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NEWS

Senate federal funding bill calls for $10.3B cut in defense budget
A $1.1 trillion, one-year federal funding measure proposed by lawmakers on Tuesday includes a $10.3 billion cut to the 2011 defense budget. The consolidated federal budget plan calls for defense spending for fiscal 2011 to be $667 billion, including $157.8 billion for contingency operations. Opponents of the bill, including Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said they would try to delay a vote by demanding that the entire 1,924-page bill be read aloud before it can come to a vote.
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Boeing missile system misses target in second failed test of the year
The U.S. missile defense system managed by Boeing failed for the second time this year yesterday to intercept a target during a test over the Pacific Ocean. The test interceptor and target were both successfully launched, but the Missile Defense Agency was not able to achieve the planned intercept, said an agency spokesman. The Jan. 31 failed interception was blamed on a classified glitch with a sea-based radar, and officials say they will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of this week's failure.
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JSF alternate engine fate uncertain as Congress grapples with budget
The fate of an alternate engine -- the General Electric-Rolls Royce F136 -- for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program appears in doubt this week. Defense authorization for fiscal 2011 worked out in a compromise this week would not include an earmark for the engine, while a Senate Democratic appropriations proposal that included language for the F136 has met conservative opposition.
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Southwest announces plans for 70 larger Boeing jets
Southwest Airlines plans to buy at least 70 Boeing 737-800 aircraft by 2014, CEO Gary Kelly said Wednesday, with the first 20 deliveries scheduled for March 2012. Kelly said the larger planes would boost efficiency at congested airports and allow service to Hawaii and other more distant markets. Kelly also urged Boeing to follow the lead of Airbus in updating the engines on its narrow-body workhorse. "When you talk about something that's 10 years from now, that's not a solution, that's an idea," he said of rumored plans for an all-new Boeing jet that would take a decade or more to deliver.
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Column: TSA procedures raise a variety of health concerns
Some members of the medical community say there is more than one risk associated with the Transportation Security Administration's full-body scanners, writes Dr. Joseph Mercola. He notes that some researchers have raised concerns about "low-energy backscatter technology" used by the scanners that could cause some individuals to develop skin cancer or other health problems. Now, other physicians have raised concerns about the TSA's new pat-down procedures, noting that agents may not always wash their hands or change gloves between pat-downs.
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ACCC approves Virgin Blue-ANZ alliance
Qantas’s market stranglehold in Australia is set for the most dramatic shakeup since the demise of Ansett in 2001 after the Australian competition regulator gave approval for Virgin Blue’s comprehensive alliance with Air New Zealand, reversing a draft decision rejecting the partnership and a draft tick for its tie-up with Etihad Airways. The two alliances underpin Blue makeover set to be unveiled next month.
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Avolon orders eight A320s
Airbus said Dublin-based leasing company Avolon ordered eight A320s, which will be equipped with "Sharklet" winglets. Avolon will make an engine selection for the aircraft in the near future. Order value was not announced; however, the list price for an A320 is $81.4 million, according to the Airbus website.
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Bmi expects to return to profit in 2012
Bmi, a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary, continues to target an annual cost reduction of £100 million ($156.9 million) and hopes to bring the carrier back to profit in 2012. “Next year will be the year of stabilization for us,” CEO Wolfgang Prock Schauer said at the Star Alliance CEO meeting in Queenstown, NZ. Bmi posted a loss of £198 million in 2009.
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UK's A330 tanker makes first dry contacts
The UK’s first Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) has made its first dry contacts with a fighter, marking the end of a strong year for the modified Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT).
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Phantom Ray arrives in Dryden ahead of flight tests

The Boeing Phantom Ray has arrived at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in California to prepare for a series of 10 planned flight tests. The flying-wing unmanned aircraft system, based heavily on the cancelled X-45C, allows Boeing to attempt to keep pace with key rivals, including the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel deployed by the US Air Force and the Northrop Grumman X-47 carrier operations demonstrator for the US Navy.
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Airbus to miss A380 delivery target due to Qantas incident
Airbus will miss its delivery target of 20 A380s this year because of disruptions resulting from the uncontained failure of a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine, which forced a Qantas A380 to make an emergency landing in early November.
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Other News

IATA reported that international premium traffic in October increased 10.9% compared to the year-ago month. “Premium travel continues to grow at an annualized rate of 7%-8%, suggesting that the momentum behind business travel remained very healthy into the fourth quarter,” IATA said in its October Premium Traffic Monitor.
IATA noted the experiences of October and September “seem to suggest that the dip in growth rates for August was temporary rather than anything fundamental.”

Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe said that a weight increase on the Boeing 787-9 could impact its operating plans for the aircraft, for which it holds orders for eight. “The 787 is a potential decision as well a potential project for us,” Fyfe said on the sidelines of the Star Alliance CEO meeting in Queenstown, NZ. ANZ is expecting its first 787 by the end of 2013, around three years late. He declined to identify routes for the aircraft. "We have some ideas but we are not talking about it. But the Pacific Rim, South America and to China are places we are looking.”

