Aircraft Carrier Lincoln Underway for Flight Deck Certification

February 8, 2010 - USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) left San Diego on Sunday to begin flight deck certification with Carrier Airwing (CVW) 2 off the coast of Southern California. Flight deck certification is a multiple-day evolution with a series of flight and hangar deck exercises. Evaluators from Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) will observe Lincoln's air department and CVW-2 as they work together to conduct flight operations. "Getting flight deck certified is a huge milestone in  Read More Of This Story

Haiti Receives Additional Aid From Air Canada Flight

February 8, 2010 - Air Canada continues to support relief efforts in Haiti by dispatching its fourth dedicated aircraft full of humanitarian relief supplies on Saturday February 6, 2010. The flight to Port-au-Prince is coordinated with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), World Vision, the ONEXONE Foundation, Read More Of This Story

TSA To Revise LASP For General Aviation By Fall

February 8, 2010 - Officials at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported they are in favor of a scaling back on a proposal that would include General Aviation into the “The Large Aircraft Security Program” (LASP). This is welcomed news for the General Aviation community. TSA stated that they would work on a revised plan and have it completed sometime this fall. The purpose of LASP is to reduce the threat of aircraft being used as missiles in a terrorist attack such as the events on 911. The current proposed plan would apply commercial air   Read More Of This Story

BAE To Pay $400 Million In Settlement On Corruption Charges

February 8, 2010 - London, United Kingdom - The Company, the U.S. Department of Justice and the UK Serious Fraud Office have reached settlements in connection with the Justice Department investigation announced by the Company on 26th June 2007 and the Serious Fraud Office announced by the Company on 3rd November 2004. Under the agreement with the Department of Justice, which requires court approval, the Company will plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to make false statements to the U.S. Government in Read More Of This Story

Boeing 747-8 Freighter To Make First Flight Today

February 8, 2010 – On Saturday Boeing completed taxi tests on the 747-8 Freighter reaching a top seed of approximately 90 knots (103.5 mph, 166.6 kph), with Chief Pilot Mark Feuerstein at the controls. "The airplane performed well," said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program. "Based on early indications, the airplane is ready to fly." This was the last functional test planned before first flight. The first flight of the 747-8 Freighter is scheduled for Monday, February 8th. Back on December 9th  Read More Of This Story

Two Planes Collide While Glider Was In Tow

February 7, 2010 - At about 1:30 PM Saturday, a Piper Pawnee aircraft towing a glider collided mid-air with a Cirrus SR20 airplane just two miles northwest of Boulder Municipal Airport, Boulder, Colorado. The glider being towed by the Piper Pawnee was able to unhook from its towline and land safely. Several people who witnessed the accident, described people falling from the Cirrus airplane. All passengers onboard the Cirrus plane were killed and as well the pilot of the Piper Pawnee. The two place glider was operated by Read More Of This Story

Snow Accumulation Causes Roof Collapse At Dulles Jet Center

February 7, 2010 - On Saturday morning about 8 AM, the Fairfax County Fire Rescue of Virginia was called out to Dulles International Airport on a roof collapses at Dulles Jet Center. The hanger roof at Dulles had fully collapse destroying several business jets. Officials believe the collapse was due to a heavy precipitation of snow that has fallen over several hours in Virginia and Maryland. The accumulation of snow on the roof was more weight than the roof  Read More Of This Story

Paper Pilot License Certificates To Expire On March 31

February 7, 2010 – FAA pilots who have a paper pilot’s license will need to change the license to the plastic license by March 31, 2010. Pilots having a paper license will not be able exercise the privileges of pilot after March 31st. Back on September 8, 2009, the FAA released a notice of change. FAR 61.19(h) reads, Duration of pilot certificates, except for a temporary certificate issued under §61.17 or a student pilot certificate issued under paragraph (b) of this section, the holder of a paper pilot certificate issued under this part may not exercise the privileges of that   Read More Of This Story

Atlas Air Flight 46 Drops Wing Cover On Approach To MIA

February 6, 2010 – While on a one mile final approach descent to Miami International Airport, an Atlas Air Flight 46, a Boeing 747, had a structural separation of a wing actuator fairing cover that fell onto the parking lot at the International Mall of Americas in Miami, Florida on Friday midday. Flight 46 was a cargo flight out of Santiago, Chile. A “fairing” is a structure whose primary function is to produce a smooth outline and  Read More Of This Story

CF-18 Hornet To Patrol Skies Over Vancouver's Olympics Games

February 6, 2010 - The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) a joint organization of Canada and the United States will provide aerospace warning and aerospace control during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, will be held on February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler,   Read More Of This Story

