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Air Baltic temporarily grounds CSeries fleet
Latvian carrier Air Baltic is temporarily grounding its entire fleet of Bombardier CSeries jets pending technical checks on the engines. Air Baltic has seven CS300s, which are powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500Gs.
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Eastern Airways takes first ATR 72-600
UK regional carrier Eastern Airways has taken delivery of the first of two ATR 72-600s which it will use to support the oil and gas industry. Training flights using the turboprop (G-IACY) are already under way from a number of airports in the east of the UK.
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Delta will not pay proposed CSeries tariffs
Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian is confident that the carrier will take delivery of the 75 Bombardier CS100s it has on order without paying a proposed 300% tariff on the aircraft. "We will take the planes, there may be a delay… but we do not expect to pay any tariffs and we do expect to take the planes," he says during a third quarter earnings call today.
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Delta operating profit down on storm impact in third quarter
Delta Air Lines saw its operating profit decrease 7% to $1.84 billion in the third quarter, as it took a $120 million hit from storms that hit the Southeast USA in September. Operating revenue increased 6% year-over-year, to $11.1 billion, but operating expenses were up 8% at $9.22 billion, says the Atlanta-based carrier.
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UK chancellor: Halt to flights 'theoretical' after EU exit
UK chancellor Philip Hammond has acknowledged the possibility of a halt to European flights following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, but has also dismissed it as far-fetched. Hammond gave evidence to the parliamentary treasury select committee on 11 October.
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The campaign steps up against ATC privatisation
The biggest threat to the future of our industry we have ever seen: that is how NBAA chief Ed Bolen this morning described airline-backed moves to privatise the US air traffic control system. The organisation launched a television advertising campaign today, themed “ATC not for sale” and fronted by “leaders and legends” of aviation, including Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, Hudson River hero Capt Sully Sullenberger, and retired US Air Force four-star general Lloyd "Fig" Newton. It will run on cable stations watched by Washington DC politicians and their advisers. Lovell appeared as a keynote speaker at this morning’s opening general session to give his support in person to the campaign to keep ATC in the hands of the Federal Aviation Administration.
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Boeing 747 loses its crown to A380
When Garuda Indonesia retired its final Boeing 747-400 on 9 October, it confirmed an inevitable milestone for the original queen of the skies as the 747 passenger in-service fleet declined below that of the Airbus A380. This month marks 10 years since the Airbus double-decker entered service, and over that decade Toulouse has shipped a total of 216 A380s to 13 customers. Of these, 213 are currently operational, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows (two Singapore Airlines A380s are grounded as they are being returned off lease, while an Air France A380 is in Goose Bay after the recent in-flight engine problem).
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First Tianjin-built A320neo conducts maiden flight
Airbus has conducted the maiden flight with the first A320neo to be produced at its Chinese plant in Tianjin. The aircraft is due to be delivered to AirAsia, rather than a Chinese customer.
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A330neo poised to fly in third week of October
Airbus appears to be aiming to fly the re-engined A330neo for the first time next week. While the airframer has not confirmed a date for the first flight, the aircraft – a -900 variant – has been undergoing preparations after being transferred to the flight-test division.
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US Army all in for FVL
US Army chief of staff Gen Mark Milley and acting Secretary Ryan McCarthy confirmed the service is pushing the Future Vertical Lift programme over incremental block upgrades during this week’s annual AUSA conference in Washington, DC. When news broke a week before the conference that the US Army was reorganizing its modernization efforts, the service listed six priorities including “Future of Vertical Lift platforms” that would address attack, lift and reconnaissance missions in manned and unmanned configurations. Conspicuously missing was the army’s Improved Turbine Engine Programme, leading to speculation that the Apache and Black Hawk engine replacement could be on the chopping block.
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US Army eyes laser addition for rotorcraft fleet
The US Army is pursuing a high-energy laser (HEL) capability for its rotorcraft and fixed-wing assets, following a successful test on a Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Raytheon is looking to meet US Army Aviation’s specifications for the airborne laser capability, Ben Allison, the company's product lead for HEL told FlightGlobal at the AUSA annual meeting in Washington DC.
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Airbus Corporate Jets turns focus to Global 7000 threat
Breaking from its typical counter-Boeing-themed press briefing, Airbus Corporate Jets’ press conference earlier today instead aimed to highlight the advantages of the ACJ320neo versus a traditional, large cabin business jet – particularly, the forthcoming Bombardier Global 7000.
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Embraer unveils optional upgrades to Legacy 500 and 450
As part of its increased focus on customer value across its product line, Embraer announced at the show this morning new enhancements to its Legacy 500 and Legacy 450 business jets. The new optional features include FANS 1/A+ technology in the cockpit which allows datalink communications between pilots and air traffic control in support of the Federal Aviation Administration’s NextGen ATC modernisation programme. It will be available from the fourth quarter of 2017.
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Etihad CEO looks to redefine airline’s future
Etihad Airways’ executive team is close to completing its strategic review and setting a new five- and 10-year plan after being rocked financially by what its CEO calls “a perfect storm.” The Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways posted a net loss of $1.87 billion for 2016, reversed from a net profit of $103 million in 2015. Exceptional charges were major factors behind the deficit, including an $808 million charge on assets and financial exposures to equity partners, mainly related to Alitalia and airberlin, which are now both in bankruptcy and in which Etihad owned stakes.
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Lufthansa, VC pilot union reach long-term agreement
Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings have reached a deal with the Vereinigung Cockpit pilot union (VC) and signed a new collective labor agreement (CLA) on all previously open issues. The signed contracts correspond to the agreement reached in March. Talks between Lufthansa and VC have been ongoing since 2014 and have resulted in 14 pilot strikes that cost the German airline group €500 million ($590 million).
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China Southern to assign 250 aircraft to Beijing’s new airport by 2025
China Southern Airlines plans to assign 250 aircraft to Beijing’s new airport to operate more 900 daily flights by 2025 in an effort to enhance its position in the Beijing market. As early as 2011, the Guangzhou-based carrier signed a cooperation agreement with the Beijing government to allocate 200 aircraft—Airbus A330s and A380s—to the airport over the next 10 years.
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SkyWest’s 45 E175 orders lift Embraer’s 3Q commercial aircraft outlook
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer firmed its biggest order of 2017 during the third quarter when Utah-based SkyWest Inc. ordered a cumulative 45 E175s, valued at approximately $2.1 billion at list prices.
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Aircalin firms Airbus order
Aircalin, the Noumea-based carrier in the French territory of New Caledonia, has firmed up its order for two Airbus A320neos single-aisle and two A330-900 widebody aircraft. The 168-seat A320neo, powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, will be deployed on regional routes to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
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Icelandair joins economy fares trend
Icelandair has joined the increasing number of airlines segmenting their economy-class fares with the announcement of a new pricing structure. The Keflavik-based carrier is introducing a new budget level, economy light, which aims to attract passengers traveling with carry-on luggage only.
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CityJet posts losses as expansion continues
Irish carrier CityJet posted a pre-tax loss of €30.2 million ($35.8 million) for 2016, as a result of financing new aircraft, acquiring airlines and creating a new base in Scandinavia.
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CBP testing biometric facial recognition with TSA at JFK Terminal 7
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initiated a 30-day test of facial recognition biometric technology at a TSA international checkpoint at New York-JFK airport’s Terminal 7, the agency said Oct. 11. In the demonstration, which expands on biometric exit system technology CBP is already deploying at several US international airports, the agency is entering TSA processes into the capabilities of biometric facial recognition technology, part of the CBP’s stated goal “of transforming and improving air travel, making it smoother, seamless and more efficient for travelers while also enhancing the security of the process.”
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Air France will launch 5X-weekly Seattle-Paris Charles de Gaulle Boeing 777-200 service from March 25, 2018.

