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India To Investigate Airbus A320neo Engine Issues
India’s aviation regulator DGCA has started an investigation into Pratt & Whitney-powered Airbus A320neos operated by IndiGo and GoAir. The probe comes after recent incidents at the two carriers related to P&W’s PW1100G geared turbofan engines used by the two airlines. According to the Airbus web site, IndiGo had received 14 of an order for 410, and GoAir five of an order for 144 A320neos, as at January 31st.
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Boeing’s Australian innovations see light of day
Collaborative robotics, virtual reality and aircraft cabin disease transmission prevention are among the latest projects under way at Boeing Research and Technology-Australia – the manufacturer’s largest research organisation outside of the United States. Boeing’s Australian research organisation – based in Melbourne and Brisbane – has been at the forefront of numerous pioneering developments that have been rolled out by the aerospace giant.
LinkAirlines
French Caribbean airline Air Caraïbes takes first A350 XWB
French Caribbean carrier Air Caraïbes has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, making it the first French airline to operate the type. The aircraft, on lease from Netherlands-based AerCap, is scheduled to make its first commercial flight to Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France March 2.
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Air New Zealand, Cathay extend partnership
Air New Zealand and Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific have extended their strategic partnership deal for another five years, and Cathay has announced a new route to New Zealand.
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Turbulence prompts Chicago-bound flight to land in Denver
Chicago-bound American Airlines Flight 1296 hit severe turbulence on Monday as it flew from San Diego, injuring five passengers and prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing in Denver. The flight landed safely, and was scheduled to resume later Monday night.
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Hainan Airlines alters frequent flyer program
HNA Group subsidiary Hainan Airlines is expected to become the first Chinese carrier to adjust its frequent flyer program to reward miles based on ticket price and membership level instead of distance flown and class. Hainan said this new structure will take effect July 1.
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Hawaiian Airlines first to join greenhouse gas tracking system
Hawaiian Airlines has joined the Belgium-based In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System, installing equipment to monitor greenhouse gases on an Airbus A330. Hawaiian says it is the first US-based carrier to join the program.
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Lion Air Group to boost digital growth strategy
Indonesia’s Lion Air Group will implement an electronic flight bag (EFB) strategy on its incoming fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8s, which will be used for its subsidiary Batik Air Malaysia. Lion Air Group will receive the first of its order of 201 737 MAX 8s later this year. The new aircraft will utilize digital technology provided by flight operations and air traffic management services company NAVBLUE.
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PIA To Discipline Staff For Overloading Flight
Pakistan International Airlines has taken disciplinary action over staff allowing seven passengers to travel without seats, according to media reports. PIA flight PK743, a scheduled service from Karachi to Madina on January 20, carried 416 passengers - seven more than the Boeing 777’s capacity of 409.
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Southwest discusses approach to Cuba market
Southwest Airlines will be patient in letting the market for travel to Cuba develop, said CEO Gary Kelly. "It's going to take some time to understand what the demand is," he said, noting, "Our history is famous for these types of startups that eventually mature into gangbuster markets."
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SWISS expands IFE, business-class service options
Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will expand its inflight entertainment (IFE) options for all passengers and will offer extra business-class inflight service options in March. The new IFE offering allows passengers in all three seating classes to access and download of more than 250 digital newspapers and magazines (eJournals), in more than 10 different languages. The number of titles available free of charge per flight will vary depending on a traveler’s class and Miles & More status, Lufthansa Group’s frequent flyer program (FFP).
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United Airlines, after years of falling revenue, is cruising
United Airlines, which lost the distinction of being the world's biggest carrier after shrinking for several years, plans to regain lost ground by adding more flights from key airports this summer. The airline wants to upgrade facilities at key airports and trim the use of smaller planes on important business routes.
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Vietnam Airlines expands Australian network
Vietnam Airlines will launch service from its Hanoi hub to Sydney, Australia March 28 for the summer schedule. The SkyTeam member will operate the 3X-weekly service with a Boeing 787-9. Vietnam Airlines already operates a daily Ho-Chi-Minh-City-Melbourne route using the same aircraft type.
LinkAirports
3 gun arrests in 3 days at Baltimore, Washington, D.C.-area airports
Three people were arrested in separate incidents at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport and two Washington, D.C.-area airports on Friday and Sunday. The three face charges in connection with bringing guns to airports.
