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Boeing May Further Accelerate 737 Production
Boeing has given a further signal that it is getting close to a decision on whether to further accelerate output of the 737, which could lift production to 52 a month. "We continue to see very strong demand," Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith said at an investor conference, speaking about Boeing's commercial airliner business. "In particular on the 737 there is more pressure on the upside, and we will address that in the months to come," he said.
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Brazilian presidential candidate dies in business jet crash
A Cessna Citation 560XL XLS+ crashed into buildings during an approach to Santos airport, Brazil, in rain and mist, killing both crew and all five passengers. The accident took place around 10:00 local time on 13 August. The aircraft was carrying Eduardo Campos – one of Brazil’s three leading presidential candidates – to a political rally in Santos after a short 180nm (333km) flight from Rio de Janeiro’s downtown Santos Dumont airport. The business jet (PR-AFA) was first operated in 2011, and belonged to Brazilian biofuels industrial group AF Andrade.
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Certification beckons as A350 wraps up route-proving
Airbus has completed the A350’s route-proving runs during which the aircraft travelled 81,700nm in 180h of flights. Route-proving is the last major step prior to certification, which the airframer expects within the next seven weeks. The 20-day testing aimed to demonstrate the aircraft’s readiness for airline service and Airbus says all the flights took place “on schedule”.
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Flying on the Breitling Super Constellation
Straight after appearing at this year’s Farnborough air show, the Breitling Super Constellation operated a special flight on behalf of its original manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, for a 45min low-level sortie around the English south coast. Flightglobal was onboard to sample what airliner flying was like half a century ago, and spoke to one of the senior pilots, Capt Ernst Frei, about handling the big piston-engined aircraft.
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How Putin's actions will harm Russian industry
Just over one year ago, Russia’s resurgent aerospace industry dominated the flying display at the Paris air show, ably covering for the low-profile showing by the unusually cash-strapped US armed forces. Highlights included the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter and Kamov Ka-52 attack helicopter, along with the Superjet regional airliner and Irkut’s in-development MC-21. Ukraine’s An-70 transport was also on show, with Antonov holding on to hopes of securing fresh backing from Moscow. Things couldn’t have been more different at last month’s Farnborough air show, with Moscow’s part in stoking instability in Ukraine prompting a ban on all military hardware, and preventing some officials from securing the visas needed to visit the UK. The downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 – an act which has been widely attributed to pro-Russian separatists – has since brought relations to even more of a low point. With sanctions and counter-sanctions now being traded by the USA, the EU and Moscow, it is hard to imagine things will improve before the industry gathers again at Le Bourget in 2015.
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Pakistan's Quetta Airport Hit By Bomb And Gun Attack
A man was killed and two policemen were wounded in an attack on Quetta airport in western Pakistan on Thursday night, officials said, but the attackers did not breach the perimeter. The dead man was not identified. He was killed near an air force base that shares a runway with the civilian airport. Local residents heard at least eight blasts and gunfire that continued for around half an hour. Helicopters buzzed overhead, they said.
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Ukraine Wants Russian Airlines Get Permits To Use Airspace
Ukraine demanded that Russian airlines Aeroflot and Transaero obtain permission for every flight they make over its territory, because these airlines fly over Crimean airspace which Ukraine considers to be closed. Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in March, in a move denounced as illegal by Kiev and precipitating the worst standoff in East-West relations since the Cold War. Ukraine's State Aviation Administration (SAA) said that requiring the two Russian airlines, which use Crimean airspace, to obtain flight transit permits would improve aviation safety.
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Malaysia Announces Day Of Mourning For MH17 Victims
Malaysia has declared a national day of mourning on August 22, when 16 bodies from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, downed over eastern Ukraine last month, are due to arrive from the Netherlands. The government said it would decide next week if the day will also be a public holiday, with the closure of public offices and financial markets. Twenty-four of the 43 Malaysians on the flight have been identified by Dutch investigators almost a month after the airliner carrying 298 people was downed on July 17.
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Hawaiian Airlines to offer nonstop service between SFO-Maui
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Hawaiian Airlines will begin flying nonstop between San Francisco and Maui on Nov. 21, with the inaugural Maui-San Francisco leg Nov. 20. The new service will begin as four round-trip flights a week and expand to daily flights on Dec. 17. Flights will depart SFO at 9:55 a.m. and arrive at OGG at 1:15 p.m., with initial service on Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday; return trips will depart Kahului at 2:55 p.m. and arrive in San Francisco at 9:55 p.m. The cost of flights the first week represent holiday demand, with a round-trip, Nov. 21-28 San Francisco-Maui nonstop itinerary currently priced at $1,038. Traveling the same route the week after Thanksgiving — say, Nov. 28 through Dec. 4 — brings the price down to $488.
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Hawaiian Airlines names new senior vice president
Hawaiian Airlines has appointed Theo Panagiotoulias as senior vice president of global sales and alliance. "Hawaiian Airlines has grown rapidly in Asia/Pacific region in recent years, so one of my key objectives is to ensure we continue to build our market presence," he said.
