NewsCommercial
Embraer agrees to pay US $205 million to settle bribery charges
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer will pay the US more than $205 million to settle bribery allegations, US regulators and Embraer announced on 24 October. Under the agreement reached with both US and Brazilian authorities, Embraer will pay the Justice Department $107 million as a penalty for one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act’s anti-bribery and records provisions, the company writes in a statement today.
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Rolls-Royce makes initial run of UltraFan gearbox
UK-based engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has run what it describes as the world’s most powerful aerospace gearbox for the first time. The gearbox will be fitted to its planned new UltraFan engine. UltraFan, the newest model in the manufacturer’s Trent range of engines, is planned to enter service in the middle of the next decade and will deliver fuel economies of 25% compared to early Trent models, the company said.
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Rockwell Collins to acquire B/E Aerospace for $8.3 billion
Rockwell Collins and B/E Aerospace will consolidate headquarters and move quickly to realize synergies, Rockwell Collins said Monday after announcing plans to acquire aircraft cabin supplier B/E Aerospace for $8.3 billion in a deal that is expected to complete in spring 2017. In a statement issued on Oct. 23, Rockwell Collins said it had entered a definitive agreement to acquire B/E Aerospace for approximately $6.4 billion in cash and stock, plus it will take on $1.9 billion in net debt. The agreement is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.
LinkAirlines
American is "committed to Cuba," CEO says
US airlines are looking forward to what future travel to Cuba represents. "We're in it for the long haul," American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said. "This is really a new market. We're excited to be the largest carrier there. We're committed to Cuba and making it work."
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Fatal Malta accident involved US-registered Merlin IV
Maltese authorities have identified the aircraft which crashed at Malta airport as a US-registered Fairchild Merlin IV. The aircraft (N577MX) is listed by Flight Fleets Analyzer as being operated by CAE Aviation of Luxembourg.
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Finnair to wet lease a Hi Fly A340 for pilot training
Finnair will wet lease one Airbus A340 from Portuguese aircraft-crew-maintenance-insurance (ACMI) specialist Hi Fly for two months to accommodate pilot trainings to secure the airline’s growing operations in summer 2017 and beyond. “Pilot trainings are a part of our preparations for growth. This wet lease is a part of our efforts to ensure punctual operations during the next months, when a large share of Finnair pilots are tied up in A350 XWB-related trainings,” Finnair COO Jaakko Schildt said in a statement.
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Kuwait Airways unveils new livery on 777-300ER
Kuwait Airways has unveiled a modernised livery on the Gulf carrier’s first Boeing 777-300ER. The airline ordered 10 of the General Electric GE90-powered type in December 2014. It showed off the carrier’s new colour scheme during a roll-out event of the twinjet (9K-AOC) held in Seattle.
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Lufthansa Systems expands partner network for BoardConnect IFE
Lufthansa Systems will expand its partner network for the BoardConnect inflight entertainment platform. According to a company statement, airlines can now choose from a wide range of partners in the fields of entertainment, infotainment and ancillary revenues.
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Singapore Airlines begins nonstop Singapore-San Francisco services
Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched daily Singapore Changi-San Francisco Airbus A350 XWB services Oct. 23, its longest nonstop flights within the Star Alliance member network. The aircraft deployed for the inaugural flight is the sixth recently delivered A350-900 for SIA, out of a total order of 67 aircraft.
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United to focus on domestic growth
United Airlines has focused on growing its international routes in recent years and is now ready to look for more domestic growth, according to President Scott Kirby. "It's another area where we have more upside than the others," he said. United acknowledged recently it is bullish on domestic flights because of the stable and affordable air fare environment.
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Virgin Australia to trial BAE Systems in-seat power stations
Virgin Australia is set to install BAE Systems’ AC outlet/USB charging in-seat power stations for personal IFE devices on one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft for a trial period, BAE said Oct. 24. BAE’s IntelliCabin In-Seat Power Solution combines 110v AC and USB outlets, but the power converter is installed in the seat, as opposed to being mounted on the floor, where power sources often crowd out passenger legroom or carry-on luggage space.
LinkAirports
Man Arrested Over London City Airport Incident
Police arrested a man on Saturday in connection with the incident that led to the evacuation of London City Airport last week. A 25 year old man was arrested “on suspicion of using a noxious substance to cause serious damage under section 113 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001,” police said in a statement.
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Military
Scorpion nears flight milestone as R&D accelerates
Textron AirLand is accelerating research and development spending on its Scorpion light attack program as it prepares for an imminent maiden sortie of the first production example. It has been pulling forward investment in order to drive maturity into the platform as it looks to clinch a launch order, says Scott Donnelly, chief executive of Textron Aviation, one of the partners in the joint venture.
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Boeing to test high levels of unmanned autonomy
Boeing is planning to demonstrate the autonomous capabilities of a number of its unmanned systems during maritime surveillance operations. Systems under consideration may include the RQ-21A Blackjack or ScanEagle unmanned air vehicles made by its Insitu subsidiary, the Camcopter rotary UAV that it markets in the UK and USA on behalf of manufacturer Schiebel, plus the Liquid Robotics Sharc unmanned surface vehicle.
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Aviation Quote
Mountains should be abolished. At least that'd stop all those aeroplanes bumping into every other peak . . . It's just happened . . . in Nepal . . . Kathmandu . . . I was reading the story in the paper. Here . . . look."
- Hergé, in The Adventures of Tin Tin in Tibet, 1960.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. What was the first production airplane to incorporate the remarkably successful and popular Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine?
2. What current manufacturer of popular automobiles was the first manufacturer of production turbojet engines?
3. Part 23 of the Federal Aviation Regulations specifies that it must be possible to safely land a certified airplane without using:
A. Ailerons
B. Elevator(s)
C. Pitch trim
D. Rudder(s)
4. The landing deck of an aircraft carrier is angled at 15 degrees left of the ship's centerline, so that the relative wind created by the ship always creates a right crosswind component for landing pilots. When the surface wind is southerly and equal to the ships speed, what must the ship's heading be so that the pilot can land without a crosswind?
5. The first aircraft to complete a transatlantic flight was one of three US Navy Curtiss NC flying boats, NC-4, that completed the journey on 27 MAY 1919. What was the primary method of navigation?
6. The most powerful piston engine ever built for an aircraft was manufactured by:
A. Lycoming
B. Packard
C. Pratt & Whitney
D. Wright
ANCFlyer wrote:Kuwait Airways unveils new livery on 777-300ER
Another Euro-White fuselage with huge letters . . . . not a fan.
