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Commercial

MH17 Prosecutor Open To Alternative Theory
Dutch prosecutors investigating the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 believe the aircraft might have been shot down from the air but that a ground-to-air missile attack is more likely, a senior prosecutor said in a German media interview. The Russian government has always said it has radar imagery proving the fully laden Boeing 777 was shot down by a Ukrainian military aircraft flying in its vicinity, but Western officials have never publicly accepted this scenario. In an interview published by German news magazine Der Spiegel on Monday, prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said the Dutch would ask Moscow to provide the information that had led them to believe a Ukrainian aircraft was nearby.
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Avionics workers in demand due to new FAA requirements
With the FAA requiring the installation of new airplane avionics, or electronics systems, based on GPS technology by 2020, market demand for a workforce skilled in both new electronic systems and avionics has spiked significantly. To meet that demand, Chaffey College is offering an eight-week course on industrial electronics manufacturing and avionics, funded through a $150,000 Workforce Accelerator Fund grant awarded to the college by the California Workforce Investment Board. “The goal here is that these people will go to work at the end of training,” said Debbie Smith, the community training coordinator overseeing grant-funded projects for Chaffey College.”
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Boeing moves away from traditional pension plan
Former Boeing employees who have not yet retired have until Oct. 31 to tell the company whether they want a lump-sum check in December or a monthly annuity payment that begins the same month, or reject both options. In another sign that Boeing is moving away from traditional pensions, the company is offering about 40,000 former nonunion employees the option of taking either a lump-sum payment or an annuity instead of their pension benefits.
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Cabin designer: Air travel "still an extraordinary thing"
It's important to remember that air travel is a relative bargain for the technological wonder that it is, says notable interiors designer James Park of JPA Design. He expects to see airlines use business class space more creatively in coming years and if there's no significant change in economy, it's important, Park says, to remember that the ability to fly is "still an extraordinary thing and an amazing benefit to enjoy."
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Seattle museum displays restored 747 aircraft
The Museum of Flight in Seattle is displaying the world's first Boeing 747. The RA001 aircraft, which made its maiden voyage in 1969, was restored to its 1960s glory. The airplane retired from service in 1993.
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Clear skies ahead for windowless plane design
It is a glimpse into the future that will inspire wonder in some people but perhaps strike terror into the heart of the nervous flyer: a windowless plane that nonetheless allows passengers to see what’s going on outside, as well as checking their email and surfing the net. In a vision of what the next generation of commercial aircraft could look like in little more than a decade, windows would be replaced by full-length screens allowing constant views of the world outside. Passengers would be able to switch the view on and off according to their preference, identify prominent sights by tapping the screen or even just surf the internet.
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Airlines

Air Berlin To Cut 200 Additional Jobs
Air Berlin is cutting another 200 ground staff and admin jobs as part of its efforts to return to profit. The cut, mostly affect grounds crews and administrative workers, are to be carried out through attrition in 2015, a spokesman said.
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American honors heritage airline of Allegheny
American Airlines is honoring its storied past by painting aircraft with the liveries of heritage airlines. The carrier painted an A319 with the colors of Allegheny, a local service airline started in 1957 that served Pennsylvania and seven other states. Allegheny eventually changed its name to US Air, the precursor of US Airways.
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Flybe Talking To Airlines About Regional Routes
British regional airline Flybe is in talks with a number of European airlines about contracts to operate regional flights. Chief executive Saad Hammad said that Flybe was looking to expand the "white label" part of its business, where larger airlines outsource some domestic flights, freeing them up to focus on their long-haul routes. "Yes I am indeed (in talks) with a number of flag carriers," Hammad said at a press conference. Flybe already provides white label regional services in Finland through a joint venture with Finnair.
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JetBlue hires former firefighters as flight attendants
Almost 300 flight attendants at JetBlue Airways got their start as New York City firefighters. The ranks of former or current firefighters makes up 10% of the workforce for the airline based in New York City. "It's a natural transition for those who want to remain in New York" and remain part of a "close-knit family," said David Barger, CEO of JetBlue.
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United debuts more international service
United Airlines announced it will begin four new routes next week. On October 26, the carrier will begin new service between Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia. The flights will operate six times a week, using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft configured with 48 seats in first class, and 204 in economy, including 88 in United Economy Plus, the airline’s premium economy lite section. The new Los Angeles-Melbourne route will be the carrier’s first route deploying their 787-9 Dreamliner.
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Airports

