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NEWS

U.S. approves Delta-Virgin Blue alliance
The Department of Transportation has cleared Delta Air Lines' code-sharing pact with Virgin Blue Group. The approval, which is subject to public review, could help Delta in expanding its flights between the U.S. and Australia.
LInk

U.S. carriers' on-time performance improves
The on-time arrival rate of the 16 biggest U.S. carriers improved from 74.5% in February to 79.2% in March, according to data from the Department of Transportation. None of the carriers reported domestic flight delays exceeding three hours.
LInk

U.S. signs open-skies agreement with Colombia
The U.S. has signed an open-skies agreement with Colombia to boost passenger numbers and trade between the two countries. "The Agreement will strengthen and expand our already strong trade and tourism links with Colombia, benefiting U.S. and Colombian businesses and travelers by expanding air service and encouraging vigorous price competition by airlines, while safeguarding aviation safety and security," a U.S. State Department statement said.
LInk

Baby gets modified pat-down after stroller sets off alarm
An infant received what the Transportation Security Administration described as a "modified pat-down" after the child's stroller set off an alarm during an explosives screening. The incident, which occurred at Kansas City International Airport, raised questions about whether a baby presents a security threat. The TSA said it followed proper screening procedures.
LInk

FAA proposes revised rule on airline training programs
US FAA on Wednesday proposed new regulations to overhaul airline training programs for aircraft crewmembers and flight dispatchers, revising a proposal first issued in 2009. The supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would in particular revamp pilot training, mandating more recurrent training and calling for pilots to be put through challenging emergency situations in advanced flight simulators.
LInk

Alitalia narrows first-quarter loss to nearly $128 million
Alitalia reported a first-quarter net loss of €89 million ($127.7 million), a 32.6% improvement over the €132 million deficit it incurred in the year-ago period. The carrier noted that the narrowing of its deficit was achieved “despite the additional costs estimated at more than €100 million” related to the increased price of fuel, its fleet development, the impact of the unrest in the Middle East and the earthquake in Japan. Both markets are “particularly significant for Alitalia” and negatively impacted traffic volumes, it said.
LInk

GOL reports $20 million first-quarter profit
GOL reported a first-quarter net profit of BRL31.9 million ($19.8 million), up 33.5% over net income of BRL23.9 million in the year-ago period, saying it continues to tap into a growing market of "emerging middle class" air travelers in Brazil.
LInk

Air China/Cathay Pacific launch Air China Cargo JV
Air China and Cathay Pacific Airways formally launched their joint venture cargo operation on Wednesday, consolidating the two carriers' airfreight divisions. The JV, called Air China Cargo, received Chinese government approval last year. CA holds a 29.99% stake in CX.
LInk

Overweight DC-8's tailstrike influenced Afghan ban
Slack operational oversight allowed an Afghan McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63 freighter to take off from a UK runway while nearly 12t above weight limits, resulting in its overrunning and striking its tail. The incident, involving operator Kam Air, notably contributed to the European Commission's decision to impose a blanket blacklisting on Afghan carriers last November.
LInk
AAIB Report

Qantas reinstates flights after engineers call off strike
Qantas Airways has reinstated dozens of flights it had planned to cancel on 13 May, after its engineers decided to hold off on industrial action.
LInk

Thai ministry of agriculture receives C212-400 for rain-making missions
The Thai government has taken delivery of the first of two Airbus Military C212-400s. The twin-engined turboprops will be operated by the country's ministry of agriculture and co-operatives and used mainly for "rain making" missions in the drought-affected country.
LInk


Other News

LAN Airlines confirmed it reached a deal with Boeing for the purchase of five 767s, plus options for four more, in a deal valued at $870 million. Delivery is scheduled between December 2012 and August 2013, LAN said.

SkyWest Inc., the Utah-based parent of regionals SkyWest Airlines, Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet, on Wednesday named longtime CFO Bradford Rich to the newly-created post of president, effective immediately. Rich will oversee the strategic development and operational and financial performance for all of the company's entities and investments, it said in a statement. Jerry Atkin will remain chairman and CEO.

Air Lease Corp. signed long-term lease agreements for 29 aircraft with Asian airlines. China Eastern Airlines will lease 10 new Airbus A320-200s and five new Boeing 737-800s, for delivery in 2012 and 2013, in a transaction valued at approximately $700 million. It will also acquire from CEA three 767-300ERs, two under lease with MIAT Mongolian, for delivery in May and November 2011, and one to Orient Thai Airlines for delivery in August 2011.

American Airlines launched seasonal daily Boeing 767-300 Chicago O'Hare-Helsinki service, which it will operate until Oct. 29.

