A lot of aircraft accidents -- ranging from "minor" incidents to fatal tragedies -- happen when the pilot is distracted while flying close to the ground. It's extremely rare even in the
Representatives with Superior Air Parts told Aero-News Monday
the Coppell, TX-based company has received FAA approval to begin
production of the its new ESR crankshafts, which utilize a new
forging process known as Electro Slag Remelt.
Despite inspectors' reports of 15 incidents of "dry" jackscrews
since 2003 on Alaska Airlines' fleet of 26 MD-80 airliners, FAA
investigators announced Friday the airline is complying with
regulations for maintaining the critical part.
Transporters First Carried Apollo Rockets To The Pad
They were originally seen as something of a folly, with no less
an authority than Walter Cronkite stating they might never
work. That was over 40 years ago -- and today, NASA's massive
crawler transporters are expected to carry the future of manned
spaceflight to the launchpad.
ANN REALTIME UPDATE 01.16.06 1430 EST: The Army
has confirmed two soldiers were killed Monday after their AH-64
Apache helicopter went down north of Baghdad, in the third downing
of a US helicopter in 10 days.
ANN REALTIME UPDATE 01.16.06 1500 EST: Reports
from the scene state the aircraft involved in
Saturday's accident that claimed the life of an young boy in
Pierre, SD was a Piper Cherokee, although the aircraft's
registration has not been released by investigators.
Aero-News has learned the Air Force Operational Test and
Evaluation Center at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM recently
completed the F-22A Raptor Follow-on Operational Test and
Evaluation (FOT&E) -- and has rated the Air Force’s
newest fighter as mission capable in the air-to-ground role.
Public Hearings On February 9, And Another Date Ahead
There are public hearings coming up in February on the subject
of transportation security. The two relevant hearings of the US
Senate Full Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
will take place on February 9th at 10 in the morning, and on a date
yet to be announced (this second hearing was originally scheduled
for the afternoon of February 9th).
Took Credit For Rescue, As True Good Samaritan Stayed
Quiet
We're not sure if Nigel Gallimore is a Dustin Hoffman fan, but
this story reminds us a little too much of the plot of Hoffman's
1992 movie "Hero," in which a seemingly nice guy takes credit for
rescuing victims of a plane crash -- except, as it turns out, that
person had nothing to do with it, the true "hero" preferring to
stay out of the spotlight.
As the year came to a close, Robinson Helicopter Company
completed another milestone in 2005; delivery of its 4,000th R22
helicopter. Thirty years after test flying the first R22, himself,
Frank Robinson presented the keys of ship S/N 4000 to John Skeen of
Heliflite, Australia.
The second of five flying Me262s (TANGO TANGO) from the Me262
Project in Everett, WA, has completed a ride on a CargoLux 747
freighter jet from Seattle, WA to Luxembourgh. The Me262 will next
be trucked to Manching, Germany for reassembly and flight
testing.
The International Space Station crew this week installed an
upgrade that will conserve oxygen during spacewalks, moved the
station robotic arm to prepare for their next spacewalk, and began
an experiment that studies body movements.
NASA's Constellation Program is making progress toward selecting
a prime contractor to design, develop and build the Crew
Exploration Vehicle (CEV), America's first new human spacecraft in
30 years.
As forecasted by AIR, Inc. the airline industry hired more than
10,000 pilots in 2005. The Nationals lead the way by adding 3,193
pilots, followed by the Majors with 2,498, the jet Operators with
1,592, and the Non-Jet Operators with 1,480.
Sport Aviation Specialties has announced the scheduling of three
additional experimental light-sport aircraft (ELSA) repairman
courses. The FAA-accepted 16-hour courses provide the required
training for owners or would-be owners of fixed-wing ELSAs to be
eligible for an FAA light-sport repairman certificate, thus
authorizing them to perform their own annual condition
inspections.
NBAA has unveiled the Forum for Enhanced Reliability and
Maintainability Standards (FERMS), a new, web-based tool that
provides business aircraft manufacturers and operators with
real-time information about business aircraft maintenance and
performance.
Have a question about the operating limitations that apply to an
airplane? Want to know what engines or propellers are authorized to
be installed on an airframe? What are the limiting airspeeds and
c.g. limits? Does the airframe or any component have a maximum
service lifetime? Can an airplane be flown aerobatically, and if
so, within what limits? All these questions, and more, are answered
on the Type Certificate Data Sheet.
Adverse Yaw
Yawing motion generated when the ailerons are used. The lifting
wing generates more drag, causing the plane to yaw toward it. Also
happens when person at one wing is pushing faster when attempting
to park an airplane.
"For the first time, the Phase II Request for Proposals
specifies a configuration for the spacecraft: an improved,
blunt-body crew capsule shape. Requirements are based on future
exploration mission needs and the desire to fly the first CEV
mission as close as possible to 2010, when the space shuttle will
be retired. "
Source: NASA, commenting on the PHase II
RFP for the upcoming CEV. Phase II adds detailed design,
development and production requirements. Phase II proposals will be
evaluated and used to select a single CEV contractor later this
year.
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