All news – Page 6883
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Chain reaction
Paul Seidenman/SAN FRANCISCO Fixed base operators (FBOs) will going to continue to see their industry consolidate, despite increases in business flying. While industry experts point out that the consolidation of FBOs is nothing new, the current trend has some differences compared to the last great shake-out that occurred in the ...
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The other satcom
Graham Warwick/WASHINTON DC Iridium's mobile communications network went live on 1 November, but aviation users will have a wait a few months before they can access the satellite system. AlliedSignal Aerospace plans to begin shipments of its Iridium-based Airsat-1 aeronautical satellite-communications (satcom) system on 1 March next year. Deliveries of ...
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Common theme
Graham Warwick WASHINGTON DC Can airlines agree to buy a standard aircraft, in the hope of reducing costs, or will each continue to demand hundreds of custom changes that set its aircraft apart from any other carrier's? That is the question facing an airline task force which is to ...
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Adventure star
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Lockheed Martin's venture to develop and operate a fully reusable launch vehicle has always been acknowledged as risky; just how risky was brought home by the news that engine manufacturing problems have delayed the first flight of the X-33 technology demonstrator by six months, to December ...
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Bell/Agusta tie-up made official
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Bell Helicopter Textron and Agusta have signed the agreement creating the Bell/Agusta Aerospace joint venture to be responsible for development and marketing of the BA609 civil tiltrotor and the AB319 medium twin-turbine helicopter. Bell is the majority shareholder. The agreement cements a relationship which began ...
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First 777 for private operator
Boeing has completed work on the first private 777. The aircraft, a -200ER powered by General Electric GE90s, has a VIP interior and is expected to be operated by Mid East Jet. Although Boeing declines to confirm the identity of the owner, Mid East Jet is the most likely ...
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Order boost for Italy's General Avia
The Italian Aero Club has ordered 12 single-engined General Avia F.22B Piguinos for basic training and 3 F.22Cs for instrument flight rules (IFR) training. Deliveries will run from April 1999 to the end of the year. Designed by Stelio Frati, the F.22B has fixed gear and a 160hp (120kW) Textron ...
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FR Aviation signs international corporate maintenance deals
Kate Sarsfield/BOURNEMOUTH FR Aviation (FRA) is making further inroads into the corporate aircraft market with the signing of three international business aircraft maintenance contracts. The first two deals, with Mercury Aviation of Jeddah and a US-based operator, cover the maintenance of two BAC One-Elevens. The third contract, being undertaken ...
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Kaman/AlliedSignal complete K-MAX fuel tests
Kaman and AlliedSignal have completed initial fuel pressure tests on the K-MAX fleet and have found no more fuel-pump driveshaft spline failures. Investigation of the fatal crash of a K-MAX in Germany in early September revealed that both the primary and secondary pump splines had failed in the T5317A-1 turboshaft ...
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SMR clears de-icing
B/E Aerospace-owned SMR Technologies has received supplemental type certificates from the US FAA for its Ice Shield pneumatic de-icer systems on the Twin Commander and Cessna 421C Golden Eagle. The system is also cleared for use on the Piper PA-31 and Raytheon Beech King Air 200. Source: Flight International
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Service Centre
Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group's Toronto, Canada, base has been appointed an authorised service centre for the Cessna Citation X. The Montreal-based group has also signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to provide quick turnaround times for removal and reinstallation of R-R engines on business jets. Source: Flight International
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Raytheon teams with Angel on HALO-Proteus
Raytheon has signed a teaming agreement with St Louis-based Angel Technologies to develop stratospheric broadband wireless services, using the High Altitude Long Operation (HALO) aircraft. The prime electronics systems integrator will be Raytheon, with responsibility for the airborne and ground segments of the HALO network. Angel will deliver fixed and ...
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FAA gives Luscombe interim certificate for Spartan 185
The US Federal Aviation Administration has awarded Luscombe Aircraft an airworthiness certificate for its Spartan 185 preproduction model 11E. The ticket falls short of full approval, however, and is "for sales and marketing purposes", says Luscombe. The Oklahoma-based company is still targeting April 1999 as the earliest date for ...
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Executive Jet gets amber light for Middle East venture
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON Executive Jet's plan to set up a Middle East version of its NetJets fractional ownership programme is taking shape, following a Saudi Arabian Government decision to approve involvement by the programme's major risk-sharing partner, the Jeddah-based National Company for Air Services (NAS). The company, owned by private investors, ...
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Airbus may ditch A3XX thrust reversers to slow down costs
Andrew Doyle/LONDON Airbus Industrie is discussing with airlines a plan to remove the thrust reversers from its A3XX ultra-high capacity airliner design as part of efforts to further reduce the aircraft's direct operating costs. Airlines have generally reacted favourably towards the idea of dropping the system from the outboard engines ...
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Cathay's effort to revive PAL earns approval from receiver
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE A conditional offer by Cathay Pacific to invest up to $100 million in debt-ridden Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been accepted by PAL's interim rehabilitation receiver committee. The two airlines say they will jointly draft a "rehabilitation plan" for PAL, to be submitted to the Philippines Securities ...
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US forces considers gun-launched UAV
The US Army is considering launching a research study for an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) small enough to be launched from a 155mm artillery piece, while the US Navy and Marine Corps are also studying small tube-launched UAV systems. A basic research effort may be launched by the end of ...
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Dasa reviews Mako after BAe protests
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa)is reviewing its participation in the Mako advanced trainer/light combat aircraft programme after objections were raised to its involvement by British Aerospace. BAe was concerned by a memorandum of understanding signed at the Seoul Air Show in South Korea at the end of October, ...
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MD-11 switch change
Boeing MD-11 operators are to replace or modify two dimmer switches in the cockpit, according to a US Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directive. The switches must be replaced or modified within a month of inspection. Source: Flight International
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A330s head for Brazil after currency hiccup
Joe Sims/MIAMI TAM expects to take delivery of its first two Airbus A330s by the end of the month after a delay of over a month caused by a currency crisis in Brazil. The carrier, based in Sao Paulo, had been due to receive its first of five Pratt & ...