News
BA to allow passengers to use IFE for entire flight
British Airways is to allow passengers to watch and listen to in-flight entertainment from boarding through to landing, following an assessment of safety considerations. Chief executive Keith Williams, speaking at a BA event in London on 26 November, said the airline would no longer "pull the plug" - typically about 20min from touchdown - on passengers who wished to continue using the IFE. BA will introduce the new policy on 1 December.
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Qatar 787 to make Heathrow debut on 13 December
Qatar Airways will launch Doha-London Heathrow services using its new Boeing 787 on 13 December. It will be the first airline to serve the UK using the new Boeing. Initially, one of the airline's five daily flights will be operated with the Dreamliner. Flight QR075 will depart Doha at 06:25 local, arriving at Heathrow at 11:05. The return flight, QR076, leaves Heathrow at 15:05, arriving in Doha at 00:45.
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Embraer achieves Legacy 500 first flight, delays delivery to 2014
Embraer has pushed back the delivery date for the Legacy 500 even as the airframer announces clearing the first flight milestone for the first mid-size business jet to incorporate fly-by-wire controls. The 1h45min flight today evaluated handling and performance, including landing gear retraction, Embraer says. "The flight was a success, precisely according to plan," says Captain Mozart Louzada, an Embraer test pilot. The event comes after Embraer was forced to consume an extra year of development to overcome problems with the fly-by-wire control system. Embraer and BAE Systems assumed control of the integration effort after subcontractor Parker Aerospace stumbled.
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US Navy loads X-47B UCAS-D onto USS Harry S Truman
The US Navy (USN) has loaded a Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstrator (UCAS-D) onto the carrier USS Harry S Truman in anticipation of shipboard trials, the service announced on 26 November. While onboard the ship, a Naval Aviation Systems Command (NAVAIR) team hopes to demonstrate seamless integration with the carrier's flight deck operations. The aircraft will be controlled by a hand-held control display unit (CDU) for the tests.
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VistaJet Places 'Historic Order' With Bombardier
Private aviation company VistaJet has placed an order for 56 Bombardier Global-series business jets plus options for another 86, worth a total of around USD$7.8 billion at list prices.
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Plane Crashes Off Comoros, All Survive
A plane crashed in the Indian Ocean off the Comoros Islands on Tuesday after suffering mechanical problems, but all 29 people on board survived, officials said.
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Obama Signs Bill Shielding US Airlines From ETS
President Barack Obama signed a bill on Tuesday shielding US airlines from paying for the carbon their planes flying into and out of Europe emit, despite a recent move by Europe to suspend its proposed measure for one year.
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Morocco Seeking Airline Partner For RAM
Morocco would rather pursue a strategic partnership for Royal Air Maroc with an airline from one of the Gulf states or beyond, than sell a stake in its flag carrier, government ministers said.
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Brazil Scandal Could Delay Airport Auction
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is scrambling to contain fallout from a corruption scandal involving government officials linked to her mentor and predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that has given her political opponents fresh ammunition.
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El Al 3Q profit soars as expenses decrease
El Al Israel Airlines posted a third-quarter net profit of $37.4 million, up 79% over net income of $20.9 million earned in the prior-year period. Revenue rose just 1% year-over-year to $605.8 million, but the Tel Aviv-based carrier lowered expenses 6% to $458 million, producing an operating profit of $147.8 million, up 31%. President and CEO Elyezer Shkedy noted in a statement that El Al “continued to deal with the reality of a world economy in turmoil … In addition, we had to cope with the complex geopolitical conditions in the Middle East, which is particularly evident in these very days. Yet in spite of all this, we present financial results that reflect ongoing improved efficiency and tight control over expenses—resulting in the improved results.”
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FlyNiki to replace E-190s with A320s
Austrian-based low-cost carrier FlyNiki (HG), an Air Berlin (AB) partner, will phase out all seven Embraer E-190s during the winter and exchange them with AB’s Airbus A320 family aircraft. “In 2013 we will operate four [Airbus] A321s, six A319s and 13 A320s, meaning a capacity increase in terms of seats of about 2%,” MD Christian Lesjak told ATW in Istanbul. Three of the A320s will be delivered new from Airbus.
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BTC takes airline fee fight to White House
The Business Travel Coalition (BTC) launched a petition to urge the Obama administration to force airlines to provide ancillary fee information to all sales channels. The petition was posted on the “We the People” platform on the White House website, which allows any American to create and post a petition on the site and collect signatures. If the petition gathers 25,000 signatures within 30 days (by Dec. 25), it will be reviewed by a standing group of White House staff, routed to any other appropriate offices and generate an official, on-the-record response.
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Other News
US Airways Group estimates Hurricane Sandy-related cancellations to and from the US Northeast will result in a $30 million negative impact to its revenue and a $15 million negative impact on its earnings for the month of October. November earnings are expected to take a hit of approximately $20 million. In the days leading up to and immediately following Hurricane Sandy, the company saw its total bookings decline 13% year-over-year for the Oct. 24 to Nov. 3 period. Bookings made zero to 13 days before departure declined 21% for the 11-day period, which the group estimates will negatively impact November PRASM by 2%.
