All aerospace news – Page 1816
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Night Vision
The first civil helicopter night flight using night vision goggles (NVGs) was flown on 5 February by Rocky Mountain Helicopters. The Eurocopter BO105 flew from Asheville, South Carolina, to evacuate a patient in Yancy County, North Carolina. The operator recently won a supplemental type certificate from the US Federal Aviation ...
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Airbus focuses A3XX efforts on alliance groups
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Airbus Industrie predicts that the world's four main airline alliance groupings will absorb almost three quarters of all A3XX-sized aircraft delivered by 2020, with most going to just two - oneworld and Star Alliance. Moves by the major alliances to combine their networks and improve asset ...
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BA to reorganise with new divisions
British Airways (BA) is splitting its business into shorthaul and longhaul divisions and scrapping its geography-based structure in a move aimed at achieving greater regional focus, improving customer service and boosting revenues. Industry sources say the split will allow BA to pinpoint and tackle problems with its shorthaul services, ...
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Bell to decide on major facelift for 412
Bell expects to decide soon whether to launch an improved Model 412Plus helicopter in partnership with Agusta, while at the same time committing to a North American final assembly line for the all new Italian-led AB139 development. The Fort Worth-based company is considering a major design revamp of ...
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Heli-Flite plans for shared ownership launch in Texas
Heli-Flite is in discussions to link its planned helicopter fractional ownership programme with one of the major US-based business jet shared ownership schemes. The company plans to start operations in April in Texas, with two Bell 430s serving the area within a 450km (250nm) radius of Dallas/ Fort Worth. ...
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Manufacturers are on a high over sales prospects
Helicopter manufacturers are projecting increased deliveries this year, based on their order backlogs. Eurocopter has benefited from a strong US market, says president Patrick Gavin. The company delivered 216 commercial helicopters last year, up from 211 in 1997, and booked orders for 272. These include 32 upgraded versions of ...
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Boeing business move claims refuted
Dutch-owned MD Helicopters has reaffirmed its intention to keep the newly-acquired former Boeing commercial helicopter business based in the USA, despite claims to the contrary made by rival Bell. MD Helicopters chief executive Hank Schaeken says: "We will maintain the technical and industrial base in the USA. We decided ...
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Fokker parts deal hit by legal action
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Fokker Services has launched legal action against the estate of bankrupt Fokker Aircraft in a row over new costs it claims have been imposed on its purchase of technical data and production equipment for JetLine wing parts. A subsidiary of Stork, Fokker Services agreed to buy ...
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Helicopter operators face airspace restrictions
A major challenge facing helicopter operators in the next millennium will be maintaining the freedom to fly in unrestricted airspace, says Helicopter Association International president Roy Resavage. Speaking at the show, Resavage said that a proposed bill before Congress effectively would give US communities the power to control the ...
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Heli Expo hosts revamped S-55 Whisper Jet and S-61N Short
New versions of two older helicopters, Vertical Aviation Technologies' S-55QT Whisper Jet and Helipro International's Offshore S-61 Short, were displayed for the first time at the show. Certification of both conversions is imminent. Florida-based Vertical Aviation has completed flight testing of a five-blade rotor on its turbine conversion of ...
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Hughes and China Great Wall rocked by satellite export ban
Tim Furniss/LONDON Hughes Space and Communications and China Great Wall Industry have been hit by a US Government decision to delay issue of an export licence for a satellite launch on a Long March 3B booster. The launch of the Hughes-built Asia Pacific Mobile Telecommunications satellite from China ...
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Last of the Mir crews are put into orbit
Russia launched what may be the final crew to inhabit the Mir space station, 13 years after the launch of first core module. The Soyuz TM29 was lifted off on a Soyuz U booster from Baikonur on 20 February and docked with the station on 22 February. The crew ...
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Doubts over future of VentureStar and X-33 SSTOs
A key Congressman, who is responsible for oversight of US space activities has voiced doubts over the viability of the Lockheed Martin X-33 and VentureStar projects to develop and operate a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle to replace the Space Shuttle. Lockheed's plan to finance VentureStar development with venture capital will ...
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Indian Airlines drops fleet renewal plans
State-owned Indian Airlines has shelved plans to replace its fleet of 11 ageing Airbus A300B2/B4s and 12 Boeing 737-200s, opting instead to pursue a refurbishment programme. The programme, which will include an interior refit, will allow the aircraft to be operated for "several more years", according to Indian Airlines. ...
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US safety agency urges FAA to adopt JT8D strip-down plan
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Thousands of airliners powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D turbofans could be taken out of service temporarily if the US Federal Aviation Administration decides to adopt an engine inspection recommendation published by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The move would affect Boeing 727s, 737-100s ...
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The cost war
Tim Furniss/LONDON European commercial space launcher group Arianespace is facing increasing challenges to its market dominance as the USA prepares to launch its new fleet of Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELVs). The first flights of the versatile Boeing Delta IV and Lockheed Martin Atlas V-based EELVs are two ...
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International plans for Israir
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Domestic Israeli airline hopes to break into the charter business with a "flexible approach" to luring customers Israir, a small Israeli domestic airline, is preparing to go international. After years of operating domestic flights, mainly on the Tel-Aviv-Eilat holiday route, Israir is bracing for its ...
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Maintaining training
Andrew Doyle/FRANKFURT The introduction of new European regulations and the growing power of simulation technology were the hot topics at the Flight International-sponsored Aviation Maintenance Training Conference held on 15-16 February As pressure increases on aircraft maintenance firms to step up the quality of their work at less ...
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AASI is on the brink of Jetcruzer certification
Advanced Aerodynamics & Structures (AASI) hopes to clinch US type certification for its Jetcruzer 500 low-cost corporate turboprop by mid-1999, with first deliveries beginning by year-end. The manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California, was originally due to begin deliveries by the end of 1998, but has suffered substantial delays ...
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Duty free, a few facts
By 1995, global turnover of duty free had reached $21 billion. Europe accounts for half the total - over $13.4 billion a year. Duty free is more important to the UK than to any other European state - in 1995 over 25% of European Union (EU) turnover was in ...