Ethiopian Airlines and Air China signed an agreement under which the carriers will codeshare on their 14 weekly services between Addis Ababa on the one hand and Guangzhou and Beijing on the other. Air China announced its intent to reach an agreement with ET back in June. Air China is a member of Star Alliance and Ethiopian is in the process of joining.

Horizon Air announced that its technicians ratified a new four-year contract. Of the 72% of Horizon's mechanics who voted, more than 65% were in favor of the agreement, according to the IBT, which represents Horizon’s 337 mechanics. The new contract took effect immediately.

The American Aviation Institute was launched in Washington on Thursday. The organization, which is set-up as an LLC, is affiliated with the George Washington University and describes itself as "the commercial aviation industry's first independent business and policy-oriented think tank."

GECAS delivered one new Airbus A320 to Indian carrier IndiGo Airlines. IndiGo currently operates a fleet of 31 A320s.

Norwegian Air Shuttle took delivery of its first 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior.

TUIfly took delivery of its first 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior.



AVIATION QUOTE

I've learned that it is what I do not know that I fear, and I strive, outwardly from pride, inwardly from the knowledge that the unknown is what will finally kill me, to know all there is to be known about my airplane. I will never die.
— Richard Bach, Stranger to the Ground, 1963.

ON THIS DATE

December 17, 1903.

The Wright Brothers make their first powered and heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.


December 17, 1935

The Douglas DC-3, one of the most significant transport aircraft ever built, made its maiden voyage.


December 17, 1969

The USAF closes Project Blue Book, its 22-year investigation into sightings of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs.

Following the first explosion of UFO sightings in the United States during the summer of 1947, the commander-in-chief of the newly independent United States Air Force asked Lt. General Nathan F. Twining to undertake a study of the strange objects zipping about in America's skies. On September 23, 1947, Twining sent in a preliminary report, in which he suggested the Air Force set up a permanent project to study UFOs. He also noted that a comprehensive search of captured German files on experimental aircraft yielded no clues as to the nature of the objects currently infesting American airspace. Twining's initial report also noted that the reported performance of UFOs exceeded that of any known aircraft -- "ours" or "theirs" (the Soviets').




DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Define Job

Fortunate enough to be stationed near family for a time early in my carrer, I lived in a large house with my Mom, Sister and Niece. It worked out well because I was gone quite often TDY and hated paying for an appartment I seldom got to use.

When my Niece would ask where Uncle Gary was, my family would tell here exactly what I was doing that day.

Where's Uncle Gary? "He's Flying"
"Where's uncle Gary?" "He's TDY to England"
"Where'suncle Gary" "He has class today on base..."
For the better part of 6 years, We always told her exactly what I was doing...

Eventually I got married and PCS'd to Montana for 2 years before again getting an assignment close to home and family.

While waiting for on base housing to become available, we stayed with my Mom since it was near Christmas and we wanted to save a little money. My Niece (Now spent the night to visit with us and was un-aware I would be gone on a Training mission the next morning when she left for school.

As she and my Mom were walking out the door for school, , she asked if she could go in and give me and my wife kiss good-by. My mom said 'You can give one to Aunt Peggy but Uncle Gary is at work"

My Niece's eyes got real big and she asked with a bit of shock in her voice...

"YOU MEAN UNCLE GARY FINALLY GOT A JOB!"



TRIVIA

General Trivia

1. What insect has the greatest flying speed, and how fast can it fly?

2. When scud running, what factor or illusion encourages a pilot to continue flying straight ahead instead of turning around (everything else being equal)?

3. The DRUNK Intersection is near the home of what famous politician?

4. Some ships are powered by Pratt & Whitney turbine engines. How have P&W J-59 aviation engines been used in rail service?

5. True or False, The U.S. Navy established an aerobatic display team before the U.S. Air Force did.

1. What insect has the greatest flying speed, and how fast can it fly?

F/A-18 Hornet, about 1200mph

2. When scud running, what factor or illusion encourages a pilot to continue flying straight ahead instead of turning around (everything else being equal)?

?

3. The DRUNK Intersection is near the home of what famous politician?

Bill Clinton.

4. Some ships are powered by Pratt & Whitney turbine engines. How have P&W J-59 aviation engines been used in rail service?

One.

5. True or False, The U.S. Navy established an aerobatic display team before the U.S. Air Force did.

True.

ANSWERS:

1. Using its four long wings, a dragonfly can reach 60 mph. Its huge eyes give it a field of vision of almost 360 degrees.

2. A pilot glancing rearward sees ground objects disappearing behind the veil of restricted visibility through which he had been flying. This leads him to believe that conditions behind are worsening. He also believes that conditions ahead are improving because forward motion causes progressively more of the terrain ahead to come into view.

3. U.S. Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy, according to sources at the FAA. DRUNK is 22 nm from the Boston Vortac on the 154-degree radial. (Who says the FAA doesn't have a sense of humor?)

4. Jet engines have been installed on flatbed railcars ahead of the locomotive. They were mounted backward with the exhaust blasting forward and downward thus both melting snow and blowing it off the tracks.

5. True. The Blue Angels were formed in 1946 and the Thunderbirds in 1953.