Browsing articles from "January, 2012"
Indy Prepares For Super Bowl Fly-In
The business jet fly-in that is also known as the Super Bowl is shaping up to be an even larger display of shiny aluminum after the event in Dallas last year attracted 600 aircraft. According to The Wall Street Journal, jet charter and brokerage companies are touting private aviation as being more weather-resistant and generally a lot more fun than holding your arms up to ensure an even dose of radiation. Perception issues surrounding the less than 1 percent of folks who will actually be able to get to Indianapolis in this way seem to be ignored as FBOs and even airport governing bodies tap into the financial windfall that accompanies the biggest game of the year. It doesn't hurt that teams from the net worth Meccas of New York and Boston are playing this year.Bombardier Numbers Up
Business is picking up for Bombardier, particularly in the business jet sector where it's been ideally positioned for the continuing big jet boom. The Montreal-based company, the world's third-largest aircraft manufacturer, delivered 163 business jets in the 11 months that ended Dec. 31. That compares to 155 delivered in the previous fiscal year and the trend will continue into next year. The company took orders for 249 aircraft (commercial and business) in the 11-month period compared to 201 in the previous fiscal year. "Within this uncertain economic environment, our large business aircraft segment has done extremely well, as seen by our Global business jets family where we have seen continuous growth," Bombardier Aerospace Chief Operating Officer Guy Hachey said in a statement. Bombardier's growth matches industry optimism in other quarters."Wings" Remastered For DVD
Wings, the classic 1927 film about World War I pilots, is available on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time, as of this week. The film, which won the first-ever Academy Award for "Best Picture," has been "meticulously restored," according to Paramount Home Entertainment. "Featuring groundbreaking aerial dogfights and epic battle sequences, Wings is both a cinematic spectacle and a compelling story of love and sacrifice," says PHE. New techniques were developed to capture a "sense of authenticity" in the dogfight sequences, PHE says. The film was one of the first in which the actors actually flew in real airplanes. For the new release, digital techniques were used to restore the film frame by frame, and the original score has been freshly recorded with a full orchestra. Sound effects were re-created by Skywalker Sound.NTSB Reports On Homebuilt Study
The NTSB said this week it has completed the data-collection phase for a study on the safety of Experimental-Amateur Built aircraft. The study aims to "give the innovators and aviators in the community information about accidents that will result in a real and immediate safety payoff for them when they are flying these aircraft," said NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman. NTSB investigators conducted in-depth investigations of 222 E-AB aircraft accidents that occurred during 2011. More than half of the accidents involved E-AB aircraft that were bought used, as opposed to having been built by the current owner, the NTSB said. Sixty-seven people died in 54 of the accidents.No FAA Bonanza Cable AD
The FAA has decided against issuing an airworthiness directive (AD) like those issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Administration (CASA) last week grounding most Beech Bonanzas, Barons and Debonairs in the country. In a news release on Tuesday, American Bonanza Society President Tom Turner said that instead the FAA will issue a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) that will serve to remind mechanics to inspect the full length of the elevator control cables at annual inspection. CASA ordered immediate inspection of elevator control cables in the entire fleet of Beech aircraft with single-pole control yokes after an elevator cable broke on one airplane and another was found to be severely frayed. ABS says there have been no reports of cable problems among its members and it was particularly concerned about a cable replacement requirement in the CASA AD.FAA Funding Resolution In Sight
For the 23rd time since 2007, the U.S. House on Tuesday passed a short-term extension to the FAA's funding -- but it appears that a more permanent solution is imminent. Leaders in the House and Senate have reportedly worked out their differences and are ready to agree to a long-term funding plan. This week's extension gives them until Feb. 17 to work out the details. One of the thorniest points of contention, about labor rules, has been settled, with a provision that requires 50 percent of airline employees to favor a union before a union election is called, according to The Hill. The House and Senate also still have to work out the actual funding -- the House wants to approve just $14.8 billion, 15 percent below the Senate's $17.4 billion, for four years of operations, according to Business Week.FAA Funding Resolution In Sight
For the 23rd time since 2007, the U.S. House on Tuesday passed a short-term extension to the FAA's funding -- but it appears that a more permanent solution is imminent. Leaders in the House and Senate have reportedly worked out their differences and are ready to agree to a long-term funding plan. This week's extension gives them until Feb. 17 to work out the details. One of the thorniest points of contention, about labor rules, has been settled, with a provision that requires 50 percent of airline employees to favor a union before a union election is called, according to The Hill. The House and Senate also still have to work out the actual funding -- the House wants to approve just $14.8 billion, 15 percent below the Senate's $17.4 billion, for four years of operations, according to Business Week.Tailhook Troublesome For Stealth Fighter
The tailhook might seem like a mature bit of technology for airplanes -- it's been in use for more than 100 years -- but Lockheed Martin is finding it a challenge to get the tailhook to work right on its high-tech F-35C Joint Strike Fighter stealth aircraft. A recent Defense Department report (PDF) about the test program said that during simulated carrier landings at Lakehurst, N.J., last year, the test aircraft "could not engage the arrestment cable. Resolution of these deficiencies is needed for testing to support F-35C ship trials in late 2013." A Lockheed official, Tom Burbage, told the NavyTimes that a new design for the tailhook is already in the works and will be tested at Lakehurst in the second quarter of this year, with plenty of time to iron out the problem before sea trials begin.Wing-Crack Checks Ordered For A380s
Twenty Airbus A380s must undergo inspections to check for cracks in the rib feet -- metal brackets that attach the wing ribs to the skin -- the European Aviation Safety Agency said in a directive (PDF) published on Friday. Cracks were previously found that originate in the ribs and extend to the skin panel attachment holes, EASA said, and inspectors who were checking for those cracks then found a "new form of rib foot cracking [that] is more significant." These "Type 2" cracks, if not detected and corrected, "could potentially affect the structural integrity of the aeroplane," EASA said. Results of the inspections must be reported to Airbus. EASA added that it is continuing to investigate the problem, and further mandatory actions might be considered.No FAA Bonanza Cable AD
The FAA has decided against issuing an airworthiness directive (AD) like those issued by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Administration (CASA) last week grounding most Beech Bonanzas, Barons and Debonairs in the country. In a news release on Tuesday, American Bonanza Society President Tom Turner said that instead the FAA will issue a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) that will serve to remind mechanics to inspect the full length of the elevator control cables at annual inspection. CASA ordered immediate inspection of elevator control cables in the entire fleet of Beech aircraft with single-pole control yokes after an elevator cable broke on one airplane and another was found to be severely frayed. ABS says there have been no reports of cable problems among its members and it was particularly concerned about a cable replacement requirement in the CASA AD.Follow Us!
