You are at netAirspace : Forum : Air and Space Forums : netAirspace Daily News

NEWS
Qantas delays A380 deliveries; cuts costs

The Qantas Group (QF) will defer deliveries of its Airbus A380s as it moves to further reduce capital expenditure in 2012-13, the company said in a statement. Capital expenditure in 2012-13 will now total $1.9 billion compared to $2.3 billion previously planned.

Lufthansa Group posts €381million 1Q net loss; will eliminate 3,500 administrative jobs

Lufthansa Group (LH) reported a first-quarter net loss of €397 million ($521.9 million), reduced from a €507 net loss in the year-ago quarter. The Group also announced it would eliminate 3,500 administrative jobs worldwide over the coming years as part of its cost-cutting measures to improve operating results by €1.5 billion by the end of 2014.
Link

Air Canada incurs $213 million 1Q loss amid labor strife

Air Canada reported a first-quarter net loss of C$210 million ($213 million), widened from a C$19 million net loss in the 2011 March period, and acknowledged that recent labor unrest has been damaging to AC’s company culture and public brand.
Link

SAS Q1 loss widens on fuel prices, economic uncertainty

SAS Group reported a first-quarter loss of SEK729 million ($108 million), compounding the SEK373 million loss incurred for the year-ago period.
The airline attributed the results primarily due to the weak economic climate, high jet fuel prices and increased capacity in the market.
Link

Spirit Airlines caves, agrees to refund dying veteran's ticket

Spirit Airlines caved to public backlash Friday, agreeing to break its policy and refund the ticket of a terminally ill 76-year-old veteran whose doctor advised him not to fly. The airline previously refused to reimburse Vietnam vet Jerry Meekins for the $197 ticket to New Jersey , citing its strict no-refund policy. Meekins had planned to fly from Florida to New Jersey to visit his daughter before being told his cancer was terminal and advised not to fly, reported Yahoo News.
Link

bmi subsidiary may close in September

UK low-cost carrier bmibaby is planning to close down in September if no buyer can be found. International Airlines Group, parent of British Airways (BA) and Iberia, concluded the purchase of the British Midland group of airlines last month, with the main attraction being mainline carrier bmi’s valuable slots at capacity-constrained London Heathrow.
Link

Air France-KLM Won't Back Down On Costs

Air France-KLM on Friday told both unions and the next French government it would not back down on the need for deep cuts in staff costs as it battles low-cost rivals and high fuel prices.
Link

Gol To Cut Back Fleet After Losses

Gol committed to a smaller fleet for the next three years on Friday, as part of a plan by Brazil's second-largest airline to control costs after posting its third loss in a year.
Link

IAG April Traffic Up On Premium Travel

International Airlines Group, formed by the merger of British Airways and Iberia, posted a rise in April traffic, boosted by strong growth in its first and business class travel although performance was offset by strike action in Spain.
Link

Oakland airport now hub to Allegiant

The low-cost air carrier Allegiant Airlines has established a hub at Oakland International Airport, an operation that will create about 60 new jobs, the Oakland Tribune reports. The hub will result in jobs for flight attendants, pilots, mechanics and airport personnel. Allegiant also announced new nonstop flights between Oakland and seven locations in Idaho, Montana and Oregon.
Link

US Airways offers elite perks to all fliers, for a fee

US Airways is now offering all of its customers that chance to be treated like elite frequent-fliers. For a fee, of course. The airline today announced its PreferredAccess program, which US Airways says will give customers "the option to breeze through the airport and onto the aircraft."
Link

Boeing awarded low rate production contract for Block III Apaches
The US Army has awarded Boeing a $486.4 million firm-fixed-price contract for the low rate initial production (LRIP) of the AH-64D Apache Block III attack helicopter. At the same time, the company also received a $171.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Apache Block III aircraft.
Link

Other News

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, parent of ACMI cargo carriers Atlas Air and Polar Air Cargo, announced Thursday that its Atlas Air unit has inked an agreement with Etihad Airways to provide Boeing 747-400 freighter service for Etihad Cargo.

Spanish IT specialist Indra will help Kenya’s air navigation services provider, Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), modernize terminal operations at the country’s two international gateways: Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta and Mombasa’s Moi airports.

Hungarian-based Wizz Air has doubled its fleet at Budapest Ferihegy International to six Airbus A320s in less than three months.

