Also: FAA Certifies 767-2C, AFA Partnering With CAP, Mahindra Selects Hartzell, flydubai 175 737 MAX Order

Boeing and Embraer have confirmed that the two companies are in talks that might lead to some kind of combination of the two companies. The companies issued identical news releases late last week announcing the talks.

"The Boeing Company and Embraer (have) confirmed the two companies are engaged in discussions regarding a potential combination, the basis of which remains under discussion. There is no guarantee a transaction will result from these discussions. Boeing and Embraer do not intend to make any additional comments regarding these discussions. Commercial space company Blue Origin is holding to a plan to launch a manned suborbital flight in 2018, "depending on how the test program goes," according to Jeff Ashby, director of safety and mission assurance. He added that Blue Origin is "roughly a year out" from human flights. But it will still be awhile before you can buy a ticket for a suborbital flight with Blue Origin. "We're probably a year and a half, two years out from when we're actually able to fly tended payload. We're about roughly a year out from human flights, depending on how the test program goes," Ashby said. Another North American aircraft manufacturer is now owned by a Chinese company... continuing a worrisome trend that has traded over 100 years of  American ingenuity and innovation for hard-to-find investment dollars that US concerns have heretofore refused to provide. The high-flying operation, with concerns in both Austria and London, Ontario, has been one of the most innovative GA manufacturers to this point, though it has had to deal with some disappointments along the way... including the cessation of development on its singe-engine D-Jet program, though its futuristic DA62 piston platform was completed to wide acclaim over recent years. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 12.27.17 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Wednesday, December 27th, 2017... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Brianne Cross, Christopher Odom, and Laura Hutson, and is supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, and Aero-Journalist Tom Patton, this episode covers:

• Boeing, Embraer Explore Possible 'Combination'
• Blue Origin Aims For Human Spaceflight In 2018
• Diamond Aircraft Now A Chinese-Owned Company
• FAA Certifies 767-2C Aircraft
• Air Force Association Announces New Partnership With CAP
• Mahindra Selects Hartzell Prop For Airvan 10
• Boeing, flydubai Finalize Order For 175 737 MAX Airplanes

Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again tomorrow, for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!

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