NewsCivil Aviation
Air France Decision On Alitalia Evenly Balanced
A decision by Alitalia's biggest shareholder, Air France-KLM, on whether to participate in an emergency share issue for the near-bankrupt Italian airline is evenly balanced, a person close to the Franco-Dutch carrier said on Tuesday. Air France-KLM is crucial to Alitalia's chances of keeping flying, but the person told Reuters news agency that the Italian carrier's survival plan fell short of its requirements. "The position of Air France-KLM is 50:50 at this stage," the person said. "The business plan presented last week was not suitable, the conditions were not fulfilled, particularly in terms of debt restructuring."
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Fuselage Panel Falls From Boeing 787 In Flight
Boeing said a body panel fell from a 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India while the plane was in flight on Saturday, a new problem for the high-tech jet that has suffered a string of mishaps since its introduction. Boeing said the loss of the fuselage panel posed no safety risk to passengers. It was not immediately known where the panel landed. The jet was carrying 148 people, including crew, on a flight from Delhi to Bangalore, The Times of India newspaper reported. The pilots did not realize the eight-by-four-foot panel was missing until after the flight landed, the newspaper said, adding that India's aviation authorities are investigating.
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Iberia unveils new colour scheme
Spanish carrier Iberia has unveiled a new colour scheme, its first major livery change in decades, which will be implemented from the end of November. Iberia has chosen an Airbus A330, its fifth of the type, as the first aircraft to receive the colours. It says it carried out extensive interviews, involving nearly 9,000 participants, during the design process, in which the carrier co-operated with consultancy Interbrand. Iberia has retained the bold red and gold which feature on the Spanish flag but has simplified the overall livery. The fuselage will be largely white, in contrast to the current colour scheme, and the familiar 'IB' logo on the vertical fin is being ditched.
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MRJ final assembly gets under way in Nagoya
Final assembly of the first flight-test Mitsubishi Regional Jet begun today, two months after program delays were confirmed. The work is being undertaken at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' "aerospace systems works" in Nagoya, the aircraft's mid-fuselage having been transferred from the Japanese manufacturer's Tobishima facility, located some 30km away, on 13 October. In August, Mitsubishi Aircraft delayed the MRJ's first flight by more than a year, to the second quarter of 2015, saying that design and certification had "taken greater resources than anticipated". First delivery was also pushed back, from the summer of 2015 to the second quarter of 2017. This was the second time the airframer had revised the schedule: in April 2012, it moved the first-flight target from that year's second quarter to the end of 2013.
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Mooney to restart piston aircraft manufacturing following Soaring America investment
Struggling Mooney Aviation has been a thrown a lifeline by California-based investment firm Soaring America, nearly five years after the financial crash forced the US airframer and maintenance company to cease manufacturing its high-performance piston-single line. Soaring has injected an undisclosed amount into the 80-year-old company, which will be used to restart production of the Acclaim Type S and Ovation 2 and 3 piston-singles from January next year. This announcement comes less than a week after Chinese news outlets reported that Zhengzhou-based real estate development company Meijing Group had agreed to acquire the US airframer.
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Russia to pitch T-50 for Brazilian fighter deal
Moscow is to offer Brazil an opportunity for joint development of its Sukhoi T-50/PAK-FA stealth fighter as part of an unsolicited proposal for the nation's delayed F-X2 tender, a Russian official has confirmed. The proposal will be presented by a Russian delegation which is travelling to Brazil and Ecuador from 14-17 October, a source in the delegation told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.
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Israel details F-15I upgrade progress
The Israeli air force has updated the status of an ongoing modernisation program for its fleet of Boeing F-15I "Raam" strike aircraft. "This is the first major upgrade of this excellent aircraft and it will enable it to fly for many more years," says Col Shimon Tsentsiper, commander of the service's depot 22. Intended to help retain the two-seat F-15I's status as the air force's primary long-strike platform in a variety of operational scenarios, the upgrade introduces a "great number" of new avionic systems, most of which were developed in Israel by drawing on the service's operational experience. The F-15I has been in Israeli service since 1998, with 25 having been acquired.
