Hawaiian reports first-quarter profit of $855,000 Hawaiian Airlines increased its profit from $216,000 in the first quarter of last year to $855,000 in the first three months of this year. "In the first quarter, the company did a good job of mitigating the effects of the rising cost of fuel and the tragedy in Japan," said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO at Hawaiian Airlines. "Fuel prices have climbed further since then, creating a substantial challenge for all airlines, including Hawaiian. We will continue our focus on controlling those costs that lie within our grasp." Link
Delta and US Airways will cut capacity and raise airfare Delta Air Lines and US Airways plan to increase airfare and cut capacity to offset the rising cost of fuel, after the airlines reported first-quarter losses. "We must fully recapture our costs on every flight every day to maintain and improve our earnings performance," said Richard Anderson, Delta's CEO. US Airways said it will trim capacity by 1% in the second half of the year, while Delta will cut capacity after Labor Day. Link
Boeing to make decision on 737s by middle of the year Boeing has reaffirmed that it will decide whether to re-engine its 737 or move toward a new design by the middle of 2011. John Tracy, chief technology officer at Boeing, said that the availability of engineering resources will guide the decision. Boeing is also working on developing derivatives of the 787 and updating the 777. Link
FAA conducts special review of Boeing's Washington plants The discovery of metal shavings in the fuel tank of a new Boeing 767 owned by Japan Airlines has prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a review of the company's assembly plants in Renton and Everett, Wash. JAL received the plane in February and had flown it about 325 hours. Link
Atlanta airport repairs relationship with Delta Delta Air Lines threatened to rein in investments at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport last year due to issues related to the cost of the airport's new international terminal. The airport and carrier have since patched things up, and Delta has announced that it is willing to invest $2 billion over the next couple of years in the airport's facilities. Link
EU's Air Safety Committee singles out Germany, Spain The European Union frequently singles out countries in Africa or elsewhere for lax aviation oversight, but rarely does the focus fall on EU member nations. The EU's Air Safety Committee has noted, through its aviation blacklist, issues in Germany and Spain. The countries are being scrutinized because inspections have shown that an increased number of airlines registered in those countries are having problems. Link
Boeing posts 13% rise in first-quarter earnings, expects to decide on 737 successor by year end Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney on Wednesday all but eliminated any possibility that Boeing will make an announcement at the upcoming Paris Air Show (June 20-26) regarding a successor plan for the 737NG. Link
LAN reports first-quarter profit up 10.1% LAN Airlines overcame a 32 % rise in fuel prices to post a net profit of $97.2 million in the first quarter ended March 31, up 10.1% compared to income of $88.3 million in the year-ago period. The airline noted that current period results were net of an $11 million loss at its Aires subsidiary in Colombia acquired last year. Total revenues rose 31.9% to $1.36 billion, reflecting a 31% increase in passenger revenues to $977.8 million, a 30.2% rise in cargo revenues to $346.4 million, and a 45.1% increase in other revenues to $40.6 million. Link
Babbitt presses Congress, airlines to invest in NextGen USFAA Administrator Randy Babbitt cautioned that he is "concerned" the level of agency funding called for in the reauthorization bill recently passed by the House of Representatives would be too low and, if enacted, could "degrade" safety and efficiency. Link
ILFC, Airbus finalize order for 100 A320neo family aircraft International Lease Finance Corp. said it finalized a previously announced MOU for 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. According to ILFC, the agreement provides for “model flexibility” but initially includes both the A320neo and A321neo. Pratt & Whitney will power a minimum of 60 units with its PurePower PW1100G offering, said ILFC, which noted deliveries will start in 2015. Link
Saab dropped from Indian fighter deal shortlist Saab today announced the Gripen fighter was not short-listed by India for the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract. The Indian ministry of defense informed Saab of the decision, but the official short-list has not been released. Link
Other News
French Air Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA) on Wednesday confirmed that investigators searching for wreckage of the Air France A330-200 that crashed in the South Atlantic June 1, 2009 located the aircraft’s flight data recorder. However, BEA subsequently told Bloomberg that the FDR is missing "the memory module that stores its crucial information,” the news agency reported.
