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December 22, 2006

Shuttle Discovery Down Safely At KSC

NASA Chooses The Lesser Of Three Evils

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 12.22.06 17:40 EST: After foregoing a first landing opportunity earlier this afternoon, the space shuttle Discovery touched down precisely on time at Kennedy Space Center today ending a thirteen-day mission for STS-116 and Discovery's 33rd trip to the International Space Station.

Sixteen Year Old Returns Home For Christmas

The Corporate Angel Network (CAN), the national non-profit organization that provides free air transportation to treatment for cancer patients using empty seats on corporate and fractional aircraft, announced that today (December 22, 2006) marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of it’s first flight.

Airlines Reporting Delays Across The Globe

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 12.22.06 08:32 EST: This week's blizzard that hammered the western US has moved off to the east, but its effects are still being felt across the country. Weather stations along the storm's path are reporting an average of two feet of snow.

RANS Aircraft's Randy Schlitter, Part Two

ANN Daily Touch N Go: 12.22.06 (ANN's Short-Form Daily News Program) ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 12.22.06 (ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program) ANN Special Feature -- Part Two, RANS Aircraft's Randy Schlitter: 12.22.06 (ANN Special Feature, with Part Two of our conversation with Randy Schlitter, on changes at RANS.)

ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 12.22.06

Raytheon has sold its aircraft subsidiary...
The shuttle Discovery faces challenging weather...
...and holiday travellers through Denver face...challenging weather!

ANN Daily Touch-And-Go: 12.22.06

Raytheon has sold its aircraft subsidiary...
The shuttle Discovery faces challenging weather...
...and holiday travellers through Denver face...challenging weather!

ANN Special Feature: Rans Aircraft's Randy Schlitter 12.22.06

ANN's Jim Campbell is talking today with Randy Schlitter, on topics including the future for ultralights in the Sport Pilot era.

'The Next Thing I Saw Were Friends, Firemen... And Police Dogs'

Skydiver Survives 15,000-Foot Freefall

It's more than journalistic hyberbole to say a skydiving instructor in New Zealand is lucky to be alive, after his main and reserve 'chutes failed during a 15,000-foot dive last week.

Witnesses Suggest Plane Stalled On Approach

A Piper Mirage went down Thursday near Concord, CA, while on approach to land at Buchanan Field (KCCR) in rainy conditions. All four persons onboard were lost.

70,000 Lbs. Of Supplies Delivered

Aero-News has learned an impressive airpower milestone was reached December 20, with the completion of the first C-17 Globemaster III airdrop mission that delivered about 70,000 pounds of supplies to the South Pole.

Santa, We've Been REALLY Good This Year...

As the Aero-News staff prepares for Santa Claus (or like equivalent) to visit our homes and hangars, we wanted to let our readers know that ANN will still be on the job, reporting breaking news in the aviation and aerospace fields as it happens... in Real Time.

Rocketplane Kistler selected the companies this week that will provide software to design the aerospace company's K-1 reusable orbital launch vehicle. UGS Corp. will provide its NX software, UGS digital product development solution to design, build and test the K-1.

Cessna Selects New Man For Used Planes

John Newton Named VP Of Used Aircraft

Cessna has named John Newton vice president of Used Aircraft, effective January 2, 2007.

Agency Apologizes For Demolishing Homes

Transportation planners have been working on a third regional airport for Illinois for at least 25 years. Now that the time has come to build, residents of the villages of Beecher and Peotone are evaluating two competing designs for the airport submitted to the FAA.

Clears Path For S-LSA Makers To Sell Planes As Kits

The Experimental Aircraft Association tells ANN that in a Notice of Availability issued this week, the FAA accepted new ASTM light-sport aircraft standards for experimental light-sport aircraft (E-LSA) kits.

Many Say Trading Scheme Will Have Little Overall Impact

Environmentalists responded this week to the European Commission's announced plan to bring aviation into an emissions-trading market, with a goal of cutting emissions of greenhouse gases. Those reactions ranged from yawns, to anger.

Answers FAQ As January Deadline Approaches

The US Ultralight Association (USUS) says it's been receiving lots of phone calls and e-mails from people asking for clarification on the FAA's sport pilot transition rules. Those wishing to avail themselves of the opportunity must hurry because the rules allowing transition are set to expire at the end of next month.

In Talks To Acquire Regional Carrier

Currently left out of the merger mania surrounding four other US carriers, Northwest Airlines is looking at an acquisition of its own: beleagured regional carrier Mesaba Airlines. Unlike US Airways' hostile bid for Delta, however, and AirTran's unwelcome offer for Midwest Airlines... Mesaba appears to be eager and willing for Northwest to step in.

Bulgaria To Remain Excluded From EU Aviation

Continuing Safety Oversight Problems Prompt EC Action

Concerns with the lack of improvement in Bulgaria's civil aviation oversight function has prompted the European Commission (EC) to exclude the country from joining in the European Union (EU) aviation market.

It's A Good News, Bad News Year For General Aviation

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) Air Safety Foundation (ASF) released its annual Joseph T. Nall Report this week.

Its All In The Spelling, We Think...

Slated For Delivery To JASDF In 2007

Boeing test pilots Thursday took the first KC-767 Tanker slated for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) on its maiden flight.

Aero-Tips!

What's the total capacity of each tank in my airplane's fuel system? Is the fuel flow gauge electrical, or does it sense pressure through a fuel line that comes into the panel? These are all questions that can be answered by looking at the Systems Description section of the Pilots Operating Handbook.

Aero-Linx!

Most of us think Corsair, Mustang, Lightning and Zero when we think of the planes of World War II. Here’s a site for the fans of the biplanes used in WWII.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (12.22.06): See And Avoid

Aero-Terms!

The FAA requirement that all pilots are ultimately responsible for separation from other aircraft when visual conditions permit spotting traffic.

"Northwest ownership would secure our core business and, in the long run, position us for growth."

Source: Mesaba Airlines president John Spanjers, in a letter to employees outlining a proposed acquisition of the beleagured regional carrier by Northwest Airlines.