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

Pratt & Whitney Making Significant Investments To Increase Capacity

Domestic And International Projects Aimed At Higher Engine Production

Pratt & Whitney is making significant investments in its global facilities as the company prepares for an increase in commercial and military engine production to levels.

Time Running Out On ATP Training Window

King Schools Offers A 50% Discount To Help Pilots Take Advantage Of Two-Year Window To Get ATP Without Costly New Training

Pilots who pass the ATP written exam before August 1 of this year won’t have to take the expensive ground and simulator training that will be required after that date. A surprise bonus is that once you pass the knowledge test, 14 CFR 61.155(d) gives you two years to pass the practical test.

CBP Attempts To Justify Intrusive ‘Surprise’ Private Airplane Searches

But Pilots Say Tactics Are Aggressive, Unwarranted

For several years -- and long before AOPA and a few other entities decided to pay attention -- ANN has been trying to alert the GA industry to the hazards and concerns we noted over the CBP's aggressive surveillance and intrusive searches of GA aircraft. A recent incident in which a 23-year-old private pilot was flying from Opa-Locka, FL to Marathon in the Florida Keys for a lunch date with a young woman has raised additional questions about tactics perceived as aggressive by the pilot community being employed by Customs and Border Protection.

First VIP-Configured Bell 429 Delivered In Switzerland

Will Fly Corporate Transport, Sightseeing, And Aerial Photography Missions

A Bell 429 helicopter has been delivered for operation by Heli-Alps, a Swiss-based company offering corporate transport, sightseeing tours and aerial photography. This is the first Bell 429 to be configured for VIP transport in Switzerland and was customized at the Bell Helicopter facility in Prague.

NASA's Commercial Crew Partners Continue To Advance

Progress Being Made To Return To U.S. Manned Space Launches

Working in wind tunnels, software laboratories and work stations across America, NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) partners continue to make strides in advancing the designs of the American spacecraft and rockets that will carry humans safely and reliably into low-Earth orbit from U.S. soil by 2017.

Aircraft Serving Germany To Nearly Double By 2032

Germany Remains Top Aviation Market, But Growth Less Than World Average

According to Airbus’ latest Global Market Forecast (GMF) in the next 20 years (2013-2032), the traffic to and from Germany is set to grow at 3.5 per cent per annum (global average 4.7 per cent), driving a need for 1,821 aircraft to address the country’s rising international and domestic air travel requirements. The fleet of aircraft serving Germany will grow by 80 per cent from todays’ 1,013 to 1,821 aircraft by 2032 and is forecast to consist of 1,338 single-aisle, 386 twin-aisle and 97 very large aircraft (VLA).

Powering Imagination Announces Partnership With Museum Of Flight

Museum Will Act As 'Mission Control' For Powering Imagination Flights

On May 21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed in Paris, electrifying the world with his historic 33.5-hour journey. On the anniversary of that landing, Erik Lindbergh, grandson of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, announced a partnership between Powering Imagination and Seattle's well-known Museum of Flight, the largest private air museum in the world, for future Lindbergh flights.

Gogo's Business Aviation Group Announces FANS Solutions

Company Is Fielding Two Equipment Packages To Meet Cockpit Data Link Mandates

Aircell, the business aviation group of Gogo, has unveiled two new solutions designed to help business aircraft operators comply with the global aviation industry's forthcoming FANS (Future Air Navigation System) mandates.

Gone West, Test Pilot J.F. ‘Skeets’ Coleman

Coleman Tested The Convair XFY-1 ‘Pogo’ Featured In A Book As One The World’s Worst Aircraft

J.F. “Skeets” Coleman, who was the test pilot of one of the oddest military airplanes ever produced, passed away at age 95 of natural causes. He is remembered in the world of aviation test flying as the man who flew the Convair XFY-1 Pogo. It was a vertical-takeoff-and-landing airplane featured on the cover of the 1990 book “The World’s Worst Aircraft.”

Guinness World Record Set With 987 Consecutive Rolls

Flight By Australian Air Traffic Controller Raised Money For Medical Research

The Guinness World Records has officially recognized 987 rolls performed consecutively as the new world record. It was achieved by Kingsley Just, an air traffic controller from Australia who raises money for zinc absorption research to benefit his son Kaelan. Specifically, he needed to perform more than 408 consecutive rolls, so he set a new record successfully.