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Charlotte, N.C., airport has $16.2B annual economic impact on region
North Carolina's Charlotte Douglas International Airport's annual estimated economic impact of $16.2 billion on the Charlotte region is up from 2005's $9.7 billion estimate. Direct payroll accounts for $1.45 billion.
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Tenn. airport to launch passenger shuttle to long-term parking
In May, Tennessee's Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport will begin a shuttle service to and from the facility's most remote parking lot, which was expanded to accommodate a surge in passenger traffic. The shuttle will be run by a contractor and operate on a continuous loop.
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Military
RAAF gets to grips with C-27J
The Royal Australian Air Force is gradually increasing the capabilities of its new Alenia C-27J Spartan tactical transports, and looking at options for training crews and upgrading aircraft systems. The C-27J in RAAF service made its debut at this year’s air show. The RAAF has received four aircraft, and will have its full fleet of 10 by the end of 2017 or early 2018.
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Sikorsky pitches HH-60Us to replace USAF Hueys
With the US Air Force’s UH-1N recapitalization program heating up, Sikorsky announced its plans to bid the HH-60U Black Hawk for the Huey replacement. Sikorsky and its parent company, Lockheed Martin, would add 84 HH-60Us to the USAF’s existing inventory of three U-model Black Hawks, according to a 28 February Sikorsky press release.
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Lockheed scores $1 billion in F-35 maintenance
The US Navy awarded Lockheed Martin more than $1 billion in logistics and sustainment services for the F-35 Lightning II program, according to a Defense Department contract announced this week. The cost-plus contract will cover ground maintenance and depot activation, as well as initial training for pilots and maintainers in the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and foreign customers. Lockheed will also perform work on its Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), the embattled network designed to manage the flow of spare parts to domestic and foreign F-35s.
LinkGeneral/Corporate Aviation
Small plane crashes into Calif. home
Three people were killed and two others are in critical condition after a small plane crashed into a California home on Monday, authorities said. Two dwellings were destroyed when the plane went down in Riverside at about 4:45 p.m. (7:45 p.m. ET), Fire Chief Michael Moore said. All of the victims had been flying in the aircraft, he said. Moore previously put the number of dead at four but later corrected the tally to three.
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Tamarack Aerospace's active winglets installed on a Cessna Citation M2
Tamarack Aerospace's active winglets have for the first time been installed on a Cessna Citation M2. "Now that we have FAA certification and our parts manufacturing approval, we are working closely with Cessna to add active winglets directly onto the production line," said Tamarack Chief Operating Officer Brian Cox.
LinkRegulatory
Lawmaker looks to add drone geofencing requirement to FAA reauthorization bill
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants the Federal Aviation Administration funding bill to include language requiring geofencing technology to protect the public from drones. "There needs to be a clear strategy to address the public safety dilemma of reckless drones in a way that does not impede innovation or responsible use," said Schumer.
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Australia's OneSky implementation slips
Implementation of Australia’s pioneering OneSky civil-military air traffic management system (CMATS) has slipped by at least two years as Airservices Australia, the Department of Defense and Thales finalize plans for the complex program. Canberra announced Thales as the successful contractor for the then A$600 million ($460 million) program at the 2015 Avalon air show. The project will see the replacement of Airservices’ civil The Australian Advanced Air Traffic System (TAAATS) and the Australian Defense Air Traffic System (ADATS) with a single, harmonized system. Both TAAATS and ADATS are approaching the end of their service lives and are unable to cope with forecast traffic growth.
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Airman tests updated
Pilots should bookmark or subscribe to the Airman Testing page on the FAA website. Near the bottom of the page, under the heading "What's New and Upcoming in Airman Testing," pilots can find much of the information needed to stay current on the state of flight and knowledge testing source material.
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Aviation Quote
There are two types of tailwheel (or retractable gear) pilot, those who have ground-looped (landed gear up) and those that will.
- Anonymous
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. A pilot is number two for takeoff behind a McDonnell Douglas MD–80 and notices that the right elevator of the jetliner is up while the left elevator is down. To whom should he report this?
2. On June 1, 2009, an Air France Airbus A330-200 operating between Rio de Janeiro and Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. What is the ITCZ and what causes it to develop?
3. What is the maximum amount of lift that the wings of a typical, 2,000-pound general aviation airplane are allowed to develop?
4. How many aircraft carriers did Germany have during World War II, and what were (was) their (its) name(s)?
5. What well-known aircraft accident was the impetus for establishing the Federal Aviation Agency (later named the Federal Aviation Administration) in 1958?
6. What is unique about the Boeing 737-700IGW?
