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Airbus to hire more workers for A320 facility in Ala.
Airbus posted Thursday its latest round of hourly manufacturing positions for its A320 final assembly line under construction at Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. The positions cover seven different categories, and the starting hourly training rate ranges from $12 to $16 depending on the job. Specifically, the aircraft manufacturer is seeking candidates for systems installation, cabin interiors, sheet metal specialists, corrosion protectors, ground handling technicians, tool shop attendants and composite rework specialists.The company stressed, however, that successful candidates will be placed in training programs led by hiring partner Alabama Industrial Development Training that could lead to employment, but acceptance in the training program does not guarantee a position will be offered. There are no fees associated with the training programs, but enrollees must complete the program on their own time without pay.
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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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ICBC To Double Aircraft Deliveries By 2016
ICBC Financial Leasing, China's biggest domestic aircraft lessor, aims to deliver more than 300 planes to customers by the end of 2016, nearly double current levels, a senior executive said. ICBC's drive into a market still dominated by global players comes as Chinese leasing firms, backed by state lenders, play an increasingly important role in the growing domestic aviation business. Nearly 6,000 new commercial aircraft, worth USD$780 billion, are expected to be delivered over the next 20 years, according to Boeing. "Local companies have been expanding quickly and the growth potential is huge," Mark Jiang, managing director of aviation finance at ICBC Financial, told Reuters news agency. ICBC Financial is backed by ICBC Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
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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.
LinkAirlines
Judge expected to approve AA request regarding unresolved claims
American Airlines has filed papers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court that asks for more time to respond to unresolved claims. In the process, we get a scorecard of where the case stands:
– American, parent AMR and related companies had 22,000 claims totaling $307.4 billion filed after the Nov. 29, 2011, filing.
– The parties have resolved 21,700 claims of $304.7 million “by objection, consensual resolution, or treatment” specified in the 2013 plan of reorganization.
– The companies have made “distributions to holders of approximately 7,600 Allowed Claims and to holders of Allowed Equity Interests.”
– There remains 240 claims totaling about $2.7 billion
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Delta overhauls Sky Club menu options
Travelers visiting Delta Air Lines' Sky Club airport lounges will now enjoy new meal options. Delta's new breakfast menus now include locally sourced bagels, Greek yogurt and English muffins, while new dinner menus offer a variety of soups, including Italian wedding soup, several salads, and desserts. The airline also plans to start offering liquor tastings in select locations.
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Delta could start direct service to Nairobi in 2015
Delta Air Lines could offer direct flights to Kenya by 2015, according to a Kenyan official. In 2009, Delta had planned to start service from Atlanta to Nairobi, but did not receive approval from the U.S. government at that time. Kenya is working to improve security at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi ahead of a visit from U.S. officials scheduled for October.
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Finnair Swings To Second Quarter Loss
Finnair has cut its full-year profit forecast after posting a weaker-than-expected quarterly result due to delayed cost-cuts and tough market conditions. Finnair's second-quarter core operating result fell to a loss of EUR€20 million (USD$26.8 million) from a profit of EUR€7.5 million a year ago. Stiff competition from discount carriers, high fuel prices and unfavorable exchange rates put pressure on the state-controlled airline while it struggled to implement planned cost cuts in the face of strong union resistance.
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Jet Airways pilots suspended after uncontrolled descent
Two Jet Airways pilots have been suspended by India’s directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) over an uncontrolled descent incident while in Turkish airspace on 8 August. Indian media reports say the aircraft was operating a Mumbai-Brussels service when it had an uncontrolled descent of 5,000ft to 29,000ft. This caused the Ankara air traffic control (ATC) to issue an emergency message inquiring on the deviation from the assigned flight level. FlightRadar24 indicates the aircraft involved in the incident is Boeing 777-300ER, registered VT-JEK.
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Southwest-AirTran integration on track for completion by end of year
The integration of AirTran Airways and Southwest Airlines is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Southwest is still in the process of converting 28 AirTran jetliners to its livery and upgrading and combining domestic reservations systems.