Two former Air France-KLM cargo executives were indicted by a federal grand jury in Chicago Tuesday on charges of conspiring to fix rates and surcharges to and from the US on airfreight shipments, the US Dept. of Justice said.
Travelport said that Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings implemented the Travelport ETDBase e-ticketing hosting service to store and manage electronic ticket data for online and interline e-ticketing. This "for the first time," gives Germanwings that ability to accept e-tickets plated by LH and accredited travel agencies for Germanwings flights.
AECOM Technology Corp. announced it has developed "Mobility Analysis and Simulation Tools" computer programs "to evaluate passenger demand and performance levels on existing and planned airport facilities." It said the company can use MAST to simulate flows of passengers and second-by-second animations in the following areas: circulation areas, check-in counters and kiosks, security checkpoints, gates, government inspection points, concessions and baggage claim.
Lufthansa Systems signed a five-year contract with Corsairfly to provide the French carrier with its Lido/RouteManual navigation charts.
AVIATION QUOTE
Real confidence in the air is bred only by mistakes made and recovered from at a safe altitude, in a safe ship, and seated on a good parachute.
— Rodney H. Jackson, 'A Lesson in Stunting,' Aeronautics magazine, February 1930.
ONTHISDATE
April 28th
• In 1919... American Leslie Irvin makes the first jump from an airplane using a free-type (to be opened at will by a rip chord) back pack parachute and lands at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. The parachute is designed by Floyd Smith.
• In 1924... Imperial Airways inaugurates its London/Paris service.
• In 1927... The first airmail service north of the Arctic Circle begins between Fairbanks and Wiseman, Alaska.
• In 1937... The first commercial flight across the Pacific is made as a Pan-American Boeing 314 Clipper seaplane arrives in Hong Kong.
• In 1948... The first non-stop Paris/New York flight is made by an Air France sleeper Constellation; the journey from Orly airport, near Paris, takes 16 hours, 1 minute.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
The Flying Lesson
A blonde went to a flight school insisting she wanted to learn to fly that day. As all the planes were currently in use, the owner agreed to instruct her on how to pilot the helicopter solo by radio.
He took her out, showed her how to start it and gave her the basics, and sent her on her way.
After she climbed 1000 feet, she radioed in. "I'm doing great! I love it! The view is so beautiful, and I'm starting to get the hang of this."
After 2000 feet, she radioed again, saying how easy it was becoming to fly. The instructor watched her climb over 3000 feet, and was beginning to worry that she hadn't radioed in.
A few minutes later, he watched in horror as she crashed about half a mile away. He ran over and pulled her from the wreckage. When he asked what happened, she said: "I don't know! Everything was going fine, but as I got higher, I was starting to get cold. I can't remember anything after I turned off the big fan..."
TRIVIA
Airman Exam – ATP
8391 What is the principal advantage of a sweepback design wing over a straightwing design? A) Sweepback will accelerate the onset of compressibility effect. B) Sweepback will increase changes in the magnitude of force coefficients due to compressibility. C) The critical Mach number will increase significantly.
8327 Which of the following is considered an auxiliary flight control? A) Ruddervator. B) Leading-edge flaps. C) Upper rudder.
8396 For a given angle of bank, the load factor imposed on both the aircraft and pilot in a coordinated constant-altitude turn A) varies with the rate of turn. B) is constant. C) is directly related to the airplane's gross weight.
8358 What is the safest and most efficient takeoff and initial climb procedure in a light, twin-engine airplane? Accelerate to A) best engine-out, rate-of-climb airspeed while on the ground, then lift off and climb at that speed. B)an airspeed slightly above VMC, then lift off and climb at the best rate-of-climb airspeed. C) VMC, then lift off at that speed and climb at maximum angle-of-climb airspeed.
9332 How soon after the conviction for driving while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs shall it be reported to the FAA, Civil Aviation Security Division? A) No later than 60 days after the motor vehicle action. B) No later than 30 working days after the motor vehicle action. C) Required to be reported upon renewal of medical certificate.
