The Oneworld airline alliance has staved off the potentially disastrous loss of leading Asian member Japan Airlines, allowing it to refocus on major headaches the alliance is dealing with in other parts of the world.
So now the Coalition of Air Line Pilots wants crew training in behavioral recognition (AW&ST Jan. 11, p. 31). Why? So they can sit behind their locked doors, look out the peepholes and speculate as to what the passengers are thinking? Learning behavioral recognition techniques would be a great exercise for the cabin crew , who actually make eye contact with passengers. But for pilots, use of these skills would be one more thing to cram into a hectic preflight schedule .
Taking the reins of a business in one of the most severe economic downturns of modern times is hard enough, but add to that cancellation of a major government contract , trouble with another and a six-week labor strike, and you get an appreciation of what John Garrison faced when he became president and CEO of Bell Helicopter Textron in August. Garrison sat down with Aviation Week & Space Technology International Editor Robert Wall on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow to discuss Bell’s recovery efforts. AW&ST: How did business hold up last year?
I read the letters from Capts. David M. Phipps and Tom Olsen on pilot training and Frances Fiorino’s article “Safety Under Scrutiny” (AW&ST Feb. 1, pp. 11 and 50) with interest as I too have seen a reduction in basic fly ing skills and airmanship of pilots, myself included.
Boeing, the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency have reached a compromise over cooling times for carbon brakes on 737s, which will enable the U.S. manufacturer to fulfill orders from European operators starting later this year. Although Boeing won FAA certification for the Messier-Bugatti system as far back as August 2008, EASA required a longer turnaround period between landing and takeoff to allow the brakes to cool before granting clearance. After discussions between the FAA and EASA, Boeing says it has accepted the added time of about 5 min.
The Andean Community of Nations will work with SES World Skies to develop the orbital slot at 67 deg. W. Long. as “a prime orbital neighborhood for the region.” The agreement between SES World Skies and the economic-development organization of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru covers long-term use of the Andean slot, which provides “excellent viewing angles” for the Americas and Caribbean, says SES.
Virgin Blue and its Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue affiliates will use a quick-turnaround approach developed by Lufthansa Technik to avoid inflight service issues with variable stator vanes (VSV) on the CFM56-7B engines powering 60 Boeing 737NGs in the airlines’ fleets. VSV bushings typically show signs of wear at 16,000-20,000 operating hours, but standard inspections of the engines do not happen until 24,000 flight hours. Lufthansa airline service teams, based at LTQ Engineering in Melbourne, Australia, provide in-country service of the vanes/bushings.
Boeing has begun the 787’s wing test series that will lead to a so-called ultimate load , which puts the wing at stress levels 150% above normal. That test is always a key part of FAA certification but will be especially so for the787 because it is carrying commercial aviation’s first composite wing. The test also will help verify how well Boeing overcame earlier concerns about the strength of the wing’s side-of-body join (see p. 24). The 787’s 197-ft. composite wing span is notable because its tips are high even in 1g. During flight, they rise 10 ft.
The U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch has formally confirmed what led to the Jan. 17, 2008, belly landing of a British Airways Boeing 777-200 at London Heathrow Airport: Ice in the fuel system impeded fuel flow to both Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines. According to the AAIB’s final report released last week, the aircraft was at 720 ft. AGL (above ground level) on final approach to Heathrow from Beijing when an uncommanded power reduction occurred first in the right engine, and 7 sec. later in the left Trent 800.
UPS says it may be forced to make a “painful decision” to furlough about 300 of its 2,800 pilots starting in May—unless the carrier and the Independent Pilots Assn. (IPA) find joint solutions to averting flight crew layoffs. UPS and the pilots union have been seeking ways to cuts costs to avoid layoffs for more than a year, according to the carrier, based in Louisville, Ky.
Despite increased pressure on European governments and companies to curtail spending , neither show signs of backing away from ambitious rotorcraft research-and-development agendas. Much of this advancing technology is being driven by the expansive Clean Sky research program, the co-funded government/industrial initiative to reduce aviation’s environmental footprint. But other research activities continue in tandem, as well.
