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NEWS

Boeing eyes 787 certification by end of August
Boeing expected to conclude the 787 flight test program this past weekend and is aiming to receive US FAA certification later this month ahead of first delivery in September to All Nippon Airways, according to The Seattle Times.
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Jetstar expected to start Narita-based LCC with JAL
Qantas low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Asia is expected to set up an airline in Japan as the demand for cheaper travel sweeps across Asia. The new carrier will be a partnership between Jetstar, Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Corp.
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ACI: World traffic grew 6.6% in 2010, 6% in 2011 first half
Airports Council International's World Annual Traffic Report released this month details a "strong rebound from the two-year industry slump," the organization noted, pointing out that worldwide airport passengers increased 6.6% in 2010 compared to 2009 to reach 5.04 billion for the full year. That marked the most passengers ever in a single year.
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Qantas acquires 110 Airbus A320s, cuts jobs, launches new LCC
Qantas Group will make a swathe of changes across the company, including the acquisition of 110 Airbus A320 aircraft - of which 78 are A320neos - thousands of job cuts at its international operation, the creation of an as-yet unnamed premium Asian airline, and a new Japanese low-cost carrier, Jetstar Japan, in partnership with JAL and Mitsubishi.
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Bangkok Airways to receive its first A350-800 in 2015
Bangkok Airways expects to take delivery of its first Airbus A350-800 in 2015. The carrier has a total of four A350-800s on order, but has not received a firm delivery schedule for the subsequent three, a company spokesman said.
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Transaero tentatively signs for A320neo
Russian carrier Transaero is planning to break from its traditional preference for Boeing aircraft with an order for Airbus A320neos. The Moscow-based airline disclosed a memorandum of understanding for eight of the type at the MAKS Moscow air show.
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Airlines keep close eye on capacity amid slow economy
The slowdown in the economy is hurting airlines' ability to increase fares as they try to cope with persistently high fuel costs. The situation might force carriers to reduce their capacity. Some airlines, including Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, have already started cutting back. Air Transport Association Chief Economist John Heimlich says airlines continue to refine "capacity dial."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-1 ... tion-.html]Link[/url]

Hong Kong investment firm buys 7.3% stake in American Airlines
A Hong Kong investment firm has purchased a 7.3% stake in American Airlines. Subsidiaries of the Hong Leong/Guoco Group conglomerate, controlled by billionaire Quek Leng Chan, purchased 24.4 million shares of the U.S. carrier. According to the Guoco Group's website, the company has "the vision of achieving long-term sustainable returns for its shareholders and creating prime capital value."
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Experts recommend changes to airline-pilot training
Congress has tapped a group of experts to recommend ways to improve the safety of airlines. The group has come up with a couple of dozen suggestions, including an overhaul of the way airline pilots are trained. Pilots need better access to advanced simulators and an improvement in leadership skills and should improve their manual flying skills, according to the group.
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Column: Pilot error is still a risk on smart planes
Columnist Peter Garrison discusses the Air France crash of June 1, 2009, and how it appears that the pilot "inadvertently mishandled" the jet. The pilot and his co-pilots failed to get the nose of the jet down, which would have allowed the Airbus to recover, Garrison writes.
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Global markets will drive up oil product exports, report says
Poten & Partners Inc. has released a report that says oil-product exports from refineries on the Atlantic Coast of the U.S. could increase by as much as 40% this year. Buyers in northern Europe, the Caribbean and Mediterranean will increase their purchases, according to the report. "While this increased activity is over a relatively small base, the point of note is the willingness of the international markets to snap up incremental supplies made available from a region that has long been a net importer," Poten said.
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Editorial: EU's tax on American travelers is unjust
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., argues that the European Union's climate-change levy is simply a tax on travelers, Americans and others that will do little to protect the environment. "The EU's actions are a blatantly illegal affront to U.S. sovereignty," Sensenbrenner writes. The Air Transport Association has filed a lawsuit against the move in EU courts. Legal experts, however, do not expect EU courts to overturn the law.
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Other News

Boeing said it finalized an order with Air Lease Corp. for 14 737-800s plus four options and five 777-300ERs. The firm aircraft are valued at $2.5 billion at list prices. The order is part of an agreement announced during the Paris Air Show in June.

Lufthansa Technik announced several changes in key positions effective Sept. 1. Senior VP-Engine Services Burkhard Andrich and Senior VP-Aircraft Component Services Johannes Bussmann will swap posts. VP-Engine Overhaul at Hamburg Stephan Drewes was appointed CEO of LH Technik Malta. LH Technik Philippines CEO Bernhard Krueger-Sprengel will take over as VP-engine overhaul at Hamburg. VP-Aircraft Overhaul and Modification Services Gerald Frielinghaus was appointed CEO of LH Technik Philippines. LH Technik Malta CEO Aloysius Giordimaina will retire but continue to serve as a member of the company's supervisory board.

