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Alligator Airways is Suspended

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Australia) suspended Alligator Airways’ air operator’s certificate and certificate of approval on 3 May 2012 because the company’s conduct of operational and maintenance-related activities was seen to pose a serious and imminent risk to air safety.

On 18 May 2012, the Federal Court granted CASA’s application for an order to prohibit Alligator Airways from operating until 4 June 2012.

This prohibition order allowed CASA to finalise its investigations into a range of safety issues, including two recent serious incidents involving aircraft operated by Alligator Airways.

Under the Civil Aviation Act, once investigations are completed, CASA has up to an additional five working days from 5 June 2012 to issue a show case notice if CASA believes there would still be a serious and imminent risk to air safety if Alligator Airways was to resume operations.

If CASA does issue a show case notice the suspension will continue while the matters raised in that notice are addressed and a final decision made whether to vary, suspend or cancel the certificates. This could take up to 33 days.

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    Phillips Service Industries Acquires Skytronics, Inc.


    LIVONIA, Mich., Feb. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Phillips Service Industries, Inc. (PSI), a global manufacturing and service corporation that serves a wide variety of industries with its diverse collection of technology-based companies, announced today that it has acquired Skytronics, Inc., a leading aircraft component manufacturer and maintenance repair organization located in El Segundo, CA.

    Skytronics specializes in the manufacturing, repair, overhaul and sales of aircraft ball screw and actuator assemblies and the transmissions that drive them. Skytronics is an OEM that also holds license parts manufacturing authority on stabilizer ball screws installed on Boeing 727/737/747/757/767 aircraft, as well as a distributor of both new and overhauled aircraft components.

    Established in 1956, Skytronics has been an FAA-approved Repair Station for over 50 years, with current FAA, EASA, CAAC and Boeing approvals. Skytronics has expanded its capabilities to include Boeing flight controls, horizontal stabilizer trim actuators (HSTAs), trim tab actuators, flap transmissions and leading-edge actuators. Skytronics also manufactures, repairs, overhauls and sells ignition harnesses, alternators, regulators and ignition lead conduits that are used in general aviation.

    The Skytronics acquisition further expands PSI’s reach into the aerospace market. Other PSI subsidiaries that serve the aerospace industry include Beaver Aerospace & Defense, Sciaky, Inc., Mountain Secure Systems, Evana Automation Specialists and PSI Repair Services.

    “The aerospace industry is very significant to PSI,” said Scott Phillips, CEO and President of Phillips Service Industries, Inc. “The Skytronics acquisition provides additional products and services to our valued customers.”

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    Press Release-A400M, world’s most advanced airlifter, completes first flight

    11 December 2009The first Airbus Military A400M military airlifter has landed back in Seville, Spain today at 14:02 local time (13:02 UTC) after completing a successful maiden flight lasting 3h 47min following its take-off at 10:15 local time.

    Chief Test Pilot Military, Edward “Ed” Strongman, captained the flight supported by Experimental Test Pilot Ignacio “Nacho” Lombo. The engineering team on board included: Senior Flight Test Engineer Jean-Philippe Cottet who had responsibility for the powerplants; Senior Flight Test Engineer Eric Isorce with responsibility for the aircraft systems and performance; Senior Flight Test Engineer Didier Ronceray with responsibility for the handling qualities of the aircraft; and Test Flight Engineer Gerard Leskerpit.

    The crew confirmed that the aircraft, known as MSN 1 and its four Europrop International TP400D turboprop engines performed as expected.

    Ed Strongman said: “We have had a very successful first flight – the take-off performance was impressive, we explored a lot of the operational flight envelope, and it was a delight to operate in such a well-designed cockpit with its easy interface to all the normal and military systems. I’m sure our customer pilots are really going to like it – we certainly did.”

    Nacho Lombo added: “From the very beginning of the flight we were impressed by the ease of handling of the aircraft which was in line with what we experienced in the simulator. The aircraft, systems and engine performance were highly satisfactory. We sense the great potential of this magnificent machine. It has been an honour for all the crew to fly the A400M on its maiden flight, representing all the people involved in the programme.”

