NEWS
Air Canada Pilot Thought Venus Was A Plane
A sleepy Air Canada pilot first mistook the planet Venus for an aircraft, and then sent his airliner diving toward the Atlantic to prevent an imaginary collision with another plane, an official report said on Monday.
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US Airlines Seen Posting 2012 Profit
Rising fuel prices pushed major US airlines into the red for the first quarter and could pressure results during the peak travel season, but most carriers are likely to be profitable this year, analysts said.
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Qatar Airways Open To Airbus, Boeing Rivals
The chief executive of Qatar Airways said delays to new planes from Airbus and Boeing meant he was open to studying future aircraft being developed by emerging producers such as China.
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Emirates Mulls Foreign Airline Buys
Dubai airline Emirates is studying new opportunities to buy foreign carriers if they fit the emirate's strategy, the state news agency quoted the chairman of the fast-growing carrier as saying on Monday.
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Boeing's 4000th 737NG to be delivered to China Southern
Boeing will deliver its 4,000th 737NG, a -700 variant of the narrowbody aircraft, to China Southern Airlines this week. The aircraft, which rolled off the 737 production line at Renton in Washington, was handed over to the SkyTeam alliance member in a special ceremony over the weekend.
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Virgin Atlantic appealing IAG takeover of bmi
Virgin Atlantic Airways will appeal the European Commission’s decision to allow British Airways’ (BA) parent International Airlines Group (IAG) to take over debt-racked British Midland International (bmi).
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Russia, France amend bilateral agreement
Russian and French aviation authorities have agreed to designate a second airline from each country to operate 7X-weekly services on the Paris Orly (ORY)-Moscow route.
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Sichuan accelerates international expansion
Chengdu-based Sichuan Airlines (3U) is accelerating the pace of its international expansion as Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU) moves forward with plans to become China’s fourth busiest international hub.
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Volga-Dnepr acquires Air Cargo Germany
Russian cargo group Volga-Dnepr (VI) has completed the acquisition of Frankfurt Hahn-based carrier Air Cargo Germany (6U) for a 49% stake. The value of the deal has not been disclosed but VI senior VP Sergey Shklyanik said the group refinanced 6U’s debts for €15 million ($19.5 million) as part of the deal.
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Spirit AeroSystems: Production capabilities "intact" despite tornado damage
Production tooling is undamaged and most of the parts and materials "looks good" inside factories battered by severe winds and tornados in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit AeroSystems says.
The aerostructures supplier to several commercial, business and military aircraft manufacturers remains shut-down through 17 April.
Spirit AeroSystems and a nearby plant operated by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems fell in the path of a Category 3 tornado, with wind gusts up to 269km/h (167mi/h).
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Frontier Airlines to shift Houston ops to IAH
Frontier Airlines announced yesterday that it will move operations from HOU to IAH in July.
Discuss Here
Iberia issues a statement about the legality of Iberia Express and the on-going pilot strikes by SEPLA
Iberia Express was founded on October 6, 2011, and it complies with all Iberia’s agreements and union contracts, so it is strictly legal.
Iberia Express is a company 100% owned by the Iberia group, specializing in short- and medium-haul flights, both point-to-point and to feed traffic to Iberia’s long-haul network in a profitable manner.
Iberia Express began operations on March 25, using four Airbus A320s to serve four domestic destinations, to be expanded by the end of this year to 14 aircraft and 20 destinations, including some that are entirely new for Iberia, such as Riga and Mikonos. It offers both business and tourist class, and the same services as other Iberia flights, at competitive fares.
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Air New Zealand Airbus A320 was in a close call with a small aircraft
Air New Zealand’s flight NZ 938 from the Gold Coast to Auckland operated with an Airbus A320 was involved in a near miss with a small aircraft over the Hauraki Gulf while on its approach into Auckland International Airport on Friday the 13th.
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Garuda Indonesia is planning a new route to Auckland, New Zealand
Garuda Indonesia Airways is cooperating with Auckland Airport to promote Indonesia as a destination for New Zealanders according to this report in the Jakarta Post. The carrier intends to open a Jakarta-Auckland route in early 2013 which will be operated with Airbus A330-300s.
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European airline offers discount on flights to Greece
Airline Condor will give customers 50 euros off their flights from Germany to Greece in an effort to reverse a slump in bookings, Reuters is reporting. Condor parent company Thomas Cook says there's been a drop in German bookings to Greece this year after a slew of anti-German protests against the country's tough stance on the European bailout of Greece. Germany agreed to help finance the bailout but only if Greece institutes austerity measures.