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Southwest opts for all-economy-class version of 737
Boeing is offering a version of its 737 with added capacity. The aircraft can seat 200 passengers, and only offers economy-class. Southwest Airlines has signed up to be the launch customer.
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Thai Airways To Cut Jobs On Way To Profit
Thai Airways expects to return to profit earlier than expected in the fourth quarter, aiming to cut 1,500 jobs this year under its recently approved restructuring plan. The airline also said it would shed more than a quarter of its full-time employees by 2018, the first major job cuts announcement since the plan was given the go-ahead last month. Thai had previously said it aimed to cut costs and prioritize certain routes to return to profit as soon as the middle of next year. The airline, which employs 25,000 people and another 5,000 sub-contracted staff, was singled out as the first state enterprise to undergo reform by Thailand's military rulers who took over in May from a government accused of corruption.
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United, Ethiopian Airlines launch codeshare deal to widen market reach
United Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines are launching a codeshare agreement that gives travelers more connections and provides greater access for both airlines into the U.S.-Africa market. The deal goes into effect later this month.
LinkMilitary
Lancaster bombers fly in formation
Two Avro Lancaster bombers have flown in formation for the first time in more than 50 years, with the duo set to appear at numerous air shows and events in the UK over the coming weeks. Performed from the Royal Air Force’s Coningsby base in Lincolnshire on 13 August, the historic sortie involved the last two airworthy Lancasters. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Coningsby-based example – nicknamed “Thumper” – was joined by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s “Vera”. The latter arrived in the UK late last week, following a ferry flight from Mount Hope, Ontario.
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Aviation Quote
I just made a balls of it, old boy. That's all there was to it.
— Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, about his December 1931 roll performed immediately after takeoff that ended in the crash that led to the loss of both legs. He later flew fighters again, and led a wing of Spitfires during the Battle of Britain.
[i]On This Date
---In 1951... Powered by a Roll Royce Dart, a DC-3 of British European Airways becomes the first turboprop aircraft operated on a freight run.
---In 1951... Test pilot Bill Bridgeman reaches a record altitude of 79, 494 ft. in the #2 Douglas D-558-II rocket research aircraft, although this does not qualify for FAI (Federal Aeronautique Internationale) recognition.
--- In 1958... Congress approves a bill creating the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) to regulate all US commercial and military aviation
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More Frog Bashing
"France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by prostitutes." Mark Twain.
"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." General George S. Patton.
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it." Marge Simpson
"As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure" Jacques Chirac, President of France
"As far as France is concerned, you're right." Rush Limbaugh,
"The only time France wants us to go to war is when the German Army is sitting in Paris sipping coffee." Regis Philbin.
"The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch and not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whisky I don't know." P.J O'Rourke (1989).
"You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it." John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona.
"You know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he hates America, he loves mistresses and wears a beret. He is French, people." Conan O'Brien
"I don't know why people are surprised that France won't help us get Saddam out of Iraq. After all, France wouldn't help us get Hitler out of France either" Jay Leno.
"The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into Paris under a German flag." David Letterman
Only thing worse than a Frenchman is a Frenchman who lives in Canada. Ted Nugent.
War without France would be like ... uh ... World War II.
“The favorite bumper sticker in Washington D.C. right now is one that says 'First Iraq, then France.” Tom Brokaw.
"What do you expect from a culture and a nation that exerted more of its national will fighting against Disney World and Big Macs than the Nazis?" Dennis Miller.
"It is important to remember that the French have always been there when they needed us." Alan Kent
"They've taken their own precautions against al-Qa'ida. To prepare for an attack, each Frenchman is urged to keep duct tape, a white flag, and a three-day supply of mistresses in the house." Argus Hamilton
"Somebody was telling me about the French Army rifle that was being advertised on eBay the other day -- the description was, 'Never shot. Dropped once.'" Rep. Roy Blunt (MO)
"The French will only agree to go to war when we've proven we've found truffles in Iraq." Dennis Miller
Raise your right hand if you like the French ... raise both hands if you are French.
Q. What did the mayor of Paris say to the German Army as they entered the city in WWII?
A. Table for 100,000 m'sieur?
"Do you know how many Frenchmen it takes to defend Paris? It's not known, it's never been tried." Rep. R. Blount (MO)
"Do you know it only took Germany three days to conquer France in WWII? And that's because it was raining." John Xereas, Manager, DC Improv.
The AP and UPI reported that the French Government announced after the London bombings that it has raised its terror alert level from Run to Hide. The only two higher levels in France are Surrender and Collaborate. The rise in the alert level was precipitated by a recent fire which destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively disabling their military.
French Ban Fireworks at Euro Disney
(AP), Paris, March 5, 2003
The French Government announced today that it is imposing a ban on the use of fireworks at Euro Disney. The decision comes the day after a nightly fireworks display at the park, located just 30 miles outside of Paris, caused the soldiers at a nearby French Army garrison to surrender to a group of Czech tourists.
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