Breitling Jet Team Among The Acts Invited For The Show

The China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, is has its sights set on more international exposure and recognition. To achieve that, the country has invited a variety of precision flying acts to perform, including the Breitling Jet Team.

ICAO Safety Audit Indicates That Resources Are Insufficient To Properly Investigate Safety Lapses

Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers attending the 40th AEI (Aircraft Engineers International) Annual Congress in Valletta, Malta, were presented with a body of evidence detailing safety lapses by both commercial operators and aviation regulators. Delegates were informed that recent ICAO safety audit results revealed an average rate of compliance with their regulations of around 60% while national aviation safety regulator staffing levels have on average only attained 24% of their target levels.

Instrument Will Fly As A Hosted Payload On A Mission Around 2017

NASA has selected a proposal from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, MA, to build the first space-based instrument to monitor major air pollutants across the North American continent hourly during daytime. The instrument, to be completed in 2017 at a cost of not more than $90 million, will share a ride on a commercial satellite as a hosted payload to an orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth's equator.

The New Airplane Will Be The First ATR 42 Of The Latest -600 Series To Enter Into Commercial Service In Tanzania

Tanzanian carrier Precision Air Services has taken delivery of the first ATR 42-600 to go into scheduled commercial service. It is also airline’s first brand new -600 series aircraft out of 5 (4 ATR 42-600s and 1 ATR 72-600) ordered in December 2011. The official ceremony which took place Thursday at the ATR Delivery Center in Toulouse, France, was attended by Alfonse Kioko, CEO of Precision Air Services and Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO.

Educational Rover Controlled From ISS

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully have used an experimental version of interplanetary Internet to control an educational rover from the International Space Station. The experiment used NASA's Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol to transmit messages and demonstrate technology that one day may enable Internet-like communications with space vehicles and support habitats or infrastructure on another planet.

Public-Private Partnerships Overwhelmingly Favored By Conference Participants

During ILA Berlin on September 12th, the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking and the European Commission jointly held an Industry Consultation about the extension of Clean Sky under Horizon 2020. Gathering around 120 representatives and stakeholders from across the aerospace industry, it provided an excellent forum for discussion and attendees had the opportunity to get a better insight about the progress and current proposal on Clean Sky 2.

Combination Of Services Provides Added Value For New Government Customer

AAR said Wednesday that it has sourced and is modifying two Boeing 737-400 aircraft for Colombia's Air Force, Fuerza Aerea Colombiana (FAC). The program is expected to generate approximately $31 million in the second half of the Company's current fiscal year. The program marks the first time AAR has supplied assets and services for Colombia's Air Force.

Devices Being Delivered To TSA For Deployment

The Security and Detection Systems division of L-3 Communications has received an award from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to supply the second generation of Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) systems. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract has a ceiling value of $245 million.

Paving The Way For Reduced Emissions, Optimizing Airspace Capacity Throughout The North Atlantic And Continental Europe

Airbus and its air traffic management (ATM) subsidiaries – Airbus ProSky, Quovadis and Metron Aviation – together with the EADS division Cassidian, have all been selected to participate in the upcoming SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) Integrated Flight Trials.

AD NUMBER: 2012-22-10

PRODUCT: certain Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, & 702) airplanes, Model CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) airplanes, Model CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes, and Model CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes.

AD NUMBER: 2012-22-12

PRODUCT: All Airbus Model A330-243, -243F, -341, -342, and -343 airplanes.

Audit Clears Progressive Aerodyne To Offer Ready-Built Amphibs To World-Wide Market

OK... we needed some good news, and here it is. One of our favorite little Amphibs (one of the nicest that ANN's Jim Campbell has ever evaluated... of over 1200 types in the last 40 years) has received the necessary blessings from the requisite authorities to be offered for sale, fully-built, to the flying public. Progressive Aerodyne, Inc., (PA) the manufacturer of SeaRey, Light Sport Amphibian Airplane, successfully passed an FAA Light Sport Aircraft Prototype Audit by the audit team from FAA AIR-200 in Washington D.C. and obtained an airworthiness certification from the FAA Orlando MIDO (Manufacturing Inspection District Offices) office on November 8, 2012.

