NASA HOSTS VIRGINIA SCHOLARS DURING THREE WEEKLONG ACADEMIES

HAMPTON, Va. – After spending six months learning and communicating via the web, more than 140 rising seniors from across Virginia will finish an intensive distance-learning program by attending weeklong summer academies onsite at NASA Langley Research Center.

The Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) program is an interactive, on-line science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning experience that offers selected students workforce experience as well as college credit. This year is the program’s third year and because of its success a third weeklong academy was added to the schedule this year to allow more students to participate. The academies will be held June 26-July 2, July 10-16 and July 24-30.

While at NASA, scholars will use what they learned on-line by designing and implementing plans for a human journey to Mars. They will also tour various facilities, build and test robots and talk with NASA scientists, engineers and technologists.

The Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars program is modeled after a distance-learning program designed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas. The Virginia program is managed by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.

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    NASA Flies Large Unmanned Aircraft in Public Airspace Without Chase Plane

    Credits: NASA Photo / Carla Thomas
    NASA’s remotely-piloted Ikhana aircraft, based at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, successfully flew its first mission in the National Airspace System without a safety chase aircraft on Tuesday. This historic flight moves the United States one step closer to normalizing unmanned aircraft operations in the airspace used by commercial and private pilots.

    Flying these large remotely-piloted aircraft over the United States opens the doors to all types of services, from monitoring and fighting forest fires, to providing new emergency search and rescue operations. The technology in this aircraft could, at some point, be scaled down for use in other general aviation aircraft.

    “This is a huge milestone for our Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System project team,” said Ed Waggoner, NASA’s Integrated Aviation Systems Program director. “We worked closely with our Federal Aviation Administration colleagues for several months to ensure we met all their requirements to make this initial flight happen.”

    Flights of large craft like Ikhana, have traditionally required a safety chase aircraft to follow the unmanned aircraft as it travels through the same airspace used by commercial aircraft. The Ikhana flew in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Technical Standard Order 211 — Detect and Avoid Systems — and Technical Standard Order 212 — Air-to-Air Radar for Traffic Surveillance.

    The FAA granted NASA special permission to conduct this flight under the authority of a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization on March 30. The certificate permitted Ikhana’s pilot to rely on the latest Detect and Avoid technology, enabling the remote pilot on the ground to see and avoid other aircraft during the flight.

    NASA successfully worked with its industry partners to develop a standard for Detect and Avoid technologies, complied with the requirements of the FAA Technical Standard Orders, and garnered flight approval from the FAA.

    The Ikhana aircraft was equipped with detect and avoid technologies, including an airborne radar developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., a Honeywell Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System, a Detect and Avoid Fusion Tracker, and an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast capability – a surveillance technology where the aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation and periodically broadcasts this information so other aircraft can track it.

    The flight took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California and entered controlled air space almost immediately. Ikhana flew into the Class-A airspace, where commercial airliners fly, just west of Edwards at an altitude of about 20,000 feet. The aircraft then turned north toward Fresno, requiring air traffic control to be transferred from the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center to the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center. On the return trip, the pilot headed south toward Victorville, California, requiring communication control to be transferred back to Los Angeles.

    During the return flight, the pilot began a gentle decent over the city of Tehachapi, California, into Class E airspace — about 10,000 feet — where general aviation pilots fly. The pilot initiated an approach into Victorville airport at 6,000 feet, coordinating in real time with air traffic controllers at the airport. After successfully executing all of these milestones, the aircraft exited the public airspace and returned to its base at Armstrong.

    “We are flying with a suite of sophisticated technology that greatly enhances the safety capabilities of pilots flying large unmanned aircraft in the National Airspace System,” said Scott Howe, Armstrong test pilot. “We took the time to mitigate the risks and to ensure that we, as a program, were prepared for this flight.”

    Tuesday’s flight was the first remotely-piloted aircraft to use airborne detect and avoid technology to meet the intent of the FAA’s “see and avoid” rules, with all test objectives successfully accomplished.

