Flight International articles from July 2006

Flight International archives from July 2006

Bill could halt federal funding of US airport A380 upgrades.
July 4, 2006... A leading US legislator last week called for an end to government funding of airport upgrades to accommodate the Airbus A380, at least until a domestic passenger airline purchases the aircraft. The comments by Representative John Mica...

Airbus begins installation of A380 wing reinforcements.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Airbus has begun to install a strengthening package on to the wing of a completed A380 as an interim solution after the static-test specimen suffered a premature rupture during its ultimate load test. Meanwhile, Airbus UK is working on a...

Brakes put on output.(Airbus UK Ltd. halted the production of A380)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Airbus UK has slowed production of A380 wings to allow time for the rewiring effort that is being undertaken on aircraft that have already been assembled in Toulouse. ?We were moving beyond a rate of one aircraft a month towards the...

Alaska gets cargo 737.(Alaska Airlines Inc. introduced Boeing 737-400 )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Alaska Airlines has introduced its first passenger-to-freighter converted Boeing 737-400 into revenue service after completion of the modification by Pemco World Air Services. The move is part of Alaska? $100 million plan to expand and...

Alteon plans more 787 centres.(Alteon Training )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Alteon Training is establishing Boeing 787 training centres in Australia, India and Singapore and has ordered more 787 simulators and related equipment from Thales, writes Leithen Francis in Singapore. The Boeing subsidiary says it is...

Pilot unions link across EU borders.
July 4, 2006... The European Cockpit Association (ECA) has set up a system for representing pilots? interests across multiple-base pan-European airlines. This has already been arranged for EasyJet crews, says the British Air Line Pilots Association (BALPA),...

Chinese begin to firm up A320 orders.(from Airbus S.A.S.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... China? major carriers have begun to firm up orders with Airbus from a bulk deal for 150 narrowbodies signed by the Chinese government late last year, writes Nicholas Ionides. Beijing-based Air China recently firmed up its part of the bulk...

Il-86 re-engine scheme proposed.(by NPO Saturn and Ilyushin Aviation Complex)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... A proposal by Ilyushin and powerplant manufacturer NPO Saturn to upgrade the Ilyushin Il-86 fleet with an extensively modified D-30KP engine has received a positive reception from several of the aircraft? main operators. The 1970s-era...

Ilyushin freighter assembly gathers momentum.(Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Il-96-400T )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Assembly of the first Ilyushin Il-96-400T freighter is gathering pace at the VASO plant in Voronezh. The stretched, Aviadvigatel PS-90 development of the Il-96-300 is due to be completed this year. This aircraft is the first of two for...

Tu-154 production could restart.(Aviacor)
July 4, 2006... Russian airframer Aviacor is evaluating the relaunch of its Tupolev Tu-154M production line after Iran opened discussions on a major order for the trijet. A group of Iranian carriers have asked the Samara-based manufacturer to consider a...

South Korea to test pilots in English language.(Civil Aviation Safety Authority )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... South Korea? Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will decide this month which company or companies will be responsible for testing South Korean pilots for English language proficiency so the country can meet its obligations to the...

Rockwell radar analyses threats.(Rockwell Collins Inc.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Rockwell Collins is demonstrating its next-generation MultiScan Hazard Detection weather radar to airlines, with the software upgrade scheduled to be fielded in September next year. MultiScan automated the radar gain and antenna tilt...

Northwest accelerates DC-10 retirement.(Northwest Airlines Corp. breaking contracts with McDonnell Douglas Corp.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Northwest Airlines is accelerating the retirement of its McDonnell Douglas DC-10s under a new fleet reorganisation plan. The final 12 DC-10s will be retired by January, replaced by new Airbus A330s and three leased Boeing 747-400s that...

Night flight ban may not be the best answer: EC.(European Commission)
July 4, 2006... European legislators favour tightening current rules on marginally compliant aircraft ? rather than banning night flights across the Eurpean Union ? to control noise around airports, said Matthias Ruete, European Commission director general for...

ATSB slams Emirates? ATC non-compliance.(Australian Transport Safety Bureau)
July 4, 2006... A spate of incidents in which Emirates aircraft failed to comply with Australian air traffic control has caught the attention of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). ?An examination of the ATSB database found 20 incidents of...

Advances for Seawind and D-Jet as Symphony stutters.(Diamond Aircraft Industries's subsidiary gets lona from Ontario government for D-Jet)(Advanced Aero gets loan from Quebec government for Seawind)
July 4, 2006... Diamond Aircraft? Canadian subsidiary has received a C$10 million ($8.9 million) repayable loan from the Ontario provincial government to support development of the D-Jet very light jet. Development and manufacture of the D-Jet, which made its...

