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Boeing sets new record with 324 orders in July
Boeing set a new monthly sales record in July by garnering 324 orders for the month. For the first seven months of the year, Boeing secured 823 net orders. July's numbers received a boost from the Farnborough Air Show held in the U.K.
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Speculation abounds that Boeing will change its spare-parts strategy
Boeing Co. sees potential riches in the aircraft that land in aviation’s junkyards as airlines ditch older jets for models that burn less fuel. The world’s largest planemaker is exploring ways to make money from the end of a jetliner’s life. It may be in the market for a salvage company that recycles engines, landing gear and other components stripped from scrapped jetliners, said John Wojick, a senior vice president for global sales and marketing. Buying such a business would allow Chicago-based Boeing greater control over how its jet components find a second life. For now, the commercial aviation services unit, which manages maintenance, repairs and spare-parts inventory for airlines around the world, contracts out the job of dismantling the used planes Boeing buys to spur orders of its new 747-8 jumbos.
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Iranian state agency reports fatal IrAn-140 crash
A turboprop operated by Sepahan Airlines has crashed in Iran, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) is reporting. IRNA says there were fatalities in the accident, but has yet to confirm the number. Forty-eight people were on board the HESA IrAn-140, the agency reports. The aircraft, for which IRNA gives the registration EP-GPA, reportedly crashed at around 09:45 local time today, shortly after taking off from Mehrabad airport in the Iranian capital Tehran.
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Kelowna reveals work on combi version of 737-300
Kelowna Flightcraft is developing a passenger and cargo “combi” modification to the Boeing 737-300, initially to fulfill a requirement for Canadian North. That airline has “a big need to replace their 737-200 [combi] fleet with that same kind of capability”, said Kelowna Flightcraft president Tracy Medve at the Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo (ADSE) in Abbotsford, British Columbia. “They chose the 737-300 because of the size, and because the operating economics are good for northern carriers,” says Medve.
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Swiftair speed decay echoes previous MD-80 episodes
While investigators have yet to ascertain the reason for the loss of control of the Swiftair Boeing MD-83 over Mali, the accident shares several parallels with earlier events in which speed decay in early cruise led MD-80s into a high-altitude stall. Boeing has previously warned that MD-80s can be vulnerable to speed decay under certain conditions – particularly those in the vicinity of convective weather in warm temperature regions, where thinner air combines with a need for anti-ice protection. Warm air reduces the lift efficiency of the wing and the ability of aircraft to maintain higher altitudes – especially early in the cruise when the aircraft is heaviest.
LinkAirlines
Air Arabia Doubles Q2 Net Profit
UAE-based budget carrier Air Arabia's second-quarter net profit more than doubled as passenger numbers increased and the airline managed costs. Second quarter net profit was AED173 million dirhams (USD$47.1 million) for the quarter ended June 30, up from AED76 million in the corresponding period in 2013. Revenue for the quarter rose 15 percent to AED915 million dirhams, it said in a statement.
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Air Canada back in black with Q2 profit
Air Canada notched a higher operating profit on Thursday but its push into new overseas routes, with longer flights and lower margins, took a toll and sent its stock down nearly 7 percent. Canada's largest carrier said yields, or passenger revenue per available seat mile, a key measure of revenue, fell in the quarter. Besides adding new routes, the carrier also boosted the number of flights and added more seats to major European destinations. Chief Executive Calin Rovinescu said he expected third-quarter yields to be little changed from the second quarter.
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American Airlines posts increase in traffic for July
American Airlines posted a 1.1% increase in passenger traffic for July on a year-over-year basis. The carrier also reported a load factor of 85.1% for the month, as it boosted capacity by 3.1% compared to July 2013.
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Delta sommelier considers taste, price, altitude performance of wines
Delta Air Lines' selection of on-board wines considers factors beyond taste, such as origin, performance at altitude and new types of wine that can "capture people's imagination," said consulting Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson. Robinson also studies the taste preferences of customers on certain routes and tries to match wine choices accordingly.
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Etihad and Alitalia seal strategic partnership
Alitalia and Etihad have confirmed a strategic tie-up under which the Abu Dhabi-based carrier will acquire a 49% in the Italian carrier for €388 million ($520 million). After months of negotiations, the two carriers have struck a deal to invest €1.76 billion in the Italian flag carrier. Etihad will invest €560 million through a combination of equity injections, asset purchases and other financing facilities and funding arrangements to restructure the airline’s balance sheet. A further investment of €300 million will come from existing Alitalia shareholders, including €88 million from Intesa San Paolo, €75 million from Poste Italiane, €63.5 million from UniCredit , €51 million from Atlantia, €10 million from IMMSI, €10 million from Pirelli and €2.5 million from Gavio.
