GE in search of more engine applications GE Aviation says it is talking "seriously" with a couple of airframers about the next applications for its Honda joint-venture engines beyond the HF120 for the HondaJet. Link
Saab keeps watch on Indian fighter contest Saab has not given up hope of winning the Indian air force's medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contest, despite having failed to make the service's shortlist when it narrowed the field to two European models early last month. Link
MAS' first A380 enters final assembly Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) first Airbus A380 has entered the airframer's final assembly line in Toulouse. The superjumbo jet, which entered the line on 7 June, will have its front, central and aft fuselage sections, wings and horizontal and vertical tails assembled at the first stage. Link
Aircell claims Ka-based airborne connectivity not realistic until 2015 Superfast Ka satellite-based in-flight connectivity holds much promise for airlines but it likely won't become a realistic option in the United States or abroad until 2015, Aircell president and CEO Michael Small predicts. Link
Boeing anticipates T-X delay, promotes new jet to replace T-38 Boeing executives expect the US Air Force to delay replacing the Northrop T-38C Talon by several years as the company continues to promote the costlier option of developing a new jet trainer. Link
Gulfstream marks business jet milestones Gulfstream has received type certificate validation for its G150 midsize business jet from the Ukraine state aviation administration. Link
LSA flight school exceeds 10,000 hours Chesapeake Sport Pilot in Stevensville, Md., has become the first light sport flight school in the nation to exceed 10,000 flight hours on its fleet of Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). Link
AF447 search and recovery operation officially ends The search and recovery operation for the Air France A330-200 that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean two years ago while en route to Paris Charles de Gaulle from Rio de Janeiro officially ended late last week, the French BEA said Tuesday. Link
Contractors Eye $3.8B USAF Support Contract The U.S. Air Force plans to fold operations, maintenance, systems engineering and sustainment work at the Eastern and Western Test Ranges and the Space and Missile Systems Center into a single contract, estimated to be worth about $3.8 billion over 10 years. Link
Airline On-Time Performance Down In April Domestic on-time performance for U.S. carriers fell to its second lowest for any April in the past 17 years, the Transportation Department’s Bureau for Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported June 7. Link
A350-1000: Key Customers Want More Thrust Airbus and Rolls-Royce are believed to be working on a potential thrust margin increase of about 5,000 lb. for the Trent XWB engine that will power the A350-1000, a sufficiently substantial design change that would force the planned entry-into-service target for the larger model to slide from 2015 to at least 2016. Link
Other News
AirBaltic will operate weekly Riga-Tenerife South Boeing 757 service starting June 9.
Aeromexico will launch daily Chicago O'Hare-Monterrey-Guanajuato Embraer 190 service July 4.
Scandinavian Airlines will relaunch five-times-weekly Airbus A340-300 Copenhagen-Shanghai Pudong service March 1, 2012.
Turkish Airlines revised its codeshare agreement with TAP Portugal Airlines; the carriers will now reciprocally place their codes on each other's flights.
Wizz Air Ukraine will launch thrice-weekly Kiev Zhuliany-Girona service Sept. 6.
Goodrich will close one of its 10 landing gear facilities by the end of the year due to a decrease in work volume. The facility on Marble Avenue in Cincinnati primarily assembles and machines landing gear for military aircraft, but it also machines the gear for the Boeing 777. The 777 work will transfer to Goodrich’s plant in Oakville, Ontario.
AVIATION QUOTE An airplane might disappoint any pilot but it'll never surprise a good one.
— Len Morgan
ON THIS DATE
June 9th
• In 1861... Two members of the First Rhode Island Regiment, James Allen and Dr. William H. Helme, make the first U.S. Army trial captive balloon ascent.
• In 1908... The Aeronautical Society of the United States is established in New York.
• In 1916... With an envelope capacity of 170,000 cu. ft. and an endurance of 11 hours, the first of 45 Coastal (C)-type, nonrigid British airships ordered for the Royal Naval Air Service makes its first flight from the airship station at Pembroke.
• In 1974... The first flight of Northrop YF-17 experimental lightweight fighter is made. It is built to test what might be called the aerodynamics of agility, with all of the factors of weight, materials, and design geared to making it as agile as possible.
Moses & Jesus Moses and Jesus were in a threesome playing golf one day. Moses pulled up to the tee and drove a long one. The ball landed in the fairway, but rolled directly toward a water hazard. Quickly Moses raised his club, the water parted and it rolled to the other side, safe and sound.
Next, Jesus strolled up to the tee and hit a nice long one directly toward the same water hazard. It landed right in the center of the pond and kind of hovered over the water. Jesus casually walked out on the pond and chipped the ball onto the green.
The third guy got up and randomly whacked the ball. It headed out over the fence and into oncoming traffic on a nearby street.
It bounced off a truck and hit a nearby tree. From there, it bounced onto the roof of a shack close by and rolled down into the gutter, down the drain spout, out onto the fairway and straight toward the aforementioned pond. On the way to the pond, the ball hit a stone and bounced out over the water onto a lily pad, where it rested quietly. Suddenly a very large bullfrog jumped up on a lily pad and snatched the ball into his mouth. Just then, an eagle swooped down and grabbed the frog and flew away. As they passed over the green, the frog squealed with fright and dropped the ball, which bounced right into the cup for a hole in one.
Moses turned to Jesus and said, "I hate playing with your Dad."
TRIVIA
Airplane Names From Sport Teams
The ATA code for the city as well as the sport league association. You provide the manufacturer and airplane designation.
