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Commercial

China needs 500,000 pilots as aviation takes off
As China loosens regulations on private planes, civilian aviation is expected to take off, and that means the country will need to train about 500,000 new pilots, China's national civil aviation authority says. Foreign companies are hoping to fill in the gap left by too-few pilot training schools in China.
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Airlines

Air Berlin Names New CEO In Push For Recovery
Air Berlin has named a new chief executive, Stefan Pichler, to take over its restructuring as it tries to return to profit. Air Berlin, 29 percent-owned by Etihad, said chief executive Wolfgang Prock-Schauer was standing down at his own request and will be replaced by Stefan Pichler on February 1, 2015. The airline, which has made an annual net profit only once in the last six years, is cutting over 10 percent of its workforce, has scrapped aircraft orders and shaken up its route network. Pichler knows the travel industry well, having previously held the position of CEO at German tour operator Thomas Cook and managerial roles at Lufthansa and Virgin Blue Airlines.
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Air Canada reaches agreement with pilots over 10-year contract
Air Canada has reached a 10-year agreement with its pilots that included a $10,000 signing bonus. "The new agreement provides greater stability and long-term cost certainty as well as a framework for a strong partnership with our pilots," said Calin Rovinescu, CEO of Air Canada, in a statement. Union president Capt. Craig Blandford hailed the agreement as "an investment in the airline's future."
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Delta opposes second Atlanta airport
Delta Air Lines opposes a plan put forward by Propeller Investments and Paulding County, Ga., officials to develop Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport for commercial flights. "Delta's longstanding position is that metro Atlanta is best served by a single, strong airport at Hartsfield-Jackson, which is one of the region's primary economic engines, pumping more than $30 billion annually into the regional economy and supporting tens of thousands of jobs," said the airline.
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Emirates To End FIFA Sponsorship
Emirates is ending its sponsorship of FIFA, a blow to soccer's governing body as it investigates whether there was corruption in the bidding process for the next two World Cups. "Emirates can confirm that a decision has been made not to renew the sponsorship agreement with FIFA past 2014," the Dubai-based airline said in a statement. "This decision was made following an evaluation of FIFA's contract proposal which did not meet Emirates' expectations." FIFA had no immediate comment.
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JetBlue gives free tickets to passengers doing good deeds
JetBlue Airways has launched its "Fly it Forward" campaign to reward passengers for helping others. The first passengers selected to receive the free airline tickets can in turn choose other recipients. People can nominate others performing humanitarian efforts through the #FlyitForward hashtag on Twitter.
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Monarch firms $3.2B 737 MAX 8 deal, moving closer to all-Boeing status
Monarch Airlines has taken another step toward flying all Boeing single-aisle aircraft with the finalization of a $3.2 billion order for 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, an order that comes with 15 options. "The 737 MAX 8 fits our network strategy of serving our traditional European leisure routes in greater frequency, providing increased choice and service for Monarch customers, with significantly improved unit costs to our business," Monarch Group CEO Andrew Swaffield said.
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Optimistic Ryanair hikes full-year profit forecast
Irish budget carrier Ryanair is forecasting a robust winter period, and has sharply raised its profit outlook for the full year following a strong first half. Ryanair is expecting a full-year net figure of €750-770 million ($950-978 million) after setting targets of a 12% increase in passenger numbers for the third quarter, and 20% for the fourth. The airline admits that these targets are “very ambitious” for the weaker half, but states that it has “many opportunities” to attract business traffic over the winter season. Full-year passenger numbers will increase by 9% to 89 million, the carrier forecasts.
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Southwest launches service to 8 cities from Love Field
Southwest Airlines added 27 nonstop flights from Dallas Love Field on Sunday. The new flights include service to eight cities across the U.S., from Atlanta to San Diego. The expanded service comes after the expiration of the Wright Amendment last month.
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​Thai A330 stuck in soft ground after botched U-turn
A Thai Airways A330-300 stopped operations at Thailand’s Khon Kaen airport after its nose wheel became stuck in soft ground when the crew was attempting to make a U-turn. Thai Airways confirms the aircraft left the tarmac while making the U-turn prior to departure for Bangkok at 8pm local time on Monday 3 November. Khon Kaen’s single runway has no taxiways. This requires departing aircraft to taxi to the runway’s end and execute a U-turn before taking off. None of the 248 passengers or 14 crew suffered injuries. They exited the aircraft via air stairs.
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Virgin America IPO To Value Airline At USD$1 Bln
Virgin America's initial public offering is expected to be priced at USD$21-USD$24 per share, valuing the company at about USD$1.04 billion at the top end of the range. The company is selling 13.1 million of the 13.3 million shares in the offering, which is expected to raise up to USD$320 million. Virgin America, known for mood lighting, Wi-Fi and leather seats even in economy class, offers flights to 22 cities in the United States and Mexico, using a fleet of 53 Airbus A320s. Richard Branson, whose investment in the airline is restricted by US foreign investment rules, owns a 22 percent stake in it through the Virgin Group and a hedge fund.
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Military