8151 An air carrier airplane's airborne radar must be in satisfactory operating condition prior to dispatch, if the flight will be A) carrying passengers, but not if it is "all cargo." B) conducted IFR, and ATC is able to radar vector the flight around areas of weather. C) conducted under VFR conditions at night with scattered thunderstorms reported en route.
9117 Scanning procedures for effective collision avoidance should constitute A) looking outside for 15 seconds, then inside for 5 seconds, then repeat. B) 1 minute inside scanning, then 1 minute outside scanning , then repeat. C) looking outside every 30 seconds except in radar contact when outside scanning is unnecessary.
9339 A pilot, acting as second in command, successfully completes the instrument competency check specified in FAR Part 61. How long does this pilot remain current if no further IFR flights are made? A) 90 days. B) 6 months. C) 12 months.
9051 What is the hijack code? A) 7200. B) 7500. C) 7777.
9354 A person may not act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft if alcoholic beverages have been consumed by that person within the preceding A) 24 hours. B) 8 hours. C) 12 hours.
8342 Why do some airplanes equipped with inboard/outboard ailerons use the outboards for slow flight only? A) Aerodynamic loads on the outboard ailerons tend to twist the wingtips at high speeds. B) Increased surface area provides greater controllability with flap extension. C) Locking out the outboard ailerons in high-speed flight provides variable flight control feel.
9050 Under what condition does ATC issue safety alerts? A) If the aircraft altitude is noted to be in close proximity to the surface or an obstacle. B) When weather conditions are extreme and wind shear or large hail is in the vicinity. C) When collision with another aircraft is imminent. 8336 Which is a purpose of ground spoilers? A) Increase the rate of descent without gaining airspeed. B) Aid in rolling an airplane into a turn. C) Reduce the wings' lift upon landing.
8331 Which is a purpose of leading-edge flaps? A) Direct airflow over the top of the wing at high angles of attack. B) Increase the camber of the wing. C) Reduce lift without increasing airspeed.
9108 The illusion of being in a noseup attitude which may occur during a rapid acceleration takeoff is known as A) inversion illusion. B) somatogravic illusion. C) autokinesis.
8325 When are outboard ailerons normally used? A) Low-speed flight only. B) High-speed flight only. C) Low-speed and high-speed flight.
8152 While on an IFR flight in controlled airspace, the failure of which unit will precipitate an immediate report to ATC? A) Airborne radar. B) One engine, on a multiengine aircraft. C) DME.
9120 Hazardous vortex turbulence that might be encountered behind large aircraft is created only when that aircraft is A) operating at high airspeeds. B) developing lift. C) using high power settings.
9099 When setting the altimeter, pilots should disregard A) effects of nonstandard atmospheric temperatures and pressures. B) corrections for instrument error. C) corrections for static pressure systems.
8201 What is the minimum number of flight attendants required on an airplane having a passenger seating capacity of 188 with only 117 passengers aboard? A) Five. B) Four. C) Three.
8150 If an air carrier airplane's airborne radar is inoperative and thunderstorms are forecast along the proposed route of flight, an airplane may be dispatched only A) when able to climb and descend VFR and maintain VFR/OT en route. B) in day VFR conditions. C) in VFR conditions.
8359 What procedure is recommended for an engine-out approach and landing? A) The altitude and airspeed should be considerably higher than normal throughout the approach. B) The flightpath and procedures should be almost identical to a normal approach and landing. C) A normal approach, except do not extend the landing gear or flaps until over the runway threshold.
9333 An applicant who is scheduled for a practical test for an airline transport pilot certificate, in an approved flight simulator, is A) required to have a first-class medical certificate. B) not required to have a medical certificate. C) required to have at least a current third-class medical certificate.
9340 An applicant who is scheduled for a practical test for an airline transport pilot certificate, in an aircraft, needs A) a second-class medical certificate. B) a first-class medical certificate. C) at least a current third-class medical certificate.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
8391 What is the principal advantage of a sweepback design wing over a straightwing design? C) The critical Mach number will increase significantly.
