Flight International articles from January 2006

Flight International archives from January 2006

Short-field 737 goes into flight test.(Boeing product development)
January 3, 2006... Boeing expects to begin flight tests in January of a short-field performance enhancement package for the 737 Next Generation family, which is expected to markedly reduce take-off and landing runs or significantly increase payload performance....

Boeing warms to stretched 787-10.
January 3, 2006... Boeing has finally acknowledged increased interest in the proposed stretched 787-10 and says it will "probably happen". The double-stretch of the baseline 787-8, first revealed by Flight International (20-26 September, 2005), is...

GE strives to identify Air France engine fault.(General Electric )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... General Electric is examining a GE90-94B turbofan to identify the fault that forced an Air France Boeing 777-200ER crew to carry out an in-flight engine shutdown and divert to Irkutsk, Siberia on a flight from Seoul, South Korea to Paris. Air...

Europe talks technology in hunt for ATM capacity.(air traffic management)
January 3, 2006... Far-reaching ideas aimed at solving air traffic management (ATM) problems posed by the huge growth in traffic predicted for beyond 2020 have been presented by members of an international working group meeting at Eurocontrol's Paris research...

Australia's CASA tackles rebels.(Civil Aviation Safety Authority)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has taken a vigorous stance against pockets of opposition among its staff, who have since 2000 successfully blocked implementation of government aviation regulatory reform policy. CASA...

Remote sites stall pace of ADS-B.(automatic dependent surveillance)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Full implementation of Airservices Australia's upper airspace automatic dependent surveillance [degrees] broadcast (ADS-B) programme has slipped by almost a year due to delays in completing infrastructure at remote sites. Australia is...

CR Airways signs for Boeing jets.(787 widebodies)(merger with Hainan Airlines)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Hong Kong's CR Airways has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for the purchase of 10 787 widebodies and 30 737-800 narrowbodies, as China's Hainan Airlines continues to negotiate the purchase of a majority stake in the regional...

Russia considers Airbus co-operation package.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... EADS has submitted to the Russian government a package of proposals aimed at expanding the scope of co-operation on civil programmes between Russian industry and the European manufacturer. Under the plans, Russia would become a risk-sharing...

EADS finalises 10% stake in NPK Irkut.(European Aerospace Defence and Space Company )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... OOO EADS, the Russian arm of the European aerospace giant, has completed its purchase of a 10% stake in Russia's largest privately held aircraft manufacturer ?NPK Irkut. "Together, we will achieve more success in the global markets," says...

Etihad 777 rolls out.(Etihad Airways contract)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Boeing has rolled out the first of five 777-300ERs ordered by Etihad Airways. The General Electric GE90-115-powered twinjet will be the first Boeing aircraft to be operated by the carrier, which was launched in November 2003 with a pair of...

Evergreen wins 747 LCF transport contract.(Evergreen International Airlines Inc.)(Large Cargo Freighters)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Oregon-based Evergreen International Airlines has been chosen by Boeing to operate the fleet of 747 Large Cargo Freighters (LCF) that will transport major sections of the 787 to Everett for final assembly from 2007. Evergreen, which will...

Mallard debris yields fatigue crack clues.(Chalks Ocean Airways accident invetigation results)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Wing spar metal fatigue may have been a major factor in the fatal crash of a Chalks Ocean Airways Grumman G-73T Turbo Mallard close to Miami Beach, Florida in December. All 20 people on board the 1947-built twin-turboprop amphibian were...

Nigeria grounds Bellview amid 737 checks.(Bellview Airlines )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Nigeria has grounded Bellview Airlines as the country continues a high-profile review of its aviation industry, which has seen precautionary airworthiness checks carried out on Boeing 737-100s and -200s operated by local carriers. The...

Order cements TAECO's lead 747 conversion role.(Taikoo Aircraft Engineering)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Chinese maintenance company Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering (TAECO) has cemented its status as the main centre for Boeing 747-400 passenger-to-freighter conversions after Boeing committed to having another 17 aircraft modified there. ...

US RNP to be adopted as worldwide standard.(required navigation performance)
January 3, 2006... US procedures for designing precision approaches based on aircraft required navigation performance (RNP) are to be adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation as global standards, says the US Federal Aviation Administration. The...