3rd Edition of Massive SportPlane Compendium Will Concentrate on LSA's and Affordable Aircraft

It's been a number of years since the Latest Edition of Jim Campbell's HUGE SportPlane Resource Guide first saw the light of day. The 1100 page book last featured over 740 exciting sport aircraft from all over the SportPlane universe... at a time when the SportPlane industry was still a healthy, thriving enterprise (those were the days...). While there has been some consideration, off and on, toward updating the nearly 5 pound book, the near implosion of the SportPlane and kit industry over the last decade has made such a pursuit an unwieldy one... until now.

Also: Jack Greiner, Bombardier, Horizon Air, Ditching Video, Obama's 2nd Term

With a challenge to legislators and a promise to industry regulators, GAMA on Wednesday released the results of the first nine months of general aviation industry shipments and billings for 2012. Airplane shipments increased .2 percent compared to 2011 while the accompanying value of the airplane deliveries rose 1.4 percent. Cmdr. Tom Frosch relieved Capt. Greg McWherter as Blue Angel commanding officer/flight leader and commented on his optimism for the future and pride in taking command of the prestigious squadron. Kit builders will be pleased to learn that Quicksilver Aero

Klyde... The Election Is OVER!

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Pilot Identified As Part Of 'Operation Frozen Timber'

A Canadian helicopter pilot who flew loads of drugs into the U.S. from Canada for organized criminal groups was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison and five years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. Henry Rosenau, 61, of Armstrong, British Columbia, Canada pleaded guilty in July 2012 to conspiracy to import marijuana, just hours before he was to go on trial for a second time.

Flight To Be Allowed Over Moscow River Riverbed, Avoiding 'Danger' To Moscow Citizens

Russia's capital might soon allow private helicopter flights over the Moscow River riverbed, a route that the government says will reduce "danger to its citizens in unforeseen circumstances." This issue is said to be a high priority for the Russian government, according to Russian Management company Satellit Development LLC. Helicopter flights have been allowed for some time over the Neva River in St. Petersburg.

Teacher, Air Force Veteran Steve Heck Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

Lieutenant Colonel Steve Heck (USAF-ret.) is being honored by the State of Ohio for his work with Citizens in Space, a non-profit project that promotes citizen science and citizen space exploration. Lt. Col. Heck is one of 15 veterans who will be inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Thursday by Governor John Kasich in a ceremony at the National Museum of the US Air Force here in Dayton.

Second NEO Order For The Taiwanese Company

TransAsia Airways of Taiwan has placed a firm order with Airbus for another six A321neo aircraft. The new aircraft will be part of the airline’s fleet expansion and will allow it to develop new routes to regional destinations. The aircraft will be powered by Pratt and Whitney PW1100G engines. The latest contract takes TransAsia Airways’ total orders for Airbus single aisle aircraft to 29, of which 11 have already been delivered.

Kuiper Belt A region in our outer solar system where many "short-period" comets originate. The orbits of short-period comets are less than 200 years. This region begins near Neptune’s orbit at 30 astronomical units (AU) and extends to about 50 AU away from the Sun. An astronomical unit is the average distance between Earth and the Sun. The Kuiper Belt may have as many as 100 million comets.

Aero Linx: The Royal Aeronautical Society The World's Foremost Aerospace Community: The Royal Aeronautical Society is the world's only professional body dedicated to the entire aerospace community. Established in 1866 to further the art, science and engineering of aeronautics, the Society has been at the forefront of developments in aerospace ever since. The main areas of Governance of the Society are managed by the Directorate of the Society. At the centre of this function is the Society's Council, acting as the Board of Trustees of the Society who may address any matter of significance to the Society in addition to any other mandatory responsibilities laid on them by the Society’s By-Laws.

"It was very commendable..." Source: Quote attributed to one of the auditors evaluating Progressive Aerodyne's SeaRey for ASTM compliance. The manufacturer of SeaRey, Light Sport Amphibian Airplane, successfully passed an FAA Light Sport Aircraft Prototype Audit by the audit team from FAA AIR-200 in Washington D.C. and obtained an airworthiness certification from the FAA Orlando MIDO (Manufacturing Inspection District Offices) office on November 8, 2012.