Poland-based OLT Express has announced more international routes from Warsaw (WAW) from Oct.31. It plans to launch daily flights from WAW to London Gatwick, Cologne/Bonn, Brussels, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Memmingen. It will also launch three weekly services from WAW to Paris Orly, Milan Bergamo, Frankfurt-Hahn, Gothenburg and Lyon. Twice-weekly flights from WAW are planned to Rome Fiumicino, Venice, Saarbrucken and Munster/Osnabruck. All flights will be operated using a 180-seat Airbus A320.

AVIATION QUOTE

I don't want monitors here. I want pilots. . . . Our whole philosophy is that the pilot is in charge of the airplane. We're very anti automation here at this airline.

— Greg Crum, System Chief Pilot Southwest Airlines, 1996.

ON THIS DATE

---In 1927…VARIG is founded as the first Brazilian airline.

---In 1936... Amy Mollison lands at Wingfield Aerodrome, Cape Town, South Africa, to set a new record of 3 days, 6 hours, 26 minutes for a flight from England.

---In 1937... The first successful pressurized airplane cabin is achieved in the Lockheed XC-35.

---In 1956…National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) announces the start of a new research program and a new airplane, the Lockheed U-2. This was the first public acknowledgement of the existence of the U-2. The NACA announcement listed, high altitude research, air turbulence studies, connective cloud tests, wind sheer testing, jet stream research, cosmic rays studies, ozone and water vapor studies. All this research happened much later. The U-2 was a spy plane, the research projects were just a cover story. (Q)

---In 1960…The Soviet Union exposes an American cover-up about the status of a USAF Lockheed U-2 spy plane that was shot down over Russia six days prior. Assuming the aircraft was destroyed and the pilot killed, the US said a weather recon aircraft was lost, added NASA titles to a different airframe for media photos, and said the aircraft reported problems with oxygen before disappearing. Russia then came forward, adding information previously held back, that the pilot had survived and much of the spy aircraft was intact, proving the American scheme. Pilot Frank Powers would be returned to the United States in February of 1962.

---In 1964…Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 crashes in San Ramon California after a suicidal passenger shoots both pilots in-flight. Francisco Gonzales, having financial and marital problems, purchased a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver and even notified friends and family that he’d be dying on May 6th or May 7th. He purchased a $105,000 insurance policy at Stockton Airport (SCK) before boarding the Fokker F-27 Friendship (N2770R) bound for Reno, Nevada. A few minutes after reaching their assigned altitude of 5,000ft, a sound is heard on the radio and the aircraft disappears from radar. The final transmission is determined by investigators to be the First Officer saying “Skipper’s shot. We’ve been shot. I was trying to help.” All 44 on the aircraft perish. The daughter of the the Captain, Julie Clark, goes on to become one of the first female airline Captains herself for Hughes Airwest and Northwest Airlines, and then going on to become an aerobatic pilot.

---In 1979... Air France is the first airline to operate the Lockheed L-1011-500, a long-range version of the TriStar with shorter fuselage, more powerful engines, and improved aerodynamics.

---In 1981…Austral Lineas Aereas Flight 901, a BAC-111 (LV-VOX) crashes 9 miles out on approach to Buenos Aires-Jorge Newbery Airport in Argentina. While in a holding pattern over the Río de la Plata, the aircraft succumbs to a violent thunderstorm, killing all 31 onboard after crashing into the river.

---In 1984…The Pilatus PC-9, a low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft, makes its maiden flight.

---In 1986…Aircraft designer Al Mooney dies at the age of 80.

---In 1990.. Air India Flight 132 catches fire on landing at Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport in India. An improperly installed fuse pin on the #1 engine on the Boeing 747 causes a fuel line to rupture after the reverse thrust is activated on landing. All 215 people on the aircraft escape with their lives, although the aircraft is completely destroyed.

---In 1991…The brand new Space Shuttle Endeavour, built to replace the destroyed Challenger, arrives at Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

---In 2000… Asteroid 2000 EH26 had a Near-Earth Flyby (0.041 AU).

---In 2002…China North Airlines Flight 6163, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (B-2138) crashes into the bay near Dalian, China, after a passenger sets fire to the cabin. The man is said to have terminal cancer, and purchased seven insurance policies worth $1.4 million for himself just prior to boarding the flight, where he uses gasoline snuck onto the aircraft into a water bottle. The fiery crash kills all 112 people aboard, who die mostly from carbon monoxide inhalation.

