News
Customers back proposed 787 battery fix
Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Ray Conner says the airframer has received much support from its customers for its efforts in addressing the battery issues that have led to the worldwide grounding of the 787. Conner was speaking at a technical briefing on its proposed solution to the 787 battery issue, which is centred around a redesigned layout of the lithium-ion cells, a new containment system and changes to the charging system to prevent overcharging. He says that Boeing has been talking "on a daily basis" with its 787 customers and has received strong backing from them for its proposed solution. "Customers in general, across the board, have been extremely, extremely supportive of what we are doing," says Conner.
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Root cause of 787 battery issues may never be found
Boeing says the root cause of the 787 battery failures may never be established, but that it is moving ahead with a solution aimed at getting the aircraft back in the air. The 787 fleet was grounded on 16 January following two incidents in which their lithium-ion batteries failed after overheating and leaking electrolyte, resulting in significant charring. In the first incident, an auxiliary power unit battery on a Japan Airlines 787 failed while the aircraft was on the ground at Boston Logan International Airport, while in the second incident, an All Nippon Airways 787 had to be diverted to Takamatsu in Japan after the crew received a cockpit alert saying that the main battery had failed.
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Airbus Wins Landmark Lion Air Order
Airbus has landed a record order potentially worth USD$20 billion at list prices from Indonesia's Lion Air, sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday, breaking rival Boeing's grip on one of the world's fastest-growing airlines. In a sign of the rising importance of Asian budget carriers for high-tech manufacturing jobs, the deal is set to be announced on Monday at a ceremony overseen by French President Francois Hollande, the sources said, asking not to be named. EADS subsidiary Airbus declined comment. France said earlier Hollande would meet Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier on Monday to celebrate "a major industrial deal," but withheld further details.
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Trustee Queries Severance Offer For AMR Chief
The trustee overseeing American Airlines' bankruptcy has asked the carrier to justify its offer of USD$19.9 million in severance pay to chief executive Tom Horton, part of compensation linked to its merger with US Airways. Trustee Tracy Hope Davis said in a filing to the US Bankruptcy Court in New York that American had not explained why that level of severance pay and "sweeping changes" to various employee pay schemes were permissible under the bankruptcy code. The merger of American parent AMR and US Airways, announced on February 14 and subject to various approvals, would create the world's largest air carrier.
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Nigeria's Dana Air Suspended Again
Nigerian airline Dana Air, which was involved in the country's deadliest air crash for 20 years, has been suspended from flying just six months after it was allowed to restart. Dana Air said in a statement it did not know the reason for the suspension by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). In June, Dana Air flight 992, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, crashed into an apartment block in a populated Lagos suburb, killing 153 people on board and 10 others on the ground.
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UK To Pledge Aerospace Investment
The UK government is set to pledge ahead of Wednesday's budget, a significant investment into the country's aerospace industry as part of a long-term strategy to spur growth and keep the industry ahead of international competition. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is expected to make the announcement on Monday as part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership-an existing government initiative to support the industry.
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Brazil selects IAI 767 tanker to replace KC-137s
The Brazilian air force has selected Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to convert two Boeing 767-300ER airliners into aerial refueling tanker transports. The converted aircraft, which will replace the country's existing Boeing 707-derived KC-137s, will also act as a strategic airlifter and medical evacuation aircraft. Brazil's two KC-137s were built in the 1960s but only entered service with the country's air force in 1986.
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Aviation Quote
A groundschool instructor understands piloting the way an astronomer understands the stars.
Anonymous
On This Date
---In 1906... Trajan Vuia, a Rumanian, first tests a monoplane in France. Although it only hops and does not fly, Louis Bleriot (1872-1936) decides that its monoplane design is superior to his biplane.
---In 1938... Only seven months after its first flight, the prototype Heinkel He 115 V1 begins a series of flights breaking eight seaplane speed records by carrying loads between 1,100 lb. and 4,400 lb. over distances of 1,000 km (621 miles) and 2,000 km (1,242 miles) at an average speed of 204 mph. The He 115 is the Luftwaffe’s most successful seaplane.
---In 1939…Three months after its first flight, a Boeing 307 Stratoliner crashes on Mount Rainier during a test-flight. The crash kills 10 people, including Boeing’s Chief Engineer.
---In 1945…Douglas XB2D-1, prototype of the AD Skyraider.
