Flybe confirms bmi interest, denies it has joined BA in bid Flybe is interested in acquiring parts of bmi and officially confirmed its interest to Lufthansa "quite awhile ago," Chairman and CEO Jim French said. Link
Bernstein flags potential for more aircraft deferrals, excess capacity Bernstein Research raised concerns that while passengers are returning to the skies, the large number of aircraft to be delivered in 2009-10 potentially could lead to excess capacity over the next two years and thus more deferrals. Link
Tiger Airways, ST Aerospace to bring MPL license to Singapore ST Aerospace announced yesterday that its commercial pilot training operation ST Aviation Training Academy has partnered with Singapore-based LCC Tiger Airways for A320 pilot training under STATA's Multi-crew Pilot License curriculum. Link
U.S. Needs to Play Catch-up In Afghanistan Beyond the opening statement that the campaign in Afghanistan has been under-resourced and remains so, the new assessment of the war put together by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces, Afghanistan, reveals a number of basic planning details. Link
Boeing plans significant wiring change to 787 Boeing will introduce a new wiring standard for the 787 to reduce weight, improve maintainability and address a spacing issue between wires, according to 787 supplier Spirit AeroSystems. Link
Air India to cut 13bn rupees in costs, pilot strike continues Air India aims to achieve cost savings of 13 billion Indian rupees ($272 million) in the remaining six months of its fiscal year. Link
Gol to transition Caribbean services from charter to scheduled Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol has secured government approvals to transition next month at least one of its Caribbean charter services into a scheduled operation. Gol in late June launched charter services to Aruba, Curacao and the Dominican Republic. The carrier says in a statement today that one of its Aruba services will be offered on a scheduled basis from 4 October. Link
Other News
British Airways launches its all-business-class service between London City and New York JFK today. The service, which will be offered twice-daily by mid-October, will be operated on specially configured A318s with 32 lie-flat business class seats. The launch flights bear numbers formerly used for Concorde services, BA001 to BA004. "For the first time, New York has a tailor-made premium service to the London Canary Wharf area on its doorstep," said BA Executive VP-Americas Simon Talling-Smith. The flights will feature OnAir inflight connectivity enabling passengers to use their mobile and smart phones to send and receive text messages and e-mails and for Internet access. Passengers departing LCY will be able to check in for a flight as late as 15 min. before departure. Westbound flights will stop for refueling at Shannon, where passengers will be able to clear customs and immigration before reaching New York.
Air France is still studying the possibility of launching high-speed train services in Europe under its own brand in cooperation with a partner, although the project will not take off as initially planned in 2010 when the intra-European rail transport market opens up, the carrier confirmed. AF declined to comment on a report in Les Echos that talks between the airline and Veolia about a partnership have stopped. "The marriage between Air France and Veolia Transport in rail transport seems to be going nowhere," the newspaper said, adding that the partners were "no longer on the same wavelength".
AF never publicly detailed its plans, but a company official confirmed to this website that in a potential first stage the carrier was interested in operating the Brussels Midi railway station to Paris Charles de Gaulle route in cooperation with Veolia but could not secure enough slots to run the service with sufficient frequency. Currently, AF rents seats on the five daily return TGV trains on the route from French railway company SNCF. It stopped flying between Brussels and CDG in 2001.
Perth-based Skywest Airlines is moving to acquire up to four A320 family aircraft to satisfy an upswing in demand for resource industry charters and to launch new international routes to Southeast Asia destinations. The airline deferred its announced plans to acquire the aircraft when the economic downturn struck last year, but yesterday MD Hugh Davin said it has "dusted off plans" to order up the aircraft, a new type for the regional. While he was coy on details of the international expansion, insiders said that planning is underway for a range of options including services to Bali, Singapore and Phuket.
Last month Skywest, which is the country's largest operator of fly-in/fly-out charters serving the resource industry, said it would add a ninth 100-seat F100 for delivery in November to meet demand. In the past three years its fleet of F100s has tripled and the fleet of 46-seat F50s has increased from five to seven. The industry expects that the first aircraft could be put into service as early as the first quarter. "We are now out seeking suitable aircraft," Davin said.
Japan's transport minister said on Japanese TV Sunday that he will not force Japan Airlines, Asia's largest carrier by revenue, into bankruptcy, according to the Associated Press. "We will not crush and liquidate [the airline]," Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said on a TV Asahi talk show. "It's just impossible," AP reported him as saying. The government set up a team of corporate doctors last Friday to create a restructuring plan for JAL, whose own draft reconstruction plan Maehara called "insufficient." The team is expected to make recommendations to the transport minister by early November. The airline, which lost ¥99 billion ($1.09 billion) in its fiscal first quarter ended June 30, received government-backed loans from the Development Bank of Japan totaling around ¥100 billion in June and is in talks with American Airlines and Delta Air Lines about a potential stake sale. Last week it revealed that it needs ¥450 billion through March 2011 for debt repayment.
US Airways closed its previously announced common stock offering, raising $137.3 million in aggregate net proceeds from the sale of 29 million shares including an overallotment of 2.7 million shares. Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes. Citi underwrote the offering.
