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France aviation news

ASL Airlines France to offer a new service from Bordeaux to Hamburg

ASL Airlines France announces the launch of a new route between Bordeaux and Hamburg for the 2016 summer season. The second unprecedented route out of Bordeaux 
ASL Airlines France today announced the launch of its inaugural flight between Bordeaux and Hamburg, following its first route out of Bordeaux, which linked the city to Vienna. ‘With the success of its inaugural service to...

French daredevil plummets 100ft to his death after hot air balloon stunt goes wrong

A man known for his high-risk tightrope walking has died in a stunt that went wrong. Tancrede Melet, a slackliner, jumper and wingsuiter from France, accidentally fell more than 100ft to his death while getting ready to perform with a hot air balloon. He was taking part in an artistic project, believed to be tightrope walking between hot air balloons, at the time and fell while being suspend...

France to take six additional NH90 helicopters

France has ordered six additional NHIndustries NH90 troop transport helicopters for its army, increasing the service’s eventual inventory to 74. Deliveries of the 11t-class rotorcraft are due to take place between 2017 and 2019. “The French armed forces have deployed the NH90 operationally in Mali where its outstanding endurance, versatility and manoeuvrability have been greatly...

Airbus introduces a system to jam drones out of the sky

For every cheap flying robot, there is an elaborate, expensive system to counter it. The latest anti-drone tool comes from European aerospace and defense giant Airbus, and promises a high-tech solution to small flying robots. They’re showing off the system at the Consumer Electronics Exposition in Las Vegas, though no word yet on if they’ve caused any nearby drones to crash. From Ai...

André Turcat, Concorde pilot - obituary

André Turcat, who has died aged 94, was the chief test pilot for the Concorde programme and was at the controls of the supersonic airliner on its first flight; a few weeks later he took the jet through the sound barrier for the first time. The idea of a supersonic transport (SST) was first conceived in the late 1950s and led to an Anglo-French agreement to develop an airliner – Con...

Dassault Falcon Sales, Deliveries Drop in 2015

Dassault Falcon sales declined by 72 percent last year compared with 2014, according to preliminary numbers released today by the French aircraft manufacturer. In 2015, Dassault reported 45 gross Falcon sales, but a NetJets cancellation of 20 Falcon 2000s brought the net tally to just 25 aircraft. The previous year totaled 90 net Falcon orders. For 2015, Dassault cited “the economic...

Air France pays tribute to its last Boeing 747 with its customers

Air France salutes with emotion the departure of its Boeing 747 from its long-haul fleet, after more than forty years of idyllic travel by Jumbo Jet. On this occasion, the Company is inviting its customers to share in several different celebrations. Special open days at the Air and Space Museum at Le Bourget Air France and the Air and Space Museum at Le Bourget are organizing special visits...

Air France Industries to Upgrade Four A330s with Rockwell Collins’ PAVES™ Passenger

Air France Industries will soon upgrade four Airbus A330 aircraft for one of its customers with Rockwell Collins’ PAVES™ Passenger Services System (PSS). The standalone, cost-effective reading light and cabin crew call system with USB charging port brings several benefits, including a significant reduction in aircraft weight. Depending on the system it replaces, PAVES PSS can bring...

Airbus Helicopters delivers four more H135s to Polish EMS operator

Polish emergency medical services (EMS) operator Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR) has taken delivery of four additional Airbus Helicopters H135 light twins, taking its fleet of the type to 27 units. The latest examples are all powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206BB engines and delivery to Warsaw-headquartered LPR took place following an acceptance procedure at the manufacturer's Do...

Consolidated PBY "Catalina"

The Consolidated PBY "Catalina" is a military aircraft designed in the 1930s (First flight March 28, 1935) in the United States. It is widely used during World War II, as the US military than that of other allied countries, performing a wide variety of missions (anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort, sea rescue, etc.). Very reliable and able to fly great distances, there were about...

Second H160 helicopter to fly shortly

Airbus Helicopters intends to perform a maiden sortie of the second flight-test prototype of its H160 medium twin-engined rotorcraft in the coming days, having missed a self-imposed end-2015 deadline for the milestone. The manufacturer says the minor slippage in the schedule was to ensure the helicopter can move straight into the certification test programme as soon as it has completed its init...

Sabena technics wins its first B777 cabin modification

The French MRO provider, Sabena technics, has recently welcomed its first Boeing 777 for airframe modifications since obtaining its rating approval. According to the agreement, Sabena technics will perform cabin & systems modifications on two Boeing 777 aircraft from Air France in their dedicated maintenance facilities in Bordeaux (France). Modifications will include the integrati...