US Dept. of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics said the nation's largest carriers reported 14 total tarmac delays of more than 3 hr. in June, compared to three in the year-ago month and 16 in May. Flights with the longest tarmac delays, ranging from 209 min. to 238 min., were reported by American Eagle Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and United Airlines. Five of the delays occurred at Chicago O'Hare June 21 and three at Washington Dulles June 16, days on which ORD and IAD experienced storms.

BAE Systems and new aircraft asset manager Falko signed a long-term agreement under which BAE Systems Regional Aircraft will continue to provide the full range of Total Support solutions to existing and future operators of the in-service fleet of BAe 146/Avro RJ regional jets and ATP and Jetstream family turboprops that are managed by Falko.

AAR opened a new 12,500 sq. ft. aircraft wheel and brake services facility in Miami.

Wizz Air will launch thrice-weekly Warsaw-Stavanger service in April 2012. It also announced it will add a fourth Airbus A320 to its Warsaw base in April 2012, increasing services to London Luton (21-times-weekly to 25-times-weekly), Brussels Charleroi (five-times-weekly to daily), Stockholm Skavsta (five-times-weekly to daily), Rome Fiumicino (five-times-weekly to daily), Milan Bergamo (twice-weekly to four-times-weekly), Gothenburg (twice-weekly to thrice-weekly), Oslo Sandefjord Torp (thrice-weekly to five-times-weekly), Barcelona (twice-weekly to thrice-weekly) and Eindhoven (twice-weekly to thrice-weekly) from April 2012.

REDjet will start thrice-weekly Guyana-Trinidad service Sept. 12, increasing to four-times-weekly Oct. 2.



AVIATION QUOTE

Instrument flying is when your mind gets a grip on the fact that there is vision beyond sight.

— U.S. Navy 'Approach' magazine c. W.W.II.



ON THIS DATE

August 16th

---In 1942... The 82nd Airborne (All American) paratroop division is formed.

---In 1944…The world’s first and only successful rocket-powered warplane, Germany’s Messerschmitt Me 163, is used against enemy bombers for the first time.

---In 1944…The first flight of the Junkers Ju 287 takes place in Germany. The forward-swept winged, four-engined aircraft was a testbed for jet bomber technology, built mostly of parts salvaged from other aircraft. Before the second aircraft is completed, the Junkers factory is overrun by the Red Army. The Soviets would take the prototypes back to Russia for further development and create a derivative known as the OKB-1 EF 140, but the design is abandoned soon after.

---In 1948…First flight of the Northrop Northrop XF-89 Scorpion.

--- In 1952... The prototype Bristol Type 175 Britannia (G-ALBO) makes its first flight from Filton, Bristol, England.

--- In 1960... Captain Joe Kittinger jumps from a gondola, suspended from a balloon, 102,800 feet to the ground using a parachute. He breaks the records for greatest altitude from which a parachute descent had been made and the longest delayed parachute jump.

---1965…United Airlines Flight 389, a new Boeing 727–100, crashed into Lake Michigan 30 miles east northeast of Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The crew were told to descend and maintain 6,000 feet, which was the last radio communication with the flight. The NTSB was not able to determine why the airliner continued its descent into the water.

---In 1969…A new piston-engine airspeed record is set by Darryl Greenamayer in a heavily modified F8F Bearcat: 478mph.

---In 1984…First flight of the ATR 42.

In 1987…Northwest Airlines Flight 255, an MD-82 (N312RC) crashes on takeoff from Detroit (DTW), killing all but one of the 155 people on board, as well as two people on the ground. The lone survivor is a four year old girl. The crash would be blamed on the crew’s failure to set the flaps for takeoff, and an electrical failure that prevented an alarm from sounding that would have warned the crew that the plane was not configured properly for takeoff.

---In 1995…A Concorde sets a new speed record for a round-the-world flight. It returns to JFK International Airport in New York after a journey lasting 31 hours 27 minutes, passing through Toulouse, Dubai, Bangkok, Guam, Honolulu and Acapulco.

---In 2005…West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 was a West Caribbean Airways charter flight which crashed in a mountainous region in northwest Venezuela on the morning of Tuesday, 16 August 2005, killing all 152 passengers and eight crew.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Different Branches

General Joe Whigham is ordered by the Secretary of Defense to gather together a Navy Lieutenant and Captains from the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force to discover why the services have trouble communicating with each other. He begins by saying that their first project task is to "secure" a certain building, and asks each of them to go home and prepare a list of steps for the project management plan and bring them to the meeting the next morning.

