News
Boeing reduces 747-8 weight, tweaks aileron setting
Boeing has dropped the empty weight of the latest 747-8 Freighters by 2.5t compared to the aircraft delivered a year ago and tweaked the aileron configuration to boost aerodynamic performance. The improvements were revealed at an industry conference on 29 November by a Cargolux executive, who noted the long-awaited weight reduction arrived with the delivery of the carrier's sixth 747-8F in mid-November.
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China Southern takes 10 A330s as emissions dispute eases
China Southern Airlines has agreed to acquire 10 Airbus A330-300s, in a sign that the rethink on the European emission-trading system has helped resolve a dispute over long-haul jet orders. The Chinese carrier states that it has entered a purchase agreement with the airframer covering the jets. No engine selection has been disclosed. China Southern values the agreement at nearly $1.9 billion based on the catalogue price, but says the aggregate actual consideration is lower because of "certain price concessions".
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A330 incident sparks urgent angle-of-attack sensor action
European safety regulators are ordering operators of Airbus A330s and A340s to incorporate a new emergency procedure to cope with blocked angle-of-attack sensors. The order follows an incident involving an A330 which suffered blockage of all angle-of-attack probes during climb. This resulted in autopilot disconnection and activation of the angle-of-attack protection when the aircraft's Mach number increased. In an emergency directive the European Aviation Safety Agency says that, under this combination of the protection and Mach increase, the flight-control laws order the aircraft to pitch down.
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Jet-Etihad agreement possible by end-2012: sources
Talks between Jet Airways and Etihad Airways about a comprehensive tie-up, including the possibility of the latter taking an equity stake in the Indian carrier, are continuing and an agreement could be reached by end-2012. Negotiations have been ongoing for several weeks in London, where Jet's chairman Naresh Goyal is based, and in Etihad's home, Abu Dhabi, regarding a marketing and sales partnership.
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IAG November Traffic Up On BA Growth
International Airlines Group posted a rise in November traffic, as strong growth at British Airways again made up for weakness at Spain's Iberia.
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Airlines Launch Drive For US Airline Policy
US airline executives, complaining that their industry is over-taxed and over-regulated, have called for a national airline policy to help them shore up profits and jobs.
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FAA Confirms Boeing 787 Inspection Order
The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it is requiring inspection of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliners after the discovery of fuel leaks traced to a manufacturing flaw at Boeing plants.
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Fastjet confirms bid to buy 1time, possible link-up with Emirates
New African low-cost start-up Fastjet confirmed it is in negotiations to buy 1time Airline, the South African LCC that went into liquidation last month. The proposed transaction—which is subject to the board, parent 1time Holdings and regulatory approval—would involve Fastjet paying a nominal fee for the purchase of 1time and reaching a settlement with 1time creditors.
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Major EADS ownership restructuring agreement reached
Airbus parent EADS unveiled an agreement to make “a far-reaching change” in the way the company’s shareholding is structured. An EADS shareholder structure shakeup had been widely predicted in recent weeks. Under terms of the accord announced Wednesday, France and Germany will “build equal ownership positions” in EADS, the company said, adding that the two countries will have direct stakes of about 12% each while Spain will hold a 4% share. Meanwhile, German company Daimler (which now holds a 15% stake in EADS) and French company Lagardere (which now holds 7.5% of EADS) will “largely reduce their stakes,” EADS said.
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USAF: Current unmanned aircraft irrelevant in the Pacific
The US Air Force's current fleet of unmanned aircraft will be irrelevant in the Pacific theater, a top service official says. Over the past 10 years, the US Air Force has built up a still growing fleet of slow moving but persistent General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft. While those aircraft provided US ground forces with unprecedented situational awareness, they are too vulnerable to be used in a high threat environment.
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India taps CH-47F as final contender in heavy lift deal
The Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopter has emerged as the final candidate in India's competition for 15 heavy lift helicopters. "In the proposal initiated by [the] Indian air force for [the] procurement of 15 heavy lift helicopters, Boeing with the Chinook helicopter has emerged as the L1 vendor," said Indian defense minister AK Antony in a written reply to a question in parliament.
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Other News
CORRECTED A United Airlines Boeing 787 flight from Houston to Newark diverted to New Orleans Tuesday morning when one of its six electric generators failed. According to flight tracking website FlightAware.com, the aircraft began to lose speed and altitude, descending from 41,000 ft. to 29,000 ft. in 10 minutes and slowing from 655 MPH to 441 MPH. “United performed a maintenance inspection of the Boeing 787 that diverted to New Orleans yesterday, and we found that one of the six electric generators failed,” a Boeing spokesperson said Wednesday. “The redundancies built into the aircraft allowed it to be powered by the remaining five electric power sources. We are replacing the generator and running additional checks so as to return the aircraft to service.