    Chief Executive Officer Airbus Military, Domingo Urena-Raso, said: “I would like to congratulate Ed Strongman, Nacho Lombo and all of the flight-test team for completing the first flight of the A400M with great success. I am also deeply grateful to everyone in the design, manufacturing and early operations of this programme for their enormously hard work and dedication that have made this aircraft a reality. And I want to thank all those people in our industrial partners and suppliers, as well as our customers, who have contributed so much to the definition and creation of an outstanding product.”

    Airbus CEO Tom Enders said: “I hope we can soon provide certainty that we are able to continue the A400M programme. This is expected by those at Airbus, our partners and suppliers worldwide who contributed so strongly to today’s success as well as by the air forces who wait for their plane.”

    For its first flight the aircraft took off at a weight of 127 tonnes, carrying 15 tonnes of test equipment including two tonnes of water ballast, compared with its maximum take-off weight of 141 tonnes. As planned, the six-man crew extensively explored the aircraft’s flight envelope in direct law, including a wide speed-range, and tested lowering and raising of the landing gear and high-lift devices at altitude. After checking the aircraft’s performance in the landing configuration the crew landed back at Seville.

    In the first half of 2010 MSN 1 will be joined by two sister aircraft, MSN 2 and MSN 3, followed by MSN 4 by the end of the year. A fifth aircraft will join the programme during 2011. This fleet will be used for some 3,700 hours of test-flying between now and first delivery to the French Air Force at the end of 2012. This will be followed by additional military development flying. The type will be certificated by both the civil and military authorities.

    A total of 184 aircraft have so far been ordered by Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom,

    Airbus Military

    Airbus Military is the only military and civil transport aircraft manufacturer to develop, produce, sell and support a comprehensive family of airlifters ranging from three to 37 tonnes of payload. Within Airbus, Airbus Military is responsible for the A400M programme, as well as for military tanker transport derivatives based on Airbus civil aircraft, with the integration of the state-of-the-art flight-refuelling boom (ARBS) which is unique in its class. With the C-295, CN-235 and C-212, Airbus Military is the global leader in the market segments for light and medium-sized military transport aircraft. Altogether Airbus Military has sold more than 1,000 aircraft with over 650 flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.

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    Jade Cargo Selects Boeing Airplane Health Management

    SEATTLE, June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Boeing Airplane Health Management (AHM) system will monitor Jade Cargo’s fleet of six 747-400 Freighter airplanes, under an agreement announced today. AHM is an information-driven system that helps airlines improve the management of unscheduled maintenance events.

    “I believe AHM can extremely improve efficiency and reliability in our flight operation,” said Jade Cargo International CEO and Captain Kay Kratky upon signing the agreement. “I am looking forward to more cooperation with Boeing.”

    Jade Cargo will incorporate all three AHM modules into its operation — Real-Time Fault Management, Performance Monitoring and Custom Alerting and Analysis.

    “This is a big commitment by Jade Cargo to improve efficiency, maintenance performance and overall fleet awareness,” said Dennis Floyd, vice president of Fleet Services for Commercial Aviation Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We look forward to Airplane Health Management making a significant difference in the airline’s operation.”

    The Real-Time Fault Management module communicates in-flight information to ground stations for diagnosis and real-time operational decisions to initiate any needed maintenance operations and deploy the necessary people, parts and equipment.
    Performance Monitoring will allow Jade Cargo to analyze airplane performance data to improve airplane fuel efficiency and flight planning.

    Custom Alerting and Analysis enables the airline to address developing airplane system issues by automatically monitoring, collecting, and transmitting service level information including tire pressure, oxygen pressure, hydraulic fluid, Auxiliary Power Unit and engine oil levels. Consumption trends are then used to facilitate maintenance planning and optimize service intervals.