Pall sees growing market for filters.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Swiss engine filter specialist Pall is embarking on a plan to offer systems to extend the working life of six- to 12-seat commercial turboprops operating in harsh conditions. Pall, which supplies filtration units for several armed forces?...

Boeing wins USAF weapons integration deal for B-52.(United States Air Force)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Boeing could integrate an anti-ballistic missile boost-phase interceptor on to the venerable B-52 bomber under a $150 million US Air Force contract. The SWING (Smart Weapons Integration Next Generation) contract runs to 2020. Under it Boeing...

BAMS contest to be ?very open?(Broad Area Maritime Surveillance)
July 4, 2006... Planned to get under way in September, the US Navy? Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned aircraft competition will be open to a wider range of solutions than expected, but a slight change in requirements could favour a fast UAV. ...

Lithuania to replace ageing transports.(contracts with Alenia Aeronautica S.p.A. )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Lithuania is to replace its air force fleet of three former civil-operated Antonov An-26 transports with three C-27J Spartan tactical airlifters under a ?75 million ($93.8 million) contract with Alenia Aeronautica. To be produced in the...

EDA kicks off joint research drive.(European Defence Agency)
July 4, 2006... The fledgling European Defence Agency (EDA) is masterminding a joint research programme to develop force-protection technologies using ?50 million ($63.2 million) provided by a coalition of Eurpean Union member states. Projects will be...

Saab ships first of 28 South African Gripens.(Gripen International)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... South Africa? first of 28 Gripen multirole fighters has been shipped to the country from Saab? Link?ping manufacturing site in Sweden ahead of a 14-month flight test campaign. To be conducted from the South African Air Force? (SAAF)...

Czech Aero plans new L-159 variant.(Aero Vodochody Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Aero Vodochody plans to launch the development of a new version of its L-159 subsonic light combat aircraft aimed at securing business in eastern Europe and the Middle East. Key elements of the development would include replacing the...

Australia weighs up advantages of sole-source Global Hawk purchase.(from Northrop Grumman Corp.)
July 4, 2006... Australia? cabinet National Security Committee (NSC) is to consider the sole-source acquisition of Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicles at a meeting to be held in Canberra on 10 July. The...

Australia demands JSF resolution.(contracts with Lockheed Martin Corp.)
July 4, 2006... Reliability PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA Australia is pushing for a resolution of long-standing technology release issues with the USA ahead of its proposed signing of the production, sustainment and follow-on development (PSFD) phase...

Contenders for training deal stay tight-lipped.(Australia. Department of Defence's tender for aviation training and training )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Training and support providers are finalising consortia members following the Australian Department of Defence? release last month of a delayed request for tender (RFT) for the commercialisation of army aviation training and training support...

Mach 3 missile advances.(developed by Lockheed Martin Corp.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Lockheed Martin is nearing the crit?ical design review on a technology demonstrator for a Mach 3-plus cruise missile that could be air, ship and submarine-launched. The missile would be accelerated from subsonic launch to supersonic cruise by a...

NATO?s new Response Force structure put through paces.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... The Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic Ocean has hosted a large-scale test of the new NATO Response Force (NRF) structure, with around 7,000 personnel participating in the multinational exercise Steadfast Jaguar. NRF is to become fully...

Russian air force suspends Su-25 flights.
July 4, 2006... The Russian air force has suspended all operations by Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft, following the fatal crash of an Su-25 near Bryansk, in western Russia on 28 June, says Russian air force assistant commander-in-chief Col Alexander...

China and Taiwan agree to medical flight service.(Deer Jet partnered with International SOS )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Hainan Airlines? business jet unit Deer Jet and International SOS have teamed up to provide the first medical emergency flight services between China and Taiwan. Under a recent deal between China and Taiwan, medical emergency flights can...

Turboprop-powered Cessna begins tests.(Soloy Aviation Solutions testing Cessna Aircraft Co.'s Cessna 206)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Soloy Aviation Solutions has begun flight testing a Cessna 206 re-engined with a Rolls-Royce 250-B17F turboprop. The Soloy Turbine 206 Mk2 is expected to be certificated in the first quarter of next year as a follow-on to the company? Turbine...

Maverick to become largest EC130 operator.(Maverick Helicopters contracts with Eurocopter S.A.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Las Vegas-based sightseeing operator Maverick Helicopters has ordered 14 Eurocopter EC130s. By the time all the light helicopters are in service in 2008, the company will be the biggest operator of the type in the world, with 35 aircraft. ...