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Other News
Finnair said last week it will cut 280 maintenance jobs as it outsources engine and component services to Swiss SR Technics in a further move to cut costs.
Copa will begin twice weekly PTY-IQT as well as fifth weekly PTY-LIM starting July 14th.
Malaysia Airlines's first A380 performed taxi tests yesterday at Hamburg's Finkewerder Airport.
Zambia has taken delivery of eight Hongdu K-8P Karakorum intermediate jet trainer aircraft, bringing its total of the type to 15.
AirTran launched it's first international route from Denver today. The new route is between Denver and Cancun.
India's air force could outsource some of its MRO requirements to privately-owned companies in the country.
Lockheed Martin, contracted to build the third-generation global positioning system (GPS) satellites, expects the launch date of the first GPS III satellite to be delayed from mid-2014 to an undetermined date.
Etihad Airways launched new service between Basra, Iraq and Abu Dhabi.
AVIATION QUOTE
Keep thy airspeed up, less the earth come from below and smite thee.
— William Kershner
ON THIS DATE
---In 1913... Briton Gustav Hamel lands after a non-stop flight of 4 hours and 18 minutes from Dover, England, to Cologne, Germany in a Blériot XI.
---In 1920…The Venezuelan Air Force is formed.
---In 1926... Western Air Express starts its service between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.
---In 1944…Howard Hughes and TWA president Jack Frye fly a Lockheed Constellation from Burbank to Washington, DC, setting a transcontinental speed record of 6 hours 57 minutes.
--- In 1961…Cuban exiles using B-26 Invaders begin the campaign to free Cuba from Fidel Castro.
---In 1964…Jerrie Mock becomes the first female pilto to successfully circumnavigate the globe, landing her Cessna 280 in Columbus, Ohio, after 29 days of flying covering 22,860 miles.
---In 1967…An SR-71 made the longest Mach 3 flight in history. The flight was over 14,000 miles. Pilot Robert L. Stephens (the Silver Fox), RSO Kenneth D. Hurley. (Q)
---In 1967…Surveyor 3 - USA Lunar Soft Lander launched. Landed on the lunar surface.
---In 1970... A Sikorsky CH-53D helicopter flies between London and Paris to demonstrate that modern helicopters can provide reliable inter-city services.
---In 1970…The crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft and its four astronauts returns to earth safely after suffering an explosion enroute to the moon.
---In 1973…Federal Express begins operations, using a fleet of 14 Dassault Falcon 20 jets to ferry parcels from 25 cities to their Memphis hub for the nightly sort and subsequent distribution across the country. The sort has gone on every night since, with the company growing becoming critical to the backbone of the world economy, and the fleet growing to over 700 aircraft flying to about 325 destinations.
DAILY VIDEO
Today marks the 51st Anniversary of the failed Bay of Pigs Invasión. In tribute to those patriots(Alabama ANG: Thomas “Pete” Ray, Wade Carrol Gray, Leo Francis Baker and Riley W Shamberger, and those Cubans of Brigade 2506) that made the ultimate sacrifice, rest in peace, this is for them:
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HUMOR
Air Evac 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
Who Am I
1. I was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States. I was always tinkering with machines. I developed an aerial vehicle that was the first successful design in its class. With some assistance from fellow émigrés I started my company that began building flying boats. During WW2 I designed the first practical helicopter for the Department of War. My company still exists today as part of the United Technology Group. Who am I?
2. I was born the day after Pearl Harbor got bombed by the Japanese. I started my higher education at a Teacher’s college then transferred to the U of Missouri. I joined the US Navy in 1967 and was one of the first graduates of Top Gun. I was also the only Navy ace of the Viet Nam war. Who am I?
3. I was born in 1897, in Atchinson, KS. In December of 1920 I was given a ride that would change my life forever. I was the 16th woman to be issued a pilot’s license. In my second attempt to circle the globe, my airplane disappeared, no remains ever to be found. Who Am I?
4. I was born in 1914, and died in 1998. I started flying at an early age and grew up to be a test pilot for one of the industry’s leading manufacturers. Under the guise of selling airplanes, I barrel rolled a four-engine transport aircraft over Lake Washington. Who am I?
5. I was born in 1922 in Germany. I have had several nicknames, like “Bubi” or “The Black Devil.” As a fighter pilot I left a record that will never be broken; yes, I said never. I shot down 352 enemy airplanes. Who am I?