Air Berlin and Pegasus Airlines started their cooperation Monday by cross-linking their websites. Passengers will be able to book 17 additional connections from Germany to Turkey as well as 26 routes within Turkey. Pegasus belongs to ESAS Holding, the second-largest industrial and financial group in Turkey. ESAS also is AB's largest shareholder with an 18% stake.
Separately, AB announced that it will add 10 new destinations and 54 new nonstop services, especially from Cologne, Stuttgart and Memmingen/Munich West, starting Nov. 1 following its takeover of TUIfly's scheduled flight operations. AB will add 13 TUIfly 737s to its schedule in the coming winter season and 14 in the summer 2010 schedule.
Finnair introduced daily Helsinki Vantaa-New Delhi service Sept. 25.
Alaska Airlines last week launched daily Houston Intercontinental-Seattle Tacoma service using 737-800 equipment.
Jet Airways begins daily Hong Kong-New Delhi service Sept. 30 using an A330-200, complementing existing service from Mumbai to HK, It will launch twice-weekly Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi service Oct. 6.
Turkish Airlines began operating 777-300ERs on its daily Istanbul Ataturk-New York JFK service Monday, replacing a mix of A330s/A340s previously used on the route. It said the switch will enable it to carry at least 40 additional passengers per flight and boost cargo capacity up to 18 tons per flight.
Porter Airlines will operate thrice-daily seasonal Quebec City-Toronto City Centre service starting Nov. 26.
Timco Aviation Services will provide on-call line maintenance services for USA 3000 Airlines A320s at all current Timco line locations.
AJW Aviation expanded its power-by-the-hour contract with Czech Airlines to include an additional two A320s and two A321s. The program is set to cover the entire OK fleet of 33 aircraft by 2016.
Lufthansa Consulting signed a deal with UTair to identify new network growth opportunities for the Russian carrier, starting in July and due to be completed in September.
AVIATION QUOTE
Whether you are an astronomer or a life scientist, geophysicist, or a pilot, you've got to be there because you believe you are good in your field, and you can contribute, not because you are going to get a lot of fame or whatever when you get back.
Alan Shepard
AEROSPACE TERM
Grad-Shafranov Equation
Reduced MHD-equilibrium equation for an axisymmetric, toroidal plasma. (Similar reduced equations can be derived for the cases of helical symmetry and for the straight cylinder.) Analytic and numerical studies of these equations are important in exploring potential plasma configurations.
DAILY VIDEO
HUMOR
BA Captains In Heaven
A British Airways mechanic passes away...
Upon being met at the Pearly Gates, he is asked by St. Peter what is his most heartfelt desire. "To NEVER be around any BA captains!" was his emphatic response.
A few weeks later, while relaxing in the Angel's lounge who should walk in but a British Airways captain in all his regalia. Furious, the mechanic marches off to find St. Peter to complain.
St. Peter calms the man by saying, "There are no BA captains in Heaven. That was God... he just likes to pretend that he's one."
TRIVIA
General Trivia
1. The Wright brothers could have made their famous powered flight on December 13, 1903. Why did they not attempt to make history on that date?
2. Group Capt. Douglas Bader was a World War II fighter ace in England’s Royal Air Force. Why could he endure greater G loads than most other pilots?
3. How is it possible for a pilot to be an instrument flight instructor (CFII) and yet not have an instrument rating shown on his pilot certificate?
4. Peter Pitot passes Waypoint A while heading due south toward Waypoint B at a groundspeed of 150 knots. His friend, Wanda Wingnut, simultaneously passes Waypoint B while heading north toward Waypoint A at a groundspeed of 100 knots. If the waypoints are 1,200 nm apart, how many miles north of Waypoint B will the aircraft pass each other?
5. Michigan-based Aeroquip was founded in 1940 by Peter F. Hurst, who held patents for high-pressure aviation plumbing and made an immense contribution to the U.S. war effort. Why was he not allowed to enter his factory during World War II?
6. In June 1959, Max Conrad did what seemed impossible by flying alone and nonstop from _______ to _______ in a Piper Comanche 250.
7. How did Bell XP–59A test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base in 1942 attempt to conceal that they were flying the prototype of America’s first jet fighter?
8. From reader Dan Stroud: What did astronaut Dick Gordon do during a spacewalk that no other astronaut had done before or has done since?