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    GOL Announces Commercial Agreement with Passaredo Linhas Aereas

    GOL adds six cities to its route network with Passaredo’s routes, which will be available in its sale channels

    SAO PAULO, Dec. 21, 2010 -FirstCall/ — GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A., the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, has signed a commercial agreement to sell, in all its sales channels, tickets of Passaredo Linhas Aereas, a Brazilian domestic airline that recorded growth of 130.89% last year.

    Passaredo currently operates 103 flights to 20 destinations in Brazil. As a result of the agreement, GOL will add the cities of Marilia, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Jose de Rio Preto (Sao Paulo), Barreiras, Vitoria da Conquista (Bahia) and Ji-Parana (Rondonia) to its route network. GOL, operating through Passaredo, also offers eight new direct flights, including Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul) to Goiania (Goias) and Uberlandia (Minas Gerais) to Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont Airport).

    GOL passengers connecting with Passaredo flights will only need to check-in once and their baggage will go directly to the final destination.

    Based in Ribeirao Preto, Passaredo Linhas Aereas began operations in 1995. Its fleet currently comprises 15 aircraft – five Embraer EMB-120s and ten Embraer ERJ-145 jets, with a capacity for 30 and 50 passengers, respectively. By July 2011, however, it will be operating 23 aircraft, with the addition of eight already contracted ERJ-145s.

    “This is a strategic agreement for GOL because Passaredo is a well-known regional airline which will add important destinations to our route network, improving our penetration and offering our passengers new direct flight options”, declared Claudia Pagnano, GOL’s Market Vice-President.
    The routes will be handled by all GOL’s sales channels, available for purchase up to the day before the flight. The agreement does not include the accumulation of SMILES mileage on Passaredo flights.

    For Captain Felicio, the CEO of Passaredo Linhas Aereas, the company is assuming a strategic position in the market. “GOL is an excellent partner. We believe in a strong regional aviation market, where we will be operating with penetration for one of the leading airlines in Latin America. This is the system they use in North America and Europe”, he concluded.

    About Passaredo Linhas Aereas

    Passaredo has expanded more than any other airline in Brazil since 2004, recording annual growth of close to 100%, and currently operates 103 daily flights to 20 cities in 10 Brazilian states. It focuses on flights carrying up to 50 passengers, operating on medium-potential routes with high-tech aircraft, high fuel consumption efficiency and low-cost maintenance. Its aircraft are manufactured by Embraer and there are more than 1,200 units operating worldwide. Passaredo puts great emphasis on top-class customer service, prioritizing comfort, safety, efficiency and punctuality. Given its intention of maintaining its regional identity, the partnership with GOL will complement its operations, allowing it to offer a wider range of destinations to its clients.

    About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A.

    GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and BM&FBOVESPA: GOLL4), (S&P/Fitch: BB-/BB-, Moody`s: Ba3), the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, offers more than 900 daily flights to 59 destinations that connect all the important cities in Brazil and 14 major destinations in South America and Caribbean. The Company operates a young, modern fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, the safest and most comfortable of its class, with high aircraft utilization and efficiency levels. Fully committed to seeking innovative solutions through the use of cutting-edge technology, the Company – via its GOL, VARIG, GOLLOG, SMILES and VoeFacil brands – offers its clients easy payment facilities, a wide range of complementary services and the best cost-benefit ratio in the market.

    This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the prospects of the business, estimates for operating and financial results, and those related to growth prospects of GOL. These are merely projections and, as such, are based exclusively on the expectations of GOL’s management concerning the future of the business and its continued access to capital to fund the Company’s business plan. Such forward-looking statements depend, substantially, on changes in market conditions, government regulations, competitive pressures, the performance of the Brazilian economy and the industry, among other factors and risks disclosed in GOL’s filed disclosure documents and are, therefore, subject to change without prior notice.

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    Jetairfly Receives Next-Generation 737 With New Boeing Sky Interior

    SEATTLE, Nov. 24, 2010 / — Boeing and Brussels-based Jetairfly today celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first Next-Generation 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior. Jetairfly, part of TUI Travel PLC, the largest tourism group in London, is the first European-based airline to operate a 737 with the new passenger-inspired interior.

