Bell Helicopter, announced a signed purchase agreement with Aichi Prefecture for a Bell 412EPI configured for parapublic operations and used specifically for firefighting missions and disaster relief. “The selection of the Bell 412EPI will enhance Aichi’s capability and help ensure the safety and security of citizens throughout the region,” said Richard Thornley...
There are few options for replacing electromechanical attitude indicators and heading indicators on medium and heavy helicopters, but Astronautics has figured out a simple solution that takes advantage of existing wiring and panel architecture while adding modern glass cockpit capabilities. The Astronautics RoadRunner, announced at Heli-Expo 2016, is a simple upgrade for electromechanical ins...
Four Israel Air Force fighter jets almost collided with a Cracow bound Ryanair passenger plane over central Israel Tuesday, Channel 2 reported. The Ryanair pilot's last minute reaction averted the collision, according to the report. The Ryanair flight took took off from Ovda Airport north of the southern resort city of Eilat and was at an altitude of 27,000 feet when it encou...
The new model is said to be about 20 per cent more fuel efficient than existing models, and could help Singapore Airlines save costs amid heating competition with Gulf carriers. Singapore Airlines (SIA) has successfully completed the first maiden test flight of its first Airbus A350-900 in Toulouse, France - home of aircraft maker Airbus - and is set to pick up the keys on Thursday (Mar 3).&nbs...
The DJI Phantom 4 can see and avoid obstacles in its path. Chinese drone maker DJI wants to make flying a drone so easy that anyone can do it, thanks to easier-to-use controls and the ability to avoid obstacles. The $1,399 Phantom 4 can see and automatically avoid dangerous obstructions thanks to a new set of front-facing sensors. If the drone doesn’t think it can make it around a...
An older version began with Apples and Butter, while soldiers in the First World War preferred Ack and Beer. Sixty years ago today, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) implemented the final version of the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet – known to most people as the Nato phonetic alphabet, or simply the Alpha, Bravo, Charlie alphabet. What is it for?...
The refurbishment of the first of 13 aircraft operated by the Scottish airline Loganair has been completed. The interior of the Saab 340 that flies to and from Orkney was stripped out and renewed and the exterior repainted at a cost of almost £270,000. Loganair, a franchise partner of Flybe, will spend £3.5m having the same work done to the rest of its fleet. The first stage i...
Little is known as yet about the behavior of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) during a flight. As part of the Clean Sky research initiative and with the help of a measurement configuration based on fiber optics, Fraunhofer researchers have accurately verified the degree to which CFRP parts deform during flight. The pilots starts his takeoff. The tires slowly leave the asphalt. On board:...
Community and Public Sector Union considering rolling airport strikes over the Easter holidays ‘if the government continues with their attack on workplace rights’. Easter travel plans could be thrown into chaos with Border Force and immigration department staff at international airports across Australia to take strike action on the eve of Good Friday. The Community and Public Sec...
Airbus Group SE said a new version of the A380 superjumbo is unlikely to enter the market until the mid-2020s as the double-decker jetliner’s biggest operator, Emirates Airline, struggles with limits on flights from its home market. Emirates has pressed Airbus to develop a re-engined model of the world’s biggest passenger plane, the backbone of its international fleet, promising an...
They’re the people who put all that sophisticated equipment to work. On commercial airlines, there are always at least two pilots, and on many flights, there are three. All airline pilots have had extensive training and flying experience, often as part of military service. The road from the first training flight to the airline cockpit is a long and difficult one, but for many pilots, this is...
Welcome aboard Emirates EK448 and congratulations, you're on the world's longest passenger flight. Weary but happy passengers at Auckland International Airport on Wednesday said they found out at the last minute they were on the world's first 16 hour-plus flight, from Dubai. Palmerston North expat New Zealander Cameron White said he got a message from his brot...
Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS) announced that the country’s first budget airline will fly under the brand name ‘Salam Air’. Homage to Oman’s deeply-rooted culture and long-standing history as an ambassador of peace, the name, which is derived from the Arabic greeting, is a result of a nationwide public poll conducted on the online social networki...
Singapore Airlines will launch the inaugural long-haul flight of its new Airbus A350-900 fleet to Amsterdam on 9 May 2016. The A350 will serve the Airline’s daily flight to Amsterdam as SQ324, as well as its return flight SQ323. Today’s announcement comes a day before Singapore Airlines is due to take delivery of its first A350-900 at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Toulouse. Prior...
Key results in 2015: Passenger numbers grow by 11 per cent to 2.55 million Cargo tonnage rises by 39 per cent to 3,756 tonnes Total Available Seat Kilometres up by 3 per cent to 3.65 billion• Seat load factor increases by four percentage points to 71 percentage points Number of codeshare destinations increases to 78 cities Frequency increases on seven popular routes Air Serbia, the...
Air cargo has got off to a bad start in 2016 with volumes growing by just 0.3 per cent year-on-year in January, according to WorldACD Market Data. Europe bucked this particular trend, with the continent’s export air cargo traffic up by five per cent year-on-year and its import volumes up by 1.5 per cent. Asia Pacific struggled due to China suffering an unexpectedly deep export slump in Ja...
In the face of a slower global economic growth environment and increased volatility in oil and gas-related markets, the helicopter industry is reacting with a cautious outlook for near-term new purchases. In its 18th annual Turbine-Powered Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook, Honeywell forecasts 4,300 to 4,800 civilian-use helicopters will be delivered from 2016 to 2020, roughly 400 helicopter...
Textron Aviation, announced it has expanded its PowerAdvantage engine support program to Beechcraft King Air and Cessna Caravan turboprop platforms. Part of the company’s ProAdvantage suite of support programs, PowerAdvantage offers owners and operators comprehensive PT6A engine coverage with predictable costs for both routine and most unscheduled engine maintenance events. “ProAdva...
Esterline CMC Electronics CMA-9000 Flight Management System (FMS) and CMA-5024 Global Positioning System (GPS) Landing System Sensor have been selected as the navigation solution for use on both the AC312C and AC312E helicopters. The AC312C/E will be the latest-generation, twin-engine helicopters from Avicopter and are well suited for a full range of missions, including law enforcement, searc...
BBA Aviation Global Engine Services companies Dallas Airmotive and H+S Aviation have added a series of new capabilities that expand their coverage to 65 percent of the world’s rotorcraft fleets. The new capabilities–including support for the PW200, PW210, PT6T and PT6C-67 (supported by H+S Aviation only)–are part of a multi-year effort to significant...
Finmeccanica Helicopters is stressing the lighter portion of its portfolio of AW models here at Heli-Expo in the wake of continuing softness in the offshore energy market. “We want to show the versatility of our product portfolio and have invested in new products at the right time that have come to market in a timely fashion. There is a general worry about the oil-and-gas down...
