating the mid-fuselage stripes from the tail livery. Classy, indeed. WINNER: Thai.

JAL v. Korean Air: What a battle royale in the Orient. This semifinal pits two flag carriers with distinctly different approaches to their color scheme. While I have been highly laudatory of JAL's simple livery, upon further inspection I have concluded that the airline erred in not adding any sort of color to the engines. On a plane with four engines, such as a B747 or A340, that just leaves too much white. After looking at Korean Air's color scheme again, I find it even more appealing. Look at the dark blue lettering and the light gray highlight under the baby blue. Well done, Korea. WINNER: Korean Air.

And now, finally, we have reached the Asian Regional Final. Drumroll, please.

THE FINAL:

Thai v. Korean Air: I admit it. The pressure of finding small details on which to base my decisions has become increasingly more difficult as this regional has progressed. I have poured over hundreds of samples of both of these color schemes and it became nearly impossible to find major flaws that would concede victory to the opponent. Eventually, I found this document which aided my decision-making process:

Baby blue is good on a plane, it is not good on a flight attendant. Suddenly, I am not so hot on the baby blue anymore. And I keep going back to Thai's logo. It is captivating. Each glance I get of it compells me to want to look even closer. Secretly, I think that Thai's color scheme is the color scheme embodiment of a certain environmental lobbyist I know who not only looks great in purple, but also really likes the fleur-de-lis. In the end, perhaps it was not fair to the rest of the field that Thai's color scheme had a hold over my heart. But, for the record, let's just say that Thai won because their color scheme looks better on flight attendants. WINNER: Thai.

See you at the dance...

World's scariest runways

I ran into this article on CNN which linked to a compilation of the ten scariest runways in the world. I went to the list and saw that I have landed at two of the airports on the list: St. Maarten and JKF. Coincidentally, I flew from JFK to St. Maarten, so two birds one stone as they say.

For the record, I did not think that either one of those airports was scary. But, that got me thinking about which airport I would consider the scariest that I've ever landed at. Hands down, it would be Aeroparque Jorge Newberry in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Aeroparque, as it is colloquially known in Argentina, handles all domestic and Uruguayan air traffic in Buenos Aires. It is downtown, adjacent to the Rio de la Plata, which, coincidentally, is the widest river in the world.

Although I am technically no longer afraid of Aeroparque, it was nonetheless the site of my most terrifying landing experience. During our immigration to America in 1990, my family traveled from Mendoza to Aeroparque on the first leg of our trip. Although I had flown before, that was the first flight that I was really aware of what was happening.

The final approach into Aeroparque from the south takes you over the river prior to touching down. Although it is by no means a St. Maartin-like approach, at the time that was still a little too much for me to handle.

I was sitting by the window and my dad was sitting next to me. I had the window open, and we were both looking outside as we approached BA. When the river below us got to be too much for me, I panicked, slammed the window shade down, and clutched on to my dad for dear life.

It was terrifying.

What made this worse was that the next leg of the trip was Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro. I assumed that the word Rio in the name of the city meant that we were flying to another place with a river. As we approached Rio at night and I could not make out anything on the ground, I deduced that we were flying over the city's huge river and proceeded to panic once again.

What about you? What airports would you add to the list? By the way, my honorable mentions went to Denver International (where the altitude always makes landings interesting) and Mendoza (where you never know if they have a working radar).

Aeroparque has now become one of my favorite airports because of its great setting in downtown BA.
You also get a great view of the city known as the "Paris of South America" on the ascent. Last time I was there, I had the pleasure of showing off the aerial view of my country's capital city to a first time visitor and I think she appreciated Aeroparque's charm as well.

This November choose Country First, Airbus Second

UPDATED 10/3/2008
Since early voting has started in some states, I have decided that it is time for me to unveil my endorsement for President of the United States. My decision will be based on the Democratic and Republican candidates' campaign planes.

Let's get a look at the planes on which the decision will be based.

Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) flies around in a B757:

For starters, let's lay on the table the fact that Senator Obama was the only candidate that consistently used an American-built plane. But, I have already discussed Senator McCain's hypocrisy on this topic at length (as have others).

At the beginning of the campaign, Senator John McCain used to fly around in an Airbus A320:

Later on, the McCain campaign leased a B737, possibly in response to criticism over its use of a foreign-built Airbus.

What do these planes tell us about each of the candidates?

