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April 24, 2008

Frank Thielert Ousted From Company He Founded

Company Files For Insolvency

Aero-News has received word two members of the board at Thielert AG were dismissed over discrepancies with the company's annual financial statements for the years 2003 through 2005. One of those people is company founder and former CEO Frank Thielert (shown below); the other, former Chief Financial Officer Roswitha Grosser.

State Legislature Continues Use Tax Policy Against Transient Aircraft

If you purchased your plane within the past year, you'll probably want to continue avoiding flying it in Maine. Legislative appropriators gutted a bill this week that would have exempted out-of-state aircraft from the state's use tax.

NATCA Says IG Report Finally Exposed Agency "Cover-Up"

There was something rotten at the Dallas-Fort Worth TRACON... and steps have been taken to correct the situation. So says the FAA, which on Thursday announced the removal of two high-level managers from the Terminal Approach Control facility, following a report by the US Department of Transportation's Inspector General (IG) that revealed what the agency calls "the intentional misclassification of operational errors."

Larger Facility Needed To Accomodate Growing Staff

The Aircraft Electronics Association had a big announcement for members attending its convention this week in Washington, DC... the organization will soon be moving to larger digs near Kansas City, MO.

Tom Sternig, Paul Brenner, And Bruce Baxter Honored Thursday

With a membership of more than 1,300 companies from around the world, this year’s AEA International Convention & Trade Show in the nation’s capital truly is an international affair. The AEA’s membership spans 35 countries, with members from 15 of those countries attending this year’s convention in Washington, DC.

Voting Concludes Thursday During Convention In Washington, DC

The members of the Aircraft Electronics Association Trusteeship Committee presented the following slate of nominees for election to the AEA Board of Directors for the term of April 2008 to April 2011.

AD: Boeing

AD NUMBER: 2008-09-07 MANUFACTURER: Boeing SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2008-09-07 SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Boeing Model 757 airplanes and Model 767-200, 767-300, and 767-300F series airplanes.

Say What???

Critics of the proposed merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines -- including a number of skeptical lawmakers -- have said repeatedly the formation of the mega-airline would serve to raise ticket prices and reduce customer choice, due to the resulting loss of competition. But one group says that won't be the case.

Ends Codeshare Agreement With Republic Airways

Frontier Airlines Holdings announced Thursday it has reached a mutual agreement with Republic Airways to early terminate the airlines' code sharing agreement, which will gradually phase out Republic's 12 aircraft from Frontier's daily operation by mid-June. The airline also announced it would end service to six cities -- including Jacksonville, FL and Memphis -- by the first of June.

Man Says UFOs Were Actually Untethered Flares, Orbiting

About 11 years ago, thousands of Phoenix-area residents reported seeing several lights in a "V" formation hovering over the city. The US Air Force said the so-called "Phoenix Lights" were flares, but many still believe they were of extraterrestrial origin.

Compares Exploration To Christopher Columbus' Voyage

Professor Stephen Hawking honored the 50th anniversary of NASA by calling for a space exploration program which includes establishing an experimental base on the Moon within 30 years.

Local Officials May Proceed With Study Anyway

The FAA has announced it will not participate in funding a master plan at Hilton Head Island Airport in South Carolina.

Aero-News Featured Aero-Casts For Thursday 04.24.08

Getting 'Typed' On A DC-3, With Dan Gryder

ANN Daily Touch N Go: 04.24.08 (ANN's Short-Form Daily News Program) ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 04.24.08 (ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program) ANN Special Feature -- Get 'Typed' On A Gooney Bird! 04.24.08 (ANN Special Report, with Dan Gryder, on his DC-3 type-rating course.)

FAA Grants To Improve Ops At Northern GA Fields

Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar -- who has been making his share of headlines lately, as the crackdown continues on suspect FAA inspection procedures at the nation's airlines -- announced Tuesday five northern Minnesota general aviation airports will get grants totalling more than a million dollars from the FAA.

NOTAM Number: FDC 8/4704 Issue Date: April 24, 2008 at 0018 UTC Location: Valparaiso, Florida Beginning Date and Time: April 25, 2008 at 1540 UTC Ending Date and Time: April 25, 2008 at 1840 UTC Reason for NOTAM: Temporary flight restrictions for VIP (Very Important Person) Movement Type: VIP Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A

NOTAM Number: FDC 8/4773 Issue Date: April 24, 2008 at 1338 UTC Location: 12 WEST OF NOGALESAZ , Arizona near NOGALES VOR/DME (OLS) Beginning Date and Time: Effective Immediately 1200 UTC TO 0500 UTC DAILY Ending Date and Time: Until further notice Reason for NOTAM: TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR FIRE FIGHTING Type: Hazards Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A Pilots May Contact: ALBUQUERQUE (ZAB) Automated Flight Service Station, 505-856-4580

