50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

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Bell Helicopter and PT Whitesky Aviation sign letter of intent for 30 Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters

 Bell Helicopter announced it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with PT Whitesky Aviation for 30 Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters. The aircraft will be used for air taxi operations throughout Indonesia and its more than 14,000 islands. The agreement was signed with PT Whitesky Aviation in Jakarta, Indonesia:    Pictured: Bell Helicopter and PT Whitesky Avia...

Bonkers-looking aircraft with 18 rotors take its first crewed flight

Is the Volocopter the 'dawn of a revolution in urban mobility'? The Volocopter, a helicopter-drone hybrid with 18 rotors, took its first manned flight in Southern Germany on March 30th, the company e-volo announced. With e-volo's managing director Alexander Zosel in the cockpit, the truly strange-looking aircraft took to the skies above an airfield, hovered for several minutes, and...

Non-Certified Avionics Coming to Certified Airplanes

In what could be the start of a major shakeup in the avionics world, EAA and the FAA are collaborating to bring Dynon’s low-cost EFIS-D10A to certain Cessna and Piper models. Many aircraft owners will soon be able to install non-certified avionics in their Part 23 certified airplanes in a development that should be a boon to pilots looking to upgrade their panels on the cheap. It’s...

Airbus vs Boeing Space bin – who wins?

by Kevincm The correct answer is as passengers – we all do. Good morning from the floor area Aircraft Interiors Expo 2016 where I’ve been playing with overhead bins. Yes again. Why? Well apart from the satisfying sound of a lock clunking, it’s good news the both major airframers are developing deeper bins. As airlines continue to pile on fees, or unbundle...

Boeing wins $922 million Pentagon deal for 117 Apache helicopters

The U.S. Defense Department on Thursday said it awarded Boeing Co a $922.63 million modification to a contract for 117 AH-64E remanufactured Apache helicopters for the U.S. Army. The work will be done in Mesa, Arizona, and the completion date is estimated at May 31, 2018, the department said in a statement.

Shariah airline under fire for issuing handwritten boarding passes

Rayani Air, Malaysia’s first Shariah-compliant airline, is being investigated over security concerns after handwritten boarding passes were issued on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching. Describing the makeshift travel document as “unbelievable”, Malaysian MP Lau Weng San shared a Facebook photo of his boarding pass showing his name, seat number as well as the departure and...

Boeing CEO says sales at risk due to U.S. Ex-Im paralysis

A delay in appointing U.S. Export-Import Bank board members threatens to cost Boeing Co  sales, the company's chief executive said on Thursday, flagging an issue that also affects General Electric and other U.S. companies that depend on the agency's export financing. Boeing is on the verge of losing orders because only two of five seats on the agency's board are filled, not eno...

Airbus A400M Makes a Daring Landing on an Unpaved Airstrip

The A400M is a tactical four engine turboprop military plane that was designed for military cargo transport and is capable of refueling in flight. Primarily flown by the French and German Air force, the plane is put through rigorous tests before the completed machines are handed off. Oftentimes there isn’t a paved runway for the plane to land on, so Airbus Defense and Space routinely...

Hawaiian Airlines To Purchase Second Airbus Simulator For On-Site Pilot Training

Hawaiian Airlines announced that it has entered into an agreement with Lockheed Martin Commercial Flight Training to purchase a second Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for its pilot training facilities at its corporate headquarters in Honolulu. The new A320 series simulator will allow Hawaiian to continue its Advanced Qualification Program for pilots using the most advanced and sophisticated techn...

Drones Take the Place of Lasers as Top Concern for Airline Safety

You’re landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on the “expressway” approach—it’s called that because you come in low enough to buzz the Grand Central Parkway and Mets’ Citi Field before dropping down quickly on a runway that perches over the middle of a bay. As it is, it’s one of the more jarring landings in the U.S. What, then, would happen if a...

Air France Sticks with Struggling Vendor for Lie-Flat Seats Upgrade

Air France will invest 140 million euros ($159 million) extending a cabin refurbishment to its Airbus Group SE A330 fleet that will include lie-flat business-class seats from Zodiac Aerospace, the embattled supplier that has struggled to fulfill orders. The upgrade will begin late next year and finish in 2018, the airline said in a statement. Each of the twin-aisle planes will be equipped with...

Airbus displays ACJ319 at ABACE show

Airbus is exhibiting an ACJ319 at the ABACE show , where it will exemplify the larger and more modern corporate jets preferred by Chinese customers. The ACJ319 on display features conference, dining and lounge areas at the front, plus two separate rooms at the rear. It is offered for VVIP charter by Comlux The Aviation Group, and is certificated to transport 19 passengers – more than trad...