Rest of this is here

Post from: EveryJoe

India on airplane majors’ radar

VVO retrieves wind data at user-defined altitudes from defense weather sites and other sources and then graphically displays head and tail wind speeds on a desktop, laptop or knee-board computer so that pilots can quickly adjust altitude settings that take advantage of favorable winds.

The altitude adjustments and wind data can then be used in an aviator’s mission planning system, resulting in an immediate update to the mission plan.

Post from: EveryJoe

New Flight Optimization Software

The previous record for an unmanned flight was 30 hours and 24 minutes. A Northrop Grumman Global Hawk set that record in 2001.

Launched by hand, Zephyr is an ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre aircraft. By day it flies on solar power generated by amorphous silicon solar arrays no thicker than sheets of paper that cover the aircraft’s wings. By night it is powered by rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries, supplied by SION Power Inc, which are recharged during the day using solar power.
The flight trial at Yuma took place between 28 and 31 July in the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert in mid summer with temperatures up to 45°C (113°F). Zephyr was flown on autopilot and via satellite communications to a maximum altitude of more than 60,000ft. The trial included a military utility assessment of a US Government communications payload.

Post from: EveryJoe

Unmanned Flight Record for QinetQ’s Zephyr

Post from: EveryJoe

AA offers inflight internet

PFD4000

The PFD4000 is Avidyne’s new compact big-glass primary flight display system that is designed with the flexibility to be installed in a number of different aircraft types and configurations.

Designed as a “6-pack” replacement, the PFD4000 adds all the enhanced situational awareness and reliability benefits of an all-glass flight deck to virtually any general aviation aircraft.

The PFD4000 fits in virtually any panel space, conveying traditional primary flight instrumentation as well as a pilot-selectable moving map presentation of flight plan data and an RMI/Bearing pointer, all within the primary field of view, reducing pilot workload.

Installed with Avidyne’s versatile EX5000 or EX500 MFD – which shows navigation data, MultiLink™ datalink weather, lightning, traffic, obstacles, and terrain – Avidyne delivers a high-reliability glass flight deck solution with our hallmark “easiest-to-use” pilot/user interface.

The PFD4000 brings Avidyne’s industry-leading Entegra glass flight deck capability to an expanded list of General Aviation aircraft.

Post from: EveryJoe

PFD4000 Primary Flight Display

The Civil Aviation Administration of China’s (CAAC) eastern branch also secured an agreement from local courts not to rule on cases related to pilot resignations before or during the Games, which run from August 8 to 24, the source told Reuters late on Thursday.

State-backed carriers such as China Eastern Airlines face a worsening shortage of pilots due to a boom in air travel and poaching by private-sector airlines that offer higher wages.

“The CAAC summoned all Shanghai-based carriers well before the Olympics and asked them to rein in their pilots and ensure air traffic safety during the Olympics,” said the source.

“No (job) movement by pilots will be allowed before the end of the Games and no courts in Shanghai will rule on pilot-related issues.”

A CAAC spokesman in Beijing said he had no direct knowledge of the matter.

Pilot poaching made headlines in April when Shanghai Airlines Co filed a law suit demanding a total of 35 million yuan ($5.12 million) in compensation from nine pilots who sought to quit their jobs.

In late March, Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines Corp became entangled in a high-profile spat with pilots who staged a mid-air “strike” over wages and working conditions by flying their aircraft back to their departure airports, claiming bad weather.

Pilots in China typically enter into lifetime employment contracts with airlines and require approval to resign from their jobs, often paying hefty compensation to cover training costs.

China Eastern, one of China’s three major airlines, and Shanghai Airlines were among carriers attending the CAAC meeting, the source added.

A China Eastern spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment and Shanghai Air declined to comment.

($1=6.840 Yuan)

Post from: EveryJoe

China pilots banned from job-hopping for Olympics

Timothy Pfeil, formerly the highest-ranking cargo executive in the United States for SAS Cargo Group, agreed to serve six months in jail for participating in the price-fixing conspiracy, the Justice Department said.