JetBlue Airways and Icelandair launched an interline partnership under which customers can book a single combined ticket for JetBlue and Icelandair-operated flights. FI will launch twice-daily service from Reykjavik to Boston and New York JFK from June 1, and RKV-Washington Dulles flights from May 17.

Emirates Airline will launch Airbus A380 service to Johannesburg from Oct. 1, according to Trade Arabia News Service. EK operates 42 weekly services from Dubai to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

CSA Czech Airlines said it will temporarily suspend its Prague service to Cairo (twice-weekly) and Damascus (thrice-weekly) beginning this week and will potentially renew the flights in its winter schedule.



AVIATION QUOTE

The length of debate about a flight maneuver is always inversely proportional to the complexity of maneuver. Thus, if the flight maneuver is simple enough, debate approaches infinity.

— Robert Livingston, 'Flying The Aeronca.'



ON THIS DATE

May 12th

• In 1949... The USSR ends its blockade of Berlin, Germany; the Western airlift continues to build up supplies in the city.

• In 1963... American flyer Betty Miller lands in Brisbane, Australia, to complete the first transpacific flight by a woman; she left Oakland, California, on April 30.

• In 1964... American flyer Joan Merriam Smith lands her Pipe Apache to complete the second round-the-world flight by a woman; she took 56 days.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Military Work Rules

1. Sickness: No excuses will be acceptable. We will no longer accept the Medical Officer's statement as proof of illness as we believe that if you are able to go on sick parade, you are able to come to work.

2. Leave of Absence for an Operation: We are no longer allowing this practice. We hired you as you are, and to have anything removed certainly makes you less than we bargained for.

3. Death, Other than Your Own: This is no excuse. If you can arrange the funeral services to be held late in the afternoon, however, we can let you off an hour early, provided all your work is up to date.

4. Death, Your Own: This will be accepted as an excuse, but we would like at least two weeks notice, as we feel it is your duty to teach someone else your job.

5. Quantity of Work: No matter how much you do, you'll never do enough.

6. Quality of Work: The minimum acceptable level is perfection.

7. Advice from the Commanding Officer: Eat a live toad first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.

8. The senior officer is Always Right.

9. When the senior officer is Wrong, Refer to Rule 8.



TRIVIA

General Trivia

1. Most pilots likely believe that it is safer to ditch a low-wing airplane with retractable landing gear than a high-wing airplane with retractable landing gear. What are three advantages, however, of ditching a high-wing airplane?

2. A four-engine Avro York, the Ascalon, was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s personal transport and flying conference room. It was supposed to carry “Churchill’s Egg” but never did. What was Churchill’s Egg?

3. What clever ploy is used on some of the Canadian Air Force’s McDonnell Douglas F/A–18 fighters to improve their combat effectiveness?

4. If you place a buzzard in an eight-foot by six-foot pen that is completely open at the top, why, despite its ability to fly, will the buzzard be imprisoned within the pen?

5. It used to be common practice on fighter aircraft for every fifth round of ammunition to be a tracer as an aid in aiming. Provide three reasons why using tracers was not such a great idea.

6. Who invented the conventional four-way control stick and rudder pedals?

7. Pilots often “pickle the trim” when activating an electrically operated elevator trim, and fighter pilots talk about “pickling a round.” How did the word pickle come to be used in reference to pushing an electrical switch?

1. Less damage to the airframe, and it's easier to land in a crosswind. Can't think of a third.
2. pressurized container that allowed high altitude flight without oxygen masks.
3. False cockpit painted on the underside of the aircraft.
4. It needs more room for its wingspan when extended?
5. premature ignition in the gun or near the aircraft, and it exposed the location of the aircraft? Can't think of a third.
6. ???
7. ???

ANSWERS:

1. In a high-wing airplane, it is safer to touch down with full flaps; ailerons remain usable during deceleration; it is less likely that a wing tip will “catch” the water and cause the airplane to cartwheel.

2. Churchill’s doctors thought it unwise for him to be subjected to unpressurized flight. The egg was a pressurized aluminum capsule containing a bed, telephone, small bar, and an ashtray for his cigars.

3. They have fake canopies painted on their bellies to distract and confuse enemy pilots for a split second, which can be decisive in a dogfight.

4. A buzzard’s takeoff requirements are more like an airplane’s than most other birds. It needs to run at least 10 feet before it can fly.

5. Tracers had different ballistics; if you hit a target with tracers, you might miss with other rounds. Tracers told the enemy that he was under fire and from which direction. Loading a string of tracers at the end of the ammunition belt to indicate that you were out of ammo told your enemy the same.

6. Louis Blériot, the first person to fly across the English Channel (1909).

7. The bomb-release switch on World War II bombers was called the pickle switch. It was shaped like a dill pickle and gripped in the bombardier’s palm. He depressed a thumb-activated switch at one end of the “pickle” for “bombs away.”