When I look at the tail on the Obama campaign plane, I am pleased to see that he does not include his name prominently on the livery. This tells me that the campaign is not about him, but about the ideas behind his candidacy.

In fact, even the fuselage of his plane only has a brief mention of his name (in the webpage address) and focuses instead on his message:

The Republican candidate's plane, on the other hand, seems to be a flying monument to Senator McCain's ego. The tail and fuselage livery make it unequivocally clear that this campaign is about the person and not the ideas of the GOP. I suppose I do not blame them entirely for that - I would not want to run on their ideas either.

Additionally, I would argue that the B757 is a much more appropriate plane for a presidential campaign, seeing as how it can travel just as fast as a B737 but at higher altitudes and with more people on board. That allows the candidate to campaign in more places, avoid delays due to weather, and allow for more media to travel with the candidate. <--- Ohh...wait, this is starting to make sense now.

Just like picking a nominee for the Vice Presidency represents a major gauge of a Presidential candidate's judgement, I would argue that selecting a campaign plane offers an equally intriguing insight.

What we learned from Senator McCain is that he is a hypocrite, self-aggrandizer, and was pressured into a Boeing to appease his critics. That is not Straight Talk. Double Talk is more like it.

We can deduce from Senator Obama's selection that he makes sound judgements, recognizes the plight of the American aviation industry, and understands that his campaign is not just about him, but the ideas he represents.

Aviation enthusiasts have a clear choice this November.

In what is the most important election in a generation, I strongly encourage you to support Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.

Airplanes 'R Us

When I moved out to Small-bany two years ago, I faced the daunting task of using all the stuff in my bedroom to decorate one whole apartment. Needless to say, it took some creativity to take a bedroom's worth of furniture and transform it into an apartment's worth of stuff.

When I was preparing for the move in Colorado, I packed my (clearing throat) toy airplanes with the intention of using them in Albany as just that: toys. However, when I got to Albany and saw the decoration deficit I was facing, these valuable toys became valuable decorative artifacts.

Now, when you walk into my sky-rise condo, you are immediately hit with my aviation motif, complete with my toy airplanes AND my old art class airplane paintings, which will be featured in another blog post. In this post, I will be showing off the toys. (By the way, I admit that it feels strange to be 26 years old and still be talking about my toys.)

These were the first ones I got. In all fairness, the BA 737 was mine and the Alitalia MD was my sister's. But, alas, she never played with hers so over time I adopted it. They remain among my favorites for a couple of reasons: (1) the BA has the old color-scheme, which I personally like much more than the new one; and (2) they have retractable wheels.
Then, on the way back from a month-long backpacking trip in Europe, I was strolling around Frankfurt am Main International Airport with my travel buddies when we stumbled across a shop with a basket full of toy airplanes. I only bought four of them (because that's all I could afford at the time after having spent a month in Europe) but look out if I ever fly through there again.

After very difficult deliberations, I ended up getting a 1998 World Cup special edition Aerolineas Argentinas B747. The livery has soccer players painted over the blue stripes on the fuselage and the words "Aerolineas mas Argentinas que nunca en el 1998" which translates roughly to "Airlines more Argentinian than ever in 1998." Check out the real thing here.The other three Frankfurt-based purchases were a hometown Lufthansa A340 and Singapore Airlines and Aeroflot B777's.
Then, following perhaps the only real temper tantrum that I have thrown, I convinced my sister to buy me this model Aer Lingus B737 at an airport on our way home to Colorado from a family vacation. She very graciously bought it for me (again, because I had already spent my trip money). I think she realized the flight home would have been miserable if she did not get it for me because I probably would not have shut up about it. If that was the case, then we both won. She got a pleasant flight home, and I got this:
I cannot help but wonder what the gf thought when she first walked into my apartment and saw all my toy airplanes. But, I was prepared with this strategy: I immediately bombarded her with tales of days on the Poudre (pronounced "pooter") High School debate team. All of a sudden, the toy airplanes did not seem all that bad.

