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Delta CEO: We Are Evaluating Boeing 787-9 Aircraft
Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson said the carrier is meeting with both Boeing and Airbus over a potential order of up to 50 widebody aircraft. "We're hopeful that the 787-9, with all the lessons learned on the -8, is going to be a really viable airplane," he said Tuesday during a speech to the Aero Club of Washington...Read More
Boeing 737 MAX LEAP-1B Engine Begins Ground Testing
CFM International has successfully initiated ground testing of the first all-new LEAP-1B engine that will exclusively power the Boeing 737 MAX. CFM ran the engine for the first time on June 13, three days ahead of schedule. The LEAP-1B engine, installed in a test cell at Snecma (Safran) facilities in Villaroche, France, successfully completed a series of break-in runs before reaching full takeoff thrust...Read More
Boeing Expands Capabilities For Pilot Training Worldwide
Two simulators-a Next-Generation 737 and 777-are now ready for training at the Boeing Flight Services Singapore campus. Another 787 Dreamliner simulator has also been placed at the London Gatwick campus where two other 787 simulators are already located. Boeing serves its customers through a global network on six continents, including eight advanced 787 training suites in Miami, London, Singapore and Shanghai...Read More
American Upgrades Style, Service On New Boeing 777-300ER
Noise-canceling headsets, comfortable seating and custom-made sundaes: They're all part of flying in style on American Airlines' new Boeing 777-300ER. The business-class service and surroundings are part of the airline's effort to match competitors' offerings to business travelers. "If you're looking to compete with international carriers, you need these premium products," Brett Snyder, founder of...Read More
NTSB Blames Asiana 777 Crash On Pilot Actions
The National Transportation Safety Board released its final conclusions about what caused the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in San Francisco last July, blaming the pilots for making a series of critical missteps related to the Boeing 777's automated systems...Read More
Southwest CEO: Fun-Loving Employees Showcase Culture
Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, said comedy routines by flight attendants show the culture of the fun-loving carrier. "I think our people are the best in the business and I think that's why they have the best contract and we want to continue that," Kelly said. "We really want our people to take care of each other and in turn take care of our customers...Read More
787 ELT Fire Caused By Improper Battery Wiring
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigation into the fire on board a Boeing 787 operated by Ethiopian Airlines at London Heathrow Airport on July 12, 2013, discovered improper wiring of the lithium metal battery that powered the aircraft's Honeywell 406AFN fixed emergency locator transmitter (ELT). According to an AAIB special bulletin published last week...Read More
German Eurofighter Collides With Learjet
A collision between a Learjet and a German Eurofighter occurred yesterday near the town of Olberg in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The devastating event resulted in the Learjet crashing and apparently killing the two people aboard, according to the Aviation Safety...Read More
Drone Jobs: What It Takes To Fly A UAV
"Cessna 48X, traffic 12 o'clock, 2 miles, 6,500, UAV maneuvering." The ATC call was both surprising and ironic, since I was on my way from Los Angeles to Arizona to research an article about drones. I never saw the UAV, and the sound of the drone pilot's response was not audible because...Read More
U.S. Airlines See $507M in Q1 Profits
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Monday that U.S. passenger airlines reported net profits of $507 million in first quarter 2014, compared to a loss of $392 million in first quarter 2013. Just think how good they would have been if United Airlines wasn't in the list. United by itself lost $580 million. Throw it out, and the rest of the industry earned nearly $1.1 billion in first quarter 2014...Read More
Pentagon Eyes Incentives For Top Suppliers
The Pentagon is starting to identify its most-favored industrial suppliers in an effort to leverage peer pressure and to highlight leaders eligible for further incentives and inducements.Pentagon acquisition policy chief Frank Kendall told reporters this month that the entire Defense Department will roll out ranking regimes similar to the Navy Department's Superior Supplier Incentive Program over the coming year...Read More
A350 XWB Test Fleet Now Complete
With the first flight of A350 MSN005, the five-strong development fleet is now complete. Being the second passenger cabin-equipped A350 and tasked with route proving and ETOPS validation, MSN005 embodies the operationally definitive configuration for Type Certification duties. This milestone means that the A350 XWB development program is at full speed...Read More
Renewable Jet Fuel Ready For Commercial Aviation Use
With the newly revised ASTM standard for jet fuel, Amyris and Total are preparing to prepare to market a drop-in jet fuel that contains up to 10% blends of renewable farnesane. Developed by Total, one of the world's leading energy companies, and Amyris, an industrial bioscience company, this new jet fuel blend meets the rigorous performance requirements...Read More
WestJet Makes First Scheduled Transatlantic Flight
"It's very exciting to think that we are about to take our guests across the Atlantic Ocean for the very first time tonight," said Gregg Saretsky, WestJet President and CEO. "This represents a very significant strategic step in the growth of WestJet. As we've expanded our reach, grown our fleet and added new products to broaden our appeal to different travel segments...Read More