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JetBlue's Mint service to feature London Luxury bedding
JetBlue Airways announced it will begin offering new in-flight bedding to customers in its Mint cabin, which was recently launched in June as a competitor to other airlines’ first- and business-class cabins. London Luxury, a home goods manufacturer, will supply premium pillows and blankets to the airline for its Mint passengers on flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, the only route on which Mint is currently offered.
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India Launches Probe Into Loan To Kingfisher
India's CBI is investigating a loan made by state-run IDBI Bank to Kingfisher Airlines worth INR9.5 billion rupees (USD$155.4 million), a police spokeswoman said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is looking into why the loan was approved when the airline had a negative net worth and a negative credit rating, Kanchan Prasad said. "The CBI has registered a preliminary inquiry to inquire into the role of IDBI and Kingfisher Airlines," she said.
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Republic Airways reports Q2 results
Republic Airways Holdings posted net income of $20.1 million for the second quarter, compared to $24.6 million net income for the same quarter last year. CFO Timothy Dooley said Republic continues with "executing its strategic plan to simplify and streamline our business."
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United CEO: Government views airlines as ATM machine
Airline executives said the administration's recent increase in the passenger security tax is misguided at the Global Business Travel Association conference held last month in Los Angeles. "Our government views us as an ATM machine, a piggy bank," said Jeff Smisek, chairman, president and CEO of United Airlines. "The most recent increase in the fee is not being used for security; it's being siphoned off the national debt."
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United seeks to be more cost competitive at N.C. airport
United Airlines plans to cut 71 jobs at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, as the company seeks to cut costs and boost its profitability through outsourcing. The job cuts, which affect United’s airport operations positions such as ticket agents, will take effect Oct. 1. “This was a difficult decision, but we need to ensure that our costs are competitive,” said United spokesman Luke Punzenberger. United has previously said it will outsource much of the work being done by laid-off employees in Charlotte to save money.
LinkAirports
Baltimore-Washington airport offers bike rentals, scenic loop
If those long airport layovers get boring, there’s something new to do at Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport. You can rent a bike and ride around the airport’s perimeter. The 12.5-mile airport loop is a regular route for area cyclists, and it’s surprisingly scenic when compared to the surroundings of many big airports. BWI has joined with Zagster, which provides turnkey bikesharing, to provide 10 bikes just outside the international terminal. They cost $5 for up to 12 hours’ use. If you’re traveling without luggage, they can be used to get to the nearby light rail stop or buses.
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Dallas/Fort Worth Airport renovations scheduled for completion in 2020
The total cost of renovating a terminal and adding a parking garage at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has increased $650 million more than expected. Completion of the project has now been pushed back to 2020.
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Design techniques help travelers navigate airports
Proper placement of ticket counters and patterns on the flooring are just two details that keep travelers passing through Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from getting lost. In a recent podcast, Jim Harding, who designed the airport's international terminal, discusses design techniques that make the airport easier to navigate and subtly encourage travelers to visit retail stores and the food court.
LinkMilitary
USN carries out air strike on Iraqi militants
The US Navy has carried out an air strike on Islamic militants in Iraq, mere hours after President Barack Obama authorised US forces to conduct aerial attacks in the region. Two of the USN’s Boeing F/A-18E/F Hornets dropped 226kg (500lb) laser-guided bombs on a “mobile artillery piece” near Irbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm John Kirby says. The strike was carried out at 06:45EDT on 8 August against an artillery piece being used by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group. The group was aiming to shell Kurdish forces defending the city, where US personnel are also located.
LinkRegulatory
FAA: Drones won't be allowed in U.S. airspace "anytime soon"
A Federal Aviation Administration official told airline pilots that commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems will remain prohibited, with limited exceptions, for now. John Hickey, the agency's deputy associate administrator for aviation safety, said the FAA would take "slow, deliberative steps before letting UASs into more busy airspace."
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Carriers mull options as Russia considers closing Siberian airspace
U.S. airlines are considering alternate routings since Russia's consideration to ban North American and European carriers from Siberian airspace. "We are evaluating options for each route that may be affected," said Christen David, a spokeswoman for United Continental Holdings.