    Airplane Health Management works through the MyBoeingFleet.com portal. Alerts and notifications are delivered to airline personnel through the Internet, fax, personal digital assistants, e-mail and pager services.
    Airplane Health Management is a key component in Boeing’s larger vision of the e-enabled airline, where information technology, connectivity and strategic integration promise greater efficiency and improved airline operations.

    Jade Cargo International was founded by Shenzhen Airlines Company Limited, Lufthansa Cargo AG and DEG – Deutsche Investitions – und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, a subsidiary of KfW-Bank Group.

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    $2 Million Environmental Grant from FAA

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a $2 million grant to San Diego International Airport to reduce the use of conventional fuels at the airport to improve air quality.

    The grant through the FAA’s Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) program is part of a major airport improvement project at San DiegoInternational Airport called “The Green Build.” The grant will enable the airport to install a land-side power unit and pre-conditioned air unit at each of 10 new aircraft gates, as well as seven air units at existing gates. The units will allow aircraft arriving at the gates to shut off their auxiliary power units and connect to a cleaner central heating and cooling system, saving fuel and reducing aircraft emissions on the ground.

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    NTSB TO MEET ON 2008 CONTINENTAL AIRLINES FLIGHT 1404 ACCIDENT AT DENVER AIRPORT

    National Transportation Safety Board
    Washington, DC 20594

    July 8, 2010

    The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a Board meeting on Tuesday, July 13, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. in its Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. There is one item on the agenda.

    On December 20, 2008, Continental Airlines flight 1404 departed the left side of runway 34R at Denver International Airport during takeoff. There was a post-crash fire. The captain and five of the 110 passengers were seriously injured.

    A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be available on the Board’s website at http://www.ntsb.gov/events/Boardmeeting.htm.

    Technical support details are available under “Board Meetings” on the NTSB website. To report any problems, please call 703-993- 3100 and ask for Webcast Technical Support.

    A summary of the Board’s final report, which will include findings, probable cause, and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later.

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    Boeing Begins Assembly of First 747-8 Intercontinental

    EVERETT, Wash., — Boeing announced it began assembly of the first 747-8 Intercontinental at the factory in Everett, Wash. Late this week, mechanics took the first step in major assembly for the new airplane by loading its wing panels and spars in the assembly tools. The spar is the internal support structure that runs through the full length of the wing.

    “This milestone symbolizes the dedication, focus and hard work that our team, suppliers and customers have invested in designing this wonderful airplane,” said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 747-8 Intercontinental will provide our customers with increased levels of passenger comfort, greatly improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions and noise.”

    Deutsche Lufthansa AG was the first airline to order the new, fuel-efficient passenger airplane, contracting for 20 747-8 Intercontinentals, with purchase rights for an additional 20. “We are very pleased to see that the production on the 747-8 Intercontinental has begun,” said Nico Buchholz, senior vice president, Corporate Fleet of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. “We are looking forward to welcoming the aircraft in our fleet as it is a component of Lufthansa’s strategy to modernize its fleet and increase environmental stewardship. The 747-8 shows our clear commitment to customer orientation.”

    The new 747-8 Intercontinental is stretched 18.3 feet (5.6 m) from the 747-400 to provide 467 seats — 51 more than its predecessor — in a three-class configuration. GEnx-2B engines and a new wing design provide airlines a quieter, more fuel-efficient airplane. The 747-8 is 16 percent more fuel efficient and creates a 30 percent smaller noise footprint than its predecessor. The 747-8 also provides nearly equivalent trip costs and 13 percent lower seat-mile costs than the 747-400, plus 26 percent greater cargo volume.
    The 747-8 interior incorporates features from the 787 Dreamliner, including a new curved, upswept architecture that gives passengers a greater sense of space and comfort while adding more room for personal belongings. The architecture is accentuated by lighting technology that provides smooth transitions for a more restful flight.

    The 747-8, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental and the 747-8 Freighter, was launched in November 2005. Boeing has 108 orders for the 747-8 — 32 for the 747-8 Intercontinental and 76 for the 747-8 Freighter. The first 747-8 Intercontinental is scheduled to deliver in late 2011.

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