NEWS
L-3 buys Thales’ civil simulation business
US company L-3 Communications is buying the civil aircraft simulation and training business of UK-based Thales Training & Simulation (TTS). The deal will see L-3’s military simulation unit, Link, expand into the airline market.
Link
Boeing makes design changes to 737 MAX
Boeing announced Wednesday it has made a series of design changes to the 737 MAX to further optimize the new-engine variant's performance.
The design improvements include an extended tail cone, an integrated engine/wing design similar to that of the 787, and fly-by-wire spoilers. A potential revision to the wing tips is also being considered and evaluated in wind tunnel tests.
Link
Garuda places firm order for more A330-300s
Garuda Indonesia (GA) has placed a firm order for 11 Airbus A330-300s. It is the carrier’s third A330 order since July 2010, bringing its total on firm order to 21 aircraft
Link
EVA Air eyes 787-10/777X aircraft
Taipei-based EVA Airways Corp. (BR) is eyeing Boeing 787-10 and 777X aircraft as it considers the future of its widebody fleet. “We are highly interested in the 787-10 project,” BR president K.W. Chang told ATW in Taipei on the sidelines of BR’s Star Alliance signing ceremony last month.
Link
Flights rerouted to avoid North Korea missile launch
About 20 flights from airlines including All Nippon Airways (ANA), Cebu Pacific, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines (JAL), Korean Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and will be re-routed between Thursday and Monday to avoid North Korea’s upcoming missile launch, according to the Associated Press. The timing of the launch will depend on weather and other conditions.
Link
American Airlines pilots are skeptical about a merger, exec says
John Hale, vice president of flight at American Airlines, said the carrier's pilots "have very serious concerns" about a possible merger with US Airways. "There's little indication from anyone I've spoken to that a takeover by US would produce greater opportunity for our pilots than American's business plan," wrote Hale in a memo to Tom Horton, chairman, president and CEO of AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines.
Link
United flight attendants are concerned about Hobby airport proposal
Flight attendants at United Airlines are worried about a proposal to launch international flights from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston. Employees from United appeared before the Houston City Council to discuss their concerns. United flies internationally out of Houston's other airport.
Link
The regional jet could be latest victim of higher fuel prices
The future of 50-seat regional jets looks dim, as higher fuel prices have made flying the jets impractical, this feature says. Now some carriers are selling the regional jets and turning to larger jets or turboprops. "It's a fast, sexy-looking machine, but economic reality caught up with it and it's now just blocking the balance sheets of airlines and you have little hope of getting a lot of money if you sell your old CRJ or ERJ," said Bert van Leeuwen, head of aviation research at DVB Bank.
Link
Air Canada applies for slots at Reagan Washington National
U.S. airlines are objecting to Air Canada's application to begin service from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Washington. Air Canada has applied for slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, along with several U.S. carriers. Some U.S. rivals say Air Canada wants U.S. traffic so that it can boost its routes to Asia.
Link
EU emissions-trading scheme is "deal-breaker," Indian official says
The European Union's emissions-trading scheme could scuttle global talks on climate change, according to an Indian official. "For the environment ministry, for me, it is a deal-breaker because you simply cannot bring this into climate change discourse and disguise unilateral trade measures under climate change," said Jayanthi Natarajan, environment minister for India.
Link
Atlanta, Delta settled Northwest claim with stock
The city of Atlanta received 453,000 shares of Delta Air Lines to settle a claim against Northwest Airlines, this feature says. Delta purchased Northwest in 2008, and was responsible for an outstanding claim of $12.9 million. However, holding shares of a company is a violation of city policies, unless it's in a pension fund, an audit found. Delta has since sold the shares for $4.4 million.
Link
Websites offer passengers more information on seat selection
Seat-review websites take some of the guesswork out of choosing a seat for a trip by airplane. SeatGuru and Skytrax allow users to review seats and also offer detailed maps. "As prices become more competitive, sites like SeatGuru become more important," said Andrew Wong of SeatGuru.
Link
Passengers may use more in-flight wireless as prices drop
As more airlines offer Internet access and other communication tools as part of in-flight entertainment, the question remains if passengers will use them. Costs have kept some passengers from using phones or Internet devices on planes, but those costs are expected to drop by half as providers cut roaming rates. Increasing in-seat on-demand services may also tempt passengers to use wireless services while in-flight, this feature says.
Link
Jet Airways Delays Some Airport Payments
Indian carrier Jet Airways said on Wednesday there has been some delays in its payments to airports due to rising fuel costs and a depreciating rupee.