    “The 737’s operating and environmental performance continues to make this airplane a valuable asset to our fleet,” said Elie Bruyninckx, chairman of Jetairfly. “We continue in our efforts to reduce our carbon output and improve the flying experience for our passengers, and we are proud to be the first airline based in Europe to operate with the new Boeing Sky Interior.”

    The 737 Boeing Sky Interior features new, modern-sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, larger stow bins and more headroom around the aisle seats. Other features include a quieter cabin, intuitive placement of switches and call buttons, improved sound quality and different interior lighting schemes.

    “We congratulate Jetairfly on the delivery of its first 737-800 with the new Boeing Sky Interior,” said Marlin Dailey, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Jetairfly’s incorporation of the Boeing Sky Interior and its passenger-pleasing features will reinforce its position as Belgium’s leading holiday airline.”

    Watch a video of the Jetairfly airplane and its new interior here: http://www.twitvid.com/ZVSJP.

    The Boeing Sky Interior is the latest in a series of improvements to the airplane. Since the Next-Generation 737 was introduced in 1997, customers have taken advantage of continuous improvements to this best-selling airplane that have made it even more efficient, reliable and passenger-friendly. Next to come will be a package of performance improvements that will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 2 percent – making the airplane a full 7 percent more efficient than the first Next-Generation 737 delivered. The performance improvements to the airframe and engine will be in service by early 2012.

    To date, 50 customers have ordered the new interior for 1,386 airplanes.

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    Boeing, Air Lease Corporation Finalize Order for Up to 60 Next-Generation 737s


    SEATTLE, Oct. 4 — Boeing and new leasing company Air Lease Corporation (ALC) have finalized an order for up to 60 Next-Generation 737-800s.
    The order, first announced at the Farnborough Airshow in July, is for deliveries through 2017. In addition to 54 firm orders the deal includes six additional airplanes to be reconfirmed.

    “Our management team has been working closely with Boeing for more than 30 years,” said Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, chairman and CEO of Air Lease Corporation. “This order for Next-Generation 737-800s continues that great tradition. With this large and long-term commitment we’ll be able to offer our clients a most economical, fuel-efficient and versatile airplane, suitable for a variety of profitable missions.”

    “The Next-Generation 737 is one of the world’s best-selling airplanes for a number of very good reasons,” said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Airlines and lessors remain confident in the airplane’s ability to deliver outstanding, dependable operational and financial performance across the widest range of missions. We look forward to providing that continued value to Air Lease Corporation and its clients and to a long and successful continued partnership with Steven Udvar-Hazy and his new leasing company.”

    About Air Lease Corporation
    Air Lease Corporation (ALC), based in Los Angeles, Calif., was founded in February 2010, and is led by two airline industry veterans, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy and John L. Plueger. ALC is a well capitalized and airline-customer-focused operating lessor and market-maker, committed to providing optimized jet fleet solutions to airline clients worldwide.

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    Fatigue Understanding between NATCA and FAA

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) announced agreement on important fatigue recommendations that were developed by a joint FAA-NATCA working group which was established under the 2009 collective bargaining agreement.

    “The American public must have confidence that our nation’s air traffic controllers are rested and ready to work,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “We have the safest air transportation system in the world but we needed to make changes and we are doing that.”

    The agreement reinforces existing FAA policy that prohibits air traffic controllers from sleeping while they are performing assigned duties. The FAA will continue to provide air traffic controllers breaks on the midnight shift based on staffing and workload. While on break, air traffic controllers are expected to conduct themselves professionally and be available for recall at all times.

    The FAA and NATCA also agreed that all air traffic controllers must report for work well-rested and mentally alert. It is the employee’s responsibility to notify their supervisor if they are too fatigued to perform their air traffic control duties. As a result of this agreement, air traffic controllers can now request to take leave if they are too fatigued to work air traffic.

    This agreement marks the completion of the tasks required by this joint FAA-NATCA fatigue working group. The FAA and NATCA will continue to collaborate to reduce the risk of fatigue in the workplace.

    “Air traffic controllers have the responsibility to report rested and ready to work so they can safely perform their operational duties,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “But we also need to make sure we have the right policies in place to reduce the possibility of fatigue in the workplace.”

