Aero-News Network: The aviation and aerospace world's daily/real-time news and information service

United Technologies Pleads Guilty To Violating ITAR

Will Pay Up To $55 Million In Penalties For Exporting Engine Software To China

Saying it has "resolved previously disclosed enforcement actions brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of State in connection with past violations of U.S. export control regulations," United Technologies Corp. said Thursday it was pleading guilty to violating the State Department's International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), as well as the False Statements Act.

SpaceShipTwo Glide Flight Test, Rocket Motor Firing Completed On Same Day

Company On Track For First Powered Flight By End Of Year

SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is two steps closer to making its first powered flight, after the suborbital space vehicle successfully completed its first glide flight test since a recent integration period for rocket motor systems and maintenance, and the spaceship’s engine, RocketMotorTwo (RM2), underwent another successful full duration test fire ... on the same day.

New Company To Develop Commercial Replacement For Leaded GA Gasoline

Production Scale-Up Planned On 100LL Replacement Fuel

A group of professionals in the aviation and energy sectors have formed a company to scale up production of a high-octane, unleaded, sustainable general aviation gasoline and bring it to market. Swift Fuels LLC has been created created in partnership between Swift Development Renewable Fuels LLC and South Dakota-based RMB Energy LLC. Rob Broin, head of RMB Energy, is the interim CEO and Jon Ziulkowski from SDRF is COO.

EU-ETS Addressed In House Amendment To Transportation Bill

Would Prevent DOT, FAA From Using Funds To Impose European Tax On U.S. Airlines

The House late Wednesday approved an amendment to the FY13 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill that would prevent the Department of Transportation and the FAA from using funds to impose the EU ETS on U.S. airlines. This action follows the House approval of bipartisan legislation (H.R. 2594) last fall that would require the Secretary of Transportation to prohibit U.S. airlines from participating in the EU ETS.

APA Board To Send AA Contract To Rank And File For A Vote

Tentative Agreement Vote Will Be Counted August 8th

The APA Board of Directors voted nine to seven Thursday to approve a tentative contract offer from American Airlines' management. The vote of approval triggers the membership ratification process, which at the direction of the bankruptcy judge will follow a moderately compressed schedule relative to the normal process.

Firefighters Make Progress On Academy Blaze

Only About 10 Acres Of USAF Academy Land Affected

The Waldo Canyon fire that has grown to 18,500 acres and burned hundreds of homes here has been contained on the southwestern corner of the U.S. Air Force Academy on June 28. The fire had burned about 10 acres of land on the Academy in the early morning of June 27, but firefighters on scene have continued to successfully hold a fire line they established earlier in the day.

Chinese Astronauts Return To Earth

Successfully Docked Two Spacecraft, Furthering Chinese Space Station Plans

Three Chinese astronauts, including the first Chinese woman to fly in space, have returned safely to Earth following a 13-day mission in which they successfully docked their Shenzhou 9 capsule to the Tiangong 1 space lab prototype already in orbit. The landing was broadcast live on Chinese state television.