A-10 Warthog Will be Missed
The U.S. commander in South Korea on Friday praised the vital close air support role performed by the A-10 Thunderbolt in deterring North Korean aggression but backed the Air Force decision to retire the aircraft. “As an infantryman, I love the A-10,” said Army Gen. Curtis “Mike” Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command. “I also understand the Air Force’s position” on budgeting and the need for aircraft that can fill multiple roles, Scaparrotti said at a Pentagon briefing. ”I’m confident that I’ll get the close air support from the Air Force without the A-10 there,” Scaparrotti said of the aircraft better known as the “Warthog.”
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Air Force One grounded due to "minor" problem
While President Obama was in Philadelphia on Sunday for a pre-election rally, Air Force One experienced a "minor mechanical problem," the White House said. Obama traveled on the plane from Washington, D.C., to New Haven, Conn., then to Philadelphia, but it was replaced during his rally at Temple University with another C-32 aircraft, a modified version of the Boeing 757-200 planes the Air Force uses for the president's travel. "While in Philadelphia, we have transferred to a backup airplane due to a minor mechanical problem with one of the aircraft's flaps," White House principal deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said. "This switch to a backup C-32 will not affect our schedule.
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Slovakia to operate C-27J Spartans from 2016
Slovakia’s signature on a production contract for two C-27J Spartan medium transports has brought to an end an almost six-year process to finalise the deal with Alenia Aermacchi. Bratislava selected the C-27J in December 2008, following a competition also involving the Airbus C295. Concluded on 29 October, the contract agreement also covers the manufacturer’s provision of personnel training and in-service support.
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Navy's F-35Cs begin key round of Nimitz tests
Testing continues this month aboard the USS Nimitz for the Navy's F-35Cs, with the two fighters flying to the carrier and landing there to begin the process. The two aircraft have redesigned tail hook assemblies to make the airframe connection stronger. The next two weeks of testing are considered particularly key for the aircraft, which drew praise from Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan in a recent briefing.
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Regulatory

FAA addresses freezing rain with new certification standards
Smaller commercial aircraft will be required to meet more stringent standards for operating in icing conditions under a new Federal Aviation Administration rule released today. The rule, made public by the US Office of the Federal Register, will require aircraft with a gross takeoff weight of less than 27,216kg (60,000lb) be able to operate safely in freezing drizzle and freezing rain – weather that the FAA calls “supercooled large drop” conditions. The rule also requires aircraft to have systems that can detect freezing drizzle and freezing rain. In addition, the FAA will require that aircraft engines and some components, such as angle of attack and airspeed indicators, be able to operate properly in freezing rain and other icing conditions.
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Space

Ex-SpaceShipOne test pilot critical of hybrid motor in new video
Count the Ansari X-Prize-winning test pilot of SpaceShipOne, Brian Binnie, among the critics of SpaceShipTwo. Six days before SpaceShipTwo broke-up in-flight and crashed, killing Scaled Composites test pilot Mike Alsbury, Binnie addressed a public meeting of the Explorers Club in New York City. In remarks recorded by US cable channel C-SPAN and posted online on 3 November, Binnie explained why he decided to leave the Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo programme earlier this year and join a competitor, XCOR Aerospace. In nature, Binnie says, the size of the heart organ scales along a precise curve from a rabbit to a lion to an elephant. But the design of the SpaceShipTwo rocket motor was not “on the curve".
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Aviation Quote

Governments have supported airlines as if they were local football teams. But there are just too many of them. This is the only industry I know that has lost money consistently and makes money infrequently.

— Richard Hannah, airline analyst with UBS in London, Fortune magazine, February 1996.

On This Date

---In 1910... The 1st dirigible to fly from England to France is the British non-rigid airship City of Cardiff, built by E.T. Willows.

---In 1964… The first automatic blind landing by a passenger aircraft occurs when a British European Airways Hawker Siddeley Trident lands in dense fog.

---In 1982…Pan Am inaugurates service from Los Angeles to Sydney; at 7,487 non-stop miles (11,979 km), it is the longest non-stop flight in the world.

---In 2010…Qantas Flight 32, operated by Airbus A380 VH-OQA suffered an uncontained engine failure over Batam Island, Indonesia. Falling debris injured one person on the ground. The aircraft dumped fuel and returned to Singapore Changi Airport, where a safe landing was made.

