NewsCommercial
Boeing-Embraer commercial JV postponed to early 2020
Boeing and Embraer on Oct. 3 formally acknowledged they do not expect their commercial aircraft joint venture deal to close until “early 2020” after the European Commission indicated its competition review will extend into a Phase II. The Phase II is seen by many financial analysts as leverage against looming US tariffs up to $7.5 billion under a World Trade Organization dispute over airliner subsidies.
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UK launches project to electrify Islander for short-hop routes
A project to convert the nine-passenger Britten-Norman Islander to hybrid-electric propulsion for short-haul flights has kicked off in the UK. Project Fresson is led by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), which plans to obtain and market a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the conversion.
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PICTURES: Airbus begins UPS Honeywell A300 cockpit trials
Airbus has begun flight-tests of the Honeywell avionics upgrade for the A300-600 Freighter fleet of UPS.
A modified A300-600F (MSN 868) made its first flight from Airbus's Toulouse plant on 12 September. "We have started testing cockpit equipment and functionality," says Airbus.
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Landing-gear issue taints test flight of latest MC-21
Irkut has given few details of an incident during flight-testing of the latest MC-21 prototype after the aircraft experienced an issue relating to its landing-gear.
The third flight-test airframe, number 73054, returned to Moscow's Zhukovsky airport at about 11:30 on 3 October, after a flight of around 1h.
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US to slap 10% tariff on Airbus aircraft from 18 October
Additional annual tariffs from the US on Airbus commercial aircraft — among other European products — will kick in as early as 18 October.
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) shed more light on its intended moves, hours after a World Trade Organization (WTO) arbitrator issued a landmark decision that will allow the US to impose $7.5 billion worth of tariffs on European products.
LinkAirlines
Aigle Azur shareholder bids for XL Airways
The investment vehicle that wanted to take over French airline Aigle Azur has submitted a last-minute bid to save low-cost, long-haul carrier XL Airways with a plan to take on two of its four-strong Airbus A330 fleet and around half its staff.
XL Airways is the latest French airline in trouble after a court ruled Aigle Azur should be liquidated as of Sept. 27.
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Qantas plans for first Project Sunrise test flight
Qantas has revealed new details of research plans for its Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul commercial services initiative from Australia that includes a series of supporting test flights, the first of which is scheduled for later this month.
Although the airline has not formally committed to launching the project’s new routes, which would link Sydney with nonstop flights to London and New York, the Australian carrier has outlined plans to conduct tests during deliveries of three new Boeing 787-9s over consecutive months starting in October.
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Ryanair German pilots vote for 4-year collective labor agreement
Irish LCC Ryanair’s German pilots have voted in favor of a four-year collective labor agreement (CLA) to cover all Ryanair’s directly employed pilots in Germany until March 2023.
Ryanair confirmed 99.3% of pilots voted for the CLA.
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Transavia France rolls out flight-connection scheme
Air France-KLM Group's low-cost operation Transavia France is rolling out a new reservations feature expanding its route availability by offering passengers to opportunity to book connecting flights.
Transavia France says the new facility, known as Smart Connect, will allow passengers to create new city-pair links on a "virtual interlining basis" without having to make separate reservations for each flight.
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Probe opens after A319 departs from occupied runway
Moldovan investigators are looking into a serious incident at Chisinau airport in which a FlyOne aircraft was cleared to depart on a runway occupied by vehicles.
The country's civil aviation authority has started analysing the circumstances of the 30 September event.
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Aeroflot Superjet captain charged over fatal landing accident
Criminal investigators have charged the captain of an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100 in connection with the fatal landing accident at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport earlier this year.
The Murmansk-bound aircraft returned to Sheremetyevo after a lightning strike but bounced heavily during the landing, igniting spilled fuel when the landing-gear collapsed.
LinkAirports
Amsterdam Schiphol to implement time-based separation
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport will begin using time-based separation of landing air traffic, as part of a suite of new tools being introduced to assist air traffic controllers. The time-based separation tool—developed by UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and Leidos and first introduced at London’s Heathrow Airport in 2015—can boost resilience at airports by reducing the impact on landing flow rates, often caused by strong headwinds.
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Ottawa airport to trial anti-drone technology
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) is to partner with NAV CANADA and QinetiQ Canada (QinetiQ) to trial the company's ant-drone technology at the gateway.
The unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology set to be trialled at the Canadian airport is called Obsidian Counter.
LinkMilitary
USAF awards Collins Next Generation Ejection Seat contract
The US Air Force (USAF) plans to award a sole source contract to Collins Aerospace to deliver 3,018 examples of its ACES 5 ejection seats for installation in the service’s fleet of Boeing F-15, Lockheed Martin F-16, Lockheed Martin F-22, Boeing A-10 and Boeing B-1Bs.
The Next Generation Ejection Seat contract has been valued by Collins as worth hundreds of millions of dollars, though the USAF blacked out the contract ceiling award in a redacted Justification and Approval (J&A) notice it posted online on 2 October.
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P&W secures $5.7 billion deal for F135 engines
Pratt & Whitney has secured a $5.7 billion US Department of Defense contract covering the 12th and 13th production lots of the F135 engine that powers the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter.
“This award represents the largest-ever F135 production contract, funding more than 332 engines for the U.S. armed services and international customers, and includes program management, engineering support, production support, and tooling,” says the company.
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Aviation Quote
The soaring pilot makes an aerial excursion, not an incursion. His passage leaves a whisper, not a shriek.
- Richard Miller
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. What was the United States' first operational jet bomber? (It also was first to enter production)
2. Modern, full motion simulators have six freedoms. Can you name these motions?
3.What is the most practical way for a pilot to protect against hydrometeors?
4. A tall spike sits atop the Capitol Records Building in Hollywood. This coincidentally gives the circular building the appearance of a stack of LP records on a turntable. What is so unusual about the red, blinking light at the tip of the spike?
5. True or false, Relatively cool air at altitude cools an overheating engine better than relatively warm at air at sea level.