Ethiopian Airlines, which is now operating four Boeing 787s, remains on track for aggressive growth over the next several years. The carrier operates the four 787s from its base at Addis Ababa Bole Airport to Frankfurt, Washington Dulles, Mumbai, Johannesburg, Harare and Lusaka. The Dreamliners have experienced some minor technical problems in the nearly four months the airline has been operating the type, but the aircraft are “working fine,” CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said. Altitude restrictions at the Addis Ababa Bole Airport do not allow nonstop Boeing 787 services to Washington Dulles; a technical landing in Rome remains necessary.
Airbus flight trials validate ASPA spacing and merging functionality. Flight trials were conducted late last month to validate the Airborne Separation Assistance System Spacing (ASPA), a system for aircraft spacing and merging in congested air traffic environments. Part of the Single European Sky ATM Research program (SESAR), ASPA provides flight crews with data on surrounding air traffic in flight, and enables the pilots to achieve and maintain a specific time behind a specified aircraft ahead. Flight trials were conducted from Toulouse, France using an ASPA-configured Airbus A320 and marked the first flight performed with integrated, fully automatic ASPA functionality. To evaluate the spacing and merging improvements, the A320 followed two commercial Air France shuttle flights and a Beluga aircraft, performing three approaches on a flight lasting approximately three hours.
Boeing said the world’s airlines should have access to “reasonable liquidity and pricing” for financing new aircraft deliveries in 2013. In a statement, Boeing Capital Corp. managing director-capital markets development and leasing Kostya Zolotusky said, “We expect that despite economic and political challenges, global air travel will again demonstrate its remarkable resilience in 2013. The industry’s global growth and airlines’ fleet replacements, accelerated by higher fuel prices, should keep demand stable and attract sufficient financing.” Boeing projects total commercial jet aircraft deliveries valued at $104 billion in 2013. It said commercial banks, the largest funding source for aircraft financing, “should strengthen their investment” next year. Boeing added, “Leasing firms are expected to grow in their delivery share and gain access to more diverse sources of equity and leverage.”
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified ATR’s Singapore flight training center in the Seletar Aerospace Park. The center, which will be officially inaugurated in mid-December, will provide a high level of training programs from flight crew type rating through recurrent training to differences courses. The approval covers the Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for ATR -600 series, the maintenance/flight simulation training devices and a brief/debrief station. This FFS is the second for ATR's -600 series program. The first one is located at the main ATR Training Center in Toulouse, France, along with a Full Flight Trainer (FFT) for ATR -600s.
Aeroflot will increase daily Moscow Sheremetyevo-Donetsk SSJ100 service to 2X-daily Jan. 7, using an Airbus A319.
Silver Airways will launch 17X-weekly Fort Lauderdale-Orlando service and 12X-weekly West Palm Beach-Tampa service Jan. 7.
UTair will launch 2X-weekly Sochi-Trabzon Boeing 737-500 service Dec. 17. It increased daily Moscow Vnukovo-Kiev service to 2X-daily Dec. 3.
Transavia France will launch 2X-weekly Paris Orly-Essaouira service from March 1.
Aviation Quote
I suppose I'm as good as the next guy, but that's about all. Only reason I'm still flying while a lot of other great guys are gone is because I've had the breaks so far. I believe though, that the breaks are going to continue my way. The minute a flyer gets the notion that his number is up, he's finished. I start out, and know I'm coming back, and that's all there is to it.
Fear? You bet your life. But it's always on the way up. Then you get to thinking about a lot of things, but that all leaves you as you reach combat. Then there's a sense of great excitement, a thrill you can't duplicate anywhere. Then there can be no fear, no thought of life or death, no dream of yesterday or tomorrow.
What you have at that moment is — well, it may sound strange, but it's actually fun. The other guy has his chance, too, and you've got to get him before he gets you. Yes, I think it is the most exciting fun in the world.
— Lt. Col. Robert B. "Westy" Westbrook, USAAF, one of the leading aces of the Pacific, 'Los Angeles Examiner,' 20 June 1944.
On This Date
---1957...First flight of the Lockheed L-188 Electra.
--- In 1960... The first flight of the Sikorsky S-61L helicopter is made in the United States. It serves as a transport craft as well as patrol, rescue, and even anti-submarine duty.
---In 1966…The West German Luftwaffe grounds its fleet of F-104s to investigate continuing accidents with the type.
--- In 1975... The first airmail flight by a supersonic aircraft is made by the Tupolev Tu-144, carrying mail between Moscow and Alma Ata, within the U.S.S.R.
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Humor
[b]The Pearly Gates
It seems a 727 crew had a bad day out and the poor buggers slogged into a paddy and bit the big one. The Captain F/O and S/O were, subsequent to the crash, walking up to the pearly gates to discuss their fate with the Guardian At the Gate.
The Captain, being from the old school and not well versed in CRM told his mates to wait where they were for a blink while he sorted things out with the angel at the gate. The captain, discusses the situation for awhile and comes back to the two and tells them that he's got a little good news and a little bad news. The F/O and S/O both insist on the bad news first.
"Well" he says, "the bad news is that any extra marital affairs we have had bar our entry into paradise." The F/O and the S/O start to walk away quite upset and wondering what an eternity in Hades is going to be like. The captain says "wait a minute mates don't you want to hear the good news?"
"Layovers, don't count."
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