LinkSpace
Steering a rover from orbit? No problem now, says ESA
When astronauts finally one day arrive at an alien world, they might want to send a robot advance party down to check out the surface before committing themselves to landing – but controlling a rover from space is far from straightforward, as the orbiting driver would only have intermittent line of sight contact with a ground vehicle. So, the European Space Agency has been working on a “space internet” concept to store commands when signals are interrupted or the surface unit is lost, and then forward them once contact is re-established. And, on 7 August a trial run went better than expected, with ESA’s Alexander Gerst, orbiting Earth in the International Space Station, steering the agency’s Eurobot rover around a test facility at its ESTEC technology centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
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Aviation Quote
There is only one rule - Rule One - TNB - Trust No Bastard - they are all trying to kill you.
— Captain Rick Davies, Chief Pilot, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
On This Date
--- In 1906... Mrs. C. J. S. Miller becomes the first woman passenger in an airship. The 40-hp craft is owned and operated by her husband, Major Miller.
---In 1915... The U.S. Naval Observatory asks Eastman Kodak to develop a special aerial reconnaissance camera that could be used from an airplane flying at heights of 3,000 ft. to 6,000 ft.
---In 1952... British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) inaugurates its new weekly service between London and Colombo, the capital of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
---In 1956…The Cessna 620, a pressurized business airplane propelled by four piston engines, makes her maiden flight. Cessna soon determines that there is no market for the aircraft, and with only one prototype built (N620E) cancels the project about a year later.
---In 1962…Andrian G. Nikolayev becomes the third Russian in space, flying aboard Vostok 3.
---In 1972…NATO signs a development contract for the MRCA (Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) programme, which will eventually result in the Panavia Tornado.
---In 1980…First flight of the Learjet Longhorn 50.
---In 1982…A bomb explodes in a seat cushion aboard Pan Am Flight 830, killing 16-year-old Toru Ozawa and injuring 15 others. The plane, a 747-100 (Clipper Ocean Rover, N754PA), makes an emergency landing in Honolulu and is repaired. The perpetrator, Mohammed Rashed, is arrested in Greece seven years later and convicted of murder, but freed eight years later. Rashed has also been indicted in the US, and is currently on the FBI’s most wanted list.
---In1984…President Ronald Reagan jokes during a radio sound check that he had “signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in 5 minutes.” The joke is not broadcast live (contrary to some accounts) but when word of it spreads, the Soviet Army is put on high alert for about 30 minutes.
---In 1986… A modified Westland Lynx sets a new helicopter world speed record of 249 mph (401 km/h)
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
51 Days
A bartender is sitting behind the bar on a typical day, when the door bursts open and in come four exuberant Marines. They come to the bar and order five bottles of beer and ten glasses. They take their order over and sit down at a large table. The caps are popped, the glasses are filled and they begin toasting and chanting, "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!" Soon three more Marines arrive, take up their drinks and the chanting grows, "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!" Two more Marines show up and soon their voices are are joined in raising the roof, "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!" Finally the tenth Marine comes in with a picture under his arm, he walks over to the table, and sets the picture in the middle and the table erupts.
Up jump the others, they begin dancing around the table, exchanging high-fives, all the while chanting, "51 days, 51 days, 51 days!" The bartender can't contain his curiosity any longer, so he walks over to the table. There in the center is a beautifully framed child's puzzle of the cookie monster. When the frenzy dies down a little bit the bartender asks one of the Marines, "Whats all the chanting and celebration about?"
The Marine who brought in the picture pipes in, "Everyone thinks that Marines are dumb and they make fun of us. So, we decided to set the record straight. Ten of us got together, bought this puzzle and put it together. The side of the box said 2-4 years, but we put it together in 51 days."
Trivia
General Trivia
1. A pilot is cruising VFR at an altitude of more than 3,000 feet agl while maintaining a magnetic course of 150 degrees. Everything else being equal, most conflicting traffic will approach his airplane from
a. the right.
b. the left.
c. approximately straight ahead.
d. This cannot be determined from the information given.
2. When an airplane reaches its absolute ceiling,
a. VX is greater than VY.
b. VY is greater than VX.
c. VX is identical to VY.
d. the airplane is on the verge of a stall.
3. The current world speed record for a propeller-driven, piston-powered seaplane was established in 1931 and is
a. 298 mph.
b. 348 mph.
c. 398 mph.
d. 448 mph.
4. True or false; a major advantage of a nuclear-powered airplane is that it would have incredible range and endurance. The “N’ in the designation, “Convair NB-36 Peacemaker,” indicates that the enormous bomber had nuclear power.
5. True or false; Hermann Göring, Nazi Reichsmarschall and Commander of the German Luftwaffe during World War II, had a nephew who was a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force and flew 48 bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied Europe.
6. True or false; the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight was first reported in a journal titled Gleanings in Bee Culture.