CSeries regional jet faces crucial four months.(Bombardier jet launch)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Bombardier is giving itself a maximum of four months to launch the CSeries large regional jet or face the unpalatable prospect of shifting the planned 2010 entry into service. Company insiders indicate that a launch is now far more likely than...

Ditching helicopters could be made safer.
January 3, 2006... The risk of a helicopter capsizing during a controlled ditching is "considerably higher" than targets set by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. "Means should be sought to reduce this risk," says a study by the CAA of ditching tests and...

Cirrus prepares for first XRS.(Cirrus Aviation)(Bombardier Global Express XRS )(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... German charter provider Cirrus Aviation has become one of the first European operators of the Bombardier Global Express XRS ultra-long range business jet, taking delivery late last month. The aircraft, which has a range of 11,300km...

Eurocopter banks on Malaysia arm.(Eurocopter Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Eurocopter is counting on Asia driving its expansion over the next several years following the signing of deals in China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea. "We are very strong in North America and Europe. Asia is a growing area. It's the...

R-R settles with Timken.(Rolls-Royce)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Bearing manufacturer Timken is to provide an expanded range of parts and services for Rolls-Royce's Model 250 helicopter engine under an alliance formed as part of the settlement of a commercial dispute between the two companies. The alliance...

Esterline seeks more targets after Darchem purchase.(Darchem Holdings)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... US-based manufacturer Esterline is considering further acquisitions following the purchase of thermally engineered components specialist Darchem Holdings for around $120 million. "Darchem holds the leading position in its niche, fits our...

Snecma eyes India after China fillip.(Snecma Services maintenance deal with Air China)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Snecma Services is pushing ahead with plans to expand its presence in Asia following the signing of a 20-year CFM56 maintenance deal with Air China. The company is also looking at opportunities to set up a facility in India through a similar...

Fluid on circuit led to control loss.
January 3, 2006... Contamination of an electrical circuit affecting operation of the horizontal stabiliser trim control system of a Bombardier Challenger 604 led to a "serious incident" in November in which the crew had difficulty controlling the aircraft,...

Acorn plants seeds for Commuter Air growth.(Commuter Air Technology Inc.)(Acorn Growth Equities)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Privately held Beechcraft King Air modification specialist Commuter Air Technology (CAT) has been acquired by private investment firm Acorn Growth Equities, which plans to target the special-mission market as well as other aircraft types. ...

Five more A318 Elites ordered.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Airbus has won an order for five more A318 Elites, the executive version of the manufacturer's baseline A318 twinjet, but is not revealing the customer's identity. All five aircraft will be powered by CFM International CFM56 engines and be...

Europe pushes FAA on fractional security deal.
January 3, 2006... Concerns about the security measures applied to US-based fractionally owned business aircraft flying into Europe appear to have been satisfied in the latest round of talks between the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and US...

Critical period nears for US laser programmes.
January 3, 2006... Three key US laser weapon programmes will reach major milestones early this year, with the first live ground-test firings of two relay mirror systems and the start of aircraft integration efforts for the US Special Operations Command-led...

New budget threatens alternate JSF engine.(Joint Strike Fighter)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... The future of the General Electric Rolls-Royce F136 alternate engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) appears to be once again under threat, following a US Navy proposal to remove funding for its development from the 2007...

India rejects proposal for ship-based Hawkeye.
January 3, 2006... India has rejected a proposal to acquire six ship-based Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000s and has begun evaluating potential shore-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) solutions. Industry sources say the Indian navy has ruled...

Aermacchi aims to answer Malaysian trainer shortage.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Aermacchi is offering Malaysia a package of new MB339CDs and MB339A upgrades to meet an urgent need for more advanced trainers. The Malaysian air force now operates about half of its 16 MB339As and requires at least 12 new aircraft to replace...

Swedish approval charges Neuron.(Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Europe's Dassault-led Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrator programme achieved its formal launch late last month, after the Swedish government granted its delayed approval for national participation in the project by Saab. Worth...

Raytheon test fires precision missile at White Sands range.(Raytheon Aircraft Co.)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Raytheon has test fired an air-launched variant of the US Army's developmental Precision Attack Missile (PAM) in an effort to demonstrate a cheaper and largely off-the-shelf alternative to Lockheed Martin's Joint Common Missile (JCM). The first...

