50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United States aviation news

Producers of Tom Cruise's Mena sued for wrongful death after plane crash

Last September, American film pilot Alan Purwin and Carlos Berl of Colombian were killed when a plane used for the Tom Cruise film Mena crashed in Colombia. Now his widow, Kathryn Purwin, has filed a wrongful death suit against producers on the project. According to court documents obtained by EW, Cross Creek Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Vendian Entertainment, and Quadrant Pictures are name...

Plenty of Passengers, but Where Are the Pilots?

DELAYS or cancellations because of bad weather or mechanical problems are exasperating but common occurrences in air travel, but increasingly, passengers aren’t making it to their destinations for yet another reason: not enough pilots. The gate agent may not tell you that’s why you’re grounded, but a dearth of qualified pilots is disrupting, reducing and even eliminating flights....

FedDev Ontario provides $4.87 million for Flying Colours expansion plans

The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario has announced a $4.87 million finance injection into Flying Colours the Canadian aviation services company that deals with aircraft refits. Maryam Monsef, Canadian minister of democratic Institutions, and Navdeep Bains minister of innovation for science and economic development, announced the deal. A global aviation services compan...

Textron Aviation enhances sales network in Africa

Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, today announced it has enhanced its sales relationships with existing channel partners Africair Inc. and Absolute Aviation Group so that both now offer the complete Beechcraft and Cessna product lines throughout their territories in Africa. Africair has been a Cessna authorized sales representative for more than 40 years throughout central and no...

Norwegian’s subsidiary Norwegian Air International Receives Tentative Approval to fly to the United States

The U.S. Department of Transportation has today issued an order proposing to grant a foreign air carrier permit to Norwegian Air International.When made final, the permit will allow Norwegian Air International to begin operations to the U.S., including the first-ever service between Boston and Cork, Ireland. “A final approval, based on the Open Skies Agreement between the U.S. and EU, wil...

Corporate Angel Network To Make 50,000th Flight

Tonight, Corporate Angel Network (CAN) will complete its 50,000th flight by transporting one-year-old cancer patient Baron Yerbe and his parents from New York-area Teterboro Airport to Atlanta. Yerbe, who was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer at three months old, had been receiving treatment at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. The flight is being provided by Atlanta-...

Boeing wins U.S. Army helicopter deal worth $1.5 billion

Boeing Co. on Thursday said it had won a U.S. Army contract valued at about $1.5 billion to remanufacture 117 AH-64D Apache helicopters to the new AH-64E model. The agreement brings the total number of AH-64E model Apaches under contract for the Army to 290, with an additional 400 helicopters likely to be ordered in coming years. The agreement modifies an existing contact between Boeing...

Rolls-Royce opens first service delivery centre in the US

Rolls-Royce has opened a new Service Delivery Center at Naval Air Station Kingsville (TX) to support T-45 aircraft used to train US Navy and Marine Corps pilots. The Service Delivery Center (SDC), the first such facility opened by Rolls-Royce in the United States, provides on-site support to repair engines and manage service operations forRolls-Royce F405 (Adour) engines, which p...

Boeing’s new 737 economy seats are inspired by office furniture

In a move that could foresee big changes in aircraft seat manufacturing, Boeing is purchasing seats for the 737 direct from a new supplier. LIFT by EnCore, the new seat manufacturer Boeing has picked to deliver better economy seats to the 737 Boeing Sky Interior, is on a mission to give a big comfort boost to passengers in the cheap seats. "It's the forgotten class, I think," s...

Sikorsky CH-53K programme puts gearbox issues behind it

US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) appears to be confident that the Sikorsky CH-53K programme has put the gearbox failures and parts delays experienced prior to first flight in October 2015 behind it, but the Lockheed Martin-owned helicopter manufacturer won’t receive bonus cheques for lateness. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently stated that the King Stallion’...

Gogo announces affordable hourly rate pricing plans from $39 for turboprop and light jet markets

Gogo Inc., the leading provider of in-flight connectivity and wireless entertainment solutions to the global aero market, today announces new hourly pricing plans for turboprop and light jet operators, making connectivity affordable and predictable for airframes of all types. Starting at $39 per hour, the new service plans provide the convenience of in-flight connectivity with predict...

Gulfstream fleet continues to grow in greater China

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced that its fleet in Greater China (China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan) has grown to more than 165 aircraft and makes up more than half of the Asia-Pacific fleet, the company’s largest internationally. “We have experienced tremendous growth in Greater China, particularly on the mainland, where we had 30 aircraft in 2010 and now have more than 100...