Cirrus Share launched to drive SR demand.(Cirrus Design Corp.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Cirrus Design has launched a fractional ownership programme designed to drive up demand for the SR piston single series and widen its spread within North America. Cirrus Share will be rolled out across the rest of the world as the programme...

Modified Fokker 50 debuts.(by Aircraft Conversions)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... The first converted Fokker 50 freighter (MSN20118) modified by Aircraft Conversions has completed an extensive series of ground tests and test flights at Denver? Centennial airport. The aircraft made its first flight in a fully representative...

Airline instigates changes.(MK Airlines investigated by Transportation Safety Board of Canada)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Canadian investigators have acknowledged efforts by Ghana-registered MK Airlines to improve safety, having criticised oversight and operational discipline within the carrier at the time of its fatal Boeing 747-200F crash at Halifax. The...

?Old data? led to crash on take-off.(Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigating MK Airlines accident)
July 4, 2006... Canadian investigators are recommending the installation of systems to warn crews of inadequate take-off performance following the fatal loss of an MK Airlines Boeing 747-200 freighter during departure from Halifax nearly two years ago. In...

Airliners to auto-taxi through fog.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... European researchers have launched a project aimed at developing technology to enable airliners to taxi automatically to the airport terminal after carrying out an autoland in zero-visibility conditions. They believe such a system could keep...

Canada to spend $11.5bn on new transport fleet.(purchasing 4 C-17 and 16 Ch-47 from Boeing Co.)
July 4, 2006... Canada is expected to begin the process to procure four C-17 strategic airlifters and 16 CH-47 Chinook heavylift helicopters from Boeing this week under procurements totalling C$13 billion ($11.5 billion), which include a competition to provide...

Redesign to slow Javelin approach.(by Aviation Technology Group Inc.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Very light jet developer Aviation Technology Group (ATG) has redesigned the wing on its Javelin two-seater to reduce approach and landing speeds. Increasing wing span and area, and the addition of Fowler flaps and leading-edge flaps, are...

Australia cancels ADS-B RFP.(Airservices Australia, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Airservices Australia has cancelled the request for proposals (RFP) process for the purchase and installation of automatic dependent surveillance?broadcast (ADS-B) avionics on general aviation aircraft as it reconsiders plans to extend its...

Rafale squadron inaugurated.(Dassault Rafale )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... The first French air force squadron to operate the Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter attained full operational capability at St Dizier air base on 27 June. No 1/7 ?Provence? squadron previously operated Sepecat Jaguar fighter-bombers in the...

Short-haul Su-80 turboprop makes its maiden flight.(introduced by Sukhoi Corp.)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Sukhoi? Su-80 short-haul twin-turboprop transport made its first flight last week from the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO) plant. The aircraft is designed to replace obsolete Antonov An-24s, An-26s, and Yakovlev...

NASA struggles to fix external tank issues.(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... As it prepared Space Shuttle Discovery for its scheduled 1 July launch, NASA was planning further external tank (ET) testing. In late September the agency will windtunnel test another ET ice frost ramp redesign. The ramps cover pressurisation...

AEW&C problems cost Boeing dearly.(airborne early warning and control )
July 4, 2006... Damages to be paid to customers Australia and Turkey to compensate for late delivery of 737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft form part of the $300-500 million in financial charges to be taken by Boeing after it revealed an...

Forgeard hangs on at EADS.(Noel Forgeard )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... His critics were left wondering last week how long EADS co-chief executive Noel Forgeard could remain in his job, after he told a French parliamentary committee he had no intention of resigning before he is fired. EADS continued to say it...

Arianespace: back on track.(Jean-Yves Le Gall interviewed)(Interview)
July 4, 2006... Arianespace? chief executive Jean-Yves Le Gall has devoted his career to the European space industry. In his current role he is building on the foundations of the ?important and impressive? year that was 2005 and looking forward to growing the...

An accountant hits back.(Letter to the editor)
July 4, 2006... I am not shocked by Bud Ellis? letter (Flight International, 13-19 June), as he and many others in the industry appear to have little or no understanding of the role of an accountant, and confuse penny-pinching management with an honourable and...

How safe is Santos Dumont?(Letter to the editor)
July 4, 2006... I?m an air traffic controller who has worked for a short period in the tower at Rio de Janeiro? downtown Santos Dumont airport. Your article ?Short-field package for 737NG pulls in orders? (Flight International, 11-17 April) has some figures...