Registration - Airport Security Style

On Sunday I lent a hand to the organizer of the Schenectady Central Park Cyclocross Race. Cyclocross, for those unfamiliar with the sport, is a type of bicycle racing that combines rough terrain, course obstacles (like the ones below), and calculated danger. I would describe it as part exercise, part recklessness. Somebody else described it as American Gladiators on bikes.
What else would you expect from a sport where the winner gets.......MUDDY!I was part of the registration team, and although we operated smoothly enough, at dinner the topic of discussion was ways to make improvements for next year. Of course, the smarta pantalones of the group had the brightest idea, which was to have two separate registration tables - one for people who pre-registered, and another for day-of registrations. This suggestion stemmed from her observation that often times people that had pre-registered had to wait in line as we registered new entrants. Another issue that came up was that some riders did not have their USAC license with them, which is required for racing. One memorable female (?) rider came up and said, "I don't have my license, but here is my license number - I wrote it on my hand." This begs the question: If you are willing to take the time to grab a pen, take out your license, scrupulously copy the number on your hand, then why are you not willing to stick said license in your wallet and bring it with you to the race?

It also made me wonder if at some point in history, somebody came up to a registration table and said, "Here is my license, but I forgot my bike. Here's a picture of it, though. Can I still race?"

Anyways, to avoid this problem in the future, I suggested that the registration team adopt an "airport security" mentality. Before riders approach the registration table, their license would be checked at the stairs. No license? No racing. Just like at the airport: No ID? No flying.
We'll even let them keep their shoes on.

Something we can all agree on in the Middle East

It's time for another installment of The Best Color Scheme Among Flagcarriers Tournament."

Today we will delve into a region of the world that Jon Stewart described this way (paraphrasing): "The Middle East is where civilization began, and also where it is likely to end."

I hope that the governments of this troubled region of the world will build on the goodwill fostered by this friendly competition and transform it into the political capital necessary to broker a historic peace in our Cradle of Civilization.

In the interest of transparency, I would like to state upfront that I am indeed half-Jewish, but I have deep admiration and love for my Muslim brothers and sisters. My personal faith will in no way interfere with my objective color-scheme judgement.

In the spirit of unity, I will not break up this bracket into regionals, but rather set all the participants into a single 16-player bracket, which will eventually, after four rounds, will yield a champion. (Check this out to get an idea of how the matchups will play out.) The seeds will be determined by population, with the most populous country receiving a number 1 seed and so on down the line. With that...on to the First Round!

(1) Egypt Air (1) v. (16) Gulf Air: I was frankly hoping for an easier decision here because no #16 seed has ever upset a #1, although this crew came the closest, and I do not know if I was bold enough to make such a decision. However, Gulf Air (hailing from Bahrain) was too good to pass up. The gold looks sharp, and the blue highlights are like a fallaway jumper at the buzzer. It's upset city as this diaper-dandy takes down numero uno. WINNER: Gulf Air.

(2) Iran Air v. (15) Qatar Airways : If anything during this tournament, I have tried to be consistent. That is why I cannot in good conscience allow Qatar Airways to advance. In the Oceania Bracket, I punished Qantas for disobeying the natural laws of grammar. Unfortunately, Qatar meets the same fate. By the way, Iran Air's color scheme is uninspiring and dull, but in this case they met a team who fell due to to a technical foul (get it?). WINNER: Iran Airways.

(3) Sudan Airways v. (14) Oman Air: First of all, I was surprised to find out that Sudan had an airline, so they get some brownie points for that. However, Oman Air gets my soft spot for gold and blue and rides it to the second upset so far. Gotta love that color combination. WINNER: Oman Air.

(4) Iraqi Airways v. (13) Kuwait Airways: It's a rematch of the Gulf War, and this time, Iraq pulls out a victory. They were favored the last time these two met, but after Kuwait recruited some heavyweights from overseas to fortify their lineup, Iraq was overmatched. I was impressed most of all with the soothing greens of Iraqi Airways, and similarly by the fact that they still had planes. You have to give a lot of credit to any commercial pilot courageous enough to make the difficult landings at Baghdad International. WINNER: Iraqi Airways.

(5) Saudi Arabian Airlines v. (12) Palestinian Airlines: I am a big fan of the Saudi tail design, even though it seems a bit violent with the crossing swords. Nonetheless, they are a national symbol of sorts and that earns you points in this contest. I am not too crazy about the peachy color on the fuselage. It's a color that is more appropriate for a living room (I would know) than a flag carrier. Palestinian Airlines is too bland, frankly. There's nothing to point to as a unique or interesting design. Although the tourney almost always yields a 12-5 upset, it won't be happening here. WINNER: Saudi Airlines.

(6) Yemenia v. (11) Middle East Airlines: There is a difference between a white-based color scheme that is boring (see above) and one that is interesting (see below). Yemenia makes it work because the tail design offers a compelling image. What troubled me most about Lebanon's flag carrier was that the country's name was in no way referenced. The name itself is unappealing because it offers no glimpse into any sort of national identity. WINNER: Yemenia.