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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 to add 787 base in San Francisco as fleet expands
United Airlines will open a Boeing 787 pilot base at San Francisco International airport in September, as it continues to expand its fleet of Dreamliners. The new domicile will help the Chicago-based carrier meet the staffing needs of its growing fleet of 11 787s, it says. It has added three 787-8s to its fleet since the beginning of 2014 and plans to add another -8 and two -9s by the end of December. United has firm orders for one 787-8, 26 787-9s and 27 787-10s including the three remaining deliveries this year, based on Flightglobal’s calculations and the Ascend Fleets database. The carrier anticipates having about 25 787 pilots at San Francisco initially with plans to increase the number to about 80 in the future, it says.
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U.S. airlines carried 65.8 million passengers in May
U.S. airlines transported 65.8 million passengers in May, the busiest May on record in six years, according to the Department of Transportation. U.S. carriers posted a 1.5% increase in passengers in May on a year-over-year basis, including a 4.7% boost in international travelers for the month.
LinkMilitary
Saudi Arabia requests AWACS mission system upgrade
The US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of its approval of a potential $2 billion mission system upgrade sale for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s airborne warning and control system (AWACS) fleet. The proposal for the upgrade was delivered on 12 August to Congress, which will now decide whether or not to authorise the sale. The modifications to the Royal Saudi Air Force’s five-strong Boeing 707-derived E-3A Sentry fleet would be provided as a Foreign Military Sale.
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Singapore taps Honeywell for CH-47SD health monitoring
The Singapore air force has tapped Honeywell’s health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) for its Boeing CH-47SD Chinook helicopter fleet. “Our HUMS technology will provide [Republic of Singapore Air Force] operators with information that’s needed to keep their fleet safe and efficient,” says Mark Burgess, senior director, Defense and Space, Asia Pacific, Honeywell Aerospace.
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Aviation Quote
No one can realize how substantial the air is, until he feels its supporting power beneath him. It inspires confidence at once.
— Otto Lilienthal.
On This Date
---In 1871... Alphonse Pénaud achieves the first flight of an inherently stable airplane when his Planophore is flown 131 feet in 11 seconds before the Société de Navigation Aérienne in the Tuileries Gardens, Paris.
---In 1901... At the invitation of Chanute, Wilbur Wright addresses the Western Society of Engineers in Chicago with a 10,000-word paper titled “Some Aeronautical Experiments.”
---In 1911... The British F.E.2 biplane makes its first flight from Farnborough, England piloted by its designer, Geoffrey de Havilland.
---In 1930... Captain Wolfgang von Gronau and crew make the first east to west crossing of the Atlantic from Germany to New York.
---In 1932... J.A. Mollison makes the first solo flight east to west across the Atlantic by a light airplane. He flies from Ireland to Canada.
---In 1960…A C-119 Flying Boxcar captures a data capsule jettisoned from the Discoverer 14 spy satellite in mid-air.
---In 1967…First flight of the Handley Page Jetstream.
---In 1989…AQantas Boeing 747, Spirit of Australia sets a record for nonstop flight of a four-engined aircraft, flying from London to Sydney in 20 hours.
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Excerpt from FAA Accident Report Eyewitness Statement
Pilot came to airport at 9 AM 10 Jul 1982. Line boy reports padlock on his hangar door was so rusted he had to break it off with a 10# ball-peen hammer.
Also had to inflate all 3 tires and scrap pigeon droppings off wind- screen. After several attempts to drain fuel strainers--pilot finally got what looked like fuel out of the wings sumps. Couldn't get the oil dipstick out of the engine but said it was okay last time he looked.
Engine started okay--ran rough for about 1/2 minute. Then died. Then battery would not turn prop. Used battery cart and although starter was smoking real good, it finally started and the prop wash blew the smoke away.
Line boy offered to fuel airplane up but pilot said he was late for an appointment at a nearby airport. Said it wasn't far. Taxied about 1/2 way out to active runway and the engine stopped. Pushed it back to the fuel pumps and bought 3 gallons for the left wing tank. Started it again. This time, he was almost out to the runway when it quit again. Put a little rock under nose wheel; hand propped it; and was seen still trying to climb in the airplane as it went across the runway. Finally got in it; blew out the right tire trying to stop before the cement plant.
