China Airlines 747F makes emergency landing; regulator investigating Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council (ASC) is investigating an incident where a China Airlines Boeing 747-400 Freighter had to make an emergency landing because of a sudden loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft, registration B-18716, was operating a Taipei-Abu Dhabi service when the incident happened on 8 September. At an altitude of about 30,000ft (9,150m), a cabin pressure warning sounded. The flight crew had to put on oxygen masks and declare a Mayday to air traffic control, requesting for an emergency landing. The aircraft eventually landed at Taoyuan International airport at 05:51 local time, without further incident. Link
Norwegian overcomes hitches on 787 fleet Scandinavian budget carrier Norwegian has put both of its Boeing 787s back into service after separate technical problems affecting the jets forced the carrier to wet-lease Airbus A340s. Two A340s were brought in last week as Norwegian’s second 787, newly delivered, indicated a brake malfunction which kept the aircraft grounded at Stockholm for several days. The aircraft (EI-LNB) arrived in Stockholm, via a scheduled stop in Dublin, early on 30 August. But Norwegian says it was unable to perform a single revenue flight with the twinjet before the problem emerged. “It had to do with an indication of malfunctioning brakes,” says a spokesman for the airline, adding that cockpit instrumentation showed “something wasn’t working”. Link
Rain Dims CSeries First Flight Hopes Rainy, cloudy weather is forecast for Bombardier's flight test site in Quebec for much of this week, adding to suspense over the unspecified date for the first flight of the company's CSeries jet. The 100- to 149-seat CSeries is the first completely new narrow-body aircraft in its class in decades, and is Bombardier's attempt to break into a market dominated by Airbus and Boeing. The first flight is an important milestone for the CSeries, and the USD$3.4 billion aircraft is already nine months behind its original schedule. Bombardier said on Monday it was "getting close" to first flight, the start of the next phase that will determine whether the CSeries can live up to its performance and efficiency promises. Link
Kuwait Air May Delay Airbus Purchase - Report Kuwait Airways may delay a plan to buy 25 new aircraft from Airbus, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Monday, saying the state-owned carrier would concentrate on leasing planes instead. Kuwait Airways signed an initial agreement with Airbus in May to buy 15 A320neos and 10 of Airbus's new A350-900 XWB, in the biggest overhaul of its fleet since the 1990 Iraqi invasion. It also agreed to lease a further 22 Airbus jets as part of the deal. Under the plan, the new planes are expected to be delivered from 2019. Link
First Qatar A380 performs maiden flight Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways’ first Airbus A380 has performed its maiden flight, an initial sortie to Hamburg for cabin fitting work. Qatar Airways has 10 of the double-deck type on order, equipped with Engine Alliance GP7200 powerplants. It will become the next new operator of the A380 when it takes delivery of the aircraft in 2014 – the same year it receives the first A350. Link
Airbus expects second A350 to fly in October Airbus is expecting to fly its second A350-900 prototype, MSN3, next month and begin final assembly of the first customer aircraft by the end of this year. Chief executive Fabrice Bregier, speaking after joining a flight of MSN1 for auxiliary power unit tests, said the second aircraft would "probably" by flying in October. The first cabin-fitted twinjet, MSN2, would join the test fleet afterwards. Five A350s will feature in the test fleet. MSN1 performed its maiden flight on 14 June and Bregier says there is a "pretty good level of maturity" evident after just 150h of testing. Link
Eurocopter faces battle to convince workforce over safety issues The 23 August fatal accident involving a Super Puma could not have come at a worse time for Eurocopter. Barely a month had elapsed since the European Aviation Safety Agency gave the green light to the manufacturer's road map for returning its EC225s to service when the AS332L2 - an older member of the Super Puma line - went down off the Shetland Isles to the north of Scotland. Cue what Dominique Maudet, executive vice-president for global business and services at the Marseille-headquartered airframer, describes as a "very intensive week" in Aberdeen. Acutely aware of the sensitivity around the topic, Eurocopter immediately despatched a senior team, including chief executive Guillaume Faury and chief technical officer Jean-Brice Dumont, to the Scottish oil industry centre. Link
Royal Navy resurrects 809 Squadron as first F-35B unit Britain is resurrecting the Royal Navy's 809 Naval Air Squadron to fly the Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. The unit is expected to operate the fifth-generation stealth fighter from the UK's new Queen Elizabeth-class carrier starting in 2018 according to Lockheed. "I am delighted to announce that the name of the second Lightning II squadron, when it forms, will be 809 Naval Air Squadron," says Adm Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord. "This squadron number is chosen to link with and reflect the proud and distinguished history of embarked carrier strike, from the Second World War to the Falklands." Link
Canada issues draft RFP for fixed wing SAR project Canada has released a draft request for proposals (RFP) for its fixed wing search and rescue (FWSAR) program. A final version of the RFP will be issued in early 2014. "We are committed to ensuring that this procurement proceeds in an open, fair and transparent way, giving best value to Canadian taxpayers and providing the Royal Canadian Air Force with the capability that it needs," says Diane Finley, Canada's minister of public works and government services. "We will continue to engage industry and rely on the advice of independent third-party advisors throughout this process." Link
DARPA flight tests LRASM missile Lockheed Martin and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched a new prototype long-range anti-ship missile (LRASM) on 27 August. Unlike other cruise missiles, the LRASM is designed to autonomously guide itself to its target without extensive prior target data, using its own sensor suite. "It is the first time we've taken a sensor suite of this sort - the first time anybody has done this - and integrated it into a closed-loop system of the missile so it can autonomously detect, track and engage the threat," says Artie Mabbett, DARPA's program manager for the LRASM project. "And that just completed about a week and a half ago." The flight test was conducted from a Boeing B-1 bomber operated by the US Air Force. Prior to the launch test, DARPA had conducted numerous captive carry events over several months to gather data, Mabbett says. Most of those tests, which were conducted on board a business jet, were designed to test the LRASM's sensor systems. Link
