NewsQZ8501
Indonesia '95% sure' debris from missing A320
Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Barsanas) says it is "95% sure" that debris found in waters off Kalimantan is from the missing Indonesia AirAsia Airbus A320. Speaking at a press conference, agency chief Bambang Soelistyo confirmed the information, after a series of pictures of floating debris were released. He adds that one of the objects is believed to be that of the aircraft’s emergency exit door. Soelistyo says water in the area is between 25-30m deep and that 11 divers are being deployed to the location. “If beyond that we need more modern equipment, I will ask for such equipment,” he adds.
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Debris Seen Off Indonesia Likely From AirAsia Jet
Red and white debris spotted off the coast of Indonesia's part of Borneo island is likely to be part of AirAsia flight QZ8501, an Indonesian transport official said on Tuesday. Media quoted an air force official as saying a suspected body, luggage and a life vest were among the debris. "As we approached, the body seemed bloated," said First Lieutenant Tri Wibowo, who was on board a Hercules during the search operation, was quoted by the Kompas.com website as saying.
LinkCommercial
Japan presses Boeing to redesign 787 battery
The Japan civil aviation authority (JCAB) has released a new report calling for Boeing to redesign the lithium ion batteries aboard the 787 that are responsible for three cell venting events since January 2013. Airlines should “adopt the design changes which will be prepared by Boeing and implement them as soon as possible”, says the JCAB report, dated 19 December. The JCAB called for the battery redesign despite determining that two of the three protective layers from a May 2013 battery redesign worked as intended, and the safety of the aircraft was never at risk during the incident on 14 January 2014. However, public concerns may still linger about the two cell venting incidents the year before that triggered a four-month grounding of the 787 fleet, an English translation of the JCAB report says.
LinkAirlines
AirTran makes final flight, ending 21-year run
AirTran Airways has ceased to exist in an industry that has reshaped itself into something that would not be easily recognized when the carrier took its first flight about two decades ago. AirTran, which was acquired by Southwest in 2011, joins Northwest Airlines, which was bought by Delta, and Continental Airlines, which merged with United Airlines, in retirement. US Airways will disappear after it is folded into American Airlines — those two merged in December 2013 but still operate separately for now. The mergers have left four carriers in control of more than 80 percent of the U.S. air-travel market. AirTran's final flight, from Atlanta to Tampa, Florida, on Sunday night, was packed with airline employees and media — 117 passengers and a crew of five. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly and other executives led a farewell event at the Atlanta airport. The trip, dubbed Flight 1, was a nod to the airline's first flight in 1993, when it was known as ValuJet.
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Delta to enhance loyalty benefits on Jan. 1
Delta Air Lines will launch its revamped frequent flyer program on Jan. 1. SkyMiles members will earn points based on money spent rather than miles flown. "Delta will become the first U.S. global carrier to make this transition to better reward our most loyal customers," said Jeff Robertson, vice president for SkyMiles.
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Delta offers healthy inflight dining options
Delta Air Lines offers customers a healthy inflight dining experience due to improvements in their menu after partnering with food provider Luvo. Brian Berry, director of onboard services for Delta, said the carrier sought to "bring healthful, seasonal options to flight."
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JetBlue reports highest traffic growth, load factor among peers
JetBlue’s revenue passenger mile (or RPM) increased to 2,978 million from 2,703 million, a year-over-year increase of 10.1%. JetBlue’s (JBLU) RPM growth was the highest in November, just as it was in October, followed by Alaska’s (ALK) 9.4%, Southwest’s (LUV) 6%, and Delta’s (DAL) 5%. United (UAL) and American (AAL) recorded less than 1% traffic growth in October, but traffic for both carriers declined year-over-year in November.
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Southwest begins new era as AirTran merger nears completion
AirTran Airways and Southwest Airlines completed their merger on Sunday, when AirTran took its final flight, retracing the airline's first route when it began service as ValuJet more than 20 years ago.
