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NEWS

Transaero Airlines considers A380, 747-8 orders
Transaero Airlines is analyzing possible orders for the Airbus A380 and/or the Boeing 747-8, CEO Olga Pleshakova revealed at the MAKS Airshow in Russia.
Link

Airlines prepare to receive Dreamliners from Boeing
Japan's All Nippon Airways is poised to receive the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in late September, prompting other customers, including United Continental Holdings, to revive plans for the long-awaited aircraft. The carriers are polishing up marketing materials, planning routes and updating training efforts.
Link

US Airways and Airbus discuss replacing 757s with A321neos
US Airways Group has started discussing the possibility of replacing its aging Boeing 757s with A321neo jets from Airbus. "While we can confirm we are talking to Airbus, our talks are in a very informal stage as we gather more information from them on the potential capabilities of the A321neo," said Todd Lehmacher, a spokesman for US Airways.
Link

Airlines reduce service to offset fuel costs
Airlines in the U.S. are carefully reconsidering and making changes to their route structures in an effort to offset persistently high fuel costs and an expected decline in travel demand. "Now airlines are making much more surgical decisions route by route and region by region," said Mark Dunkerley, CEO of Hawaiian Holdings.
Link

Airbus is considering bolstering production of A320
Airbus is looking into ramping up production of its A320, said Christopher Buckley, vice president for Europe, Asia and the Pacific at the airplane manufacturer. The production rate at Airbus' three assembly lines for the A320 family could hit as high as 46 aircraft per month, Buckley said.
Link

Qantas Engineers To Take Industrial Action
Aircraft engineers at Australia's Qantas Airways will stage one-hour work stoppages for the rest of the year in protest against the airline's plans to cut jobs and set up new airlines in Asia, a union said on Friday.
Link

Thai Air To Launch New Regional Airline
Thai Airways said on Friday its new regional airline will start operations in July 2012 to tap strong demand for air traffic in Asia and win back market share in the wake of fierce competition in the region. The new mid-tier airline will be named Thai Smile, Chairman Ampon Kittiampon told reporters.
Link

Malaysian Firefly To Exit Low Cost Market
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plans to establish a new full-service carrier called Sapphire, and in a separate development, will end the jet operations of its low-cost carrier Firefly and reposition the airline as a full-service turboprop operator.
Link

Volga Dnepr to upgrade An-124 fleet
Ukraine's Antonov State Enterprise has signed a deal to upgrade the first of Volga Dnepr’s fleet of An-124-100 Ruslan freighters to a modernised An-124-111VD standard. This deal, which was signed at the MAKS-2011 Aviation and Space Salon in Russia on 16 August, marks the latest step towards relaunching serial production of this cargo aircraft.
Link

El Al posts second-quarter loss on rising fuel costs
El Al Israel Airlines reported a second-quarter net loss of $19.7 million, reversed from a $14.8 million net profit in the prior-year period, as expenditures grew at nearly three times the rate of revenue.
Link

How The Dreamliner Is Costing Boeing
Rolls Royce-powered Boeing 787 Dreamliners flew their last certification flight August 13, but the aircraft will be a drag on Boeing's bottom line until the 1,000th jet is out the door, according to an August 16 report. According to a report by the New York firm, Bernstein Research, the jet's initial popularity is actually partly to blame. Orders flowed in so quickly when the program launched, that 800 orders were locked in before the program's rising costs became apparent and could be factored into new list prices. Fortunately, that popularity also suggests that the 1,000th delivery may not be too far off.
Link

Obama administration delays pilot safety rules
The White House has postponed new rules aimed at tackling pilot fatigue amid opposition from cargo and charter airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration proposed rules last year to address pilot fatigue, which can result in accidents. The new target date for issuing final rules is now late November.
Link

ARJ21 first delivery likely delayed
First delivery of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) ARJ21 regional jet is likely to be delayed by up to a year or more, after problems surfaced during the flight testing programme.
Link


Other News

Martinair appointed former Martinair Holland Director-Operations Diederik Pen managing director.