When he taxied back in to have the tire changed, he also had the line boy hit the right wing with 3 gallons of gas. Witness, who saw the take- off, said the aircraft lined up and took off to the north. Takeoff looked fairly normal--nose came up about 300 ft down the runway. At midfield nose came down. Engine coughed twice--then cut power and applied the brakes which made both doors fly open and a big fat brown book fell out on the runway and released probably a million little white pages with diagrams on them. Looked like sort of a snow storm.
After several real loud run-ups at the end, he turned her around and took off in the other direction going south into the wind. Only this time he horsed her off at the end and pulled her up real steep like one of them jet fighter planes--to about 300 ft--then the engine quit!
Did a sort of a slow turn back toward the airport--kinda like that Art School guy-- and about 30 ft off the McDonald's cafe she started roaring again. He did sort of a high speed pass down the runway; put the flaps down to full and that sucker went up like he was going to do an Immelman!
The engine quit again and he turned right and I thought he was coming right through the front window of the F.B.O.; but he pulled her up--went through the TV antenna and the little rooster with the NSE&W things--over the building then bounced the main wheels off the roof of 3 different cars in the lot--a Porsche, a Mercedes and Dr. Brown's new El Dorado.
When he bounced off the El Dorado the engine roared to life and he got her flying. Came around toward the runway and set her down--once on the overrun, once on the runway and once in the grass beside the runway. He taxied into the ramp--shut her down--and ordered 3 more gallons of gas. Said it was for safety's sake.
Then he asked where the phone booth was as he had to call his student and tell him he was going to be a little bit late.
Trivia
DC-10 Trivia
1. The DC-10 made its first commercial flight in August, 1971. Which major air carrier had the distinction of making this first flight?
A. Air Canada
B. Pan American Airways
C. American Airlines
D. United Airlines
2. In a single-class configuration, what was the maximum number of passengers that a DC-10 could carry?
A. 420
B. 340
C. 380
D. 300
3. The DC-10-30AF, an all-freighter version of the airliner, was used most prolifically with FedEx, with orders starting in the mid-1980s. But for which airline was this variant originally designed?
A. Alitalia
B. Japan Airlines
C. Delta
D. British Airways
4. DC-10s have been involved in a number of accidents and incidents over the years. One notable disaster occurred in March, 1974, when a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed near what major city?
A. Berlin
B. Athens
C. Paris
D. Madrid
5. Another notable DC-10 accident occurred in July, 1989, when United Airlines Flight 232 crashed in which midwestern U.S. city?
A. Sioux City, Iowa
B. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
C. Omaha, Nebraska
D. Sioux City, South Dakota
6. The July, 2000, crash of Air France Flight 4590, the only crash of the legendary Concorde, was caused by a piece of titanium that fell off a DC-10 that had lifted off several minutes before the Concorde took off. Which airline owned the DC-10 from which the fatal piece of metal fell?
A. VARIG
B. Lufthansa
C. Continental
D. Northwest
7. The KC-10 Extender, the aerial refueling tanker based on the DC-10, was developed to increase the US Air Force's strategic reach across the globe. In what year did the KC-10 enter operational service?
A. 1980
B. 1982
C. 1983
D. 1981
8. In 1994, ORBIS International began flying a DC-10 aircraft that had been converted for use as what?
A. A private VIP transport
B. A flying eye hospital
C. A flying dental clinic
D. A space-launch platform
9. The company 10 Tanker Air Carrier, LLC, modified a DC-10 to fight forest fires in rural areas. The aircraft could drop how much water or retardant on a fire in a single pass?
A. 18,000 U.S. gallons (68,137 liters)
B. 15,000 U.S. gallons (56,781 liters)
C. 12,000 U.S. gallons (45,425 liters)
D. 21,000 U.S. gallons (74,494 liters)
10. The last DC-10 in service with a major American passenger carrier was retired in January, 2007. That airline, Northwest Airlines, used the aircraft to fly from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, to which destination?
A. Mexico City
B. London
C. Honolulu
D. Tokyo
