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In Observance of Labor Day. The NAS Daily will not be posted on Monday. We'll be back on Tuesday, 06 SEPT 11.

NEWS

Aer Lingus incurs €13.1 million six-month loss
Aer Lingus Group (EI) reported a consolidated net loss of €13.1 million ($18.9 million) in the 2011 first half, narrowed from an €18.4 million deficit in the year-ago period, and upgraded its profit outlook for the full year.
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Boeing completes first flights of Cargolux 747-8F and ANA's 787
Boeing has completed first flights of the 787 and 747-8F scheduled for delivery this year, readying the two new types for handover later this month. The first 747-8F for Cargolux, designated RC502 and registered LX-VCB, completed its B1 production first flight on 31 August. All Nippon Airways' first 787, designated ZA101 and registered JA801A, completed its maiden sortie on 1 September.
Link

LIBYA: How power shift will change NATO air campaign
With opposition forces having entered the Libyan capital, Tripoli, largely unchecked on 21 August, the combat phase of NATO's Unified Protector campaign is widely expected to begin drawing down within the coming days or weeks.
Link

Delta order indicative of urgent fleet needs
The recent order of 100 Boeing 737-900ERs by Delta Air Lines reflects an urgency by legacy carriers to replace ageing aircraft, but the airline's decision to go with the -900ER does not preclude it from being an operator of the re-engined 737 Max. Delta, which first announced the order on 25 August, said separately in a regulatory filing on 30 August that it is cancelling 126 existing options for 737-800s in exchange for an additional 30 options for the -900ER, on top of the 100 firm orders.
Link

United cuts flight schedules at Denver airport
United Airlines, which is in the midst of merging with Continental Airlines, is committed to Denver International Airport as a hub, airline spokeswoman Christen David says. "United still operates over 400 flights per day out of Denver, more than double any other carrier," David said. However, the carrier is trimming its monthly flight schedules in Denver.
Link

Bombardier reports 53% increase in quarterly profit
Bombardier Inc. said its second-quarter income reached $211 million, up from $138 million during the same period the previous year. The Montreal-based firm said higher revenue from its transportation and aerospace divisions helped boost its quarterly profit by 53%.
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EU's Emissions Trading Scheme faces increased opposition
The U.S., Canada, Australia and other nations have voiced opposition to the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme. China and Russia are reportedly encouraging other countries to come out against the EU plan. The Air Transport Association has a lawsuit pending against the scheme.
Link

Column: TSA aims to shed one-size-fits-all approach
A decade after the 2001 terror attacks, the Transportation Security Administration is still trying to make security checkpoints less cumbersome for travelers, writes Scott McCartney in The Wall Street Journal. "The whole idea is to try to continue to move away from one-size-fits-all" screening, TSA Administrator John Pistole said. "We are doing this to try to improve the passenger experience without diminishing the layers of security we have." The TSA also plans to launch a "trusted traveler" program this fall.
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U.S. tightens security ahead of 9/11 anniversary
The U.S. is strengthening security at airports ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. "At this point there is no specific credible threat, but that doesn't mean we are relaxing at all in terms of our vigilance," said John Brennan, White House homeland security and counterterrorism adviser. The security ramp-up will also cover train stations, nuclear plants and sporting arenas. The Department of Homeland Security is concerned about individuals acting alone, as well as about terrorist groups.
Link

Blog: Exploring airline fees on carrier's website
Adrian Burns explains in this blog post how the government is requiring carriers to disclose various fees on their websites. Burns tested the disclosure requirement out on Southwest Airlines' website. Burns said it took him 21.5 seconds to find information about fees, and he was surprised to discover all the various à la carte offerings.
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Joint Strike Fighter program faces new threat
U.S. Navy Undersecretary Robert Work has questioned whether one of the three versions of the F-35 should be canceled, the latest threat to the Joint Strike Fighter program. Meanwhile, Pentagon experts and program leaders are preparing for a review by the Defense Acquisition Board
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Air Force plans to lift grounding of F-22, sources say
The U.S. Air Force has not yet determined what went wrong in the oxygen system of the F-22 Raptors, but still plans to lift the grounding of the fleet, sources said. Officials plan to gather later this week to determine restrictions on the jets. The F-22s have been grounded since May 3 after pilots reported "hypoxia-like" symptoms.
Link

White House is consulting Congress on selling drones to South Korea
The Obama administration is consulting lawmakers about the possibility of selling Global Hawk surveillance drones to South Korea, sources say. However, a number of questions remain, including the potential value of the deal for manufacturer Northrop Grumman.
Link


Other News

The Romanian government approved a plan to partially privatize Tarom. The airline was not included among a list of state-owned entities the government said earlier this year it would privatize, though the carrier's privatization has been speculated about for some time.

Lao Airlines, mainly a turboprop operator, ordered two CFM56-powered A320s, becoming a new Airbus customer. "With the arrival of the A320, Lao Airlines is moving into a new phase of its development, offering passengers a faster, more comfortable link to the world," the carrier stated on its website. "The aircraft will fly primarily on international services [from Vientiane] to Bangkok, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Kunming."

The Serbian government is once again trying to sell financially troubled, state-owned Jat Airways—or at least find an investor willing to operate and manage a "new" Belgrade-based airline. Jat's total debt is estimated at about €300 million ($433 million), multiple Serbian media outlets reported.

Copa Airlines inked a codeshare agreement with Tame Ecuador. It will initially include Quito-Panama and Guayaquil-Panama service and will later expand to include flights in Ecuador as well as to the entire Latin American region.