---In 2010…Aero Caribbean Flight 883, operated by an ATR 72 crashed at Guasimal, Sancti Spíritus, Cuba killing all 68 people on board.

Daily Video

Editor’s Choice

Humor

Old School Airbus

Trivia

Military Aircraft

1. The Mikoyan-Gurevich aircraft company produced some of the most formidable Soviet jet aircraft to fight in the many wars of the 20th century - the MiGs. NATO intelligence assigned them new (English) names. Which of the following was NOT the name of a MiG fighter?
Flanker
Foxhound
Fagot
Flogger

2. The French aircraft company "Dassault-Breguet" produced France's most successful line of Jet Fighters, the Mirages. All Mirage fighters were designed with the distinctly triangular Delta-Wing configuration.
True
False

3. The Israeli Aircraft Industries produced several aircraft based on the French Mirage, after France put a stop to military cooperation between the two countries. Which of the following is NOT one of the fighter aircraft designs created by Israel after its relations with France went sour?
Lavi
Nesher
Arava
Kfir

4. While close-support for ground troops was eventually delegated to "Rotary Wing Aircraft", also known as Helicopters, some jet aircraft were specifically designed to provide anti-tank support on the battlefield. Which of these aircraft is NOT designed for such a role?
Q-5 Fantan
A-10 Thunderbolt
A-6 Intruder
Su-25 Frogfoot

5. Most aircraft aficionados will instantly recognize the "Blackbird", a super-sonic jet with some stealth properties, designed to fly at extremely high altitudes while taking pictures. Which American company was responsible for producing this massive reconnaissance aircraft?
Lockheed
Northrop
Grumman
Boeing

6. Which of the following car manufacturers was never involved in the production of aircraft or aircraft parts, at any time during the 20th century?
Rolls-Royce
Peugeot
Saab
Mitsubishi

7. American Fighter Jets are usually designated by the letter "F" followed by a number. Due to the specific process of defense-contracting in the United States, some of the numbers have gone unused. Of the following models, which aircraft actually went on to military production and use?
F-48
F-111
F-17
F-39

8. The founder of one of the leading American aerospace companies was infatuated with the idea of a Flying Wing - an aircraft comprised of a single aerodynamic shape, with no outstanding fuselage. Which company did he found?
General Dynamics
McDonnell-Douglas
Boeing
Northrop

9. While jet power has certainly become the dominant means of propulsion for aircraft in the latter half of the 20th century, some civilian and military aircraft still held a potential application for propeller-driven engines. Which of the following aircraft has propellers instead of jets?
Ilyushin Il-76
McDonnell-Douglas KC-10
Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant
Grumman E-2

10. Which of the following aircraft does not have any sort of weaponry for aerial combat?
Lockheed F-117A
Hawker-Siddeley Harrier
Tupolev Tu-22
Cessna A-37

Today's Editor's Choice is one beautiful three-holer!!

1. The Mikoyan-Gurevich aircraft company produced some of the most formidable Soviet jet aircraft to fight in the many wars of the 20th century - the MiGs. NATO intelligence assigned them new (English) names. Which of the following was NOT the name of a MiG fighter?

Flanker - that's a Sukhoi


2. The French aircraft company "Dassault-Breguet" produced France's most successful line of Jet Fighters, the Mirages. All Mirage fighters were designed with the distinctly triangular Delta-Wing configuration.

False


5. Most aircraft aficionados will instantly recognize the "Blackbird", a super-sonic jet with some stealth properties, designed to fly at extremely high altitudes while taking pictures. Which American company was responsible for producing this massive reconnaissance aircraft?

Lockheed


6. Which of the following car manufacturers was never involved in the production of aircraft or aircraft parts, at any time during the 20th century?

Peugeot


7. American Fighter Jets are usually designated by the letter "F" followed by a number. Due to the specific process of defense-contracting in the United States, some of the numbers have gone unused. Of the following models, which aircraft actually went on to military production and use?

F-111


8. The founder of one of the leading American aerospace companies was infatuated with the idea of a Flying Wing - an aircraft comprised of a single aerodynamic shape, with no outstanding fuselage. Which company did he found?

Northrop


9. While jet power has certainly become the dominant means of propulsion for aircraft in the latter half of the 20th century, some civilian and military aircraft still held a potential application for propeller-driven engines. Which of the following aircraft has propellers instead of jets?