Horizon Air named Yvonne Daverin, formerly Alaska Airlines MD-airframe, engine and component maintenance, to the post ofVP-maintenance and engineering.

JetBlue Airways selected BMO Capital Markets MD Ellen Jewett to its board of directors.

Etihad Airways named Robbie Mehoke VP-eastern US. Mehoke is a former United Airlines district sales manager for North America.



AVIATION QUOTE

If you don't think you're the best pilot in the business, MAYBE you're in the wrong business. If you think you could never make a mistake, you are REALLY in the wrong business.

— Randy Sohn



ON THIS DATE

August 19th

--- In 1871... Orville Wright is born in Dayton, Ohio. He is co-inventor, with his brother Wilbur, of the first airplane to achieve powered, sustained, and controlled flight and the first fully practical powered airplane. Orville piloted the famous first flight at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina after winning a coin flip against his brother.

--- In 1911... British naval officer Comdr. Charles R. Samson sets a new British endurance record of 4 hours, 58 minutes, 30 seconds. The Short S.38 biplane has special tanks allowing sufficient fuel for more than 4 hours flying.

--- In 1919... A Curtiss 18-T flown by Curtiss test pilot Roland Rholfs establishes a new world speed record of 163 mph carrying a load of 1,076 lbs.

--- In 1929... The first metal airship built for the U.S. Navy makes its first flight. The ZMC-2 is a 22,600 cu. ft. helium balloon supported by transverse metal frames and longitudinal stiffeners with a thin metal covering forming the outer skin.

---In 1969…Embraer is founded by Brazil’s Ministry of Aeronautics.

In 1980…Saudia Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar, burns at Riyadh, killing all 301 on board. The plane had actually made a safe emergency landing after the crew received indications of a fire in the cargo compartment, but a delay by the crew in evacuating the plane, combined with the emergency service’s inability to open the doors for a long period of time, caused the passengers and crew to die of burns and smoke inhalation.

---In 1981…Two United States Navy F-14 Tomcats shoot down two Sukhoi Su-22s of the Libyan Air Force over the Gulf of Sidra.



DAILY VIDEO





EDITOR’S CHOICE





HUMOR

Some fun things to do the next time you're on one of those long international flights to kill time...

Pinch the stewardess' butt as she passes.

When two people kiss in the in flight movie, belch real loud.

When there's any nudity, hoot really loudly for a few minutes.

Fart loudly and act shocked, looking around to see who did it.

Fiddle around with the emergency exit, then ask a fellow passenger if he has a crowbar.

Hijack the cockpit and, over the loudspeaker, announce that the first class passengers and luggage are to switch places.

Run down the aisle screaming, "He's got a bomb! He's got a bomb!".

Go into the bathroom and make rude bodily noises, then come out looking refreshed.

"Accidental" soda spill on the dork next to you.

Give someone a coin, saying "Heads, I detonate the bomb. Tails, I don't".

Go into the bathroom, drop your pants, then come out, yelling "We're out of toilet paper! Stewardess!".

Describe your sex life in great detail to the five-year-old next to you.

Lead a bible study session in the back of the plane.

Start a hot dog stand.

Steal businessman's laptop, play solitaire on it.

Remark that perhaps you shouldn't have put super glue in your underpants that morning.

Pick your nose and pat the person next to you.

Show off your Batman underwear.

Switch accents and see if anyone notices.

Sneak into the cockpit and hit the warning alarm.

Scratch your butt, then sniff your finger.

Go into the cockpit, flick on the intercom light, then loudly inquire as to why the fuel dial says "e".

Go into the cockpit, ask the pilot in an obnoxious voice "Why do they call it the COCKpit?" then snort as if it's the funniest thing in the world.

Don't use deodorant, then "accidentally" stick your armpit in someone's face.

Sneeze, using somebody's sleeve instead of your hand to cover it.