NASA, Rockwell Collins To Test UAS Communications
Rockwell Collins and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have announced a new project to test communications capabilities for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The project will feature a NASA-operated S-3 Viking aircraft and the University of Iowa Operator Performance Laboratory's Beechcraft Bonanza aircraft serving as surrogates for UAS during two phases...Read More
NASA Aeronautics Works To Bring Back Supersonic Passenger Travel
The return of supersonic passenger travel may be coming closer to reality thanks to NASA's efforts to define a new standard for low sonic booms. Several NASA aeronautics researchers will present their work in Atlanta this week at Aviation 2014, an annual event of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. They will share with the global aviation community...Read More
Compass Airlines Selected To Operate 20 New AA E175 Aircraft
Compass Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trans States Holdings, Inc., has announced it will operate 20 new 76-seat Embraer E175 aircraft owned by American Airlines, Inc. Compass expects to begin taking delivery of the aircraft and start scheduled service under the American Eagle brand and livery in the first quarter of 2015. The agreement also provides American...Read More
Navy's Newest Aircraft Launch System Goes Retro
The past and future overlapped recently on a land-based test site at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, when the near-silent armature of the U.S. Navy's new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) propelled an F/A-18C Hornet. EMALS - the newest carrier catapult technology in 60 years - completed the second and final phase of aircraft compatibility...Read More
Workhorse' Becomes First F-35 To Achieve 1,000 Flight Hours
AF-2, the second production F-35 Lightning II for the Air Force, became the first F-35 to reach 1,000 flight hours June 11. Paul Hattendorf, a Lockheed Martin test pilot, was flying an airframe loads envelope expansion mission when the fighter reached the milestone. "AF-2's nickname is 'Workhorse,'" said Randy Thompson, the F-35 Integrated Test Force, government air vehicle...Read More
NBAA Charities Creating New Scholarship
NBAA Charities has announced plans to create a scholarship to honor the late Dale "Potsy" McBurney, a former business aviation flight attendant, flight attendant trainer and member of the NBAA Flight Attendants Committee. The committee announced its plans at NBAA's Flight Attendants/Flight Technicians Conference, which was held from June 19 to 21 in West Palm Beach, FL...Read More
SpaceX Pushes Satellite Launch To July
SpaceX has pushed its pending multi-payload launch until early July, according to the company. Florida Today reports that, according to company engineers, an unspecified "potential issue" has cropped up with the Falcon 9 booster, and the delay would give the company time to evaluate the problem and correct it if needed...Read More
Airbus COO: We Continue To Evaluate New Engine For A330
Airbus continues to study the feasibility of launching a re-engined version of the A330, but is in no hurry to make a decision. Some lessors and airlines have made public their interest in seeing an A330neo launched, but Airbus is nearing certification of the A350 XWB widebody and is reluctant to potentially harm sales of that aircraft...Read More
Rocket Week Launches June 21 At NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
During the fourth annual Wallops Rocket Academy for Teachers (WRATs), June 23-27, 20 high school educators will receive instruction on the physics and math behind rocket flight and how to incorporate what they learn into classroom curriculum. "These two workshops provide students and faculty the opportunity to expand their education," said Joyce Winterton, Wallops senior...Read More
Honeywell Marks 100 Years In Aerospace Industry
Honeywell marked 100 years of innovation and leadership in the aerospace and oil and gas industries as Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote led other company executives in ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The bell ringing recognized the centennials of Honeywell Aerospace, a pioneer in aviation, and Honeywell's UOP, which created the basis for the modern refining...Read More
Medal Of Honor For Former Soldier
President Obama will present the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration, to Ryan M. Pitts, a former Army staff sergeant, on July 21, announced the White House on Monday. Obama will recognize Pitts for his conspicuous gallantry during an engagement with insurgents in Wanat in northeastern Afghanistan on July 13, 2008. On that day, Pitts was manning an observation post when his outpost came under attack...Read More
Air Combat Command Updates Strategic Plan
Air Combat Command is dealing with severe fiscal challenges, but must focus its innovation, training, and operational effectiveness on the combat air forces' core functions in order to maintain the Air Force's dominant edge, states the command's new strategic plan. Those core functions are: command and control; global integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; air superiority; global precision attack...Read More
More Super Galaxy Conversions Under Contract
The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $223 million contract for work on updating more C-5 Galaxy transports to the new C-5M Super Galaxy configuration. The new contract, awarded on June 18, supports Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program upgrades for 11 C-5s. The RERP work, along with avionics updates already completed, will transform these airplanes...Read More
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