Agency Recommends Air Force Reopen the Bid Process
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just sustained
the Boeing Company’s protest of the Department of the Air
Force’s award of a contract to Northrop Grumman Systems
Corporation for KC-X aerial refueling tankers. Boeing challenged
the Air Force’s technical and cost evaluations, conduct of
discussions, and source selection decision.
Says DOT/FAA Plan Based On "Ideological, Market-Based
Theory"
The gloves are off. New York Senator Chuck Schumer joined with
the Air Transport Association and the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey on Wednesday, to mount a united front against plans
by the Department of Transportation to impose flight caps and slot
auctions at three New York City-area airports.
Says All Airmen May Lead By Example In Troubled Times
Good leadership at all levels will fix what ails the Air Force,
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during an event at
Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base on Tuesday.
Kuebler Seeking Investors As Company Heads To Full
Insolvency
Have rumors of Thielert Aircraft Engine's imminent exit from the
engine-making business been greatly exaggerated? The troubled
German manufacturer would like us to believe so... and announced
Wednesday it has a "full head of steam" to resume full production,
even as the clock counts down to full insolvency proceedings.
The fatal March 3 downing of a Russian Mil-17 helicopter
ferrying 10 people from a camp for former Maoist rebels in Nepal
has been blamed on pilot error.
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/2988
Issue Date: June 18, 2008 at 1030 UTC
Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon near KLAMATH FALLS VORTAC
(LMT)
Beginning Date and Time: June 19, 2008 at 1930 UTC
Ending Date and Time: June 21, 2008 at 2345 UTC
Reason for NOTAM: High performance aerial demonstrations by the
USAF Thunderbirds
Type: Airshow
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A
Pilots May Contact: Seattle (ZSE) Center, 253-351-3520
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/2982
Issue Date: June 18, 2008 at 0438 UTC
Location: CHILOQUIN , Oregon near KLAMATH FALLS VORTAC
(LMT)
Beginning Date and Time: June 18, 2008 at 1300 UTC
Ending Date and Time: Until further notice
Reason for NOTAM: TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR FIRE
FIGHTING
Type: Hazards
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A
Pilots May Contact: SEATTLE (ZSE) Automated Flight Service Station,
253-351-3520
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/3047
Issue Date: June 18, 2008 at 1314 UTC
Location: Lucerne Valley, California near HECTOR VORTAC (HEC)
Beginning Date and Time: June 19, 2008 at 1300 UTC
Ending Date and Time: June 25, 2008 at 0300 UTC
Reason for NOTAM: Aerial demonstrations by two P40 Kittyhawk
aircraft
Type: Airshow
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A
Pilots May Contact: Los Angeles (ZLA) Center, 661-265-8240
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/3036
Issue Date: June 18, 2008 at 1258 UTC
Location: HIBBING , Minnesota near HIBBING VOR/DME (HIB)
Beginning Date and Time: June 18, 2008 at 1630 UTC
Ending Date and Time: June 18, 2008 at 1730 UTC
Reason for NOTAM: Temporary flight restrictions
Type: Hazards
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A
The Story Behind "Experimental Helo" Magazine, With Stu and
Kathy Fields
ANN Daily Touch N Go: 06.18.08 (ANN's
Short-Form Daily News Program)
ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 06.18.08
(ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program)
ANN Special Feature -- The Story Behind
"Experimental Helo" Magazine: 06.18.08 (ANN Special Report,
with publishers Stu and Kathy Fields.)
Lessons To Be Learned From April 2007 Incident At TVC
In the aftermath of the National Transportation Safety Board's
review last week of the circumstances leading to the April 2007
runway overrun of a Pinnacle Airlines CRJ200 at Traverse City, MI,
on Tuesday the NTSB issued three recommendations to the FAA
intended to address crew fatigue issues, and other factors which
may have contributed to the accident.
Commission Determined Ruptured Exhaust Gas Conduit Led To
Failure
A Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) convened by
International Launch Services (ILS) has cleared the Proton Breeze M
launch vehicle to return to flight this summer, following its
examination of test results and analysis regarding a redesigned
engine component.
Alenia North America announced Tuesday the first C-27J Spartan
for the US Army's Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) successfully completed
its maiden flight at the Alenia facility in Turin, Italy.
We're approaching the final days -- and possibly hours -- before
the Government Accountability Office will rule on a protest filed
by Boeing, contesting the February 29 awarding of a
lucrative US Air Force tanker contract to a team comprised of
Northrop Grumman and EADS. A decision on that protest could come at
any time... and that means the competitors are getting their last
licks in, while they still can.
ANN's Paul Plack talks with Stu and Kathy Fields, who've turned their four-decade-long love of flying homebuilt rotorcraft into Experimental Helo magazine.
Another Avionics Powerhouse Gets Serious About GA Glass
The Glass panel game is a popular one... and filled with extremely aggressive competitors with exciting products... but with nearly all the cards on the table, EFIS-wise, all eyes turn to Honeywell/Bendix-King... and the "other shoe" that they are about to drop. With Industry innovators like Avidyne, Chelton and Garmin in the competition and some novel new players like Aspen coming hot and heavy on to the scene, Honeywell has a tough road ahead... but then again, they ARE Honeywell.
