Kestrel Moving To Wisconsin?

Media in Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., are reporting that a deal is close to site the new factory for Kestrel Aircraft in Superior, which is a few miles from Kestrel President Alan Klapmeier's home town of Duluth and just across the Wisconsin border. Klapmeier, who co-founded Cirrus in Duluth, took over Kestrel 18 months ago with plans to manufacture the turboprop single in Brunswick, Maine. It's not clear what happened with the widely publicized plans to build the aircraft at a decommissioned naval air station in Brunswick.

Personal Electronic Device "B.S."

Public backlash this week followed an FAA action on iPads and the widely reported ejection of a passenger for refusing to turn off his a personal electronic device (PED), but regulatory solutions remain elusive. The FAA recently OK'd the use of iPads for American Airlines pilots and actor Alec Baldwin was ejected from a flight for refusing to turn off his cellphone. That seeming contradiction fueled multiple articles this week claiming that specific gadgets are safe and the FAA's ban is excessive. The recent arguments, some of which call electronic bans "complete B.S.," may overlook the difficulty of regulating in the environment of rapid evolution that is modern electronics (today's Kindle is not tomorrow's), and the potential for device failures. In June, AVweb discussed the issue with Dave Carson (click for podcast), who co-chaired a federal advisory committee on portable electronic devices in aviation, and little has changed since then.

Europe’s Hypersonic Airliner

A project insider for a planned European hypersonic airliner is confident his program could in 2013 demonstrate that technological barriers can be overcome, but current economic conditions may stall the project. The European Space Agency's Lapcat program is working on the A2 aircraft, which aims to carry passengers beyond Mach 5 in long-range flight. Johan Steelant, the program's coordinator, told the BBC that while different systems and subsystems still need to be proven, "critical technology is not longer a blocking point." The blocking point now, it appears, may be the current atmosphere of economic austerity prevalent across Europe. But a large amount of funding has already been allocated.

Kestrel Moving To Wisconsin?

Media in Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., are reporting that a deal is close to site the new factory for Kestrel Aircraft in Superior, which is a few miles from Kestrel President Alan Klapmeier's home town of Duluth and just across the Wisconsin border. Klapmeier, who co-founded Cirrus in Duluth, took over Kestrel 18 months ago with plans to manufacture the turboprop single in Brunswick, Maine. It's not clear what happened with the widely publicized plans to build the aircraft at a decommissioned naval air station in Brunswick.

Airline, Manufacturers, Still Paying For 2008 Incident

Almost 150 passengers have been paid up to $400,000 each for their experience aboard QF72, a Qantas Airbus A330 that suffered altitude deviations during a 2008 flight, and more lawsuits are in the works. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau found in a final report released last week that the faulty air data information resulted in a dive that included a 150-foot drop in two seconds. Sixty passengers, plus standing crew, were thrown into the ceiling. Some suffered lacerations and bone injuries. One suffered a brain injury. Two minutes later, the aircraft dropped again. Sixteen passengers now appear prepared to launch a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Airbus and Northrop Grumman, the manufacturer of the plane's Air Data Inertial Reference Unit.

EU’s Carbon Plan For Airlines Begins Jan 1

The new year will bring with it a requirement that carriers flying into and out of European Union airports participate in a system meant to regulate greenhouse gas emissions that critics say may result in higher airfares. Cost of compliance with the EU's plan, which is generally described as a cap-and-trade program for carriers, is expected to range anywhere from $2 billion to $4 billion over roughly the next decade and translate to no more than $16 per seat for a trans-Atlantic flight. Under the rules, the entire flight's emissions -- not just that flown in EU airspace -- will be added to a total. If emissions standards are exceeded, carriers must pay a penalty. The Obama administration and at least three major airlines have fought to stop implementation of the program, which critics say could stimulate trade tensions and exert downward pressure on already weak economies.