Atlantic City airport courts Canadians
Atlantic City, N.J., Mayor Don Guardian said the Atlantic City International Airport is talking with airlines about resuming direct flights to the city from Canada. Service from Canada to Atlantic City was last available in 2010.
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Malaysia Airports Could Sell Sabiha Gökçen Stake
Malaysia Airports may sell a minority stake in Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen airport after taking full ownership of the business, expected in coming months. Malaysia Airports Holdings (MAHB), which already owns 60 percent of Istanbul's second airport, said last Thursday it was exercising its right to refuse a EUR€285 million (USD$360 million) offer from Turkey's TAV Holdings for the outstanding 40 percent and would instead buy the stake itself for the same amount. "We are determined to have the majority stake at least for the short term," Khair Mirza, MAHB's senior general manager in charge of planning, said.
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TSA opens PreCheck enrollment office in San Jose
The Transportation Security Administration opened a PreCheck enrollment center near California's San Jose Mineta International Airport. Participants undergo a background check and pay a fee to enroll in the program, which gives them access to expedited airport security screening lanes where they don't have to remove their shoes, jackets or belts
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Military

HAL to supply 12 Do-228 MSAs to Indian Navy
Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) will supply 12 Dornier Do-228 maritime surveillance and patrol aircraft (MSA) to the Indian navy in a deal estimated at $310 million. The Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for HAL’s proposal to supply the type to the navy was granted earlier this week by the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) led by defense minister Arun Jaitley. “HAL will respond to a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) expected to be issued early next year”, says a company spokesperson. Deliveries are to begin from 2016 and the new aircraft will be produced at HAL’s Transport Aircraft Division (TAD) in Kanpur, where 124 of the type have been produced since 1984.
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Lockheed, US reach tentative deal on 43 F-35s
The US Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin have agreed in principle to the next yearly production contract for 43 F-35s worth $4.3 billion that lowers average unit costs by 3.6%. The announcement is expected to be followed by a signed contract in the “coming weeks”, Lockheed says. The promised, 3.6% unit cost reduction comes a year after Lockheed signed a $3.9 million contract for 35 F-35s in the seventh year of low-rate initial production (LRIP).
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Saab, Brazil finalize Gripen NG deal
Saab and industrial partners including Embraer are to start work on 36 Gripen NG fighters formally ordered by Brazil with the signing on 27 October of a SKr39.3 billion ($5.8 billion) contract for delivery over five years, starting in 2019. The deal – under negotiation since December 2013, when Brazil selected the Gripen over Dassault's Rafale and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for its F-X2 requirement – is for 28 single-seat and eight two-seat aircraft, and makes Brazil the export launch customer for the NG model.
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Aviation Quote

Bankruptcy as a solution in kind of un-American.

— Tom Horton, Chief Financial Officer American Airlines, reported in USA Today, 6 April 2006.

On This Date

---In 1952…First flight of the Douglas XA3D-1

---In 1972…First Flight of the Airbus A300.

---In 1974…First flight of the Dassault Super Étendard.

---In 1982…The last Air France Boeing 707 service, from Tunis to Paris.

---In 1982…The final Douglas DC-9 is delivered.

Daily Video

Editor’s Choice

Humor

The Difference…

What's the difference between American pilots and Iraqi pilots? American pilots break ground and fly into the wind.

Trivia

Saturn V Trivia

1. Which company served as the prime contractor on the Saturn V's first stage, the S-IC?
Boeing
North American
Douglas
Lockheed

2. The Saturn V's first stage was powered by five Rocketdyne F-1 engines. During the Saturn V's first launch, in November, 1967, how much thrust did each F-1 engine produce?
1 million pounds (4,448 kilonewtons)
1.5 million pounds (6,673 kilonewtons)
2 million pounds (8,896 kilonewtons)
2.5 million pounds (11,120 kilonewtons)

3. Which company was the primary contractor on the Saturn V's second stage, the S-II?
McDonnell
North American
Lockheed
Grumman

4. The Saturn V's second stage was powered by five Rocketdyne J-2 engines. Which of the following fuels was used to propel the J-2?
Refined kerosene (RP-1)
Liquid hydrogen
Gasoline-kerosene mix (JP-4)
Alcohol-kerosene mix

5. The Saturn V's second and third stages used small ullage motors in addition to the J-2 engines. For what purpose were the ullage motors used?
To settle propellants in their holding tanks
To add extra speed to the rocket
To provide minor course corrections
To disengage the rocket's self-destruct systems

6. Which company served as prime contractor of the Saturn V's third stage, the S-IVB?
General Dynamics
McDonnell
Douglas
Grumman

7. The Instrument Unit, or IU, provided the brains for the Saturn V. Which company served as the IU's prime contractor?
RCA
IBM
General Electric
Westinghouse

8. In the Apollo configuration, how tall was the Saturn V?
316 feet (96 meters)
430 feet (131 meters)
363 feet (111 meters)
289 feet (88 meters)

9. A variant of the Saturn V, the Saturn INT-21, was used to launch the Skylab space station in 1973.
True
False

10. All Saturn V rockets lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. What number was given to the launch complex from which the Saturn V rockets were launched?
Launch Complex 37
Launch Complex 39
Launch Complex 34
Launch Complex 42

The daily video is the oddest piece of editing I've seen in a while...

I know nothing about rockets, so no hope for the trivia today.