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US Air Force takes next step in LRSO program
The US Air Force is moving forward with the development of a nuclear-capable long-range standoff (LRSO) missile, announcing it is conducting market research to identity companies that could help build the weapon. The government has invited interested industry members to attend an “industry day” on 31 October to provide feedback on the USAF’s LRSO acquisition strategy, according to a request for sources posted on FedBizOpps.gov.
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Analysis: Delta focuses on Seattle as international gateway
Delta Air Lines is concentrating on Seattle by boosting international service at Seattle Tacoma International Airport. "We'll continue to grow the market into a preferred international gateway," said Anthony Black, spokesman for Delta.
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United installs satellite-based Internet on 100 aircraft
United Airlines announced a milestone in its in-flight Internet service on Monday. The carrier has installed satellite-based Internet service on 100 aircraft, and continues to install the service on about 30 aircraft a month. Satellite-based service allows Internet access on international flights.
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Aircraft manufacturers will ramp up production, analyst says
Scott Hamilton, an analyst with Leeham Co., predicts production rates at Airbus and Boeing will increase. The ramp-up in production could bring more business for aircraft suppliers. "The rewards are enormous, but the risk could be enormous as well," Hamilton said.
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American, US Airways are confident about ability to win legal case
US Airways and American Airlines will not appeal a ruling that denied the carriers' request to see documents from the Department of Justice on their proposed merger. "We are confident in our legal position and our ability to win this case," the airlines said. The antitrust trial for the proposed merger is scheduled to begin in November.
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FAA to update pilot-training scenarios
The Federal Aviation Administration will update its required training for pilots on stall scenarios this month. The FAA will install the updated scenarios on almost 300 full-flight simulators. Meanwhile, European regulators plan to update European pilot training in 2016.
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Airlines continue to refine boarding process to save time
Airlines are further fine-tuning the boarding process to save time, including United Airlines, which recently launched a "window-middle-aisle boarding method," according to United spokesman Charles Hobart. Alaska Airlines is also testing a method of boarding passengers from both the front and rear doors.
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Column: Air travelers can enjoy upgrades for the holidays
Columnist Joe Sharkey says air travelers can find good cheer this holiday season, as airlines upgrade the passenger experience. "In international premium-class travel, the supposedly long-gone Golden Age of Flying, I would submit, is now, with lie-flat beds and fancy food and drink," he writes.
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September air ticket sales by agents up 7%, ARC reports
Travel agents sold more than $7.085 billion in airline tickets in September, up 7% from last year, the Airlines Reporting Corp. reports.
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Airlines aim for vino perfection
Three times a year, James Cluer, one of about 300 masters of wine in the world, flies to Frankfurt from Napa Valley for a blind tasting of as many as 100 wines. Over three days, he and other wine experts drink and debate and eventually narrow the list down to three wines. "Sometimes it's surprising who wins," he says. "It's not always the big brand name that comes up on top, but it's the quality." Those wines eventually end up on Qatar Airways flights, where first and business class passengers have a choice of as many as 12 wines and economy class passengers can choose from five.
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Aviation Quote
Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy in complete command of the air, fights like a savage against modern European troops, under the same handicaps and with the same chances of success.
— Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, Rommel Papers, 1953.
On This Date
--- In 1908... Samuel Cody becomes the 1st man to fly in Britain. Flying the British Army Aeroplane N° 1, Cody flies for 1,391 feet before crashing.
---In 1909... German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin forms the world’s 1st commercial airline.
--- In 1910... The 1st airship crossing of the English Channel is made by the French-built dirgible Cle´ment-Bayard II. The 244-mile route is completed in 6 hours.
--- In 1917... Final testing is made for the US Army-designed air-to-air radio communication system with a wireless set.
---In 1952…First flight of the Sud Aviation Vautour.
---In 1955…A Boeing 367-80 (a 707 prototype) crosses the United States in just 3 hours 58 minutes.
---In 1964… The People's Republic of China detonates its first nuclear weapon.
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Farm Kid
Dear Ma and Pa,
I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. But I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.
Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food, plus yours, holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.
The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake . I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.
Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter,
Alice
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