Syria, debt, defense: Top issues facing lawmakers As Congress reconvenes, among the top issues facing lawmakers will be the question of whether to strike Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons, whether to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, and what to do about defense authorization bills. And all those issues are related to another that is yet unresolved: Sequestration. "The key thing is the sequester. All the bills before Congress do not assume another sequester," said Lawrence Korb, a former Pentagon official now with the Center for American Progress. Link
Delta to rejoin S&P 500 index on Tuesday Delta Air Lines plans to rejoin the S&P 500 index after the close of trading on Tuesday. Shares of Delta rose 4.6% on Friday on the news. Link
DOT clears United's plans for San Francisco flights to Chengdu, China United Continental will begin nonstop trips from San Francisco to Chengdu, China, next June. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved a proposal for the flights. The Chinese government still has to approve the plans. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in the southwest of China and will be the ninth city the U.S. carrier serves from San Francisco. Link
Airlines focus on customer personalization Airlines are looking to enhance personalization. Delta Air Lines recently equipped its flight attendants with smartphones. "In the future, Delta expects to provide flight attendants with certain customer-specific information to enable more personalized service," the carrier said in a statement. Link
Airlines use Boeing 787 Dreamliner on new routes Carriers are embracing the possibilities of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. "People are gaining confidence in the aircraft and as they do so, they are able to make new route announcements and open new markets," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of consulting firm Teal Group. Link
Korean Air launches A380 service from Atlanta airport The world's busiest airport now has regular service on the world's biggest commercial passenger plane. That's after Korean Air inaugurated A380 service this week between Atlanta and Seoul on its Airbus A380 superjumbo jets. The airline's first A380 flight to Atlanta arrived this past Sunday. But airport and airline officials saved the official welcoming fanfare for Friday morning, when Korean's A380 received a water-cannon salute (see photo) and ribbon-cutting ceremony upon arriving in Atlanta. A Korean Air spokeswoman tells Today in the Sky that airport and airlines officials opted to stage the celebration Friday, instead of during the Labor Day holiday weekend. Link
Lockheed anti-ship missile completes test Lockheed Martin's AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range has passed its first test, a flight milestone that puts the weapon closer to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's goal of creating a missile that doesn't have to rely heavily on intelligence and surveillance from other weapons. "We have taken a basic waypoint-following cruise missile and added brains to it," says Artie Mabbett, DARPA program manager. Link
Boeing C-17 poised for final domestic delivery The Air Force will take delivery of the final Boeing C-17 this week, signaling the end of two decades of history between the Air Force and the signature plane. The final C-17 Globemaster III, assembled at the company's East Long Beach, Calif. plant, is the Air Force's 223rd such plane, which is now marketed extensively to foreign buyers. Link
LADEE begins moon mission despite mechanical glitch A glitch that shut down the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer's positioning system shortly after it separated from its launch vehicle has been resolved, according to NASA. The LADEE spacecraft took off Friday night on a 30-day mission to study dust above the surface of the moon and will also test a two-way laser communications system. Link
St. Louis defense hit hard by DOD cuts Defense contractors in the St. Louis area are feeling the effects of shrinking Pentagon spending, a new report says, with $1.5 billion lost between 2010 and 2012 and the future outlook uncertain. Small companies may be at the biggest risk, said Marion Blakey, president and CEO of Aerospace Industries Association, as they don't have access to the capital that larger counterparts have. Link
Syria, debt, defense: Top issues facing lawmakers As Congress reconvenes, among the top issues facing lawmakers will be the question of whether to strike Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons, whether to raise the U.S. debt ceiling, and what to do about defense authorization bills. And all those issues are related to another that is yet unresolved: Sequestration. "The key thing is the sequester. All the bills before Congress do not assume another sequester," said Lawrence Korb, a former Pentagon official now with the Center for American Progress. Link
Aviation Quote
Are we going to lose one of these [planes] sometime? Probably. But it's like the Indy 500. Is someone going to go into the wall at Indy? Probably. Is that dangerous? Yes. Could we make it safer? Yes. But would anybody watch it, then? No.
— Kirby Chambliss, five time US National Aerobatic Champion, regards flying in the Red Bull Air Races. Flying magazine January 2006.
On This Date
---In 1956…First flight of the North American XF-107A Ultra Saber.
---In 1981…British Airways CEO Roy Watts announces a financial crisis for the airline. He states that the company is losing £UK 200 per minute.
---In 1993... Boeing finishes production of their 1,000th 747 airplane, 26 years after the 747 program was launched.
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WHY I WANT TO BE A PILOT
When I grow up I want to be a pilot because it's a fun job and easy to do. That's why there are so many pilots flying around these days. Pilots don't need much school. They just have to learn to read numbers so they can read their instruments.
I guess they should be able to read a road map, too. Pilots should be brave to they won't get scared it it's foggy and they can't see, or if a wing or motor falls off.
Pilots have to have good eyes to see through the clouds, and they can't be afraid of thunder or lightning because they are much closer to them than we are.
The salary pilots make is another thing I like. They make more money than they know what to do with. This is because most people think that flying a plane is dangerous, except pilots don't because they know how easy it is. I hope I don't get airsick because I get carsick and if I get airsick, I couldn't be a pilot and then I would have to go to work.
— purported to have been written by a fifth grade student at Jefferson School, Beaufort, SC. It was first published in the South Carolina Aviation News.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