Russia’s S7 Airlines will launch 5X-weekly Moscow Domodedovo-Bryansk Embraer E170 service Nov. 2.

Saratov Airlines will start weekly St. Petersburg-Naryan-Mar Antonov An-148 service Nov. 1 and 3X-weekly Moscow Domodedovo-Naryan-Mar Yakovlev Yak-42 service Dec. 1. Saratov began daily Moscow Domodedovo-Grozny Embraer E190 and daily Moscow Domodedovo-Khanty-Mansiysk An-148 services Oct. 2.

Allegiant Air launched 2X-weekly Ogden, Utah-Los Angeles service and will begin 2X-weekly services from Flint-Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Punta Gorda/Fort Myers, Florida from Oct. 13.

Uzbekistan Airways will launch weekly Samarkand-Istanbul Boeing 757-200 Oct. 30. The Tashkent-based carrier will also add a fifth weekly frequency to its Tashkent-Seoul 787service from Oct. 29.

Cargolux Airlines and Emirates SkyCargo will enter into a codeshare partnership.

Aviation Quote

Experience is a hard teacher. First comes the test, then the lesson.

- Anonymous

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Trivia

General Trivia

1. “I apparently was the first to pilot a heavier-than-air aircraft in controlled flight. I also was first to use the term, ‘aero plane,’ and even wrote a small book with that title. I died following a crash in an aircraft of my design, and my last words were, ‘How is the machine?’ Who am I?”

2. True or False? A pilot is about to land an airplane with the right landing-gear leg and nosewheel extended but with the left landing-gear leg stuck in its well. The ailerons are equipped with conventional trim tabs that are controllable from the cockpit. During landing and rollout, the right aileron tab should be deflected fully downward.

3. Why did some airmen training at Midland, Texas, during World War II have a higher incidence of black eyes than airmen training elsewhere?

4. How can you tell the difference between a U.S. Naval aviator and a traditional Naval officer who does not fly simply by looking at their feet?

5. A pilot wants to fly a perfectly rectangular pattern while in the left traffic pattern for Runway 36 when the wind is strong and from the northeast. This requires that the radius of all turns be the same with respect to the ground. Assuming a constant airspeed throughout the pattern, the most steeply banked turn will be required when turning from
a. base to final.
b. crosswind to downwind.
c. downwind to base.
d. upwind to crosswind.

6. True or False: Most of the American aircraft that took off from Oahu during the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor were shot down.

7. True or False: It is legal for a VFR-only pilot to fly extended distances in a small airplane above a solid undercast with no more than the instruments required for VFR flight.

8. Who was the first woman in the United States to become a licensed glider pilot?

ANCFlyer wrote:The 747 will always be the queen of the skies. The sheer numbers of them produced and flown are significant. The Whalejet is a finite entity.

ANCFlyer wrote:The 747 will always be the queen of the skies. The sheer numbers of them produced and flown are significant. The Whalejet is a finite entity.