ANN thinks the EAA folks just hit a homerun with this idea... Homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts will have new facilities to enhance their participation in the Experimental Aircraft Association's 52nd annual EAA AirVenture fly-in convention this summer, as a homebuilt camping area and new Homebuilders Headquarters building will open on the grounds. The homebuilt aircraft camping area will be located just west of the Forums Pavilion and homebuilt parking area. It offers an area where those who fly such aircraft to camp together, close to the forums, workshops and homebuilt exhibitor areas. The new camping location will also include shower and restroom facilities.

The Air Line Pilots Association, International has applauded the findings of the National Transportation Safety Board regarding the Air Midwest Flight 5481 accident. The NTSB formally adopted its findings at the sunshine meeting in Washington D.C. Thursday. "The NTSB has correctly identified the significant issues relating to this accident," said Capt. Kevin Wilson, Safety Chairman for pilots at Mesa Air Group, which owns and operates Air Midwest. "We applaud the Board for its diligence and professionalism in uncovering the causal factors of this tragedy."

Boeing Will Modify 747 Freighter To Haul 7E7 Parts

Boeing engineers have come up with a novel way to get the large fuselage and wing structures of the 7E7 Dreamliner into special 747-400 freighters that will haul the assemblies to Everett from Japan, Europe and the United States for final assembly. The aft fuselage of the huge jumbo jet will swing open like a gate to allow loading of the 7E7 composite structures. That kind of cargo loading system has not been developed in aviation since the early 1960s, when a plane known as the Guppy, and which was based on a Boeing airframe, was developed for NASA to transport hardware for the space program.  Scott Strode, Boeing's vice president of 7E7 manufacturing and quality said that a lot of work needs to be done by Boeing this ye

Cheap UK Airline Offers 'Limited' Service

Ryanair, Europe's most successful budget airline, is testing the Spartan spirit of its passengers and extending the frontiers of cost-cutting. It recently announced it will dispense with the plane's window blinds, reclining seats, Velcro-anchored headrest covers and the seat pockets where customers normally find a safety notice and free magazines. The required safety notice will be stitched to the back of each seat. Ryanair also said it may charge for checked-in luggage, and is switching to leather upholstery because it lasts longer and is easier and cheaper to clean. Removing such "nonessential extras" from its new Boeing 737s will save Ryanair hundreds of thousands of dollars per plane in the purchase price and the maintenance n

Multi-Million Dollar, State-of-the-Art Facility Will Be Home To More Than 850 Pilots

On Thursday, AirTran Airways celebrated the grand opening of its new pilot training center in Atlanta (GA). Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and AirTran Airways Chairman and CEO Joe Leonard officially dedicated the center while flying in a flight simulator. The signature element of the facility is the aircraft simulator. The center currently has three simulators operational - two for a Boeing 717 aircraft and the third for a Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft. A fourth simulator will go on line in October, and eventually will include six simulators. The center also includes offices that will house all of AirTran Airways' Atlanta-based pilot training Crew Members, which previously were located i

Chief Of Staff Wants Zero Accidents   Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper has made it clear that he wants a mishap-free Air Force. General Jumper posted his thoughts on safety in his Feb. 18 "Chief’s Sight Picture" directive. The Air Force has lost more than 1,000 airmen in accidents during the past 10 years, with off-duty private vehicle accidents being the No. 1 killer. General Jumper established the Air Force Operational Safety Council, chaired by Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, to oversee safety matters. The AFOSC will monitor safety performance, examine new or emerging technologies from both the operational and safety perspectives and direct required changes in Air Force safety policy, programs and in

"EAA members who are homebuilt enthusiasts have indicated they spend a tremendous amount of time in the forums and workshops, as well as with commercial exhibitors who cater to those who build their own airplanes. This camping area will add convenience for those who want to enjoy the true AirVenture experience of camping with their airplanes." Source: EAA's Tom Poberezny, on the inclusion of a new Homebuilt Aircraft Camping Area at Oshkosh 2004.

AD NUMBER: 2004-04-08

MANUFACTURER: Boeing SUBJECT: Cat III Autoland Ops SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that is applicable to certain Boeing Model 777-200 series airplanes. This action requires a revision to the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to advise the flightcrew that Category IIIB autoland operations are prohibited and to warn the flightcrew of the potential for reversion of the primary flight control system to direct mode during takeoff or landing and its associated airplane effects. This AD also requires installation of a placard in the flight deck.