QantasLink will launch 12-times-weekly Geraldton-Perth Bombardier Q400 service Nov. 21. It will also introduce the Q400 on Exmouth-Perth service Mondays and Wednesdays; Boeing 717s will operate the route Fridays and Sundays.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines launched thrice-weekly Maastricht-Amsterdam-Yekaterinburg-Krasnoyarsk-Zhengzhou Boeing 747-400F service.

JetBlue Airways and TAM Airlinesreached a new interline partnership, allowing customers to purchase a single e-ticket itinerary combining flights on both carriers' networks.



AVIATION QUOTE

My first shock came when I touched the rudder. The thing tried to bite its own tail. The next surprise I got was when I landed; she stalled at a hundred and ten miles an hour.

— Jimmy Haizlip, commenting on his only flight in the Gee Bee.



ON THIS DATE

September 2nd

---In 1858... Samuel King introduces the 1st dragline in America. It is a long rope attached to the basket, which helps to stabilize altitude by dragging on the ground when the balloon is flying very low.

---In 1891... The 1st parachute descent by a Canadian woman is made when Nellie Lamount jumps from a hot-air balloon during a fair in Quebec.

---In 1910... Blanche Scott, the 1st woman pilot in the United States, makes a solo flight at Lake Keuka, Hammondsport.

---In 1942…First flight of the Hawker Tempest.

---In 1949…First flight of the De Havilland Venom.

---In 1998…Swissair Flight 111, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, crashed into the sea near Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada, due to smoke in the cockpit caused by insulation burning in the shell. All 229 people on board perished.

---In 1998…First flight of the Boeing 717.

---In 2008…ExpressJet Airlines ended operations as an independent carrier.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

The Enemy

At Da Nang, a tough, experienced Marine lieutenant was indoctrinating a group of men fresh in for service in his platoon. "Don't never sell these boys out here short! They're rough, tough, real blitzers! Never mind what you learnt in trainin', forgett all that jazz and remember they're battle-tough and take no sh*t. Don't let lem out of your sight. If they jump fer cover, you jump, too. Don't never take your eye off 'em."

One GI piped up, "Just how near to the Viet Cong are we, Lieutenant?"

" Who the hell said anything about the VC?" the off icer shouted, "I'm talking about my own Gunnies!"



TRIVIA

Fighters

1. This stubby monoplane had the first retractable landing gear of any monoplane. What was this airplane called?
Polikarpov I-15ter
Polikarpov I-16
Curtiss P-36
Focke Wulf 190

2. What was France's most numerous fighter when the Germans invaded in May 1940?
Hawk 75A
Fokker D. XXI
D. 520
M.S. 406

3. The Messerschmitt Komet was fast, very fast, it was in fact, uncatchable except during what time?
attacking
Climbing
Gliding
Takeoff

4. The fastest fighter of World War II was the Me 163 "Komet". The rocket motor made it fast but the tailess body made it even faster. Who was the designer of the tailess body?
Kurt Tank
Alexander Lippisch
Willy Messerschmitt
Hugo Junkers

5. Everybody knows about the A6M "Zero" fighter. However it was far from being Japan's most effective mass-produced fighter, what was the pick of Japan's litter?
J2M "Raiden
KI-44 "Shoki"
KI-29 "Hayabusa"
KI-84 "Hayate"

Now, even though I lack some answers here, as nobody wants to take a shot I'll fire away ...
-HT

1. This stubby monoplane had the first retractable landing gear of any monoplane. What was this airplane called?
Probably one of the Polikarpov's ...
Polikarpov I-15ter
Polikarpov I-16


2. What was France's most numerous fighter when the Germans invaded in May 1940?
M.S. 406

3. The Messerschmitt Komet was fast, very fast, it was in fact, uncatchable except during what time?
Gliding


4. The fastest fighter of World War II was the Me 163 "Komet". The rocket motor made it fast but the tailess body made it even faster. Who was the designer of the tailess body?
Alexander Lippisch. Famous designer whose glory nowadays is widely forgotten, while everybody remembers Willy Messerschmitt and Hugo Junkers.

5. Everybody knows about the A6M "Zero" fighter. However it was far from being Japan's most effective mass-produced fighter, what was the pick of Japan's litter?
sorry, no clue.

ANSWERS:

1. Polikarpov I-16. The I-16 was a revolution when it first appeared in the mid 30's, however it was purely cannon-fodder for the hungry 109's and 190's of Operation Barbarossa. The I-16 was nicknamed the "Rata" by the Germans. Also the aircraft was difficult to fly because of its short fuselage.

2. M.S. 406. The Dewoitine had a top speed of 329 mph, one 20mm cannon, four 7.5mm machine guns and a ceiling of over 36,000 ft. However, there were not enough to halt the German tide. The M.S. 406 was France's most numerous fighter during 1940. It could be effective in the hands of an experienced pilot, but with an average pilot, it was no match for a Bf-109.

3. Gliding. The Komet could reach speeds of nearly 600 mph when climbing, so climbing and takeoff are out, and the Komet would continue to fly at high speeds when attacking (also it was incredibly maneuverable), only after its fuel went out and it began to glide home was it vulnerable to our fighters

4. Alexander Lippisch. The Me-163 had the best gliding characteristics of any fighter in the war with an astounding glide ratio. However, with the addition of an engine (rocket), everything changes. The propellants were very explosive, burned very rapidly, and were incredibly corrosive, there is one account of a pilot actually dissolving in his seat when the mixture was spilled on him!

5. KI-84 "Hayate.” The "Frank" was the only Japanese fighter to establish parity with the American Corsairs, Hellcats, and Mustangs in the Pacific war. American pilots, for the first time in the Pacific couldn't just speed away to get out of a fight with a "Frank". However, the aircraft's engine suffered from numerous teething troubles which delayed its entry into service until it was too late.