Saudi Arabia commits to Typhoon.
January 3, 2006... Saudi Arabia has signed an expanded military agreement with the UK government, including a commitment to acquire at least 24 Eurofighter Typhoons to replace its air force fleet of Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) fighters. ...

US Air Force seeks to replace QF-4 targets.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... The US Air Force has finally moved to address a nearly decade-old need for a full-scale target to succeed its McDonnell Douglas QF-4s, issuing a notice to contractors to start work on proposals for a new analysis of alternatives. A new...

Navy faces VXX helicopter crunch.
January 3, 2006... The US Navy says a "high-pressure schedule" to deliver the first next-generation presidential helicopter unit in fiscal year 2009 is being complicated by airworthiness certification demands and overlapping airframe and system development...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Safety Self-regulation is the key to bringing nations with a poor safety record up to standard DAVID LEARMOUNT / Operations & Safety Editor This is the year when the industry's dogs are going to be let off the leash to round up...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Security Harmony in security standards is still some way off despite pressure from IATA DAVID LEARMOUNT / Operations & Safety Editor Progress in aviation security this year is not guaranteed, according to the International Air...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Airframers Last year was a record for airliner orders. Will the next 12 months match up? A new high water mark was set in 2005 for mainline airliner orders, beating the 16-year-old record of 1,631 aircraft ordered in 1989. This was a...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Twelve months Europe embarked on an ambitious gamble in the field of environmental protection. In January 2005 the European Union greenhouse gas emission trading scheme (EU ETS) started, becoming the largest multinational, multi-sector scheme...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Environment Will the gamble on emissions trading pay off for aviation? JUSTIN WASTNAGE /?SENIOR REPORTER Twelve months ago Europe embarked on an ambitious gamble in the field of environmental protection. In January 2005 the...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Will 2006 witness the mega European or transatlantic merger? After a long period of flirting, second thoughts and spurned offers, could this be the year when wedding bells ring out for the likes of BAE Systems, EADS, Finmeccanica or Thales? ...

Features.
January 3, 2006... With demand for airline travel soaring around the world and US carriers finally addressing the high costs that have bedevilled them for years, the sector's recovery will continue apace in 2006. Record airliner orders reflect an industry that is...

The only way is up.
January 3, 2006... Back in January 2002, aerospace was descending into what threatened to be a long and painful malaise. Although our Forecasts coverline for the first issue of the year proclaimed "Bounce back!", the shock of 9/11 on passenger confidence meant...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Spaceflight The year ahead could be momentous both for European and US programmes RoB Coppinger /?technical reporter The year ahead is brimming with potential: for NASA to return its Space Shuttle fleet to flight; for Europe to...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Defence: World A year of change beckons as aircraft retire and new types enter service CRAIG HOYLE / DEFENCE EDITOR & BRENDAN SOBIE / DEPUTY ASIA EDITOR The UK will remain the USA's key ally in operations to enforce stability and...

Features.
January 3, 2006... February's Asian Aerospace will be the last to be held in Singapore after joint organisers Reed Exhibitions and the Singapore government opted to go their separate ways. Instead, from 2008, both organisations are promising their own air shows...

Career control: opportunities and challenges in air traffic.
January 3, 2006... How did you get involved in the industry? I started training as an air traffic controller in 1989 in New Zealand. I had just completed a BSc and was considering my career prospects when I came across an advertisement for air traffic control...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Defence: USA Many US programmes face a year of turbulence and stagnant budgets STEPHEN TRIMBLE /?US EAST COAST EDITOR In 2006, US military aviation will enter a long period of nearly stagnant [degrees] but not shrinking [degrees]...

Airod lands deals to service Mil helicopters and firefighting fleet.(Airod Sdn. Bhd.)
January 3, 2006... Malaysian maintenance company Airod has been appointed an authorised service centre for Mil Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-171 helicopters and has secured a contract to support Malaysia's Mi-171 firefighting fleet. Airod installed Western avionics on...

Manufacturers scramble as Taiwan opens contest.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Taiwan has launched a long-anticipated competition for nine firefighting and three large search and rescue (SAR) helicopters. Industry sources say National Airborne Services (NASC) issued a request for proposals in early December, and a...

Dispute over An-140 crash.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Azerbaijan Airlines and Antonov are in dispute over reports about the fatal crash of one of the carrier's An-140s on 23 December. The airline says the crew reported the loss of their flight instruments and asked air traffic control (ATC) for...