Missing engine.(comparing Boeing 787 and Cessna 208)(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Paul Baker feels he might be missing something in his comparison of the Boeing 787 flying on one engine and the Cessna 208 doing the same. What he is missing is that normal flying for the Boeing is on two engines. By the time it is flying...

Power choice.(Letter to the editor)
July 4, 2006... I read the article ?Airbus presses GE to power A370 with new GEnx to counter R-R Trent 1000 engine offer on revamped A350? with interest (Flight International, 20-26 June), particularly the final paragraph: ?Sources say that airlines are...

ESA to study Martian technology.(European Space Agency )(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... A year-long industrial study identifying lunar science objectives and Mars exploration-related technologies that could be demonstrated in a Moon mission will report back to the European Space Agency later this year. Led by Alcatel Alenia...

Space agencies enter global exploration strategy talks.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... This December NASA and the European Space Agency should announce a global exploration strategy following ongoing discussions. The strategy? aim is to enable the world? space agencies to integrate their plans for Moon and Mars exploration. ...

Vega launcher rocket engine tests progress with Sardinian trial firing.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... A 71s static test firing of the Zefiro 23 solid fuel upper-stage engine for the new European Space Agency Vega launcher has been completed at the Italian Interforce test range in Sardinia. The Vega launcher will be able to loft 2.3t into...

Efficient combustor?s burn is ?close to theoretical limits?(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... A combustor said to achieve emissions so low that they are ?close to theoretical limits? has been developed under a NASA contract by the US Georgia Institute of Technology. Called the Stagnation Point Reverse Flow Combustor, it burns fuel...

Open rotors stir Rolls-Royce.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce is heralding a potential ?open rotor? renaissance as one of its strategic areas of research into next-generation powerplant technology. Speaking at the fifth Aeronautic Days event in Vienna, R-R programme...

Fuel cell team targets certification.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... Aviation fuel cell researchers have launched discussions with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) aimed at developing a certification basis for the environment-friendly power technology. Speaking at last month? Aeronautic Days event...

Drive and determination: women take the pilot?s seat.(Brief article)
July 4, 2006... How did you become a pilot? I was in the university air squadron and, after leaving, I paid my way through my private licence. I was looking at sponsorship schemes, but then 11 September happened and things went downhill; so I went...

Boeing?s disconnect.
July 4, 2006... When Connexion by Boeing went on line in 2003 it was billed as a major step forward for the in-flight connectivity market, enabling the first wave of customer airlines to steal a march on their competitors while promising substantial revenues...

Global reborn.
July 4, 2006... Even to the fully initiated, the next-generation Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Block 20 Global Hawk will be at first sight hard to differentiate from its well-known predecessor when it is unveiled in Palmdale, California in August. Yet, packed into...

serious business.
July 4, 2006... The world? biggest air show this year ? at least in terms of aircraft on display ? will not be Farnborough, but an event that takes place the weekend before, less than 100km (60 miles) west at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The Royal...

china Crisis.
July 4, 2006... Runaway aviation growth in China has brought its own share of well-documented industrial issues: not only are airlines finding it challenging to source sufficient numbers of pilots to actually fly aircraft, but the demand on the training...

Heavy demand.
July 4, 2006... The first few years of the 21st century were tough for the aerospace industry. The events of 9/11, plus other crises such as the SARS virus in China, depressed the market and cause wholesale cutbacks. But the industry has bounced back rapidly ?...

On the rebound.
July 4, 2006... The first few years of the 21st century were tough for the aerospace industry. The events of 9/11, plus other crises such as the SARS virus in Asia, depressed the market and caused wholesale cutbacks. But the industry has bounced back rapidly ?...

Eurocontrol calls for urgent aviation data improvements.(Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) congress)
July 11, 2006... The quality of aeronautical information provided to operators and crews is "substantially below the [level defined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation's] adopted standards and recommended practices", according to Eurocontrol, which...

ATR to embrace paperless cockpit.(Avions de Transport Regional)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... ATR is intending to enable operators to move more easily towards paperless cockpits as part of an effort to further refine its turboprop models. Filippo Bagnato, chief executive of the Toulouse-based regional aircraft manufacturer, says...

Aeroflot unveils consolidation plan.(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... Russia's largest carrier Aeroflot has unveiled a plan to consolidate several of Russia's smaller state-controlled airlines operating in the far east of the country. The Aeroflot-devised plan, which was revealed by general director Valery...

Embraer's largest E-Jet wins Brazilian approval.(Embraer Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A.)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... The largest of the four-aircraft Embraer E-Jet family, the E-195, was certificated by the Brazilian civil aviation authority on 30 June. The approval came after a 475h flight-test campaign that involved two E-195s and included contaminated...