(7) Syrian Arab Airlines v. (10) Emirates: Although initially I was partial to the Syrian flag-carrier because it reminded me of my beloved Aerolineas Argentinas, I eventually realized that the bird on the tail was strange looking, and rather undignified. It was too Woody Woodpeckerish. Emirates has another classy, white-based color scheme with national colors prominently featured. WINNER: Emirates.
(8) El-Al v. (9) Royal Jordanian Airlines: This is a rematch of some war or wars, so there is obviously some tension here. We have the equivalent of Auburn v. 'Bama, or Duke v. UNC. This one is heated and someone is going home very upset. I was hoping that Royal Jordanian was going to make a strong showing to avoid uncomfortable matches in subsequent rounds, but it's color scheme is too dark. When I was analyzing the color scheme I felt the same overheating one might feel on a hot summer day wearing a black T-shirt outside. "That's not going to be good for business, that's not going be good for anyone." WINNER: El-Al.

Now for the Elite 8...

(2) Iran Air v. (10) Emirates: As I alluded to earlier, Iran Air was not going far in this tournament. The reason they got such a high seed was due to their population, but clearly they were not strong heading into the tournament. This is comparable to what sometimes happens in hockey, where a division winner receives a #3 seed, but is clearly inferior to a team that came in second in a much more competitive division and gets a #4 seed. They may slip by in the first round, but eventually it catches up. Iran Air, meet eventually. WINNER: Emirates.

(4) Iraqi Airways v. (5) Saudi: Saudi will slip by again this round on the strength of the tail design. Neither fuselage color-scheme was overpowering, which leads me to base the decision on what these two flag-carriers did with their tails. Iraqi uses the oft-used bird-in-flight design. It's neat, but not unique. Oh yeah, and it breaks that pesky U after a Q rule. Saudi keeps it traditional and moves on. WINNER: Saudi.
(6) Yemenia v. (14) Oman Air: Although I remain a big fan of the gold and blue combination on Oman, I have come to realize that the design is a bit too erratic. There seems to be very little rhyme or reason to it. Yemenia is neat and professional. This is a white-based scheme gone right. WINNER: Yemenia.

(8) El-Al v. (16) Gulf Air: This may one of the few (only?) matchups which does not constitute a rematch of a previous war for Israel. The matchup does feature a decisive battle between a colorful and creative color scheme versus a traditional white-based scheme. I am a fan of both of these. However, it comes down to the continued and impressive creativity of Gulf Air. Look at that tail design. At the end of the day, there are and will continue to be very nice white-based schemes like El-Al's. However, I have yet to encounter in my research a combination with the aesthetic appeal of Gulf Air. The shockers continue. WINNER: Gulf Air.

And now, the seminfinals...aka The Final Four!

(5) Saudi v. (16) Gulf Air: As time has passed, I have come to appreciate the peachy color on Saudi's fuselage, just like I have come to like it in my own living room. When it comes down to it, both have fuselage colors and tail designs that are appealing. The difference is that Gulf Air could be from anywhere, whereas you know where Saudi is from. This was not easy, but Gulf Air's cinderella run has come to an end. WINNER: Saudi.

(6) Yemenia v. (10) Emirates: With this matchup, we are guaranteed of at least one white-based color scheme in the final, which is appropriate given their relative abundance and strength in this region. My decision is based on the lettering here. Emirates is clear, decisive, and it stands out. Yemenia is simply too shy. That may seem trivial, but it counts in this tournament. WINNER: Emirates.

And now...THE FINAL...Who will advance to the "real" big dance?

(5) Saudi v. (10) Emirates: This region, with a history of violence and unrest, has not disappointed here, offereing creative and traditional designs, intriguing upsets, and historcial rematches. And in the end, we have representatives from both sectors: the creative and adventureous v. the traditional and professinal. The tail designs on both match the motifs, and are equally representative of national colors and symbols. The lettering on both is equally assertive. The difference, it appears to me, is that Saudi has it both ways. With it's peach and white base, it avoids the disadvantages of a white-only color scheme and captures the advantages of the traditional look. With Saudi, everyone's a winner, and that's the most we could ask for in this part of the world. WINNER: Saudi

See you at the dance, if that sort of thing is allowed in Saudi Arabia...