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Why is United Airlines suing a 22-year-old?
A young computer whiz from New York City has launched a site to help people buy cheap plane tickets. But an airline company and its travel partner want to shut him down. United Airlines (UAL) and Orbitz (OWW) filed a civil lawsuit last month against 22-year-old Aktarer Zaman, who founded the website Skiplagged.com last year. The site helps travelers find cheap flights by using a strategy called "hidden city" ticketing. The idea is that you buy an airline ticket that has a layover at your actual destination. Say you want to fly from New York to San Francisco -- you actually book a flight from New York to Lake Tahoe with a layover in San Francisco and get off there, without bothering to take the last leg of the flight.
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Virgin Atlantic 747 With Landing Gear Fault Lands Safely
A Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 with landing gear problems made a safe "non-standard" landing on Monday at London's Gatwick Airport, which for a few hours was forced to delay flights taking off and to divert incoming aircraft. Television coverage showed the 747 came to a rest after a bumpy but otherwise controlled landing. The passengers, who were scheduled to fly to Las Vegas, were later seen leaving the aircraft by stairs.
LinkAirports
Maine airport to start $8M renovation in 2015
The most dramatic phase of Bangor International Airport’s $8 million terminal modernization project is poised to start soon after the holiday season wraps up, according to airport officials. The airport’s domestic terminal hasn’t seen a major update since the 1970s. “The terminal we have now, it’s functional, but it’s old, it’s tired, it’s beyond its useful life,” Airport Director Tony Caruso told the city’s Airport Committee during a meeting earlier this week.
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At Newark's Terminal C, tablets are the new waiter
OTG Management's $120 million renovation of United Airlines' Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport will include about 6,000 iPads to support operations, including allowing diners to order meals directly without help from wait staff.
LinkMilitary
Turkish air force receives second A400M
The Turkish air force has taken delivery of its second of an eventual 10 A400M Atlas tactical transports from Airbus Defense & Space, with the aircraft having been transferred to Kayseri air base earlier this month. Production aircraft MSN13 completed its acceptance flight at Airbus’s San Pablo production site in Seville, Spain on 22 December, the company announced via Twitter. The transfer follows that of the first Turkish air force example to Kayseri in April 2014.
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Aviation Quote
How do you expect to get us to the Moon if you people can't even hook us up with a ground station?
— Gus Grissom, during the plugs out test of the Apollo 1 spacecraft, 27 January 1967.
On This Date
--In 1905... The Wright brothers sign a contract for one million francs with Frenchman Arnold Fordyce for the sale of a powered flying machine capable of flying a nonstop distance of 31 mi. When contingent of French government officials come to Dayton in April 1906 to change the agreement by seeking exclusivity for one year, the idea is dropped; for their trouble, the Wrights received 25,000 francs (then about US $5,000), the first money they earn from flying.
---In 1924…Edwin Hubble announces the existence of other galaxies.
--In 1947... The prototype of the second Mikoyan Type S fighter, an early version of the MiG-15, makes its first flight; it has an imported Rolls-Royce Nene 2 jet engine.
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Trivia
General Aircraft Knowledge
1. The Douglas DC-7C, the Lockheed L-1049G Constellations a,d other aircraft were powered by Wright R-3350 turbocompound engines. What did these 18 cyclinder mengines have in common with the two reciprocating engines that powered the RMS Titanic?
2. Explain why rain entering a pitot tube during flight neither floods the airspeed indicator nor damages the instrument's internal mechanism?
3. The Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Huey" was the worlds first production turbine powered helicopter; true or false?
4. An acrobatic pilot enters a knife-edge turn to the left, while maintaining this 90-degree bank angle, his conventional turn indicator will show:
A A Large turn rate to the left.
B A large turn rate to the right.
C Either a left or right turn.
D That the airplane is not turning.
5. What is the difference between severe and extreme turbulence?
