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NEWS

FAA awards $125 million in 'CLEEN' aircraft technology contracts
US FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt announced yesterday at ATW's Eco-Aviation Conference that the agency has awarded $125 million to five companies to "develop and demonstrate technologies that will reduce commercial jet fuel consumption, emissions and noise."
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Virgin America posts $35.5 million first-quarter loss
Virgin America reported a first-quarter net loss of $35.5 million, narrowed from a year-ago deficit of $40.3 million, but said it remains on track for a full-year operating profit.
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Southwest COO pushes for narrowbody replacement
Southwest Airlines Executive VP and COO Mike Van de Ven yesterday called on aircraft manufacturers to develop a new narrowbody aircraft, saying that today's 737NG and A320s are unable to deliver the "step change" in efficiency that the airline industry needs.
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Airbus: A320 family aircraft have operated 50 million flights
Airbus said A320 family aircraft recently passed the 50-million-flight milestone and have carried 5 billion passengers since entering commercial service in 1988.
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Second P-8A Moves To Pax River Testing Site
Boeing has shifted the second P-8A to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to support the U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft’s development program, and the company also is finishing up work on the third and final flight test aircraft. The second P-8A, designated T-2, is the first with the primary mission system. The aircraft, which first flew with the mission equipment installed on June 8, was shifted to Pax River on June 19.
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Boeing Eyes F/A-18E/F Long-Term Production
Boeing projects the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet production line will remain open past 2020, even though a planned third U.S. Navy multi-year production program would conclude before then. Still uncertain is what the production rate will be during the next multi-year buy; current plans call for a purchase of 124 F/A-18E/Fs over four years, but the number of aircraft and the timeline could still change, says Mike Gibbons, the company’s program manager. He expects the multi-year buy would yield $500 million in savings over annual lot buys.
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Horizontal stabilizer gaps force 787 inspections and reduced flight envelope
Boeing has imposed a temporary operating limitation (TOL) on its five flying 787 test aircraft after structural gaps were discovered in the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizers, which are built by Alenia Aeronautica in Foggia, Italy, have "issues with improperly installed shims and the torque of associated fasteners", says Boeing.
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Russians deny fault in South Korean launch failure
The cause of the 10 June explosion that ended South Korea's second attempt to launch a satellite has yet to be determined - but the failure was not caused by the Russian-built first stage of the rocket, says the Russian Federal Space Agency.
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Aeromexico looks at acquiring more E-190s
Aeromexico is looking at acquiring additional Embraer E-190s and reducing the size of its Embraer ERJ-145 fleet.
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Boeing outlines C-130H and KC-10 cockpit upgrades
Boeing will upgrade cockpits for US Air Force C-130Hs and KC-10 tankers under separate deals announced on 24 June.
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Austral’s first E-190

Aerolineas Argentinas domestic subsidiary Austral is preparing to accept delivery of its first Embraer E-190 in July.
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Other News

The EU Emissions Trading Scheme likely will "not go away," warned experts at ATW's Eco-Aviation Conference in Washington yesterday. Lufthansa Consulting Executive VP Thilo Schmid said preparing for aviation's inclusion in the ETS in 2012 is proving to be a "real challenge" for some airlines. He noted that while many carriers have accepted the ETS, some are hoping "it will go away" and may not be ready in 2012. He encouraged airlines to prepare for tracking, reporting and verifying CO2 emissions as early as possible.

Guido Harling, founder and executive director of ETSverification.com, said savvy carriers should "adapt pricing and network strategy in 2010 to optimize tonne kilometers for a greater share of free allowances" in 2012. He noted that 2010 emissions levels will be used as a baseline for 2012 allowances. "Airlines need to maximize distances of EU flights [in 2010], with the longer distances better. Shortcut unnecessary stops outside of the EU and the more payload the better," he said. Then in 2012 airlines should "minimize emissions by reducing distances to the EU."

