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

CHC Helicopters Planning To Go Public

Commences Initial Public Offering Of Its Ordinary Shares

CHC Group Ltd., the parent company of CHC Helicopter S.A., announced an initial public offering of 29,412,000 of its ordinary shares Monday, all of which will be offered by the company.

SNC Announces International Expansion Of Dream Chaser Space System

Finalizes Agreements With ESA And German Aerospace Center

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has announced the global expansion of the Dream Chaser Space System through recently finalized cooperative understandings with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). SNC will work with each agency on the potential application of European technologies to both the current Dream Chaser design, and advanced derivative versions of the vehicle.

Murphy Aircraft Mfg. Ltd. Is For Sale

Founder Darryl Murphy Retiring After Thirty Years In The Kit Business

Murphy Aircraft Manufacturing Ltd. announced in a news release Thursday that the company is being offered for sale, hopefully to someone who can take the company to the next stage of development.

Four Years After Devastating Earthquake, Helicopter EMS Service Lands In Haiti

Operations Set To Begin In March

Haiti Air Ambulance (HAA), a New York not-for-profit corporation, will offer Haiti's first helicopter emergency medical beginning service this spring. Funded entirely from private contributions and operated to FAA air ambulance standards, the new service will be officially announced this Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, in Haiti.

Special FAI Medals, Safety Delegate For 2014 Red Bull Air Race Season

Races To Be Sanctioned By Record-Keeping Organization

Following the announcement of the resumption of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2014, the FAI and the Red Bull Air Race management have signed an agreement confirming FAI’s official international recognition of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship as well as detailing the FAI’s support in the form of safety supervision.

Boeing, Air Algerie Announce Commitment For Eight Next-Generation 737-800s

Order Will Be Worth $724 Million At List Prices When Finalized

Boeing and Air Algerie have announced a commitment for eight Next-Generation 737-800 airplanes. When finalized, the order will be worth $724 million at list prices and will be posted to the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website. The announcement represents a key part of the airline's continued fleet renewal and expansion.

NASA Makes Contact with Firefly CubeSat

Spacecraft Reports It Is 'Healthy' And Ready To Get To Work

A NASA team made first contact with the National Science Foundation-funded Firefly spacecraft at 1933 EST on Jan. 6, 2014. On the first pass, the team – based out of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA – received enough data to show that the spacecraft was healthy and transmitting a strong signal.

It's Official: Eurocopter Is Now Airbus Helicopters

Rebranding Became Effective Wednesday

The rebranding of Eurocopter as Airbus Helicopters, effective Wednesday, marks a new era in the history of the company, which joins Airbus and Airbus Defense & Space within the new Airbus Group – the global leader in aerospace, defense and related services.

U.K. AAIB Releases Report From 2010 OV-10B Bronco Accident

Pilot Survived, But Sustained Serious Injuries

The U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has released a report from an accident which occurred on July 10, 2012 at Cotswold (Kemble) Airport in Gloucestershire.

B-52 Upgrade To Increase Smart-Weapons Capacity

Precision-Guided Weapons Will Be Carried In The Aircraft's Bomb Bay

Tinker (OK) AFB Airmen will update ground maintenance and mission planning software in support of a new Air Force contract that will increase the B-52 Stratofortress's "smart-weapons" capacity by 50 percent. The $24.6 million agreement stipulates that Boeing will develop a modification to existing weapon launchers so the aircraft can carry smart weapons in the bomb bay, which will enable aircrews to use the B-52's entire weapons capacity.

AD: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (Sikorsky) Helicopters

AD NUMBER: 2013-26-13

PRODUCT: Sikorsky Model S-70, S-70A, S-70C, S-70C (M), and S-70C (M1) helicopters with General Electric (GE) T700-GE-401C or T700-GE-701C engines installed.

AD: Embraer S.A. Airplanes

AD NUMBER: 2013-25-04

PRODUCT: Certain Embraer S.A. Model ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of failures of the emergency slide on the forward passenger door, which prevented the door from opening.

Senators Urge Full Funding Of FAA Contract Towers

Inhofe, Manchin Send A Letter To Leadership Of Appropriations Committee And Its Transportation Subcommittee

U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) sent a letter Thursday to leadership members of the Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) and the SAC's Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) urging that members fully fund the FAA's Contract Tower Program.

NTSB Provides Update On Boeing 787 Battery Fire Investigation

Probable Cause Announcement Planned 'In The Fall'

The investigative work into the Jan. 7, 2013, fire aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston, is estimated to be completed by the end of March, the NTSB said Wednesday. The analytical and report writing phase of the investigation will follow the completion of the investigative activities.

Air Force, Navy Update Information Following Fatal Accidents

Airmen’s Identities Released Following U.K Accident

Both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy provided updates Thursday from helicopter accidents on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean which resulted in fatal injuries.

Cygnus Heads To Space For First Station Resupply Mission

Launch Delayed By A Day Due To High Levels Of Space Radiation

NASA commercial partner Orbital Sciences Corporation launched its Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard the Antares rocket at 1307 EST Thursday from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for the Orbital-1 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station.

IMC Club President Pans FAA's ATD Policy Change

Says Safety Will Be Compromised By Discouraging Simulator Use

IMC Club International president Radek Wyrzykowski panned the FAA’s Notice of Policy Change in the Federal Register for the reduction of time allowed in FAA Approved Training Devices (ATDs) in a statement released Thursday. The policy change would cut to 10 the number of simulator hours that can be logged toward an instrument rating.

A350 XWB In Bolivia For High Altitude Testing

MSN3 To Validate Full Functionality Of Engines And Systems At Extreme Altitudes

The A350 XWB development aircraft, MSN3, is in Bolivia where it will perform a series of tests at the high altitude airfields of Cochabamba and La Paz. Cochabamba is around 8,300 feet above sea level, and La Paz is one of the world’s highest airports at 13,300 feet.

Klyde Morris 01.10.14

It Always Comes Down To The Bottom Line, Klyde

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Aero-News: Quote Of The Day (01.10.14)

"As you finalize negotiations on the fiscal year 2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, we urge you to include language ensuring full and dedicated funding for the Contract Tower Program as part of the fiscal year 2014 budget for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)." Source: Letter sent by U.S. Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) to leadership members of multiple appropriations committees.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (01.10.14): Execute Missed Approach

Instructions issued to a pilot making an instrument approach which means continue inbound to the missed approach point and execute the missed approach procedure as described on the Instrument Approach Procedure Chart or as previously assigned by ATC.