Cirrus Aircraft To Participate In Red Bull Air Race 2010

February 6, 2010 - At the Red Bull Air Race events around the world in 2010, guests will have the unique opportunity to experience Cirrus Aircraft, one of the world's best selling four place, single engine piston airplane. Guests attending the races in either the Race Club or the High Flyer’s Lounge will have special access to both the SR22 series of piston aircraft, as well as the upcoming Cirrus Vision 'personal jet.' Cirrus Aircraft, a leading personal Read More Of This Story

Pilot License Certification Requirements Under Review By The FAA

February 5, 2010 - As part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Call to Action to enhance airline safety following last year’s Colgan Air accident in Buffalo, NY, the FAA seeks recommendations from the aviation community to improve pilot qualifications and training requirements. On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air, Inc., Bombardier DHC-8- 400, N200WQ, operating as Continental Connection flight 3407, was on an instrument approach to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, Buffalo, New York, when it crashed into a residence in Clarence Center, New York, about 5 nautical miles northeast of the  Read More Of This Story

American Airlines Uses 1993 Straggly To Thwart Flight Attendant Strike

February 5, 2010 - The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said on Wednesday that American Airlines' suggestion that it may train management employees to replace strikers is "an ill-conceived and doomed strategy." Said APFA president Laura Glading in a hotline message, nearly two days after word of the AA potential strategy was made public. The message is that they are willing to spend vast sums on a    Read More Of This Story

Former Operators Of Hooters Air Questioned By Bankruptcy Judge

January 4, 2010 - A law suit was filed in US District Court in North Carolina on January 9, 2010, on behalf of Pace Airlines. The Judge hearing the case, case No. 09-52426 is Thomas Waldrep Jr., a U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina. Judge Waldrep has continued Wednesday’s court hearing and will consider how to best handle the failed charter airline and Jet Maintenance Company. Back on September 12, 2009, Pace Airlines laid off more than four hundred employees and many of these  Read More Of This Story

NTSB Report On Colgan Air Crash Highlights CAPA’s Safety Concerns

February 4, 2010 - The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) representing 28,000 professional airline pilots has reviewed the findings of the NTSB report on the Continental Express Flight 3407 crash in Buffalo last February 2009. CAPA calls for immediate action to address serious safety concerns including pilot fatigue, pilot training, and inadequate pilot experience; all of which were all cited as contributing factors to the crash in Buffalo that killed 50 innocent people. On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air, Inc., Bombardier DHC-8- 400, N200WQ, operating as Continental Connection flight 3407, was on an instrument approach to Buffalo-Niagara  Read More Of This Story

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Makes Third Flight Test

February 4, 2010 – Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes third flight test publicly, unveiling some of its interior components. The third flight test airplane, ZA003, has a partial interior that provides a glimpse into the new flying experience that the 787 Dreamliner will offer. Configured for flight testing purposes, the interior includes instrumentation racks, flight test equipment and workstations for engineers. "This airplane is specifically configured to test the passenger experience elements of the airplane," said Tom Galantowicz, director of 787 Interiors,   Read More Of This Story

NTSB Colgan Air Flight 3407 Actions Led To Crash Of Flight

February 4, 2010 - Washington, DC - The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the captain of Colgan Air flight 3407 inappropriately responded to the activation of the stick shaker, which led to an aerodynamic stall from which the airplane did not recover. In a report adopted in a public Board meeting in Washington, additional flight crew failures were noted as causal to the accident. On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air, Read More Of This Story

Irish Aviation Authority Survival The Name Of The Game In 2009

February 4, 2010 - It was nothing short of traumatic in the world of aviation. The global recession had a huge impact on the industry as both the leisure and corporate sectors seriously curtailed their flying. Freight too suffered a big decline and airlines were forced to cut capacity to meet the shrinking demand. Yields reduced too as airlines entered into price wars into order to entice the limited number of passengers onto their airline. But it was not only the airlines who suffered. The   Read More Of This Story

Tuskegee Airmen Lieutenant Colonel Lee A. Archer Dies At 90

February 4, 2010 - Lieutenant Colonel Lee A. Archer, "Buddy" the first African American military aviators in the United States Army Air Corps, a fighter pilot in the Tuskegee Airmen and was one of the first black corporate vice presidents of a major American company, General Foods in White Plains, New York, died at age 90. Archer passed away on January 27, 2010 in New York City. "Buddy" will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. After doing extremely  Read More Of This Story