The Navy Lieutenant calls his Master Chief and says, "Tell those swabs to:
• Unplug the coffeepots
• Turn off the computers
• Turn out the lights
• Lock the doors and leave the building unoccupied

The Army Captain has his list in his notepad:
• Assemble the company
• Appoint guard mount and Sergeant of the Guard
• Take control of all exits
• Make sure no one gets into the building without a pass

The Marine Corps Captain writes down her steps on palm of her hand:
• Assemble the platoon and supplies
• Approach the building along three axes
• Bring the building under mortar and SAW fire
• Assault the building under covering fire
• Sequester surviving prisoners
• Establish lanes of fire
• Prepare artillery calls
• Repel counterattacks

The Air Force Captain types his list into his laptop:
• Contact real estate agent
• Negotiate 1-year lease
• Be sure to get option to buy



TRIVIA

WW2 Trivia

1. What Soviet aircraft did Stalin say was more important to the Russians than bread?
Ilyushin Il-2
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3
Yakovlev Yak-3
Petleyakov Pe-2

2. What was the difference between the North American P-51D and P-51K Mustangs?
One was more heavily armed
One had a 'bubble-top' canopy.
One was faster
They were built at different factories

3. For different marks of the Supermarine Spitfire, which letter suffix denoted a universal wing?
C
B
A
E

4. What was distinctive about the Messerschmitt Bf109T?
It was an unarmed reconnaissance version
It was designed as a carrier-borne fighter
It was the fastest Bf109
It didn't exist

5. The Beech Model 18 operated in many guises as a transport and training aircraft with both the USAAF and the RAF. Which version was known as the Kansan?
AT-10
C-45
AT-11
AT-7

6. How did the Handley Page Hereford differ mainly from its sister aircraft, the Hampden?
It had a single tailplane - not twin.
It was a long-range version with extra fuel tanks.
It was a torpedo-carrying version.
It had different powerplants.

7. How did the Handley Page Hereford differ mainly from its sister aircraft, the Hampden?
It had a single tailplane - not twin.
It was a long-range version with extra fuel tanks.
It was a torpedo-carrying version.
It had different powerplants.

8. What was the only Japanese aircraft to bomb the United States mainland during WW2?
Kawanishi H8K
Mitsubishi G4M
Yokosuka E14Y
Kawasaki Ki.21

9. The Bristol Belnheim Mk. V was initially known as the :

10. By the end of WW2, how many Dornier Do-17s had survived in a flyable condition?
1
about 100
about 50
more than 200

8. What was the only Japanese aircraft to bomb the United States mainland during WW2?

Yokosuka E14Y?

Joe Kittinger is my hero.

1. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3
2. One was more heavily armed
3. E
4. It didn't exist
5. AT-10
6. It was a long-range version with extra fuel tanks.
7. It was a long-range version with extra fuel tanks. (Either I got it right twice . . . or wrong twice )
8. Yokosuka E14Y
9. Guppie
10. about 100

Can't help but notice (noob alert), but on the Daily Photo, the area on the nose just above the blueish-purple looks like the fluid remains of perhaps a birdstrike.

ANSWERS:

1. Ilyushin Il-2. The Il-2 was a ground attack 'shturmovik' that was built in greater numbers than any other Russian aircraft.

2. They were built at different factories. The P-51D was built at Inglewood, California. The P-51K was identical (except for the Aeroprop propeller) but was built at Dallas, Texas.

3. C. The 'universal wing' first appeared on Mark V Spitfires in October 1941. With this wing, Spitfires could be adapted in the field to carry a variety of armaments according to the mission requirements.

4. It was designed as a carrier-borne fighter. The Bf109T (Träger) version was the only German fighter aircraft designed to be flown from the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. Based on the Bf109E, it was equipped with an arrestor hook, folding
wings and catapult spools. 70 were built (including the pre-production versions) but, failing the realization of the Graf Zeppelin project, they were operated from land bases, mainly with JG77 in Scandinavia.

5. AT-11. The AT-11 Kansan was an advanced aircrew trainer for bombing and gunnery. It was originally named Kansas.

6. It had different powerplants. The Hereford was powered by Napier Dagger engines instead of the more reliable Bristol Pegasus used on the Hampden. It was an operational failure and was only used in training.

7. True. Approximately 35,000 Bf.109s were produced, compared to 30,000 Yak-1s, 20,531 Spitfires and 15,686 Mustangs.

8. Yokosuka E14Y. The E14Y was a small floatplane capable of being carried by submarine. In 1942 a E14Y1 was launched from IJN submarine I-25 off the west coast of the USA. It dropped four 167lbs (76kg) phosphorus bombs on a forest in
Oregon.

9. Bisley. The Bisley (or Blenheim Mk.V) was not an operational success. This was largely due to a 17% increase in its gross weight despite similar powerplants to earlier marks.

10. 1. The Do-17 bomber was gradually withdrawn from front-line service and by 1942 was used mainly as a glider tug and transport aircraft. By the end of the war only one remained in a fit enough condition to be evaluated by the Allies.