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Commercial

Bombardier To Fully Resume Production by May 11
Bombardier is beginning to recall nearly 11,000 workers in Canada who were furloughed following government mandates aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19, the airframer announced today. Its manufacturing and service activities that were suspended in Canada will slowly resume by May 11.
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Boeing Prepares To Restart South Carolina Production
Boeing will resume 787 operations at its plant in Charlotte, South Carolina (BSC) in early May, scheduling most employees to return to work on May 3 or May 4, the company said yesterday. The return includes all operations temporarily suspended on April 8 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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China’s Comac Applies Remote Test Platforms for C919
China’s Comac has begun adding 5G infrastructure at its C919 test facilities as a part of an industry-wide effort to accelerate the development of its domestically produced narrowbody jet program, the company said Sunday. The move comes as engineering teams seek to gain confirmation of aircraft testing via a remote witness test platform to limit the movement of personnel amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
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Boeing 737 MAX Production To Be Investigated Amid Debris Findings
Boeing faces scrutiny on two fronts concerning its 737 MAX aircraft. A federal grand jury investigation is underway into the design of the 737 MAX’s flight-control systems. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal, with sources familiar with the details, reported today that factory rules and regulations are being investigated by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
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Which Aircraft Can Carry The Heaviest Load?
With so many airlines looking to cash in on the lucrative cargo trade, many have begun to consider transforming passenger aircraft into freighters. But which aircraft can carry the most weight, and which passenger aircraft, if converted, would make the best cargo transport?
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Airlines

Qantas Workers In Fight For Sick Pay
A trade union has its guns aimed squarely at Qantas following the airlines’ decision not to pay sick leave to furloughed workers. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) had Qantas in court yesterday. In a hearing before the Fair Work Commission, part of The Federal Court of Australia, union legal counsel urged the court to force Qantas to pay sick leave to stood down workers.
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United Joins American With Free Face Masks For Passengers
United Airlines has confirmed today that it will start distributing free face masks to its passengers from next month. The Chicago-based carrier is also making it compulsory for flight attendants to wear the new equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Avianca Open To Partial Colombian Government Ownership
Avianca’s CFO, Adrián Neuhauser, said that the airline needs an investment from the Colombian Government to survive the current crisis. He added that the airline is willing to make the Government a shareholder if that’s what it takes to survive. Let’s investigate further.
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Canadian Airlines Are Being Sued For Refusing Cash Refunds
Recently, we covered the Canadian situation regarding airlines and the provision of vouchers and credit in place of cash refunds. The Canadian Transporation Agency (CTA) had issued a statement on the matter supporting airlines doing this.
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2000+ Icelandair Employees Laid Off Amid Current Crisis
Over 2,000 Icelandair employees will be laid off at the turn of the month. The flag carrier of Iceland has had to make the tough call amid financial and operational struggles due to the global health crisis.
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DOT Denies Frontier Airlines A Network Waiver
The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has today rejected Frontier Airlines’ request to minimize its current network. Simultaneously, it has granted Sun Country Airlines permission to stop flying to a major part of its domestic destinations.
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IAG Mulls Up To 12,000 Job Cuts At British Airways
British Airways is set to undertake a restructuring program that may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 employees of the airline. This was announced today at an IAG briefing.
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Lufthansa Begins Flying Airbus A380s To Spanish Aircraft Graveyard
Lufthansa has flown its first Airbus A380 to a Spanish aircraft graveyard. The airline today ferried D-AIMG from Munich to Tarmac Aerosave in Teruel. Earlier this month, it announced the immediate decommissioning of six Airbus A380s.
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Etihad Hopes To Resume Passenger Flights From Mid-May
United Arab Emirates-based Etihad is due to start regular commercial flights again as soon as the 16th of May. The airline is now taking bookings for multiple dates to several destinations. Etihad is working with the government to get its schedule sorted and work around international travel restrictions. Previously, the airline had hoped to restart a regular schedule from the 1st of May.
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JetBlue Becomes First US Carrier To Make Face Masks Compulsory
From the 4th of May onwards, JetBlue Airways will require that all passengers wear compulsory face masks. The low-cost carrier is the first US airline to make face masks mandatory for travelers on its flights, or what it is calling “the new flying etiquette.”
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Lufthansa Is Reportedly Examining Bankruptcy Proceedings
German airline group Lufthansa is awaiting the outcome of negotiations for a €9bn ($9.74bn) bailout, with Chancellor Angela Merkel and CEO Carsten Spohr fleshing out the details today. However, it appears that a rescue package is not the only option for the carrier, as reports today suggest bankruptcy is still being explored as an option.
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Up To 5,000 SAS Jobs At Risk Due To Demand Slump
As a result of the ongoing downturn in air travel, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has today announced that some 5,000 employees might be let go. Many of the Nordic airline’s staff had already been furloughed as travel restrictions and quarantine measures made it impossible to continue operations.
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Southwest Airlines Announces Huge $94 Million Q1 Loss
Southwest Airlines has announced a considerable loss of $94 million. The US carrier posted the loss for the first quarter primarily as a result of the ongoing crisis affecting the aviation industry. However, it is also still without its 737 MAX aircraft.
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Airports

Domestic Hub Future Possible For Auckland Airport
New Zealand’s premier airport is forecasting a quieter future with a focus on domestic traffic. That’s their immediate expectation as New Zealand begins to contemplate emerging from a countrywide lockdown that has spared it the worst of the pandemic.
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Miami airport TSA officer, 65, dies from coronavirus
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Miami International Airport has died from complications with the novel coronavirus amid the global pandemic, reports say. The man was 65 years old.
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Lost and hound: the role of dogs in airport terminals
Dogs have played a role in improving airport security and enhancing passenger experience for decades. From detecting explosives to assisting travellers with disabilities, we round up how they are helping operators across the world.
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Lieutenant, the missiles I've fired have more flight time than you do.

- welcome to the squadron, nugget

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Trivia

General Trivia

1. Which of the following does not belong?
A. Inability to arrest sink rate
B. Lack of pitch authority
C. Lack of roll control
D. Lack of yaw control

2. Pilots are familiar with a variety of “V” speeds, such as Vx, Vy, and VNE. Why is the letter “V” used to designate these speeds?

3. Airframe manufacturers of yesteryear created some cryptic model designations for their aircraft. Among such aircraft was the Meyers OTW and the Howard DGA. What do these letters represent?

4. Following WW2, what famous pilot and Medal of Honor recipient was seen on television as a professional wrestler and referee?

5. With the exception of Rogers (dry) Lake at Edwards AFB, what is the longest runway in the United States and how long is it?