    “We are pleased that the efforts of the joint NATCA-FAA fatigue workgroup that produced these science-based recommendations have resulted in an agreement and their implementation into the schedules and work environments of our nation’s dedicated and highly professional air traffic controller workforce,” said NATCA President Paul Rinaldi.

    “We supported the FAA’s action to enhance aviation safety by eliminating single staffing on the midnight shift and we fully support these recommendations that address fatigue. They are common sense solutions to a safety problem that NATCA and fatigue experts have consistently raised for many years.”
    Air traffic controllers will also now be allowed to listen to the radio and read appropriate printed material while on duty during the hours of 10PM and 6AM as traffic permits.

    The FAA had previously adjusted work schedules to give air traffic controllers a minimum of nine hours off between shifts. The FAA and NATCA will develop new watch schedule principles that incorporate fatigue science for schedules beginning no later than September 1, 2012. The FAA and NATCA are already beginning to work with local facilities on watch schedules that reduce the possibility of fatigue in the transition from the day shift to the midnight shift.

    The FAA has also agreed to develop policies that will encourage air traffic controllers to seek medical help for sleep apnea. Currently, air traffic controllers lose their medical qualification if they are diagnosed with sleep apnea. The FAA will work to develop a process for most air traffic controllers with sleep apnea to regain their medical qualification once they receive proper medical treatment. The FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine will also develop educational material to raise awareness of the symptoms and the physical effects of sleep apnea.

    As a result of this agreement, the FAA will develop a Fatigue Risk Management System for air traffic operations by January of next year. This management system will be designed to collect and analyze data associated with work schedules, including work intensity, to ensure that the schedules are not increasing the possibility of fatigue. Systems like these are commonly used in other areas of aviation to evaluate levels of risk. The FAA is also designing a comprehensive fatigue awareness and education training program for employees.

    Read the agreement pdf here.

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    Dassault Falcon Announces 2011 Regional M&O Seminar Series

    SAINT-CLOUD, France, February 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Dassault Falcon’s Regional Maintenance & Operations Seminar (M&O) series will continue again in 2011, with a total of 13 seminars to be held in eight countries around the globe. The M&O Seminar series gives Falcon operators an opportunity to communicate face-to-face with Dassault’s specialists and engineering teams on a variety of topics.
    “The goal of our M&O Seminar series is to provide a forum for the exchange of information,” said Jacques Chauvet, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Customer Service. “Operators not only get to hear from Dassault specialists, but we are equally as receptive to their feedback. Each year we work closely with our Operator Advisory Board (OAB) to find ways to make the M&O meetings more productive and valuable. That effort has been well received by our Falcon family as reflected in 2010’s attendance figures which were up 20% over 2009.”
    Falcon Regional M&O Seminars focus both on operational and technical issues and are designed to help aircraft operators improve the efficiency, reliability and safety of their operations. Topics range from the latest customer service and engineering support initiatives to enhancements in troubleshooting and product reliability. The one-day sessions include interaction with model and support specialists as well as Authorized Service Centers, vendors and partners. Certificates of attendance can also be issued to participants to serve as credit for recurrent maintenance training.
    “Since we launched the regional seminar format three years ago, it has become very popular among our operators not only because of the content, but because our team travels to meet with our customers, limiting their time spent away from their office. That allows more customers to attend and leads to a more successful experience,” said Frank Youngkin, Senior Vice President of Customer Service. “And, as the series continues to evolve and grow, we will work closely with our Operator Advisory Board (OAB) to find ways to make the M&O meetings even more productive and valuable into the future.”
    2011 Regional M&O Series Locations and Dates:

    Rome, Italy – March 16
    Phoenix, AZ – March 22
    Seattle, WA – March 24
    Dallas, TX – April 5
    Geneva, Switzerland – April 6
    Toluca, Mexico – April 7
    Beijing, China – April 18
    Atlanta, GA – April 19
    Mahwah, NJ – April 21
    Chicago, IL – May 3
    Mumbai, India – May 4
    Toronto, Canada – May 5
    Sao Paulo, Brazil – August 11

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