Snort when you laugh.

Tell corny jokes and laugh like it's absolutely hilarious, then expect others to do the same.

Ride carry-on luggage down the aisle, yelling "Yeee-ha!".

With a desperate look, ask the stewardess where the bathroom is, then look relieved and say "Never mind. Do you have any towels?".

Jump up and scream "AAAHHH!! I left the stove on!!".

Ask someone for their autograph, pretending that you think they're Kevin Costner or Goldie Hawn (This best then the person looks nothing like the movie star in question)

If someone has a bad toupee, whack it off.

Pretend you're flying the plane.

Get some rub-on tattoos and a leather jacket, pretend that you belong to a biker gang.

Take over the plane with a toy gun.

Yell to someone "Is it time to hijack the plane yet?" (Note: Do this when there are stewardess nearby).

To the person next to you, say "It's amazing that they didn't notice the grenade in my luggage.



TRIVIA

Born Again?

1. Start with a perfectly normal jet fighter but put the wings on backward making it unstable. It's OK though as the computer system keeps it controlled and the instability makes it extremely maneuverable.
F-16
F-22
X-15
X-29

2. This strange aircraft pioneered the nose hump made famous by the 747 almost a decade earlier. Only 21 examples were produced and they were actually modifications of a standard 4 engine Douglas transport.
Fairchild C-119
Bristol 170
ATL-98 Carvair
Douglas C-124 Globemaster

3. The Boeing 747 is a huge and versatile aircraft that has seen many modified variants. Which of the following is not a modified 747 airframe?
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
Airborne Laser
Large Cargo Freighter
Super Guppy

4. What vehicles were modified to build the Piasecki PA-97 Helistat?
A blimp and four helicopters
Two helicopters
A hydrofoil and two helicopters
A cargo airplane and four helicopters

5. Now for a fictional reborn aircraft. Dale Brown wrote a series of stories about the "Old Dog" which is a common USAF aircraft modified almost to the point of being a new aircraft. What type of aircraft is this?
B-52
B-2
B-1
XB-70

6. Recycling is great! Which company has made a specialty of recycling decommissioned ICBM boosters into space launch vehicles?
Space Craft Incorporated
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
The Aerospace Corporation
Orbital Sciences Corporation

7. Take one of the largest aircraft in the world and add root extensions to the wings with two additional engines, add a couple fuselage plugs, change the tail, and finally beef up the landing gear. Now you have the heaviest aircraft ever built, what is it?
AN-225 Mriya
Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
AN-124 Ruslan
Airbus Beluga

8. Lockheed modified their F-104 Starfighter to produce what is easily the best known reconnaissance aircraft of all time. It has operated under several different military designations, which of the following is NOT one?
ER-2
TR-1
RQ-4
U-2

9. The US Army tested a unique gunship during Vietnam that ended up influencing the development of both the AC-130 Spectre and the AH-1 Huey Cobra. The unit flying this unique machine was commonly known as Guns a Go Go. What aircraft was modified to build this?
H-21 Shawnee
UH-1 Iroquois
CH-47A Chinook
CH-54 Tarhe

10. Generally speaking, the more versatile an aircraft is, the more likely it is to be modified for additional uses. The Boeing 367-80 was a hand-built prototype for both the KC-135 and the 707 commercial jet both of which have been modified into numerous specialized configurations such as tankers, AWACS, etc. Who was the test pilot who dramatically demonstrated this aircraft's versatility by performing a barrel roll over Lake Washington just a year after first flight.
Chuck Sewell
Tex Schramm
Chuck Yeager
Tex Johnston

1. Start with a perfectly normal jet fighter but put the wings on backward making it unstable. It's OK though as the computer system keeps it controlled and the instability makes it extremely maneuverable.
F-22?