Grumman E-2

Answers:

1. Flanker. In the NATO naming convention for Soviet aircraft, fighters were given a name starting with the letter "F". The Fagot (MiG-15), Flogger (MiG-27) and Foxhound (MiG-31) are examples of this. However, this naming convention was not limited to MiG aircraft. The "Flanker" was the name of the Sukhoi SU-27, a plane designed to match the performance and combat roles of the American F-15.

Su-27


2. False, While the vast majority of military fighters produced by the Dassault Breguet company after world-war II were indeed Delta-Wing aircraft, it was not inherent to all Mirages. The Mirage F1, for instance, featured a regular Swept-Wing design.

Mirage F.1


3. Arava. The Nesher and Kfir were rather successful designs based on the Mirage 5. That specific Mirage was developed by French and Israeli engineers working together, so many of the secrets of the Mirage 5 could easily be redrawn for Israel's needs. Eventually, Israel modified the technology to create a brand new fighter, the "Lavi", that would ultimately resemble an F-16 fighter jet, albeit with the distinctive Mirage Delta-Wing. The United States put considerable pressure on Israel to dismantle the project, and the Lavi never went past the prototype stages. The Arava is the odd-one-out, as it is not a fighter aircraft but rather a small dual-prop aircraft for paratrooper deployment.

Arava


Nesher


Kfir


Lavi


4. A-6 Intruder. Ground-attack aircraft, as they are commonly known, are responsible for direct assault on enemy forces in support of ground combat. They come in slow and low, and can unleash a lot of devastation on enemy units before "bugging out". They are usually designed with some armor features to enable them to sustain considerable damage from enemy fire without being shot down. As jets, they are much harder to hit than helicopters, although they cannot make much use of the terrain to their advantage. The A-10 Thunderbolt II is even equipped with a massive cannon that fires a stupendous amount of shells per minute, for taking out enemy light armor. The A-6 intruder doesn't belong in this category; while it is designed for low-level flight, it is more suitable for tactical strikes BEHIND enemy lines, not on the actual battlefield.

5. Lockheed. The Lockheed SR-71 was designed to fly at incredible speeds (Mach 3) and extreme altitudes (over 75,000 feet), putting it out of reach of any ground-based defense. In fact, the design actually succeeded, and no SR-71 was ever shot down - unlike its predecessor the U-2 whose infamous interception over Soviet soil caused an international diplomatic crisis. SR-71s remained operational from the early sixties all the way up to 1989. It was retired in favor of satellite surveillance, but briefly reinstated in the mid 1990's to provide progressive awareness during the conflicts in Serbia and Bosnia.

6. Peugeot. Mitsubishi of Japan is famous for having produced successful Japanese fighter aircraft during World War II. The British Rolls-Royce made engines for WWII fighters, and still produces a large variety of engines for all kinds of aircraft, including civilian jets. Saab goes to the greatest length in this field, and to this day produces the mainstay of aircraft for the Swedish air force. The French Peugeot is the odd one out, having never been involved in the manufacture of aeronautical equipment.

7. F-111. The F-111 was originally developed to fill several combat roles, particularly low-level bombing, but was quickly adapted to use as a strategic bomber (called the FB-111) and Electronics Warfare aircraft (called the EF-111). It has a geometric wing similar to the F-14. Some F-111s were modified to carry nuclear weaponry. Of the other three possible choices, the F-17 is the only designation that belonged to an actual plane (or rather, the prototype of an actual plane). It lost the contract competition to General Dynamics' F-16, but later underwent redesign and turned into the successful F/A-18.

8. Northrop. Northrop, now Northrop-Grumman, created several (very different) aircraft designs over the years. Its founder, Jack Northrop, was obsessed with the idea of the flying wing, an idea also pursued by German aerospace engineers before and during World War II. He made several attempts to fulfill this dream, but all became large-scale failures, including the massive, prop-driven YB-49. The idea was successfully implemented in 1988, seven years after his death, in the B-2 Stealth Bomber.

9. Grumman E-2. The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is a small "Early Warning" aircraft, easily recognizable by its large radar dish mounted on the top of the fuselage, and by two propeller engines. It is small enough to allow take-off from aircraft carriers, and thus is used by the United States Navy for aerial reconnaissance. Propellers were more common for civilian application than military aircraft in the latter 20th century, but are seeing renewed military use in small, unmanned aircraft.

10. Lockheed F-117A. The F-117A Stealth Bomber was designed with no air-to-air combat capability. It is expected to survive action over enemy territory by completely avoiding radar detection. While it can carry an impressive load of ground-attack weaponry inside its internal bay, it cannot carry or fire anti-aircraft missiles, and does not have a built-in nor external cannon. All other choices have at least one internally-built cannon which enables them to defend against aerial attacks, even to a diminished capacity.