Composite claims infuriate Boeing.
January 3, 2006... Boeing is reassuring airlines over the use of composite material for the primary structure of the 787 following claims by Airbus that the new Boeing twinjet could be grounded "because of a scratch in the paint". The claims, made at a...

Supplier slips hold up Eclipse 500 approval.(eclipse aviation corp)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Eclipse Aviation has delayed US certification of the Eclipse 500 very-light jet from 31 March to late in the second quarter because of supplier delays, including a slip in one major vendor's deliveries. Eclipse refuses to name the errant...

EC acts to ease air traffic bottlenecks.
January 3, 2006... A major initiative has been launched to create a seamless airspace region in south-east Europe to handle predicted civil traffic growth of up to 30% a year in the region by the end of the decade. The plan is being driven by the European...

Successful start for Galileo.(Galileo satellite navigation system)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... The first test satellite for Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system is in its correct orbit and transmitting after its launch on 28 December, writes Rob Coppinger. The 600kg (1,320lb) Galileo In Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE)-A...

Kuwait wins $1bn in Iraqi theft case.
January 3, 2006... State-owned Iraqi Airways must pay Kuwait Airways $1 billion in compensation and interest for the theft of aircraft during Saddam Hussein's 1990-91 invasion and occupation of Kuwait, the UK's High Court has ruled, writes Alan George. The...

USA/UK test prototype electromagnetic weapon.
January 3, 2006... The UK Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defense have jointly tested an MBDA-developed radio frequency demonstrator that could be used as a warhead for cruise missiles or as a reusable weapon for carriage by unmanned air vehicles during...

Boeing's clipped wing.
January 3, 2006... I enjoyed the "Clipped wings" feature about airliners that never made it into production (Flight International, 20 December 2005[degrees]2 January). I am sure there were many more candidates than you could fit into the space available, but...

How the UK was let down.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... The years-late BAE Systems Nimrod refit is now to cost [pounds sterling]3.6 billion ($6.33 billion) [degrees] [pounds sterling]300 million for each machine. Nigh on a decade ago, Whitehall and Westminster politicians forced the UK to...

India builds on Glonass agreement.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... The state-owned Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will contribute to development of Russia's next-generation Glonass-K series of navigation satellites as part of the agreement...

SpaceX fuel tank failure hits launcher's first flight.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is to modify its Falcon 1 launch vehicle and upgrade its launch pad this month to eliminate wind constraints following a second failed attempt at a maiden flight of the low-cost booster. The second...

Vega fires up on third-stage test.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... The Zefiro 9 third stage of the European Space Agency's new Vega small launch vehicle, designed to carry 1.5t to low-Earth orbit, was successfully test fired for the first time on 19 December. The 10t Zefiro 9 is a 3.5m (11.4ft)-long,...

Israel to look again at aerial platforms for satellite launches.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Israel has renewed its interest in launching satellites from an aerial platform. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is looking into a system based on a booster with parachute attached that would be ejected from a freighter, then ignited after...

Avio to work with Russians.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... Avio, the Carlyle/Finmeccanica-controlled Italian aeroengine manufacturer, has signed a three-year co-operation deal with Russian state-owned agency Rosoboronexport, which represents Russian research centres CIAM and VIAM. The [euro]3 million...

Funding may block X-49 progress.(helicopter funding deficits)
January 3, 2006... Piasecki Aircraft has completed ground vibration testing of its?X-49A compound helicopter demonstrator, but uncertainty over funding is threatening plans to flight test the modified Sikorsky YSH-60F by early 2007. The Seahawk prototype has...

British Army gives hearing to radio identification system.(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... A radio-based battlefield combat identification system has been demonstrated using a British Army AgustaWestland/Boeing Apache AH1 attack helicopter. The Apache pilot used a kneetop computer that provided a map with co-ordinates, the...

EADS backs UK students with awards.(scholarships)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... EADS has made technology awards to six British university students who, it says, represent the next generation of UK aerospace engineering. In an event, held at the Houses of Parliament, the six winners of the EADS UK Technology Masters...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Subsidies The European-US trade quarrel is moving closer to judgement?as talks flounder GRAHAM WARWICK /?Americas Editor The clock is ticking in the trade dispute between the US government and European Commission over subsidies...