NOTAM Number: FDC 8/4787 Issue Date: April 24, 2008 at 1442 UTC Location: CALEDONIA , Mississippi near CALEDONIA VORTAC (CBM) Beginning Date and Time: Effective Immediately Ending Date and Time: Until further notice Reason for NOTAM: Temporary flight restrictions Type: Hazards Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A

NOTAM Number: FDC 8/4795 Issue Date: April 24, 2008 at 1512 UTC Location: SAN ANTONIO , Texas near SAN ANTONIO VORTAC (SAT) Beginning Date and Time: April 24, 2008 at 1600 UTC Ending Date and Time: April 25, 2008 at 2359 UTC Reason for NOTAM: Temporary flight restrictions Type: Hazards Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A Pilots May Contact: HOUSTON (ZHU) Automated Flight Service Station, 281-230-5560

ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 04.24.08

Delta announces an almost unbelievable first-quarter loss.
Boeing, however, is doing great.
And DOT says airline fares ended last year on an upbeat note.

ANN Daily Touch-And-Go: 04.24.08

Delta announces an almost unbelievable first-quarter loss.
Boeing, however, is doing great.
And DOT says airline fares ended last year on an upbeat note.

More AERO-Casts

ANN Special Feature: Dan Gryder, Herpa DC-3 - 04.24.08

ANN's Paul Plack talks with Dan Gryder about the DC-3 type rating available through his flight school in Atlanta, and his very interesting plans for future airshows.

FMI:

More AERO-Casts

Aero-TV Gets Turned Inside Out With RC Helicopters! (Part Two)

A few weeks ago, Aero-TV traveled to Champaign, Illinois, to sample the delights of an all indoor radio-controlled model aircraft event known as E-Fest. It was quite the weekend and we, admittedly, had a great time seeing the best in small model aircraft. While many of the aircraft thrilled us to no end, it was the wild and seemingly non-aerodynamic antics of the RC helicopters that really got our attention. How they work, what you can do with them, and how you can get one for yourself, is the subject of this two part episode of Aero-TV.

More Videos

Aero-TV Gets Turned Inside Out With RC Helicopters! (Part Two)

ANN's Video Crew Gets "Rotor-Happy"

ACTE Warns Travelers To Clear Proprietary Info When Crossing Borders

Anyone with plans to fly overseas -- and who's read Orwell's "1984" -- will want to pay close attention to this next story.

Chelton, S-TEC Merge Under Common Banner

Form Cobham Avionics And Surveillance Division

Two business units within Cobham's Avionics and Surveillance Division, Chelton Flight Systems (CFS) and S-TEC, are to be merged to create an "avionics center of excellence" based in Mineral Wells, TX. The move is part of Cobham’s drive to develop a fully integrated cockpit and improve its customer focus.

Environmentalists Say More Needs To Be Done

With Earth Day 2008 now in the history books, the global airline industry continues to take steps to mitigate its impact on the environment. But while nearly everyone agrees progress must be made, things get cloudier when talking about what, exactly, needs to be done.

Critics Say They Plan To Fight Court Order

Have employees at Eclipse Aviation -- or others closely tied to the Albuquerque, NM-based planemaker, including customers -- disclosed proprietary information on a online forum critical of the company? That's the question a subpoena issued by a California court seeks to answer.

F-117As To Be Mothballed In Nevada Desert

Workers at the Lockheed Martin plant in Palmdale, CA played host to some very special visitors Tuesday -- four of the last F-117A Nighthawk "stealth" fighters still flying, though the advanced planes won't be taking flight much longer.

Motor Stalling Earlier Than In Past

Could this mark the beginning of the end for one of NASA's erstwhile Mars rovers? Well... don't bet on it, though both intrepid Martian ground-crawlers are definitely showing signs of their advanced age. NASA said Wednesday a small motor in the robotic arm of Opportunity, that began stalling occasionally more than two years ago, has become more troublesome recently.

Will Train Over 600 Candidates For Jazeera Airways, Kingfisher And Wizz Air

CAE is growing its pilot provisioning initiative to address the global pilot shortage. The company recently signed agreements to source, recruit, and train more than 600 candidate pilots for Jazeera Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Wizz Air over a four year period. The contracts were awarded over the last few months during CAE’s fiscal year 2008.

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.24.08)

Aero-Linx!

In memory of one of the great aviators of our time, this new site commemorates his accomplishments and recounts the impact he had on so many of us. The foundation rewards teachers for outstanding achievements in aerospace education.

Aero-Terms!

Rotation of a vehicle's thrust axis to control its trajectory or support its weight.

"It's a bittersweet moment, saying goodbye to a remarkable aircraft. We can all be proud of the groundbreaking legacy of the stealth fighter. We did own the night."

Source: Cheryl O'Leary, Lockheed vice president and site general manager, speaking during a ceremony in Palmdale, CA marking the retirement of the last of the US Air Force's F-117A "Nighthawk" stealth fighters.