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Boeing cuts MAX production rate
Boeing announced late April 5 it will slow 737 MAX production from 52 to 42 aircraft a month by mid-April, indicating that the type’s grounding and delivery halt will last longer than initially expected.
The announcement came minutes after stocks closed regular trading on Wall Street and after Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg released a videotaped statement earlier in the day expressing the US manufacturer’s sorrow for lives lost in recent MAX crashes and how the company is working to change the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS).
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FAA defends qualifications of US MAX aviation safety inspectors
FAA acting administrator Dan Elwell on April 4 defended the qualifications of US FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) involved with the Flight Standardization Board (FSB) for the Boeing 737 MAX 8, saying that “all of the flight inspectors who participated in the [FSB] certification activities were fully qualified.”
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AIX Hamburg 2019: Diehl developing higher-quality cabin loudspeaker
Diehl Aviation is developing an innovative way to replace conventional loudspeakers in the passenger cabin, using the lower panel of the overhead baggage compartment as a membrane.
An exciter transmits vibration to the panel. Diehl claims sound quality is higher than with conventional membrane speakers, especially for voice transmission.
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AIX Hamburg 2019: UK seat maker Acro aims for LCC market
UK seat manufacturer Acro is using AIX for the first showing of its Series 6LC seat, optimized for low-cost carriers.
The seat is essentially a stripped-back version of the standard Series 6, with a fixed backrest pre-reclined at 24 degrees. It does away with several features of the standard Series 6, such as a personal electronic device holder, IFE and headrest, and weighs in at 9.1kg.
LinkAirlines
UIA cuts summer schedule on postponed 737 MAX 8 deliveries
Ukraine International Airlines (UIA)—which had planned to take delivery of three Boeing 737 MAX 8s beginning in mid-April—will adjust its summer schedule as deliveries of the type are postponed until the US manufacturer’s flight-control software upgrade is certified and the grounding is lifted.
The Kiev Boryspil-based carrier said the lack of aircraft for this undetermined time period has forced the airline to modify frequency and reduce capacity on some routes.
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Canadian ULCC Jetlines postpones startup date to December
Aspiring Canadian ULCC Jetlines said its first day of revenue flights will be Dec. 17—later than its most recent plans, but for the first time pinned to a definitive date. Its operations base will be Vancouver, but its initial routes have not been announced. The latest changes push the Vancouver-based long-anticipated startup plans from their most recent target of mid-2019.
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Hainan Airlines unveils new 787-9 premium economy seat
China’s Hainan Airlines has introduced its first premium economy product, along with a refreshed cabin interior, on its newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
The so-called “Dream Feather” interiors were delivered on Hainan’s latest 787-9 on March 28, but did not enter commercial service until April 3 on a Beijing-Guangzhou flight.
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Turkish Airlines relocates to new Istanbul Airport
Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines started the final relocation process from the carrier’s Istanbul Atatürk hub to the new Istanbul Airport on April 5 at 3:00 a.m. local time, which was expected to take 45 hrs.
The new Istanbul Airport, which began partial operations Oct. 29, 2018, was originally scheduled to be completely open March 3.
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Air France, KLM to partner with Greek regional Sky Express
Air France and KLM have signed a commercialization agreement with Greek regional airline Sky Express that will allow the three airlines to boost their cooperation between Paris, Amsterdam and the Greek islands, Air France said in a statement.
Air France-KLM has been seeking to boost alliances and partnerships to help improve the competitiveness of the airline group amid tough competition in the European airline industry.
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Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho passes away
Korean Air chairman and chief executive Cho Yang-ho has passed away at age 70 in a Los Angeles hospital.
The SkyTeam carrier states that Cho had been involved in the airline all of his life, with his father, Cho Choong-Hoon acquiring Korean Air in 1969. Cho junior was named its chairman and chief executive in 1999, and held the titles until his death.
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Ethiopian crew struggled with manual trim at overspeed
Pilots of the ill-fated Ethiopian Boeing 737 Max 8 allowed the aircraft to fly beyond its maximum operating limit speed, which may have contributed to the difficulties experienced with attempts to trim the aircraft.
The Ethiopian aircraft accident investigation bureau states that the CFM International Leap-1B engines stabilised at 94% of N1 during the take-off roll, and the throttles did not move for most of the flight.
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Ethiopian preliminary report 'very thorough': NTSB chairman
The chairman of the US National Transportation Safety Board says a preliminary report on the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crash was "very thorough", even as he cautions that information could well change following the release of the initial findings.
