Aero-News Network: The aviation and aerospace world's daily/real-time news and information service

Las Vegas Helo Accident Spawns Second Lawsuit

Filing Made On Behalf Of Family Of Couple Fatally Injured In The Crash

A lawsuit has been filed in a Nevada court stemming from an accident involving a Las Vegas-based tour helicopter which went down near Lake Mead in December. The suit is the second to be filed following the accident.

Klapmeier Not Married To Maine For Kestrel Plant

City In Wisconsin Is Pitching For The Business

Alan Klapmeier's Kestrel airplane company, which was touted as one of the inaugural tenants for the newly re-developed Naval Air Station in Brunswick, ME, may not settle there after all. The city of Superior, WI, plans to make a bid for Kestrel, and the 300-600 jobs it would bring over the next several years.

USAF Evaluates Latest Predator Variant

Predator C 'Avenger' Is Larger, Faster, Stealthier

The Predator, a drone series manufactured by General Atomics, has established a reputation which extends beyond aviation and military circles. The US Air Force has now acquired its first example of the third generation of the UAV, called the Predator C Avenger, for testing. The aircraft reportedly makes another leap in capabilities for speed, stealth and payload.

NORAD Reports Two Intercepts On Opposite Ends Of The Country

Jets Scrambled For NORDO Aircraft In CA, DC

Two NORDO airplanes ... on in California and one in DC, have drawn the attention of NORAD over the past few days. Both airplanes eventually re-established radio contact, and left restricted airspace without incident.

Acclaimed Glider Pilot Seriously Injured

Mary Neighbour, 81, Was Avoiding House In Downdraft

Mary Neighbour has escaped the last ten British winters to enjoy Australian summers with her husband, Ted, flying gliders. But she's currently recovering from serious injuries in an Australian hospital after a crash thought to have been brought on by an unexpected downdraft.

NAFI, Avemco Offer New Non-Owned Insurance

Includes Discounted Premiums For Master Instructors

The National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) and Avemco Insurance Company kicked off the New Year Sunday with a joint announcement of a new aircraft insurance program for flight instructors flying aircraft they don't own.

Shuttle Sim Finds New Home In Academia

It's A Short Commute. 100 Miles From Johnson Space Center To Texas A&M

NASA's space shuttle simulator has gotten a new lease on life ... at Texas A & M University in College Station. The NASA-Texas A&M partnership will allow the university to house and showcase unique space shuttle training artifacts.

US Airways Flight 1549 Gets Its Wings

Historic A320 Being Reassembled In Charlotte

We all remember the dramatic live TV shots of passengers standing on the wings of US Airways Flight 1549, waiting to be rescued after the ditching that came to be known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." For the first time since the famous Airbus A320 was pulled from the Hudson River in New York City and disassembled in early 2009, its wings were put back in place last week at the North Carolina museum where it is now on permanent display.

Kent State To Dayton, The J-3 Way

Ohio Duo Plans Stops In All 88 Ohio Counties

Two aviation bloggers are going to attempt to fly to all 88 counties in Ohio as part of a trip to raise money for a new scholarship. They'll make the trip in a pair of 1946 Piper J-3 Cubs. While not exactly an FAI official category, the accomplishment will no doubt make for lots of smiles and great stories.

Delta's In The Dog House With This Customer

Navy Wife Says Airline Charged Her Credit Card For Someone Else's Pet

You've probably heard the phrase 'close enough for jazz', and that standard apparently applies when it comes to credit cards at Delta Airlines.

Aero-TV: Enhancing The Suite -- Mid-Continent's MD15 and MD25 Backup Instruments

MCI 2 Inch Gauges Offer Reliability and Redundancy In SMALL TSO'd Package

In a day and age when everything seems to have gone glass-panel, it behooves one to remember not to put all their faith in one set of instrumentation. Smart pilots always have a backup... and indeed, the FAA mandates much the same thing. So.. when Mid-Continent Instruments announced the TSO and delivery of the MD15 two-inch altimeter and the MD25 two-inch airspeed indicators, we decided it was time to check them out.

AMR Corp To Be Dropped From NYSE

Company 'No Longer Sustainable' For Listing

NYSE Regulation announced at the end of last week that it determined that the common stock of AMR Corporation (the “Company”) – ticker symbol AMR – and the related listed securities below, should be suspended prior to the opening on Thursday, January 5, 2012.

Clock Ticking On Sprint-LightSquared Deal

Extension Granted To Finalize A 15-Year Agreement Between The Two Companies

That sense of urgency that came through in the latest filing by LightSquared with the FCC asking that it expedite approval of plan to build a 4G wireless data network may stem at least in part from a deadline imposed by Sprint Nextel Corp, which had agreed to share network expansion and equipment costs over the next 15 years.

Air Transport Markets Weaken In November

IATA Report Shows Passenger Traffic Down Over Previous Months

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global traffic results for November showing a softening in passenger markets while air cargo markets remained weak compared to levels attained earlier in the year. Passenger traffic was 4.3% above November 2010 levels but this is skewed as November 2010 was a particularly weak month.

GA Airplanes A 'Luxury' According To Italian Government

Introduces 'Luxury Tax' That Could Spell The End To GA In The Country

The IAOPA says in its December newsletter that Italy has introduced a new 'luxury tax' on private aircraft, which will have a serious impact on the aviation industry and is likely to cost the country more than it brings in in revenue. The new tax will be levied on a sliding scale from €1.5 per kilogram (roughly a dollar a pound) per year for aircraft under 1,000 kgs to €7.55 per kg (about $5 per pound) for aircraft over 10,000 kg, with helicopters paying double.

Teamster Mechanics At United Airlines Approve Agreement

5,500 Aircraft Mechanics Gain Wage Increases, More Job Security Protections

Teamster aircraft mechanics and related workers at United Airlines overwhelmingly ratified a contract last last week that provides for significant wage increases, maintenance of health care benefits and enhanced job security protections.

Iowa Governor Branstad Declares December GA Appreciation Month

State Has Only Two Airports With 'Significant Airline Service'

Noting that aviation in Iowa supports more than 47,000 jobs and accounts for $18 billion of the state's economy, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad on December 19 issued a proclamation declaring December General Aviation (GA) Appreciation Month.

Banner Tow Plane Down In Jacksonville, FL

Pilot Fatally Injured In Departure Accident

A pilot working for a banner towing operation in Jacksonville, FL, was fatally injured Saturday when the Piper Pawnee he was flying went down in a shopping center parking lot near Jacksonville Executive Airport at Craig Field Saturday.