8327 Which of the following is considered an auxiliary flight control? B) Leading-edge flaps.
8396 For a given angle of bank, the load factor imposed on both the aircraft and pilot in a coordinated constant-altitude turn B) is constant.
8358 What is the safest and most efficient takeoff and initial climb procedure in a light, twin-engine airplane? Accelerate to D) end of runway in ground effect and haul ass vertically. It's what our resident CAA man did whenever he could, so it must be safest
9332 How soon after the conviction for driving while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs shall it be reported to the FAA, Civil Aviation Security Division? B) No later than 30 working days after the motor vehicle action.
8151 An air carrier airplane's airborne radar must be in satisfactory operating condition prior to dispatch, if the flight will be A) carrying passengers, but not if it is "all cargo."
9117 Scanning procedures for effective collision avoidance should constitute A) looking outside for 15 seconds, then inside for 5 seconds, then repeat.
9339 A pilot, acting as second in command, successfully completes the instrument competency check specified in FAR Part 61. How long does this pilot remain current if no further IFR flights are made? Pass
9051 What is the hijack code? B) 7500.
9354 A person may not act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft if alcoholic beverages have been consumed by that person within the preceding B) 8 hours.
8342 Why do some airplanes equipped with inboard/outboard ailerons use the outboards for slow flight only? A) Aerodynamic loads on the outboard ailerons tend to twist the wingtips at high speeds.
9050 Under what condition does ATC issue safety alerts? B) When weather conditions are extreme and wind shear or large hail is in the vicinity.
8336 Which is a purpose of ground spoilers? C) Reduce the wings' lift upon landing.
8331 Which is a purpose of leading-edge flaps? B) Increase the camber of the wing.
9108 The illusion of being in a noseup attitude which may occur during a rapid acceleration takeoff is known as Pass
8325 When are outboard ailerons normally used? A) Low-speed flight only.
8152 While on an IFR flight in controlled airspace, the failure of which unit will precipitate an immediate report to ATC? B) One engine, on a multiengine aircraft.
9120 Hazardous vortex turbulence that might be encountered behind large aircraft is created only when that aircraft is B) developing lift.
9099 When setting the altimeter, pilots should disregard Pass
8201 What is the minimum number of flight attendants required on an airplane having a passenger seating capacity of 188 with only 117 passengers aboard? B) Four.
8150 If an air carrier airplane's airborne radar is inoperative and thunderstorms are forecast along the proposed route of flight, an airplane may be dispatched only C) in VFR conditions.
8359 What procedure is recommended for an engine-out approach and landing? B) The flightpath and procedures should be almost identical to a normal approach and landing.
9333 An applicant who is scheduled for a practical test for an airline transport pilot certificate, in an approved flight simulator, is Pass
9340 An applicant who is scheduled for a practical test for an airline transport pilot certificate, in an aircraft, needs C) at least a current third-class medical certificate.
My friend and I applied for airline jobs in Australia, but they didn't Qantas.
8391 C) The critical Mach number will increase significantly.
8327 B) Leading-edge flaps.
8396 B) is constant.
8358 C) VMC, then lift off at that speed and climb at maximum angle-of-climb airspeed.
9332 A) No later than 60 days after the motor vehicle action.
8151 C) conducted under VFR conditions at night with scattered thunderstorms reported en route.
9117 A) looking outside for 15 seconds, then inside for 5 seconds, then repeat.
9339 B) 6 months.
9051 B) 7500.
9354 B) 8 hours.
8342 A) Aerodynamic loads on the outboard ailerons tend to twist the wingtips at high speeds.
9050 A) If the aircraft altitude is noted to be in close proximity to the surface or an obstacle
8336 C) Reduce the wings' lift upon landing.
8331 B) Increase the camber of the wing.
9108 B) somatogravic illusion.
8325 A) Low-speed flight only.
8152 C) DME.
9120 B) developing lift.
9099 A) effects of nonstandard atmospheric temperatures and pressures.
8201 B) Four.
8150 B) in day VFR conditions.
8359 B) The flightpath and procedures should be almost identical to a normal approach and landing.
9333 B) not required to have a medical certificate.
9340 C) at least a current third-class medical certificate.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
