NewsCommercial
Boeing reports 14% increase in aircraft deliveries in 1Q
Increases in 787 and 737 production has helped Boeing boost its aircraft deliveries by 14% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year. Those deliveries included 121 727s along with 30 787 Dreamliners.
LinkAirlines
Alaska Airlines computer system is back online after brief outage
An Internet connectivity issue caused 22 Alaska Airlines flights to be delayed Thursday night, including seven flights to or from Alaska, an airline spokesperson said. The delay affected flights between 9:45 p.m. and 11 p.m., spokesperson Halley Knigge said. Some flights were delayed by only a “few minutes,” while others were delayed for an hour. Check-ins were affected, too, with the airline temporarily unable to process transactions.
Link
Delta enhances the customers' experience with 20-minute guarantee on return of checked bags
Delta's guarantee of returning checked bags to passengers on domestic flights within 20 minutes will remain a permanent feature, the airline said. The program began in February on a limited basis, but Delta said positive customer response convinced it to make the program permanent.
Link
Lufthansa receives message of support from United Airlines
United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek praised the "safety culture" of Lufthansa in a letter expressing its support of the company. Smisek praised the airline for its high training standards.
Link
Sri Lanka Alleges 'Billions' Lost In Corruption At National Carrier
Sri Lanka's new government has ordered a criminal investigation into alleged corruption at state-run national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's office said an inquiry, led by an anti-corruption lawyer, had found "shocking details of corruption running into billions of dollars" at Sri Lankan Airlines, as well as "irregularities" in its USD$2.3 billion 2013 deal to buy 10 Airbus aircraft.
Link
Airlines deliver nearly 50,000 tons of cargo daily in the U.S.
More than one-third the value of all transported goods, including flowers, are delivered around the country by airlines. U.S. airlines are responsible for moving nearly 50,000 tons of cargo including fresh foods, human organs for transplant and industrial parts.
LinkAirports
JFK runway to undergo repairs
The closure of a runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport could create a traffic jam in the skies above New York City this summer. The main arrivals runway at Kennedy will be closed for repairs and resurfacing for about five months starting at the end of April, just as the summer travel season gets underway, and will likely remain closed through most of hurricane season.
Link
Pittsburgh International Airport showcases floor-to-ceiling upgrades
Water bottle filling stations, new paint and charging stations for portable electronics are among the many upgrades at Pittsburgh International Airport in recent years. "We absolutely believe that providing an excellent passenger experience for our customers is critical — not only critical to just taking care of the customers that we serve but also to attract other potential air carriers and traffic to PIT," said airport Senior Vice President Paul Hoback.
Link
Rotary WIng
Malaysia investigates crash of AS365-N3 that killed six
Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation has launched an investigation into the 4 April crash of an Airbus Helicopters AS365-N3 that killed all six aboard, including two high level government officials. In a post on his Facebook page, prime minister Najib Razak said he is “grief-struck” after the crash, which claimed the lives of his chief of staff, Azlin Alias, and member-of-parliament Jamaluddin Jarjis. State media agency Bernama reports that the crash occurred at 16:50, when the helicopter went down in a rubber plantation to the southeast of Kuala Lumpur.
LinkRegulatory
EU Found 'Issues' With German Aviation Regulator
European aviation regulator EASA has found "issues" with Germany's aviation authority in a regular review of air safety enforcement, the European Commission said. Its statement did not say when the review was carried out, but the Wall Street Journal said the Commission told Berlin in November "to remedy the long-standing problems" - months before last week's Germanwings crash that killed all 150 people aboard.
Link
Regulators To Warn Pilots Over Icing
Aviation regulators are expected to issue new advice to pilots after investigations into the crash of an Air Algerie jet in Mali last July found it went out of control after being hit by ice as an anti-icing system remained switched off. France's BEA crash investigation agency, which is helping Mali investigate the crash that killed 116 people, said the MD-83 jet appeared to have run into trouble after vital probes that measure pressure on the engine inlets blocked up with ice.
Link
Aviation Quote
How do you like your coffee, Captain - cream & sugar?'
We are at 30 west, the half-way point between the European & North American continents, & the stewardess in charge of the forward galley is looking after her aircrew during a pause in serving the passengers' meals.
Mach 2. On autopilot, eleven miles high, moving at 23 miles a minute. Nearly twice as high as Mount Everest, faster than a rifle bullet leaving its barrel. The side windows are hot to the touch, from friction of the passing air. Despite the speed we can talk without raising our voices.
"Milk, please, & no sugar".
— Brian Calvert, the opening paragraphs of Flying Concorde, 1982.
On This Date
---In 1906... Charles Rolls, in his new balloon, races Frank Hedges Butler and friends aboard the Aero Club III. Rolls outdistances his opponents, who come down at Wimbledon, while he lands at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England.
---In 1908... The members of the Aerial Experiment Association enter a competition sponsored by the Scientific American, which has offered $25,000 for a flight of over 0.62 miles. The Wrights refuse to enter because the rules state the airplane must take off without help.