---In 2005…Aero Tropics Air Services Flight 675 crashes into the side of a mountain while on approach to Lockhart River Airport in Australia, killing all 15 occupants. The Swearingen SA.227DC Metro 23 (VH-TFU) strikes the ridge at a height of 1,200ft, well below the minimum safe altitude of 2,060ft, and is blamed on the crew not noticing their AGL (above ground level) altitude and increased descent rate.

DAILY VIDEO

EDITOR’S CHOICE

HUMOR

Special Forces V. Seals

Two Seals boarded a quick shuttle flight out of Dallas, headed for Houston. One sat in the window seat, the other sat in the middle seat.

Just before take-off, A Green Beret got on and took the aisle seat next to the two Seals. The Green Beret kicked off his boots, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Seal in the window seat said, "I think I'll get up and get a coke."

"No problem," said the Green Beret, "I'll get it for you." While he was gone, the Seal picked up the Green Beret's boot and spit in it.

When the Green Beret returned with the coke, the other Seal said, "That looks good, I think I'll have one too."

Again, the Green Beret obligingly went to fetch it and while he was gone, the Seal picked up the other boot and spit in it.

The Green Beret returned and they all sat back and enjoyed the short flight to Houston.

As the plane was landing, the Green Beret slipped his feet into his boots and knew immediately what had happened.

"How long must this go on?" the Green Beret asked. "This fighting between our groups? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting in boots and pissing in cokes?"

TRIVIA

General Trivia

1. The classic de Havilland DHC–2 Beaver is a large, single-engine, high-wing bush plane made in Canada. Why are its three fuel tanks (forward, center, and aft) in the fuselage below the cabin floor instead of in the wings?

2. A piano is optional equipment on both the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380. What was the first passenger aircraft to have a piano for in-flight entertainment?

3. What is wrong with the following transmission from NorCal Approach Control? “November One-Four-Seven-Mike-Oscar is cleared for the Sacramento ILS approach to Runway One-Six-Right. Report passing Jarnu to Capitol Tower on One-Two-Five-Point-Seven.” (Knowledge of this airport or its approach is not needed to answer the question.)

4. A pilot is flying a typical light twin-engine, piston-powered airplane that is equipped for flight into known icing conditions. What aircraft item represents the greatest drain on electrical power in such an aircraft?

5. Each of the 50 states has an official bird, an official flower, and so forth, but only two have official aircraft. What are those states, and what are their official aircraft?

6. Of what aeronautical significance was the New York socialite, Mrs. Waldo Polk?

7. What is meant by the term hot refueling?

8. There is an airport that has a single runway designated as Runway 02G in one direction and Runway 20G in the other. What is the significance of the letter G in each of these runway numbers?

1. The classic de Havilland DHC–2 Beaver is a large, single-engine, high-wing bush plane made in Canada. Why are its three fuel tanks (forward, center, and aft) in the fuselage below the cabin floor instead of in the wings?

2. A piano is optional equipment on both the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380. What was the first passenger aircraft to have a piano for in-flight entertainment?

3. What is wrong with the following transmission from NorCal Approach Control? “November One-Four-Seven-Mike-Oscar is cleared for the Sacramento ILS approach to Runway One-Six-Right. Report passing Jarnu to Capitol Tower on One-Two-Five-Point-Seven.” (Knowledge of this airport or its approach is not needed to answer the question.)

4. A pilot is flying a typical light twin-engine, piston-powered airplane that is equipped for flight into known icing conditions. What aircraft item represents the greatest drain on electrical power in such an aircraft?

5. Each of the 50 states has an official bird, an official flower, and so forth, but only two have official aircraft. What are those states, and what are their official aircraft?

6. Of what aeronautical significance was the New York socialite, Mrs. Waldo Polk?

7. What is meant by the term hot refueling?

8. There is an airport that has a single runway designated as Runway 02G in one direction and Runway 20G in the other. What is the significance of the letter G in each of these runway numbers?

1. The classic de Havilland DHC–2 Beaver is a large, single-engine, high-wing bush plane made in Canada. Why are its three fuel tanks (forward, center, and aft) in the fuselage below the cabin floor instead of in the wings?