---In 1952... Two USAF F-84 Thunderjets land in Neubiberg, Germany after the longest sustained jet flight; they flew 2,800 miles from the USA in 4 hours 48 minutes, without refueling.
---In 1957…A Lloyd Aereo Boliviano Douglas DC-3 (CP-535) crashes in Sayari, Bolivia, killing all of its 19 passengers and crew.
---In 1958…Austrian Airlines takes off on its first flight, with a Vickers Viscount from Vienna to London with a stop in Zurich.
---In 1962…The Convair CV-990 enters service with American Airlines.
---In 1963…The Dassault Balzac becomes the first VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft to go from switch back and forth between vertical and horizontal flight.
---In 1965…USSR launches Voshkod 2; Alexei Leonov makes 1st spacewalk (20 mins).
---In 1966…United Arab Airlines Flight 749 crashes outside Cairo, Egypt , killing all 25 passengers and 4 crew. The Antonov AN-24 (SU-AOA) was on approach from Nicosia Airport in Cyprus when unexpected weather forced the aircraft into IFR conditions for which the flight crew was not prepared for. That, along with a crack in a cockpit window and discrepancies between the two altimeters is thought to lead to the crash.
---In 1980…Vostok rocket exploded on launch pad while being refueled, killing 50.
---In 1989…27th space shuttle mission, STS-29 (Discovery, returns to Earth.
---In 1994…Space shuttle STS-62 (Columbia 16), lands.
---In 1997…Stavropol Airlines Flight 1023, an Antonov AN-24 (RA-46516) crashes half an hour after takeoff in Cherkessk, Russia. Separation of the tail-section due to poor maintenance and metal fatigue are blamed in the death of all 50 occupants.
---In 1998…A Formosa Airlines Saab 340 (B-12255) crashes into the sea, killing all 13 aboard. The Captain decides to depart, despite the known failure of the right-hand main bus. This has a domino effect on several systems, including navigation and flight instruments. With that, the right engine anti-ice start bleed valve being in the open position lead to a 13% torque split between the two engines and a yaw-effect when not compensated for. Poor weather conditions and pilot fatigue (the Captain flew several flights throughout the day already) led to spatial disorientation. Add it all up and the result is a right bank after departure that the pilots do not notice until it is unrecoverable.
---In 1999…An ALIANSA Colombia Douglas DC-3 (HK-337) disappears on a flight from Cucuta to El Yopal. After four days, the crash site is found on a hill, along with its 8 deceased passengers and crew.
---In 2008…Delta Air Lines offers voluntary severance to 30,000 employees, which is half of their workforce.
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Humor
Two Cow Explanation
Excerpt from Counter-insurgency Course: Political Science Section:
THE "TWO-COW EXPLANATION":
A SOCIALIST:
You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
A REPUBLICAN:
You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. So what?
A DEMOCRAT: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being successful. You vote people into office who tax your cows, forcing you to sell one to raise money to pay the tax. The people you voted for then take the tax money and buy a cow and give it to your neighbor You feel righteous.
A COMMUNIST:
You have two cows. The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
A FASCIST:
You have two cows. The government seizes both and sells you the milk. You join the underground and start a campaign of sabotage.
DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE:
You have two cows. The government taxes you to the point you have to sell both to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow, which was a gift from your government.
CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE:
You have two cows. You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.
BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE:
You have two cows. The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, then pours the milk down the drain.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when the cow drops dead.
A FRENCH CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
A GERMAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You reengineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows but you don't know where they are. You break for lunch.
A RUSSIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 12 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.
A MEXICAN CORPORATION:
You think you have two cows, but you don't know what a cow looks like. You take a nap.
A SWISS CORPORATION:
You have 5000 cows, none of which belongs to you. You charge for storing them for others.
A BRAZILIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You enter into a partnership with an American
corporation. Soon you have 1000 cows and the American corporation declares bankruptcy.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION:
You have two cows. You worship them
Trivia
Proper Names
The designation is provided, supply the proper name.
1. F-100
2. F-101
3. F-102
4. F-104
5. F-105
6. F-106
7. F-110
8. C-141
9. F-82
10. OH-6
11. C-9
12. A-37
ORFflyer wrote:8 - C-141 Starlifter
mhodgson wrote:Did Ryanair announce anything over the weekend about an order or was it a rumour that they let run for the PR?