---In 1922... The first Corps Observation Group, under the command of Col. William Mitchell, makes its first patrol, led by Maj. Ralph Royce, and thus becomes the first American squadron to go into action in Europe.
---In 1922…The first midair collision of commercial airliners takes place over Thieuloy-Saint-Antoine, Picardie, France between a Farman F.60 (F-GEAD) and a de Havilland DH-18 (G-EAWO). At a height of about 500ft in rainy weather, the two aircraft end up on a collision course with no time to evade each other. The Dash-18 loses its tail and a wing, while the Farman survives for a short while before also crashing. All seven people among the two aircraft die, including a young steward who initially survives the wreck, but succumbed to his injuries afterward.
---In 1957…A Varig Curtiss C-46 Commando (PP-VCF) crashes shortly after takeoff due to a fire in the left main gear wheel well. The pilot thought it was one of the engines, and shut it down unnecessarily. A go-around during a landing attempt when the gear doesn’t drop (due to the fire), allows more time for the fire to spread, leading to the left wing separating from the aircraft after the metal fatigue. All 40 aboard the aircraft perish.
---In 1958…AREA Ecuador Flight 222, a Douglas C-47 (DC-3) registered HC-ACL, crashes into a Chugchilan range of mountains after not maintaining the proper heading, resulting the fatalities of all 32 aboard.
---In 1959… Radar 1st bounced off Sun from Stanford, California
---In 1967…First flight of the SA.340, prototype of the Aérospatiale Gazelle.
---In 1968… Luna 14 - USSR Lunar Probe launched. Luna 14 is in a lunar-solar orbit.
---In 1983…STS-6, using space Shuttle Challenger, launches. The mission is the first perform to a spacewalk.
---In 1992…Azerbaijan Airlines is founded.
---In 1994…FedEx Flight 705, a DC-10-30 (N306FE) experiences an attempted hijacking from a deadheading pilot, wanting to die in a plane crash so that his family could collect his life insurance. Using hammers to attempt to incapacitate the crew, take over the aircraft and possibly even crash the aircraft into FedEx headquarters, the crew fought vigorously after both the First Officer and Flight Engineer receive a fractured skulls. First Officer Tucker uses severely evasive maneuvers and near supersonic speed to throw off the attacker. Captain Sanders eventually takes over controls after the F/O becomes incapacitated and lands the aircraft at a very high speed while the aircraft is very heavy with fuel and cargo. All three pilots receive awards for heroism, and to this day have not received medical approval to fly again.
---In 1994…TAGG Angola L-100 (C-130) D2-THC catches fire while taxiing to a parking spot due to overheated brakes in Malengue, Angola. All 4 occupants escaped unharmed.
---In 1999…Turkish Airlines Flight 5904, a Boeing 737-400 on a ferry flight to Saudi Arabia, crashes in poor weather shortly after departure. It is suspected that the pitot static anti-ice system was not activated, creating false airspeeds that led to the deaths of all 6 on-board.
---In 2001…The robotic spacecraft Odyssey launches on its mission to orbit Mars, arriving at the planet the following October. The craft later collects data that would guess water to be on the plant. This is later confirmed by the Phoenix lander in July of 2008.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Trivia
SOVIET MILITARY AIRCRAFT
1. What Soviet bomber was a "bolt for bolt" clone of the American B-29 Superfortress?
Tu-22
Tu-4
An-12
Il-14
2. What is the only turboprop powered *strategic* bomber ever put into military service?
Tu-4
Tu-95
Tu-22
An-124
3. What BEST describes the original Tu-16 Badger?
Intermediate range bomber
Command and Control
Intercontinental range bomber
Airborne early warning
4. The Tu-22M Backfire is a modification of the Tu-22 Blinder.
True
False
5. What is the American counterpart to the Russian Su-25 Frogfoot?
A-7 Corsair II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
F/A-18 Hornet
A-1 Skyraider
6. What is the world's largest "swing wing" aircraft?
B-1B Lancer
T-160 Blackjack
Tu-95 Bear
Tu-22M Backfire
7. What is the Soviet equivalent of the USAF's C-5 Galaxy?
An-12 Cub
Il-76 Candid
An-124 Condor
An-24 Coke
8. What is the NATO code name for the Mi-24?
Hip
Helix
Havoc
Hind
9. What aircraft would be be found embarked on a Soviet Navy ship?
Mi-28 Hip
Mi-28 Havoc
Ka-25 Hormone
Ka-50 Hokum
10. Which is NOT true about the Ka-50 Hokum A?
It can perform loops
It is single seat helicopter.
It has been produced in large numbers.
It has coaxial rotors.
Nosedive wrote:In short, desperate times called for desperate measures, and it's beyond remarkable what those three men accomplished.
Nosedive wrote:That being said, the video is astounding. For even more info, because I sure as hell didn't tell the full story, read the CVR transcript, here.
