Air Caledonia international - aircalin in short - does not belong to Singapore! Aircalin is the local regional airline of New Caledonia, a French island in the south Pacific, east of Australia. Quite astonished that such a bug got into your publication......
Stationed in DKR (196è) had a flight arriving form EZE and continuing to FCO with a dead passenger on board. To avoid never ending local police procedures and the consequent restrain on the aircraft, crew and passengcers the PIC and myself decided that the passenger was deeply asleep, did not wish to be wakened up...... and the flight continued onto its final destination. As said : he had paid his ticket!
In my time the PIC was supposed to be shown the pins and attached ribbons befor taxying........As for landing gears uo I remember a check pilot (a damn good one....) that had switched off the gear not down that bothered him during low passes on a test flight. He forgot it and landed gears up......and he was complimented for a perfect emergency landing! The aircraft (Caravelle) was repaired and kept flying for years.....
There is an agrreement covering lending of spare parts amongst carriers ( in my time it was called ATLAS) and, if applicable, tbis would have compelled Delta to provide the spare whatever quantity was available. If Delta had given and then retrived one this was in complete violation of this agreement ( if applicable in this case.....)