Features.
January 3, 2006... General Aviation User fees are set to dominate the GA agenda over the next 12 months Graham Warwick /?Americas EDITOR For the US general aviation community [degrees] the largest in the world [degrees] there is just one issue on the...

Features.
January 3, 2006... Propulsion Battles to power next-generation airliners and the F-35 fighter are set to heat up Guy Norris / US West Coast EDITOR The next 12 months promises to be a pivotal time for civil and military propulsion, with a series of...

Wake up to turbulence.(Boeing 757 reclassification)(Brief Article)
January 3, 2006... The Airbus A380's raison d'etre is to reduce frequency at slot-restricted hub airports by increasing volume. After over a decade of operation, the Boeing 757 had to be reclassified into a heavier category. This shows that all manufacturers...

A380 evacuation trainer arrives.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... Airbus has installed its first A380 cabin emergency evacuation trainer (CEET) at its training centre in Toulouse. Manufactured by German company TFC Kaufer to Airbus' specification, the trainer is 25m (82ft) long and 10m high. Designed to...

China's ACAC wants US certification for ARJ21.(AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... China's AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Company (ACAC) hopes to secure US Federal Aviation Administration certification for its ARJ21-700 large regional jet at the same time it receives Chinese approval. ACAC is aiming to secure Chinese...

Australia denies its skies are more dangerous.(Australian Transport Safety Bureau )(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has refuted claims that the commercial aviation accident rate in Australia is increasing and that the number of fatalities involving professional pilots in the country over the last three years is...

Ramp damage results in MD-80 emergency.(Alaska Airlines Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... An Alaska Airlines Boeing MD-83 was forced to make an emergency descent and landing last month when it lost cabin pressure as a result of damage inflicted during ground handling. The airline has increased supervision of its ramp services...

Crashed An-140 had gyro failure.(Antonov An-140-100)
January 10, 2006... Initial investigations into the fatal loss of an Azerbaijan Airlines Antonov An-140-100 turboprop have discovered that three independent gyroscopes were not providing stabilised heading and attitude performance information to the crew early in...

Spirit ready for -900ER after delivering 5,000th fuselage.(Spirit AeroSystems)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... Spirit AeroSystems delivered the 5,000th Boeing 737 fuselage in a ceremony at the company's Wichita site, Kansas last month. The aircraft, a 737-700, will be delivered to Southwest Airlines around mid-February. Although production-rate...

747-8 moves to three-month windtunnel test campaign.
January 10, 2006... Boeing is beginning an intensive three-month windtunnel test campaign on the recently launched 747-8 derivative as it targets a simultaneous design freeze in October for the -8 Freighter and -8 Intercontinental passenger variants. "We're trying...

Canso pans EC's plans for Single Sky development.(Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation)(European Commission)
January 10, 2006... Doubts have surfaced over the European Commission's approach to developing the technology for its much-vaunted Single European Sky (SES) programme following strong criticism from the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (Canso). ...

Pilots' training and mindset played significant role.(Emirates Airline)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... The South African CAA report gives the "probable cause" of the Emirates A340-300 accident: "During the take-off roll the captain applied an improper rotation technique by referencing the Side Stick Order Indicator to the 9-- position on the...

Emirates censured in A340 probe.(Emirates Airline)
January 10, 2006... investigation David Learmount / London Emirates Airline's training and rostering practices have been criticised by South African investigators in their report into a take-off accident involving one of the carrier's Airbus A340-300s at...

FAA to alter airspace.(Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... The US Federal Aviation Administration is considering redesigning a large portion of airspace in the US north-east to address growing congestion. The options are to create a so-called integrated airspace alternative for the north-east, to...

Garuda's financial crisis deepens.(Garuda Indonesian Airways)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... Indonesian flag carrier Garuda's financial troubles are mounting as it failed to make scheduled loan payments to creditors that were due at the end of last month, writes Nicholas Ionides. The state-owned carrier has admitted to being in...

Indian carriers close in on deals.(Air India and Indian Airlines)(Brief Article)
January 10, 2006... Two of the longest-running civil aircraft campaigns in history are coming to a close, with state-owned Air India and Indian Airlines preparing to formalise purchase agreements with Boeing and Airbus, respectively. Both carriers have been...