MEPs get tough with emissions.(Members of European Parliament)
July 11, 2006... The European Parliament has sent out its strongest signal yet that airlines should face their own special environmental penalties following a landslide vote calling for a raft of measures to tackle aviation's contribution to global warming. ...

A320 tests curved winglets.(Airbus S.A.S.)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... Airbus has begun testing Winglet Technology-designed winglets on its A320 development aircraft. The curved design, along with a winglet created in-house, is being evaluated for a possible upgrade programme.

Israeli pilots demand stricter UAV regulations.(Unmanned aerial vehicles)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... The Israel airline pilots association is demanding that strict rules be applied to the operation of unmanned air vehicles near civil air routes in Israel after two incidents in which it claims UAVs came "dangerously" close to passenger...

R-R mulls three-shaft route to new narrowbody engine.(Rolls-Royce Aerospace Group)
July 11, 2006... High fuel costs could prompt Rolls-Royce to offer a three-shaft turbofan to power the new-generation, 150-seat narrowbody airliner families that Airbus and Boeing are widely expected to introduce in the second half of the next decade. "Our...

United to equip 757 fleet with broadband.(United Airlines )(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... United Airlines has started to equip its Boeing 757s for in-flight wireless broadband services and is planning installations for its entire fleet, writes Mary Kirby. The carrier says it has "jump-started the process" by seeking US Federal...

Virgin Blue issues request for first long-haul aircraft.(Virgin Blue Airlines Proprietary Ltd.)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... Virgin Blue has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for long-haul aircraft because it plans in 2008 to launch scheduled passenger services from Australia to the USA, a sector largely controlled by arch-rival Qantas. "We are looking at all...

CAA highlights wind turbine perils.
July 11, 2006... Wind turbines, especially many grouped in a wind farm, can wipe out the effectiveness of primary and secondary radar surveillance systems and radio navigation aids, says the UK Civil Aviation Authority. In a report, the agency calls on the...

Agency awaits full response.(European Aviation Safety Agency)(circuit breaker proposal)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... The AAIB's progress report says the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has replied to the circuit breaker proposal, saying: "EASA continues to be an active participant in the ageing systems rulemaking process. Industry continues to develop...

UK AAIB urges action to improve wiring safety.(UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... Aviation safety agencies on both sides of the Atlantic are moving too slowly on improving electrical wiring safety in older aircraft, says the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). In its first progress report to the European Aviation...

Study shows drug danger.(research of accidents)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... The prevalence of drug- and alcohol-related accidents and incidents in Australian civil aviation is low, but fatality rates are high, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has found. The bureau studied accidents and incidents involving...

Improved Falcon makes a big splash.
July 11, 2006... Dassault Aviation has completed Falcon 7X contaminated runway tests, including water ingestion trials, at Cranfield in the UK and is scheduled to begin hot weather trials next month in Biarritz, southern France as certification of the...

Elite expands fleet and plans dedicated Jebel Ali facility.(Elite Jets)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... Dubai-based luxury charter provider Elite Jets is expanding its operation with the construction of a dedicated facility at the new Jebel Ali airport and the addition to its fleet of two managed Raytheon Hawker 850XPs. The first aircraft has...

First century for NetJets.(NetJets Europe )(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... NetJets Europe has taken delivery of its 100th aircraft since operations began in 1996, a Hawker 800XP. The latest delivery brings to 27 the number of 800XPs operated by the London, UK-based company, the largest business jet operator in Europe....

Pawan to add to fleet.(Pawan Hans planning to add helicopters )(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... India's state-owned helicopter charter operator Pawan Hans Helicopters (PHHL) is planning to add at least three helicopters a year to its offshore and charter fleets from the start of next year as it seeks a larger share of the burgeoning...

Travel trends analysed.(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... The growing appeal of business aircraft travel in the USA is eroding the number of high-fare business passengers on scheduled airlines, according to an air travel analysis by US consultancy the Velocity Group. "The best-paying passengers on US...

JetBird to recruit early next year.(JetBird planning to recruits for its on-demand charter operation)(Brief article)
July 11, 2006... Switzerland's JetBird is working on the next phase of its on-demand charter operation, which is scheduled to start in April 2009, with 50 Embraer Phenom 100 very light jets and Phenom 300 light business jets on order. Key objectives, says...

BAE starts again.(BAE Systems PLC services)
July 11, 2006... The Airbus A380 production debacle that has wiped billions off EADS's market value and forced the departure of two of its most senior executives has cast a dark shadow over the centrepiece of BAE Systems' expansion strategy - US defence market...