"I thought the report was very thorough and well done," Robert Sumwalt told reporters following the Aero Club luncheon in Washington DC earlier today.
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PICTURE: Transatlantic beckons as TAP's first A321LR arrives
The first of 12 Airbus A321LRs has been delivered to TAP Air Portugal.
The CFM International Leap-1A-powered aircraft is equipped with a 171-seat cabin, comprising 16 full-flat business seats, 48 “Eco Premium” and 107 economy seats.
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PICTURE: Hawaiian launches farthest-ever interstate US air route
Hawaiian Airlines launched the farthest-ever scheduled interstate-US airline route on 4 April with flight 90, a 4,427nm (8.200km) jaunt from Honolulu to Boston.
That distance eclipses what had previously been the longest interstate US air route – Hawaiian's 4,330nm Honolulu-New York JFK run.
LinkAirports
Paris airports operator to invest $6.7 billion in infrastructure
Paris airports operator Groupe ADP said it would make €6 billion ($6.7 billion) of regulated investments in infrastructure in 2021-25 to prepare for the expected doubling of air traffic in the next 20 years.
The airport operator is poised for privatization, with an April 11 vote set to allow the government to reduce its 50.6% stake in the coming months as part of wider economic reforms.
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New ground transportation centre opens at Nashville
JE Dunn Construction has completed a $102 million, technology-integrated parking and ground transportation centre and related improvements at Nashville International Airport.
The new complex is a component of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s BNA Vision, a $1.2 billion expansion and renovation plan to accommodate regional population growth and the airport’s record-breaking passenger increases.
LinkMilitary
F-35 on track to hit 80% mission capability rate by September 2019
Combat units of the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter fleet within the three US military services and eight international programme partners are on track to reach an 80% mission capability rate by September 2019.
And, the entire F-35 Lightning II fleet should reach an 80% mission capability rate by September 2020, says Vice Admiral Mathias Winter, executive officer of the Joint Programme Office (JPO) in prepared testimony before the US House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee on 4 April.
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OPINION: Should Washington eject Ankara from F-35 project?
Never say never. Sound advice, but probably not words that will be well received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His refusal to cancel Ankara’s order for Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missiles creates the real possibility that his country will lose something even more valuable: participation in the Joint Strike Fighter programme.
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Poland hopeful of speeding F-35 acquisition
Poland believes it can accelerate the purchase of up to 32 Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft, following suggestions that the USA is willing to expand the fifth-generation jet's operator base.
In written testimony to the US House of Representatives, Vice Admiral Mat Winter, director of the Joint Strike Fighter programme, indicated that the Department of Defense was considering sales to countries including Greece, Poland, Romania and Spain.
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Aviation Quote
Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, 'Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy.' They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.
We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.
I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."
There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, 'He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.' Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'
Thank you.
- President Ronald Reagan - January 28, 1986
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. What large aircraft was considered so slow that its pilots used to say the navigator needed a calendar more than a chronograph?
2. Normal, Utility and Aerobatic category aircraft are stressed for 3.8, 4.4 and 6 Gs, respectively. What is the maximum allowable load factor for transport category jetliners?
3. Many airplanes are equipped with electrical inverters. What is the purpose of an inverter?
4. A pilot on a cross-country flight looks down and sees the tallest waterfall. Where is he?
5. Many multi-engine airplanes are equipped with ice protection plates. Where are they installed and what is their specific purpose?
6. What did aircraft designers Larry Bell, Donald Douglas and James McDonnell have in common?
7. What was the only American-built airplane to see action in WW1?
8. True or false; The simple square knot is one of the best to use when tying down an airplane with rope.
9. True or False; The circumnavigating Rutan Voyager, and the Spirit of St. Louis and at least one thing in common. Neither of them had brakes.
10. True or False, Two space shuttles are orbiting the Earth at the same speed and altitude. One however is a thousand miles behind the other. For the laggard to catch up with the leader, he should add thrust in the direction of travel.
11. Flutter can destroy an airplane and is a function of:
Calibrated Air Speed
Equivalent Airspeed
Indicated Airspeed
True Air Speed
12. Which of the following does NOT belong:
Emu
Gooney
Kiwi
Ostrich
Penguin
13. With respect to pilot qualifications, which of the following does not belong?
Controllable-pitch propeller
Flaps
Engine with more than 200 hp
Retractable landing gear
