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

Aero-News Featured Aero-Casts For Thursday 03.03.11

ANN Daily Touch-And-Go: 03.03.11 (ANN's Short-Form Daily News Program) ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 03.03.11 (ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program) ANN Special Feature: Aircraft Ownership Matchmaking - 03.03.11 (ANN Special Report, with David Kruger)

Sun Country Pilots Applaud Airline’s Exit From Bankruptcy

Hope New Structure Leads Quickly To A New Contract

Sun Country Airlines has emerged from bankruptcy, a positive step that the airline’s 162 pilots hope will encourage their management to a speedy resolution of a new pilot contract.

NASA Continues Implementation of 2010 Authorization Act

Program Offices, New Technology Solicitations Announced

NASA has announced program office assignments at three NASA field centers to align the president's fiscal year 2012 budget request and the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. The agency also has released three Space Technology Program solicitations.

Chinese Aviation Sector Poised For Five-Year Growth

Plans For 45 Airports, 700 New Aircraft

It would seem that China's "investment" in Cirrus Design is just a drop in the bucket when it come to the country's planned growth in the aviation sector over the next five years.

New ICAO Document For Helicopter Flight Sim Training Devices

First Time Helo Simulation Has Been Exclusively Considered By ICAO

Under the auspices of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), an International Working Group (IWG) has been working Since early 2007 on developing new criteria for the classification and qualification of civil helicopter Flight Simulation Training Devices (FSTDs).

Certified In Australia: Piaggio P.180 Avanti II

Italian Planemaker Enters The Australian Market

The Piaggio P180 Avanti II has been certified by Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The company made the announcement at Avalon 2011, the Australian International Air Show.

Analyst Predicts $94 Billion Worldwide UAV Market

Teal Group Says UAV Spending Will Double In The Next 10 Years

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been the most dynamic growth sector of the world aerospace industry this decade, report Teal analysts in their latest integrated market analysis.

Area Where Amelia Earhart's Plane May Have Been Found Quarantined

Lockheed Electra May Be Located In 210 Of water Off The Coast Of New Guinea

Officials from Bougainville island off the coast of New Guinea say no one will be allowed in an area where the wreckage of Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra may be resting on the ocean floor.

Flight Attendant Union President Named To AFL-CIO Executive Council

Veda Shook Enters Into Influential Union Role

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Veda Shook was seated Tuesday on the Executive Council of the largest federation of unions in the United States, the AFL-CIO. Shook began her term as AFA International President in January 2011.

Six Year Chinook Contract Worth Nearly $21 Million Signed

BAE To Maintain And Support RAAF Helos

Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare said Monday that Defence had signed a contract with BAE Systems to maintain the Army's fleet of Chinook Helicopters. The $20.9 million contract means that BAE will maintain and support the Chinooks over the next six years.

NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour Set For Final Trip To Launch Pad

Launch Is Planned For April 19

Space shuttle Endeavour is set to move from the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at Kennedy Space Center to Launch Pad 39A on Wednesday, March 9, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Six astronauts are targeted to launch aboard the shuttle on April 19.

Companies Join Forces To Pursue AIR 9000 Phase 7 In Australia

AgustaWestland, CAE, BAE Systems To Provide Helicopter Training For Armed Forces

A helicopter manufacturer, a simulator company, and an aerospace giant have formed an an industry team to pursue the AIR 9000 Phase 7 program in Australia.

NetJets Buys Bombardier BizJets

Adds Bombardier Global Aircraft To The NetJets Fleet

NetJets has signed a purchase agreement with Bombardier Aerospace to add up to a combined 120 new Bombardier Global aircraft into the NetJets fleet.

Classic Aero-TV: Readying The Robby -- Pre-Flighting The R66 Turbine

Robinson's Evolutionary Turbine Five-Seater Is Ready To Rotor!!!

Boy... have we been waiting for this... our first flight in a CERTIFIED R66 Turbine helicopter -- and the only thing more impressive than our experience with this new bird was the fact that the actual result exceeded our expectations... and mind you, they were pretty damned high. STILL... before we get to the flight test, let's spend some time with Robinson Uber-Flyer Doug Tompkins as we preflight this amazing new machine.

FAA Official Assesses Commercial Spaceflight Risk

Associate Administrator For Commercial Space Transportation Addresses Orlando Conference

In a speech to the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference held in Orlando, FL, this week, Dr. George C. Nield, the FAA Associate Administrator For Commercial Space Transportation, said there needs to be an honest assessment about the risk involved in commercial spaceflight.

Six Cylinder Diesel Engine Announced For Diamond Projects

New Powerplants Developed For The DA50 Magnum And "Future Small Aircraft"

Two of Austria’s key engine development companies, Austro Engine and Steyr Motors, signed a cooperation agreement Wednesday to develop a 280 hp 6 cylinder aircraft engine.

FAA To Hold First Annual Noise Impacts 'Roadmap' Meeting

Group To Study The Impact Of Aviation Noise And Develop Solutions

The FAA has posted notice in the Federal Register that the First Annual Meeting of the Aviation Noise Impacts Roadmap will be held on April 19–20, 2011, in Washington, DC.

Cessna Delivers First International Skycatcher

Airplane Goes Down Under, Will Spend A Year As A Sales Demo

The first international delivery of a Model 162 Skycatcher has been made to a customer in Australia, according to a news release Wednesday from Cessna. The aircraft will be on display at the Australian International Airshow - Avalon 2011 - in early March.

NASA's Glory Satellite Scheduled For March 4 Launch

Issues Which Caused Scrub On February 23rd Resolved

NASA's Glory spacecraft is scheduled for launch on Friday, March 4. Technical issues with ground support equipment for the Taurus XL launch vehicle led to the scrub of the original Feb. 23 launch attempt. Those issues have been resolved.

TSA Agent Accused Of Helping Drug Dealers At KBUF

Airport Screener Arrested, Pleads "Not Guilty"

A TSA screener at Buffalo Niagara Airport (KBUF) has been arrested on charges she assisted "known drug traffickers" is getting through airport security.

Aero-News: Quote Of The Day (03.03.11)

"To imply that only NASA is capable of safely flying people to space, or that American industry isn’t capable of doing the job equally well, if not better, is not only unfair, it’s just flat-out wrong." Source: Dr. George C. Nield, FAA Associate Administrator For Commercial Space Transportation.