Airbus has moved its A350 XWB static test airframe to the facility where it will undergo testing to validate the structural design. The airframe rolled out of the A350 XWB final assembly line at Toulouse Blagnac Airport last week and was transferred to the L34 static test hall in the Lagardère industrial zone—home to the A380 final assembly line. The airframe will be integrated into a test rig for nearly a year of evaluations, including limit load and ultimate load validations, and residual strength and margin research.
Saab has formed a joint venture (JV) with Belgaum, India-based QuEST Global Manufacturing to manufacture and supply commercial aerostructure assemblies. Saab holds 26% of the JV, which it said will strengthen its position in the commercial aerostructures market and increase its presence in India. “We anticipate increased production rates during the coming years,” Saab Aeronautics MD-aerostructures Kjell Johnsson said. “This partnership will provide a cost-efficient and reliable source of assemblies acting as a complement to Saab’s in-house manufacturing. This is a long-term commitment in a strategically important market for Saab.”
Boeing was selected by Guggenheim Aviation Partners to manage and engineer the conversion of three Boeing 767-300ERs to freighters, for delivery in 2013. The conversion will take place at ST Aerospace subsidiary ST Aviation Services Co. in Paya Lebar, Singapore.
Rockwell Collins signed a 10-year agreement with China Eastern Airlines to renew their joint venture, Collins Aviation Maintenance Services Shanghai Limited (CAMSSL). CAMSSL provides service and support for communication, navigation, sensor, display, flight control computer, weather radar and inflight entertainment systems.
Rolls-Royce will begin construction on a 90,000 sq. ft. advanced airfoil machining facility in Prince George County, Georgia to produce turbine blades and nozzle guide vanes for Rolls-Royce engines. Construction is slated for completion by the end of 2013, anticipating component production to begin in late 2014.
Airbus will roll out radio-frequency-identification part marking to all seats and life vests for the Airbus A320, A330 and A380 aircraft families in 2013.
GA Innovation China (GAIC), an Air China/GA Telesis joint venture, signed an MOU with Apollo Aviation Management for the consignment of two Boeing 737-700s, to be delivered in 2013. GAIC will disassemble the aircraft at AMECO in Beijing and warehouse the parts in Beijing.
Aviation Quote
Months of preparation, one of those few opportunities, and the judgment of a split second are what makes some pilot an ace, while others think back on what they could have done.
— Colonel Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington, USMC.
On This Date
---In 1912…The Italian Air Battalion is made a fully operational command, the Flotta Aerea d’Italia.
---In 1929... American Commander Richard Byrd and crew make the 1st flight over the South Pole, in a Ford 4-AT Trimotor monoplane, November 28-29.
---In 1938…A Lufthansa Fw 200 takes off on the airline’s first flight to Japan, flying from Berlin to Tokyo via Basra, Karachi, and Hanoi. The 14,228 km (8,841 mile) flight breaks the distance record and takes 46 hours 18 minutes.
---In 1942…Australian pilot F/Sgt Ron Middleton earns a posthumous VC for valour in bringing his crew and crippled bomber home after a raid on Turin, Italy.
---In 1956…Ryan X-13 Vertijet makes its first transition from vertical to horizontal flight.
---In 1964…NASA launches the first Mars fly-by spacecraft, Mariner 4.
---In 1975…Evergreen International Airlines commences flight operations.
---In 1978…United Airlines Flight 173 crashes in Portland, Oregon. Aircraft ran out of fuel while crew trouble shooted landing gear indicator problems.
---In 1979…Air New Zealand Flight 901, a DC-10 operated sightseeing flight over Antarctica, crashes into Mount Erebus, killing all 257 people on board. Coincidentally it was the 50th anniversary of the first flight over the South Pole.
---In 1983…Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off on its sixth mission and the ninth shuttle mission overall, STS-9.
---In 1987…South African Airways Flight 295, a Boeing 747-200 Combi, crashes into the Indian Ocean as the result of a fire, killing all 159 on board.
---In 1995…First flight of the Gulfstream V.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
Training The Blonde Flight Attendant
An airline captain was breaking in a very pretty new blonde stewardess. The route they were flying had a stay-over in another city, so upon their arrival, the captain showed the stewardess the best place for airline personnel to eat, shop and stay overnight.
The next morning as the pilot was preparing the crew for the day's route, he noticed the new stewardess was missing. He knew which room she was in at the hotel and called her up wondering what happened to her. She answered the phone, sobbing, and said she couldn't get out of her room.
"You can't get out of your room?" the captain asked, "Why not?"
The stewardess replied, "There are only three doors in here, "she cried," one is the bathroom, one is the closet, and one has a sign on it that says 'Do Not Disturb'!"
Trivia
3D ID
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miamiair wrote:ANSWERS
1. Beechcraft 1900C
2. McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
3. IAI Kfir C.7
4. Aeronca Champ
5. Agusta A109
6. General Dynamics F-16A and -B
7. Boeing 727-100/-200
8. Grumman X-29
9. Fairchild/Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II