The government charged that Pfeil conspired to fix the rates charged to US and international customers in 2005 and 2006 when he was SAS’ area director of sales and marketing for North America.

Pfeil’s plea agreement is the latest development in a wide-ranging investigation of the air cargo industry by the Justice Department’s antitrust division.

The case has generated a record USD$1.27 billion in fines from air carriers such as British Airways, Korean Air, Air France-KLM, Qantas Airways and Japan Airlines.

SAS pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to pay a USD$52 million criminal fine in connection with the case.

According to US authorities, the price-fixing conspiracy began as early as 2001 and continued until at least 2006. Fuel surcharges imposed by some of the airlines rose by up to 1,000 percent during the period, far outpacing the rise in fuel costs.

(Reuters)

Post from: EveryJoe

Ex-SAS Exec To Plead Guilty In US Antitrust Probe

Boeing company announs that British Airways is ordering six jetliners, two from Boeing and four others as leased from the third party.

This “long-term relationship” brings the option to BA for four more 777s delivery.

Post from: EveryJoe

Boeing says: British Airways buys 777-300ERs

More than 35 teams from 10 top universities and five aeronautical universities in China participated. The entries were judged on creativity of solution, technical feasibility, depth and completeness of technical analysis, and clarity of presentation.

After a blind review by a panel consisting of Boeing executives and university faculty from participating institutions, the top five teams were invited to come to Beijing to make a final presentation to Boeing to determine the top three “all-around” winners. The winners received prizes of US$1,500, $1,000, and $750 at an award presentation ceremony on July 9 in Beijing. The three top winners were: Research on Green Disposal of Aging Aircraft by Northwestern Polytechnical University, Building an Environmental and Efficient MRO Supply Chain by Wuhan University and Environmental Progress and Practice: Improving the Environmental Effectiveness of Boeing Pudong MRO by Huazhong University of Science and Technology team.

Students from Tsinghua University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology won special awards for Technical Merit and Creative Merit for their respective projects.

“The Boeing Shanghai Challenge is an important milestone of Boeing’s commitment to create an MRO business in China that reduces the environmental footprint of the existing MRO supply chain within aviation industry,” said Per Noren, leader of Environmental Strategy for Boeing’s Commercial Aviation Services group. “We will continue to cooperate with leading academic institutes to leverage the competence, analytical capacity, innovations, energy and skills of students and faculty members to create a better future for our world.”

Post from: EveryJoe

Students Create Green MRO Concepts at 2008 Boeing Shanghai Challenge

“We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Delta TechOps, and look forward to the operational and financial benefits it will bring over the coming years”, said Glenn Johnson, executive vice president Airports, Maintenance and Engineering for Alaska Airlines.  “Delta TechOps will bring outstanding technical expertise, as well as a very engaged team to provide this important element of our engine maintenance strategy.”

The agreement marks the first maintenance contract between Delta TechOps and Alaska Airlines, and adds to the impressive growth of Delta TechOps’ engine maintenance business.  In 2008, Delta TechOps will overhaul more than 300 engines for its external maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) customers. Delta TechOps is a leader in operational experience with the CFM56 engine and is one of the largest CFM56 MRO providers.

“Alaska’s selection of Delta TechOps is a tremendous vote of confidence in our people and we are truly honored to partner with them to provide a quality engine maintenance program,” said Tony Charaf, president – Delta TechOps. “We continue to grow our MRO business thanks to our professional, highly skilled and flexible employees, as well as our capacity and comprehensive product offerings.”

Delta TechOps is the largest airline MRO in North America, earning $377 million in revenue in 2007. In addition to providing maintenance and engineering support for Delta’s fleet of more than 450 aircraft, Delta TechOps serves more than 125 aviation and airline customers from around the world, specializing in high-skill work like engines, components, hangar and line maintenance. Delta TechOps employs more than 6,500 maintenance professionals and is one of the most experienced MRO providers in the world with more than seven decades of aviation expertise.

Alaska Airlines and sister carrier Horizon Air together serve 95 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

Post from: EveryJoe

Delta TechOps Signs Engine Maintenance Agreement with Alaska Airlines