Eurocopter Southeast Asia (ESEA) is selling four helicopters to Vinacopter, which will be the launch fleet for the Vietnam-based company’s recently formed subsidiary, Helivietnam, a new commercial charter outlet. The fleet will consist of one AS355NP, a new-generation light twin-engine craft; two high-performance single-engine AS350B3s (above); and one twin-engine EC135. All are to be used for tourism and VIP transport. The AS355NP is scheduled to be delivered in the first half of the year; the balance in the second half of 2011.
Airbus appears to be running head-on into another major development program problem, with its A350 twin-widebody already at risk of significant schedule delays and cost overruns, even before the first aircraft has come together.
NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour lights up pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on the last night launch of the shuttle era. The 130th space shuttle mission delivered the Italian-built Tranquility node and its seven-window cupola to the International Space Station, after a one-day weather delay to a Feb. 8 liftoff at 4:14 a.m. EST.
In a $4.7-million offset deal, Boeing has contracted with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to provide weapons bay doors for eight P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. In January 2009, HAL became Boeing’s first export customer for the 737-based P-8 program.
British Airways’ fledgling OpenSkies venture is adjusting its strategy, and is now targeting Washington for further expansion. The airline says it will start taking bookings this month for five-times-weekly service between Paris Orly and Washington Dulles International Airport that it plans to launch on May 3 with Boeing 757- 200s. When OpenSkies launched its Paris-New York service, expansion plans focused on adding European destinations. Amsterdam was the first target, but low demand led the airline to cancel it.
Boeing Defense Australia will continue its engineering support for the Royal Australian Air Force’s fleet of F/A-18A/B Hornets. The 30-month, $1.5-million contract requires Boeing to deliver repair plans for faults uncovered during Hornet maintenance. The company also continues to perform upgrades for the aircraft .
Obituary:Former Rep. Charles Wilson (D-Tex.) died Feb. 10 in Lufkin, Tex., from cardiopulmonary arrest. He was 76. Wilson, who was a 1956 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a retired Navy lieutenant, served in the House of Representatives from 1973-96, sitting on various committees but most notably the appropriations panel. Institutionalized in Charlie Wilson’s War, a book by George Crile that was made into a Hollywood movie of the same name, Wilson helped promote and funnel covert U.S. support for the Mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
A blockbuster contract with Intersputnik has landed Eutelsat in the thick of a geopolitical row. The government of Georgia alleges that the Paris-based operator caved into Russian pressure in late January by signing a lucrative 16-transponder lease deal with Intersputnik and reneging on a deal to carry a Georgian station—First Caucasian—that had recently gone on the air.
Moscow has kicked off its 2010 arms sales campaign by finalizing deals with Libya and Vietnam to buy advanced hardware. Tripoli signed a $1.8-billion purchase agreement that includes acquisition of six YAK-130 advanced jet trainers for delivery in 2011-12, in addition to tanks. Libya has also expressed interest in acquiring 12 Su‑35s, the latest Sukhoi fighter in production; four Su-30MK2s, as well as the advanced S-300PMU2 air-defense system. Vietnam’s weapons package, valued at around $1 billion, includes 12 Su-30MK2s for delivery starting next year.
NASA’s rotorcraft research is focusing on technical challenges, which—if overcome—could open the door for regional jet-size vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft to operate quietly and efficiently between city centers.
As Iran’s defiance over its nuclear weapons program heightens, Tehran has unveiled a new satellite launch vehicle (SLV), which experts say could be the basis for a future intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
AirAsia will begin operating from a fourth national base this year after agreeing to buy into and rebrand a Vietnamese airline. The move strengthens AirAsia’s lead in Southeast Asia over Jetstar and Tiger Airways as the three Asia-Pacific no-frills groups race to set up multinational franchise chains. Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd. will buy 30% of VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co.
Chengdu Airlines, the recapitalized and renamed United Eagle Airlines, has been granted an operating license. United Eagle was privately run but, as Chengdu Airlines, it is now a government outfit, owned by state companies that include Sichuan Airlines and commercial aircraft builder Comac.