8. In the Apollo configuration, how tall was the Saturn V?

363 feet (111 meters)

Answers:

1. Boeing. The S-IC was by far the largest of the three stages of the Saturn V moon rocket. The stage measured 138 feet (42 meters) in height, 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter, and weighed 5,030,000 pounds (2,280,000 kilograms) when fully fueled.

2. 1.5 million pounds (6,673 kilonewtons). Each F-1 engine burned RP-1, a highly-refined grade of kerosene, with liquid oxygen used as the oxidizer. On the unmanned Apollo 4 and Apollo 6 missions, as well as the Apollo 8 manned lunar-orbit mission, the five F-1s produced thrust at liftoff of 7.5 million pounds (33,362 kilonewtons). From Apollo 9 onward, thrust was uprated to 1.522 million pounds (6,770 kilonewtons) per engine, making the Saturn V's total takeoff thrust 7.610 million pounds (33,851 kilonewtons). The engines were arranged in a cross pattern. The four outboard engines were mounted on gimbals that allowed them to swivel and thus steer the rocket during ascent. The fifth engine, in the center of the cross, was fixed.

3. North American. The S-II was 82 feet (25 meters) tall, 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter, and weighed 1.06 million pounds (480,900 kilograms) when fully fueled. The S-II was connected to the S-IC by an interstage ring, which separated after the second-stage engines began firing. A famous motion-picture clip from a Saturn V launch shows the separation of the S-IC and the interstage ring from below the S-II.

4. Liquid hydrogen. The initial design of the S-II called for just four of the J-2 engines. The stage itself was also smaller than what was finally put into production, measuring just 74 feet (22.5 meters) in height and 21 feet (6.5 meters) in diameter. The J-2's initial rated thrust was 200,000 pounds (889 kilonewtons), giving the S-II a thrust of 1 million pounds (4,448 kilonewtons). Thrust was later uprated to 230,000 pounds (1,023 kilonewtons) for a maximum thrust of 1.15 million pounds (5,115 kilonewtons). Liquid oxygen was used as oxidizer for the liquid hydrogen.

5. To settle propellants in their holding tanks. The fuel tanks of the Saturn V rockets were not fully loaded prior to launch. Some space was left in the tanks to allow for expansion of the super-cold fuels. During staging, the rocket would coast briefly, causing the propellants to slosh and float toward the tops of their tanks. The ullage motors gave a small forward push to the rocket, causing the propellants to settle before the larger engines fired.

6. Douglas. Different versions of the S-IVB were used for the Saturn V and its smaller sibling, the Saturn IB. The Saturn V variant, known as the 500 series, was 58 feet 5 inches (17.8 meters) tall, 21 feet 8 inches (6.6 meters) in diameter, and weighed 253,000 pounds (119,900 kg) fully fueled. In the Apollo configuration, the third stage carried the Apollo command ship and lunar lander, as well as the Instrument Unit, the brains of the Saturn V rocket. A single restartable J-2 engine powered the Apollo spacecraft into Earth orbit, then a second burn later on would kick the spacecraft into the trans-lunar injection burn to put it on course for the Moon. At the time NASA let the contract for the S-IVB, in April, 1961, the Douglas Aircraft Company and the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation were still two separate organizations. It wasn't until 1967 that the two merged to form McDonnell Douglas. McDonnell Douglas, in turn, became part of Boeing in 1997.

7. IBM. In the Apollo configuration, the IU sat on top of the Saturn V's third stage, below the adapter panels that housed the Apollo lunar module and connected the stage to the Apollo command and service modules. The IU was three feet (1 meter) tall, 21 feet 8 inches (6.6 meters) in diameter, and weighed 4,400 pounds (1,996 kilograms). The IU contained the rocket's primary systems, including inertial guidance, radio communications for telemetry, tracking and command, power, and emergency detection of vehicle malfunctions.

8. 363 feet (111 meters). The Saturn V stack was as tall as a 36-story office building. The very top of the stack was the point of the launch escape system tower, which could pull the Apollo command module away from the rest of the booster in case of a problem. The umbilical tower used to service the Saturn V was as tall as a 43-story building, at 430 feet (131 meters).

9. TRUE. Measuring 262 feet (80 meters) in height, the Saturn INT-21 was only used once, and that was to put Skylab into orbit. The Saturn INT-21 was capable of lofting a payload of 255,000 pounds (115,900 kilograms) into Earth orbit. The Instrument Unit was carried atop the third stage that had been modified as the space station. Skylab itself weighed 169,950 pounds (77,088 kilograms).

10. Launch Complex 39. Launch Complex 39 has served as America's primary point of entry for manned space missions since the days of Project Apollo. In addition to the Apollo lunar missions, the two launch pads that comprise Complex 39 have also launched the Skylab missions, the Apollo spacecraft used during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and the Space Shuttle. The launch pads are approximately three miles (5 kilometers) away from the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, where spacecraft are assembled, and the Launch Control Center, which houses the firing rooms from which launches are coordinated.