Link
Thai AirAsia Plans IPO In May
The Thai unit of Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) of its shares in the Thai market in May, its financial adviser said on Wednesday.
Link
Other News
Russia and Belarus have agreed to five daily frequencies for each country’s carriers on the Moscow-Minsk (MSQ) route, effective April 27. The two countries will set the new rules for the winter season schedule in September.
Malaysia Airlines has moved to distance itself from reports that it would create child-free zones on new Airbus A380 aircraft when it enters the fleet in July.
Silver Airways has taken delivery of its fourth Saab 340Bplus. The Fort Lauderdale., Fla.-based carrier, which received FAA approval to operate the Saab 340Bplus aircraft type last month, has agreed to purchase 12 of the turboprops from Saab Aircraft Leasing.
Inflight Productions was selected by TransAsia Airways to provide an inflight entertainment audio and movie offering for its Taipei-Singapore route.
Panasonic Avionics inked an agreement with Airbus to line-fit its Global Communications Suite on one A380. The suite provides two-way broadband connectivity to an aircraft, supporting both broadband internet access through Wi-Fi, mobile phone services in collaboration with AeroMobile, and a global live television service.
IMS Company has been selected by Air Niugini to supply its RAVE inflight entertainment system for installation on its Boeing 767 long-haul fleet. Integration will be performed by Icelandair Technical Services, beginning in the spring of 2013. It is the ninth airline to choose the seat-centric solution.
AVIATION QUOTE
Never fly the 'A' model of anything.
— Ed Thompson
ON THIS DATE
---In 1911... Pierre Prier makes the first non-stop passenger flight, traveling from London to Paris.
---In 1911... Lt. T. Gordon Ellyson becomes the Navy’s first pilot.
---In 1918... The Loughead brothers fly their seaplane, the F-1, from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
---In 1935…The Bristol Blenheim, a British light bomber, makes takes off from Filton, England on its maiden test flight.
---In 1937…Sir Frank Whittle conducts ground-tests of the world’s first jet engine designed specifically to power an aircraft.
---In 1951…Korean War: 48 US B-29 Superfortresses bomb the Sinuiju Railway Bridge spanning the Yalu River.
---In 1961... At 9:07 am, Moscow time, the Soviet rocket Vostok 1 takes off from Tyuratam in central Asia, launching Flight-Major Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin into space and the history books. After a single orbit, the first human in space lands safely back at the space center at Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
---In 1966…U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses strike targets in North Vietnam for the first time.
---In 1966…First flight of the Pilatus PC-7.
---In 1971…The US Air Force’s 31st Aerospace Rescue Squadron evacuate Charles Lindbergh and a group of scientists from Mindanao Island, Philippines, after their helicopter had crashed.
---In 1972... Members of the USAF’s 31st Aerospace Rescue Squadron pick up Charles Lindbergh and a scientific team from the jungle on Mindanao Island, Philippines, after their helicopter crashed while on an anthropological survey.
---In 1981…The US Space Shuttle program takes off with the first launch of Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-1. The flight crew, consisting of only two—Commander John W. Young and Pilot Robert Crippen—spend 54 1/2 hours in orbit.
---In 1989… British Airways Concorde loses a large piece of its rudder on a flight between Christchurch and Sydney.
DAILY VIDEO
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Rules For Dating The DI’s Daughter
Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.
Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.
Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose his compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.
Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.
Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."
Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.
Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?
Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.
Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. On issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.
Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.
TRIVIA
General Trivia
1. What was the longest-duration passenger flight ever made by an airline using an airplane powered by reciprocating engines?
A. 23 hours 19 minutes
B. 20 hours 19 minutes
C. 17 hours 19 minutes
D. 14 hours 19 minutes
2. Which of the following was the only operational Century-series fighter not deployed over Vietnam?
A. Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
B. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter
C. Convair F-106 Delta Dart
D. McDonnell F-110 Spectre
3. Multiengine pilots know that it can take substantial rudder-pedal force to arrest the yaw created by a failed engine when operating at minimum-controllable airspeed (VMC). The maximum force allowed by aircraft certification regulation Part 23.149 is
A. 75 pounds.
B. 100 pounds.
C. 150 pounds.
D. 200 pounds.
4. True or false; For instrument-rated pilots: A pilot is cleared to “cruise at 9,000 feet,” for example. This means that the pilot is cleared to execute the instrument approach at his destination airport.
5. True or false; The Beech King Air was the first civilian turboprop airplane produced in the United States.
6. True or false; American pilots know that when two airplanes are on converging courses, the airplane on the other’s right has right-of-way. In England (and a few other countries), however, the airplane on the other’s left has right-of-way.