Another Avionics Powerhouse Gets Serious About GA Glass
The Glass Panel game is a popular one... and filled with
extremely aggressive competitors with exciting products... but with
nearly all the cards on the table, EFIS-wise, all eyes turn to
Honeywell/Bendix-King... and the "other shoe" that they are about
to drop.
It took a little longer... but record-high oil prices have
started to take their toll on carriers outside the United States,
as well. On the same day Air Canada announced it plans to reduce capacity and
cut jobs before the end of the year, comes news a
number of profitable foreign airlines are also feeling the
pinch.
Survey Says Customer Satisfaction At Lowest Levels In Three
Years
Stop us if you've heard this one before. There's another survey
to tell you about, that shows passengers are fed up with the shoddy
treatment they receive at the hands of commercial airlines.
Officials with NASA allowed journalists to take a look at damage
to Pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center on Monday, two weeks after the
launch of space shuttle Discovery caused some 5,300 heat-resistant bricks to
break off from a flame-retardant blast wall.
US scheduled passenger airlines employed 1.0 percent more
workers in April 2008 than in April 2007, the 15th consecutive
increase in full-time equivalent employee (FTE) levels for the
scheduled passenger carriers from the same month of the previous
year... but the smallest year-to-year increase since March 2007,
the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported Tuesday.
One of the ovens on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander continued baking
its first sample of Martian soil over the weekend, while the
Robotic Arm dug deeper into the soil to learn more about white
material first revealed on June 3.
The owner of a suburban Moscow home feels like her government is
dumping on her. Can't say we blame her... after all, we'd probably
feel the same, too, if a government plane had dropped a sack of
cement on our house.
An aircraft mechanic working on the engine of an Airbus A320 in
the Canary Islands died when he was ingested into the turbofan
during a run-up exercise Monday night.
Students, grades 1-12, are invited to join the aerospace
adventure summer camps in June, July and August at the Evergreen
Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, OR. Featured aviation-
or space-themed camps include: Aileron Adventure, Aviation in
Motion, Aviation Academy Camp, Blast-Off Day Camp, Space X-plorers
and Aerospace Challenge.
A Balloon Fiesta is no place for black and white film. It’s
also no place for late risers since the launches are generally
early to take advantage of the cooler, more stable air. The
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, now in its 36th year, is
probably one of the better known festivals in the US.
A relatively thick, narrow-chord wing, featuring relatively low
drag and a stable center of pressure, thus developing lift at low
angles of attack. The B-24 Liberator of WWII is one famous example
of the Davis wing.
"Across the airline experience, from check-in, to the
flight, to deplaning, passengers are being affected by the
ramifications of carriers making staff cutbacks and have expressed
that performance and attitudes of airline staff are
suffering."
Source: Sam Thanawalla, director of the global
hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power & Associates. In
its annual survey of overall customer satisfaction with US domestic
carriers, the market research firm found passengers' opinions of
airlines fell to their lowest levels in three years.
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/2820
Issue Date: June 17, 2008 at 1201 UTC
Location: Evansville, Indiana near POCKET CITY VORTAC (PXV)
Beginning Date and Time: June 28, 2008 at 1810 UTC
Ending Date and Time: June 29, 2008 at 2125 UTC
Reason for NOTAM: High performance aerial demonstrations during the
Evansville freedom festival airshow
Type: Airshow
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A
Pilots May Contact: Evansville (EVV) Air Traffic Control Tower,
812-436-4690
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/2932
Issue Date: June 17, 2008 at 1724 UTC
Location: Lucerne Valley, California near HECTOR VORTAC
(HEC)
Beginning Date and Time: June 19, 2008 at 1300 UTC
Ending Date and Time: June 25, 2008 at 0300 UTC
Reason for NOTAM: Aerial demonstrations by two P40 Kittyhawk
aircraft
Type: Airshow
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A
Pilots May Contact: Los Angeles (ZLA) Center,
661-265-8240
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/2817
Issue Date: June 17, 2008 at 1201 UTC
Location: Evansville, Indiana near POCKET CITY VORTAC (PXV)
Beginning Date and Time: June 27, 2008 at 1830 UTC
Ending Date and Time: June 28, 2008 at 0230 UTC
Reason for NOTAM: Golden knights parachute demonstrations during
the Evansville Freedom Festival Airshow
Type: Airshow
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A
Pilots May Contact: Evansville (EVV) Air Traffic Control Tower,
812-436-4690
NOTAM Number: FDC 8/2864
Issue Date: June 17, 2008 at 1410 UTC
Location: Avon, Colorado
Beginning Date and Time: June 20, 2008 at 0125 UTC
Ending Date and Time: June 22, 2008 at 1915 UTC
Reason for NOTAM: Temporary flight restrictions for VIP (Very
Important Person) Movement
Type: VIP
Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A