NewsAccidents/Incidents
Live French air-to-air missile prompts Florida airport evacuation
Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) in Florida was evacuated after a live Matra S-530 medium-range air-to-air missile was discovered in a container. A bomb disposal team from MacDill Air Force Base safely recovered the weapon.
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Two US drones reportedly collided and crashed in Syria
Two U.S.-operated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), including at least one MQ-9 Reaper attack drone, crashed after colliding over Idlib, Syria, according to a military source.
An anonymous defense source confirmed to Military Times that the two U.S. drones were lost in a collision. However, the cause and exact circumstances of the collision, as well as the models of the UAV involved were not disclosed. There have been speculations that the drones might have been shot down by a ground weapon, possibly a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS).
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Russian bear goes planespotting, forces S7 A320 to go around
S7 Siberian Airlines domestic flight in Russia was forced to make a go-around after a wild bear was spotted wandering around the runway of Magadan Airport.
The flight S75219 took off from Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport(OVB) and was scheduled to land in Magadan Sokol Airport (GDX) five hours later on August 17, 2020.
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Man Arrested In Portland After Driving Under A Taxiing Aircraft
A man has been arrested in Portland after he drove his family onto an active taxiway under a moving aircraft. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, was swiftly resolved by county police with the perpetrator incurring criminal charges. Here’s what happened.
LinkCommercial
Boeing Lands First Max Order of the Year
The Boeing 737 Max family registered the first addition to its sales ledger this year as Poland’s Enter Air placed a firm order for two 737 Max 8s along with options for two more of the jets, Boeing said Wednesday. An all-Boeing operator and Poland’s biggest charter carrier with twenty-two 737NGs and two 737 Maxes, Enter Air began operations in 2010 with a single 737.
LinkAirlines
Lufthansa subsidiaries to get vital financial injection
The German Economic Stabilization Fund (WSF) has approved financial support for German flag-carrier Lufthansa subsidiaries Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Swiss under the group‘s €9 billion rescue package from the government in Berlin.
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Chinese Airlines in "Clean Plate" campaign against food waste
China has recently launched the "Clean Plate" campaign against food waste, after President Xi highlighted that COVID-19 had raised the alarm on food waste.
In responding to the campaign, many Chinese airlines had come up with different activities to encourage passengers to save food and reduce waste.
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Virgin Atlantic To Delay Airbus Aircraft Deliveries
Virgin Atlantic will be delaying the delivery of some aircraft from Airbus. According to major leasing company Air Lease Corporation, the leased aircraft will arrive at Virgin before the ones it is buying from the manufacturer, although those too are likely to be pushed back slightly.
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Starting Small: Wizz Opens London Gatwick Base With 1 A321
Wizz Air will launch its new Gatwick base in October, initially with just one Airbus A321. The airport will become the airline’s third UK base, after Luton and recently announced Doncaster Sheffield. Wizz plans to operate leisure routes from Gatwick, going head to head with incumbent low-cost easyJet.
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Vistara’s Boeing 787 Will Start Flights to London This Month
Vistara will launch flights from Delhi to London starting on August 28th. The flight will operate three times weekly and bookings are now open. London marks Vistara’s first long-haul destination and flights will operate using the airline’s new 787-9s.
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El Al Extends Flight Suspension To October
Israel’s leading airline, El Al, has extended its flight suspension to September 30th. As such, the airline only hopes to resume passenger flights in October.
On top of extending the flight suspension, its employees’ furlough will also continue. At the moment, 6,080 of El Al’s staff and crew are on unpaid leave.
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JetBlue Launches New Fly Now Pay Later Option
JetBlue has today shared that its customers have the opportunity to book flights now and pay for them later. The low-cost carrier has partnered with Goldman Sachs to offer a no-fee, no deposit, fixed-rate installment loan option at the point of sale.
LinkAirports
Heathrow Airport COVID Test Centre Ready To Open
Heathrow Airport’s coronavirus test center is built and ready to open. The airport announced that the facility had been completed today and is waiting for the green light from the government to start administering tests. The hope is that those arriving in the country could avoid quarantine following a negative COVID test.
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How Dubai International Grew From Small Terminal To A Mega Airport
People often forget that the growth of the United Arab Emirates as an aviation hub is a relatively recent phenomenon. Dubai Airport may now be one of the world’s most impressive, but 70 years ago it did not exist. There were no regular aviation links into Dubai until the late 1930s when flying boats arrived. It would be another 20 years until the first shovel load of sand got turned on what today is Dubai International Airport.
LinkMilitary
Israel opposes any potential US sale of F-35 fighter jet to UAE
Despite the recently established diplomatic relation between two Middle Eastern countries, Israel opposes any potential Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters sales by the United States to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as it could diminish its military superiority.
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Aviation Quote
I belong to a group of men who fly alone. There is only one seat in the cockpit of a fighter airplane. There is no space allotted for another pilot to tune the radios in the weather or make the calls to air traffic control centers or to help with the emergency procedures or to call off the airspeed down final approach. There is no one else to break the solitude of a long cross-country flight. There is no one else to make decisions.
I do everything myself, from engine start to engine shutdown. In a war, I will face alone the missiles and the flak and the small-arms fire over the front lines.
If I die, I will die alone.
- Richard Bach, Stranger to the Ground, 1963.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. Piper named 11 types of aircraft after Native American tribes. Which was the first, and how many can you name?
2. Why does it appear to the casual observer(Standing abeam and at a distance) that a departing B747 or A380 climbs at a lower airspeed than a smaller jet, such as an 737 at the same speed and climb angle?
3. What WW2 airplane was known as the "Whistling Death?"
4. Acrophobia is the fear of heights, what is the fear of flying in an aircraft called?
5. Name a well-known type of aircraft in which the pilot could extend the landing gear from the wheel wells, but could not retract them?