2. This strange aircraft pioneered the nose hump made famous by the 747 almost a decade earlier. Only 21 examples were produced and they were actually modifications of a standard 4 engine Douglas transport.
ATL-98 Carvair

3. The Boeing 747 is a huge and versatile aircraft that has seen many modified variants. Which of the following is not a modified 747 airframe?
Super Guppy

4. What vehicles were modified to build the Piasecki PA-97 Helistat?
A blimp and four helicopters?

5. Now for a fictional reborn aircraft. Dale Brown wrote a series of stories about the "Old Dog" which is a common USAF aircraft modified almost to the point of being a new aircraft. What type of aircraft is this?
B-52?

6. Recycling is great! Which company has made a specialty of recycling decommissioned ICBM boosters into space launch vehicles?

7. Take one of the largest aircraft in the world and add root extensions to the wings with two additional engines, add a couple fuselage plugs, change the tail, and finally beef up the landing gear. Now you have the heaviest aircraft ever built, what is it?
AN-225 Mriya

8. Lockheed modified their F-104 Starfighter to produce what is easily the best known reconnaissance aircraft of all time. It has operated under several different military designations, which of the following is NOT one?
U-2

9. The US Army tested a unique gunship during Vietnam that ended up influencing the development of both the AC-130 Spectre and the AH-1 Huey Cobra. The unit flying this unique machine was commonly known as Guns a Go Go. What aircraft was modified to build this?
UH-1 Iroquois

10. Generally speaking, the more versatile an aircraft is, the more likely it is to be modified for additional uses. The Boeing 367-80 was a hand-built prototype for both the KC-135 and the 707 commercial jet both of which have been modified into numerous specialized configurations such as tankers, AWACS, etc. Who was the test pilot who dramatically demonstrated this aircraft's versatility by performing a barrel roll over Lake Washington just a year after first flight.
Chuck Sewell?

1. X-29

2. ATL-98 Carvair

3. Super Guppy

4. A blimp and four helicopters

5. B-52

6. Orbital Sciences Corporation

7. AN-225 Mriya

8. RQ-4

9. CH-47A Chinook

10. Tex Johnston

3. Super Guppy
5. B-52
8. RQ-4
10. Tex Johnston


Beautiful video today...

ANSWERS:


1. Most of the fuselage of this aircraft came from re-manufactured F-5 airframes with some bits from the F-16 as well. I had the pleasure of meeting the first test pilot for this aircraft shortly before his death in 1986.

2. These were built to be used as car ferries. Raising the cockpit over the main fuselage allowed cars to be driven on and off the aircraft easily.

3. The Super Guppy is a modified Airbus A-300 primarily used for transporting fuselage and wing sections between production sites. The Large Cargo Freighter serves the same purpose for Boeing's new 787 program.

4. This aircraft was built under a US Forest Service contract as a possible solution for logging in remote areas. Unfortunately it crashed killing a pilot due to structural design flaws only a few months after its first flight. The test program
was based at Lakehurst Naval Air Station which is known for the much more famous crash of the Hindenburg.

5. The common B-52 is a Stratofortress while the Old Dog is a EB-52 Megafortress. Some of the modifications include air to air missiles, new engines, and a modified tail.

6. Orbital Sciences Corporation. Various models of the OSC Minotaur use Minuteman II or Peacekeeper(MX) missile boosters as the basis of the vehicle.

7. The AN-225 was originally built for the purpose of carrying the orbiter and boosters used by the Soviet shuttle program. Only one AN-225 has been completed.

8. Most people know this aircraft only as the U-2 made famous by Francis Gary Powers as well as its use during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Some models were called the TR-1 mostly during the 1980s but were redesignated as U-2s in 1991. The
ER-2 is a modified version used by NASA for high altitude research.

9. CH-47A Chinook . "Easy Money" is the only one of four built still in existence. It is fully restored and on display at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL.
The French did experiment with using the H-21 as a gunship in Algeria but the results were not very good.

10. Tex Johnston. The maneuver was unplanned and spur of the moment and got him in a bit of trouble until management realized how many airplanes he had sold for them with such an impressive demo.