Boeing, Nok Air Finalize Order For 737 MAXs, Next-Generation 737s

First Airline To Fly 737 MAX In Thailand

An order for eight Next-Generation 737-800s and seven 737 MAX 8s has been firmed up between Nok Air and Boeing. Nok Air also announced that it intends to convert one of the 737-800s into a 737 MAX at a later date.

Navy Conducts Initial Fire Scout, H-60 Helicopter Demo Aboard LCS

Demonstration Of Future Concept Of Operations For Manned And Unmanned Helos

Sailors aboard USS Freedom (LCS 1) demonstrated the future concept of operations (CONOPS) for manned and unmanned helicopters aboard littoral combat ships during an underway off the coast of San Diego April 25-May 16, in preparation for an initial deployment of the aircraft later this year.

Airborne 05.21.14: Dassault's NEW Falcon 8X, Gulfstream's G650ER, New Piaggio

Also: SpaceX Dragon Splashdown, Redbird's Redhawk Trainer, HondaJet Update, ANN's Oshkosh Yearbook Announced!!!

Dassault Aviation has launched the Falcon 8X, the newest addition to the Falcon family in the ultra-long range category. With eight passengers and a crew of three, the Falcon 8X will be capable of flying 6,450 nautical miles non-stop at Mach .80. It will be powered by an improved version of the Pratt and Whitney Canada PW307 engine that equips the Falcon 7X. While the Falcon 8x is Dassault’s long range jet, Gulfstream is also in the long range market with their new Ultra-long-range G650ER. Gulfstream says the ER variant of the airplane

FAA Approves Global AMOC For Engines Under Cylinder A.D.

Alternative Method Of Compliance Will Allow Many Airplanes To Keep Flying

The FAA has approved a Global Alternative Method of Compliance (Global AMOC) for the recent revision of FAA AD 2014-05-29.The original AD was issued for certain Continental Motors, Inc., (CMI) (IO-520, TSIO-520, and IO-550 series reciprocating engines with certain Superior Air Parts investment cast cylinder assemblies installed.

EASA Certifies Sikorsky S-92 AMS 8.0 And ADS-B Out

Allows For Enhanced Functionality Of The Aircraft

EASA has certified enhanced functionality for Sikorsky's S-92 helicopter. The announcement was made Tuesday at both EBACE in Geneva, Switzerland, and at the ILA Berlin exhibition in Germany.

V2500-E5 Engines Shipped To Embraer

All Six Engines To Power New KC-390 Aircraft

IAE International Aero Engines AG has shipped all six prototype V2500-E5 powerplants for Embraer Defense and Security's new KC-390 multi-role tanker/transport aircraft. All six engines will be used in flight tests beginning in 2014. Civil certification for the new engine model is planned for third quarter 2014.

Bombardier Unveils Global 7000 Mock-Up

Full Scale Model Said To Be The Largest Mock-Up In Business Aviation

Bombardier presented the full-scale mock-up of its new Global 7000 aircraft at EBACE on Tuesday. The full-size mock-up, which Bombardier says is the largest built in business aviation, showcases the aircraft’s "spaciousness, luxury and comfort."

NATA, IBAC Launch Global Ground-Handling Standard

Adds NATA Safety 1st Ground Audit Program To IS-BAO

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) announced Wednesday at EBACE in Geneva the creation of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), a set of global industry best practices for business aviation ground handlers that features at its core a safety management system (SMS).

Bombardier Unveils First New AA CRJ900 NextGen Regional Jet

Thirty Airplanes To Be Placed In Service With The Airline

Bombardier Aerospace on Monday unveiled the first of 30 enhanced CRJ900 NextGen aircraft ordered by American Airlines Group Inc. in December 2013. The purchase agreement also included options on an additional 40 CRJ900 NextGen aircraft. The aircraft was unveiled to American Airlines employees and the media during a celebratory event Monday at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and was then showcased Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio, to team members at American Airlines Group's ' wholly owned subsidiary, PSA Airlines, Inc.

Textron Aviation Companies Receive European CAMO Approval

Authorizes Issuance Of Airworthiness Review Certificates To EASA Aircraft

Cessna's company-owned service centers in Paris, France; Doncaster, U.K.; and Düsseldorf, Germany, have been authorized as Continuing Airworthiness Management Organizations (CAMO) by EASA.

Aero-News: Quote Of The Day (05.22.14)

“Under the guidelines of this new Global AMOC, owners of aircraft who have over 12 years on their affected Millennium Cylinders, but have not yet reached TBO, will be able to alternately comply with the AD through ongoing inspections of their cylinders.” Source: Keith Chatten, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Superior Air Parts, Inc.