Staffing At Busy New York Radar Facility Dips To Post 1981 Low

February 3, 2010 - WESTBURY, N.Y. – Staffing of fully trained and certified air traffic controllers at the FAA radar facility that handles the climb and approach phases of flight in the busy New York airspace, including all flights into and out of Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports, has reached a critically low level after dropping 25 percent in the last six years. In 2004, the New York TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) was authorized by the FAA to have 270 air traffic controllers but only had 211 fully trained and  Read More Of This Story

Pan Am Flight Crew Remembers The Era Of Flying Boats

February 3, 2010 - A panel of Seattle area Pan American World Airways veterans will recall their experiences of the grand era of the flying boats, 1935 through 1945, during a February 13 program at The Museum of Flight. The panel will provide a rare, inside look at a bygone age in air transportation. The panelists will discuss the history, design and operations of Pan Am's flying boats, with a focus on the icon of the age--the Boeing 314 Clipper. The program will be illustrated with dozens of rare photographs from The   Read More Of This Story

Embraer Receives Steep Approach Certification For London Airport

February 3, 2010 – Embraer has received steep approach certification for another member of its E-Jets family, the EMBRAER 190, to operate at London’s premier business airport, London City (LCY). The EMBRAER 170 received the same certification in 2007 and is currently operated by British Airways at LCY. The EMBRAER 190 uses a software solution developed on the existing fly-by-wire system, which means better flight qualities and control, reduced pilot workload, and lower fuel consumption. The range of the EMBRAER 190 out of LCY is over 800 nautical miles (1,500 km), covering all current  Read More Of This Story

Boeing Soon To Begin Airframe Fatigue Tests On 787 Dreamliner

February 3, 2010 - “Unlike static tests, where loads are applied to the airplane structure to simulate both normal operation and extreme flight conditions, fatigue testing is a much longer process that simulates up to three times the number of flight cycles an airplane is likely to experience during a lifetime of service,” said Scott Fancher, 787 vice president and general manager, Commercial Airplanes. “This testing is instrumental in confirming the longevity of the airplane.” On Sunday Boeing moved the 787 Dreamliner  Read More Of This Story

Bombardier Lands New Customer For Amphibious Firefighting Aircraft

February 3, 2010 - Bombardier Aerospace announced the sale of Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft to an undisclosed customer. The customer’s identity and the number of aircraft remain undisclosed for the time being. Based on current list price, the contract is valued at approximately $126 million US and includes training and technical support. Deliveries of the aircraft will begin during the fourth quarter of 2010 and will continue until 2012. As the industry benchmark, the  Read More Of This Story

TBM 850 Turboprop Aircraft Displayed at Aeroexpo In Marrakech

February 3, 2010 - DAHER-SOCATA displayed its TBM 850  turboprop business aircraft at the Aeroexpo Marrakech 2010, held at Marrakech Menara Airport. This very fast turboprop aircraft received a great deal of attention from participants attending the expo. The Aeroexpo Marrakech 2010 will continue until March 3rd and will be the meeting point of the aerospace industry in the African continent. The event is to highlight the aviation industry both commercial and military.  Read More Of This Story

Red Bull Air Race Pilots Attend LA Awards Ceremony

February 2, 2010 - All four Red Bull Air Race pilots in attendance at the 7th annual awards ceremony, joined by race director Jim DiMatteo, said they were honored to be invited to the star-studded evening at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills that paid tribute to 70 people of remarkable accomplishment in aviation. Beverly Hills, Los Angeles - Red Bull Air Race pilots Paul Bonhomme, Kirby Chambliss, Michael Goulian and Pete McLeod rubbed  Read More Of This Story

No User Fees In FY2011 Budget For General Aviation

February 2, 2010 –"When it comes to the long-standing battle over user fees, it appears that today, we have reached an important and welcome milestone," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. "The fact that user fees are not part of the President's 2011 budget proposal shows the tremendous progress we have made over the past year." The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomed the Obama Administration's Fiscal Year 2011 (FY2011)   Read More Of This Story

Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference Sees 3rd Highest Attendance Ever

February 2, 2010 – The 21st Annual Schedulers & Dispatchers (S&D) Conference saw the third highest attendance in the event’s history with 2,282 Attendees. “We are pleased to see such a strong attendance at this year’s Conference, which demonstrates the event’s continuing value to our industry,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. The NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference is an annual educational event that provides timely and valuable information   Read More Of This Story

FAA Proposes $2.5 Million Penalty On American Eagle Airlines

February 1, 2010 – “The traveling public has to be confident that airlines are following important safety rules,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “When they are not operating to the highest levels of safety, they are subject to stiff fines.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a civil penalty totaling almost $2.5 million against American Eagle Airlines for operating flights without adequately ensuring   Read More Of This Story