Southwest Airlines expects significant fuel savings from its $175 million rollout of RNP to its airports starting in 2011. Speaking at ATW's Eco-Aviation Conference in Washington, Senior Director-Flight Operations Jeff Martin said SWA "completed the activation of autothrottle technology in all 340 of our 737-700 aircraft and flew our first RNP demo flight, both significant milestones in implementing our program." The airline also has modified its speed schedule and is flying at optimum speed and altitude, contributing to approximately 4.8 million gal. in fuel savings of the 8.5 million gal. saved by the LCC last year.

In preparation for FAA's NextGen ATC system, SWA over the last two years has modified more than 444 aircraft with GPS and RNP software, modified 343 737NGs from EFIS to PFD/ND and completed 30,000 pilot training events. It has flown 9,000 GPS approaches since April 6. It is on track for the first 737 Classic digital conversion in 2011. "The payoff is already $1 million in fuel savings each month with the new automation," Martin said. "With RNP, for every 3 nm. we save 1 min. of flight time, 10 gal. of fuel, eliminate 200 lb. of carbon dioxide and eliminate 0.75 lb. of NOX." The airline anticipates a 100% return on investment in fewer than 10 years as long as FAA implements NextGen in a timely manner. "With RNP/NextGen procedures designed at 13 of our airports, we project a savings of $16 million a year once we begin flying RNP in January 2011," Martin said.

ITT VP-NextGen Transportation Systems John Kefaliotis told the conference that 330 ADS-B stations will be installed in the US by September as the rollout that began in 2008 continues through 2013.

Nick Fadugba announced his resignation from the post of secretary general of the African Airlines Assn. this week. In a statement, Fadugba, who was elected to the position in November 2009 and began his term in February, said, "I have come to the conclusion that I can better serve the African aviation industry and African airlines as founder and CEO of African Aviation Services rather than as secretary general of AFRAA." Under his leadership, AFRAA announced a restructuring intended to reverse what he called a slide in the organization's relevance and effectiveness as a voice for African airlines. AFRAA said that in the absence of a secretary general, day-to-day activities of the association "will be managed by an Interim Secretariat Management Committee made up of the directors under the close supervision of the chairman of the executive committee."

Lufthansa will launch five-times-weekly Frankfurt Main-Libreville-Pointe Noire service Nov. 3 aboard a PrivatAir 737-800.

American Airlines will launch daily New York JFK-Rio de Janeiro service Nov. 18 aboard a 767-300 and four-times-weekly Miami-Brasilia service Nov. 19 aboard a 757.

Sun Country Airlines will operate seasonal weekly Minneapolis St. Paul-London Stansted service through Aug. 15 aboard a 737-800.



AVIATION QUOTE

"Any pilot can describe the mechanics of flying. What it can do for the spirit of man is beyond description."

- Barry M. Goldwater, US senator



AEROSPACE TERM

Impact Predictor

A device which takes information from a trajectory measuring system and continuously computes the point (in real time) at which the rocket will strike the earth; based on the assumption that the rocket power is shut off at that instant and the remaining trajectory is ballistic in nature.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Medevac Crew

After dying in a helicopter crash, three air ambulance crewmembers find themselves at an orientation to enter heaven. Each one was asked, "When you are in your casket, what would you like to hear your friends and family saying about you?" Sean says, "I would like to hear them say I was a great medic and a great family man." Karl says, "I would like to hear them say I was a wonderful husband and an excellent pilot who made a difference."
The copilot says, "I would like to hear them say, 'Look! He's moving!'"



TRIVIA

3-View ID

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ANSWERS:

1. Airspeed AS-51 Horsa
2. Antonov An-72 “Coaler”
3. Cessna 185 Skywagon
4. Curtiss XP-55A Ascender
5. Aermacchi AMX
6. Blackburn Firebrand
7. Blohm und Voss Bv-141
8. MBB Bölkow Bö-105A
9. Boeing YC-14
10. Avro 707