9. The first B–17 Flying Fortress to complete a 25-mission tour with the 8th Air Force in England during World War II was a. Black Jack b. Hell’s Angels c. Liberty Belle d. Memphis Belle
10. The most difficult type of cockpit door to close in flight is one that is _______ and situated _______ the wing. a. curved, above b. curved, below c. flat, above d. flat, below
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
3. Because they ran out of room for endorsements on his cert? 4. 400nm 5. No security clearance? 6. Don't remember the origins but he made one long flight that ended in LAX and another one that ended in ELP. 7. They put a fake wooden propeller on the nose. 8. 9. d. Memphis Belle 10. a. curved, above
Northrop, EADS eye revisions in tanker bid Northrop Grumman Corp. and bidding partner EADS may revise their proposal for a new aerial refueling tanker after the Air Force updated mission systems capability requirements in its latest request for proposals. EADS Chairman Louis Gallois said Monday he had yet to see the new RFP and could not be more specific. EADS is expected to provide an airframe based on the A330 passenger jet, while Northrop will assemble and militarize the aircraft in Alabama. Link
With nod from Obama, earmarks look set to stay in defense bill Despite earlier promises to veto any Pentagon spending bill "loaded with a bunch of pork," President Barack Obama on Friday praised a Senate bill that includes billions of dollars in defense earmarks. One critic from the Center for Defense Information said Obama's muted criticism of funding for pet projects was "too wimpy to impact behavior," but an administration spokesman insisted that curbing earmarks remained a long-term goal for the administration. Link
France sees 13% jump in arms sales French arms sales rose 13% last year, according to a parliamentary report issued on Monday. With a boost in orders for helicopters and aerial tankers, France retained a fourth-place ranking among the world's arms exporters, just behind Russia and ahead of Israel. The U.S. remains in first place, with a 52.3% share of the global market. Link
Iran to announce time frame for nuclear inspections Iran said Tuesday it will soon announce when the International Atomic Energy Agency can inspect its covert uranium enrichment site, though Iranian officials continued to insist that their country's nuclear program is peaceful. Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, called "baseless" recent charges that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. "It is against our tenets, it is against our religion to produce, use, hold or have nuclear weapons or arsenal," he said. Link
Analysts: Airlines' cash crunch appears past, for now Airlines in recent months have improved their cash position and averted a near-term liquidity crisis, but some experts predict a slow recovery in business travel will lead to more problems in the future. Unit revenue in the airline industry is about 20% lower than last year, even as demand begins to stabilize. Airlines are "getting less money per unit, on less units, and (are) having to take on debt to make up the difference," says Roger King, an airline debt analyst at CreditSights. Link
Worldwide airline traffic shows improvement in August A burgeoning economic recovery in Asia helped slow the decline in worldwide traffic for August, according to a global industry group. Airline traffic fell just 1.1% for the month, far better than the 2.9% decline recorded in July. Increased demand was spurred in part by lower fares, so "profitability remains ever distant," the group noted. Link
Florida officials rally to save space industry jobs Florida lawmakers and economic officials vowed Monday to launch an aggressive, unified effort to stave off space industry job losses that could reach 7,000, according to some estimates. With only six space shuttle flights remaining, Kennedy Space Center could see deep cuts before a replacement rocket is ready for takeoff, despite President Barack Obama's campaign promise to narrow the expected five-year gap. An ailing economy and a critical report by the Augustine panel have made the jobs outlook especially bleak. "We are on the last play of the game, we got one shot left," says Mark Wilson, CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Link
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
3. How is it possible for a pilot to be an instrument flight instructor (CFII) and yet not have an instrument rating shown on his pilot certificate?
Its not.
61.195 (c) Instrument Rating. A flight instructor who provides instrument flight training for the issuance of an instrument rating or a type rating not limited to VFR must hold an instrument rating on his or her flight instructor certificate and pilot certificate that is appropriate to the category and class of aircraft in which instrument training is being provided.
Even though the PTS for the CFII only requires two instrument approaches, while the PTS for the Instrument rating requires three.
Last edited by graphic/forum/images/avatars/gallery/first/user196/1.pngoffline on 30 Sep 09, 08:34, edited 1 time in total.
ANSWERS: 1. December 13, 1903, was a Sunday, and the brothers would not fly on the Sabbath out of respect for their father, Bishop Wright.
2. Pilots black out when pulling high G loads because blood is forced from the upper body downward thus draining blood from the brain. Bader had no legs—he did have artificial legs—so that blood remained in his upper body when maneuvering. (Bader’s biography, Reach for the Sky, is inspirational.)
3. The pilot has an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, which means that he has an instrument rating even though not explicitly stated.
4. 480 nm (or 720 nm south of Waypoint A). To solve this problem, consider that each aircraft will spend the same time en route to the rendezvous point.
5. Hurst was a German national and considered a security risk. He was granted U.S. citizenship in 1945.
6. Casablanca, Morocco, to Los Angeles—in 58.6 hours.
7. They smoked cigars and wore gorilla masks and derby hats. It was hoped that other pilots would be reluctant to report seeing an airplane without a propeller being piloted in such an outrageous way. When parked, a dummy propeller was attached to the nose to conceal that the XP–59A was a jet.
8. He fell asleep and was awakened by a call from Mission Control.
9. (b) Hell’s Angels was first (by six days), but Memphis Belle became more famous because it was first to complete 25 missions and return to the United States.
10. (a) A curved door has “camber” and creates more outward-pulling “lift” than does a flat door; an over-wing door experiences more airspeed to generate an outward pull than one beneath a wing (everything else being equal).
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
miamiair wrote:3. The pilot has an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, which means that he has an instrument rating even though not explicitly stated.
