Shipments And Billings Slow Decline Through First Nine Months Of 2011

Sometimes the good news is where you can find it, and that's the case with GAMA's latest report on worldwide deliveries of general aviation airplanes. GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce used the report to bolster the industry's case against new user fees proposed by President Obama.

185 Test Flights Conducted Since Last Update

Lockheed Martin tells ANN that its F-35 flight test program continues to make progress. Since the last flight test update issued on Sept. 20, the F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation multirole fighter conducted 185 test flights, bringing the total number of test flights for the year to 837. A major highlight for October was the completion of F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) ship suitability testing aboard the USS WASP (LHD-1) off the coast of Virginia. The test began when BF-2 executed the first shipboard vertical landing on Oct. 3. The next day, BF-2 executed the first short takeoff from the WASP. During the third week of sea trials, BF-2 and BF-4 operated simultaneously on the ship. Combined, they accomplished 72 shor

Apache Nation Representatives Participate In Ceremony

On Wednesday, at the Boeing plant where they're manufactured, the first five examples of the Block III AH64D Longbow Apache combat helicopters were delivered to the US Army. The Arizona Republic reports the delivery, held in Mesa, included a ceremonial blessing on the machines bestowed by White Mountain Apache Tribal Chairman Ronnie Lupe.

Eliminates Passenger-Specific Images During Screening Process

TSA has named eight additional airports which are set to receive recently purchased millimeter wave Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) units. The machines will be deployed with new automated target recognition (ATR) software designed to enhance privacy by eliminating passenger-specific images while improving throughput capabilities and streamlining the checkpoint screening process.

Women in Aerospace Honors Julie Sattler in Tuesday Ceremony

The Women in Aerospace (WIA) national organization presented its 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award to Julie A. Sattler, a vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (SSC), during a ceremony Tuesday in Washington, DC.

Dedicated Asset Allows UAS Test Directorate To Assess New Technologies, Support New Missions For Marine Corps

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, UAS Test Directorate, has established and demonstrated a dedicated Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System for test and evaluation purposes. The system will be used to support U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical UAS Program Office (PMA-263) test and evaluation initiatives, including the Wide Focal Plane Array Camera (WFPAC) payload development effort.

Second Multiyear Helicopter Contract Could Mean Substantial Savings For Government, Taxpayers, Company Says

A proposal for a multiyear contract for the production and delivery of 155 CH-47F helicopters has been submitted to the U.S. Army by Boeing. "This second multiyear contract proposal will provide not only the vertical lift capability that warfighters use and need every day, but also will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in savings for taxpayers and the U.S. government," said Leanne Caret, Boeing vice president, H-47 Programs.

Airplane Is Number 250 In The 'J' Series Of Airlifters

The 250th "J" series C-130 Super Hercules has been rolled out of Lockheed Martin's Marietta, GA, factory ... destined for Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, which is scheduled to receive a total of 28 C-130Js. This aircraft is the 2,404th C-130 of all makes and models to be built in Marietta.

Brazilian Carrier TRIP Linhas Aéreas Will Operate The Aircraft

European turboprop manufacturer ATR has delivered the first ATR 72-600 to U.S.-based lessor, Air Lease Corporation (ALC). Founded by Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, ALC has agreed in 2010 and 2011 to purchase 12 ATR 72-600s, with options for 8 more of the airplanes.

AD NUMBER: 2011-23-09

MANUFACTURER: Bombardier, Inc. Airplanes

AD NUMBER: 2011-20-08

MANUFACTURER: Agusta Model AB139 and AW139 Helicopters

It's What LoPresti Does... Go Faster

At Oshkosh this summer, the folks at LoPresti called a news conference to introduce a new cowling for the SR20 that company CEO RJ Siegel said has been about three years in the making. The company says it will be flying "later this year." Seigel said that the new cowling represents three new technologies ... and an "Apple" look. He said the technologies lower the total drag of cooling by almost two thirds.

MX and Wings Mods Being Investigated

You can rarely overdo the process of checking up on an airframe after maintenance... and while there are some pretty ponderous questions over what occurred in this fatal accident, the fact that it took place while checking up after recent maintenance does create some suspicions. We look  forward to the final report on this accident.

Agency Will Stay At Least Five Years, But Wants More Space

The FAA has a regional headquarters in Renton, Washington, in Boeing's neighborhood, and 1,400 employees work there. The FAA says it needs more space, and now the owner of the office building has sold out to a new landlord.

No Cheap Chinese Knock-Offs For Klyde...

FMI: www.klydemorris.com

Denies Withholding Information From NTSB In Continental Flight 3407 Accident

Pinnacle Airlines Corp, the parent company of Colgan Air which operated Continental Flight 3407, has sent a letter to three members of Congress in which it strongly denies withholding information from the NTSB in an investigation stemming from the crash of that flight in 2009.

'Scoot' To Launch With Boeing 777s On Long-Haul Routes

Singapore Airlines prides itself on growing from a small, regional start-up in 1972 to become a premium travel brand respected worldwide. The company appears to be acknowledging that a presence in the low-cost segment is also important by announcing a new long-haul budget division called Scoot Airlines.

Surface Water Likely Existed Only In Short Periods, If At All

A new NASA study suggests if life ever existed on Mars, the longest lasting habitats were most likely below the Red Planet's surface. A new interpretation of years of mineral-mapping data, from more than 350 sites on Mars examined by European and NASA orbiters, suggests Martian environments with abundant liquid water on the surface existed only during short episodes.

Government Looks To Purchase Three Aircraft, Parts, Support

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Thursday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Turkey for three AH-1W Super Cobra Attack Helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $111 million.

Precision Runway Monitor (PRM) Provides air traffic controllers with high precision secondary surveillance data for aircraft on final approach to parallel runways that have extended centerlines separated by less than 4,300 feet. High resolution color monitoring displays (FMA) are required to present surveillance track data to controllers along with detailed maps depicting approaches and no transgression zone.

Aero Linx: Aviation Rescue Swimmer (AIRR) Jumping out of a helicopter to pluck crewmembers out of frigid waters. Rappelling to reach survivors at a remote crash site. Coming to the aid of civilians stranded in the midst of a hurricane. The motto of the Aviation Rescue Swimmer (AIRR) community is "So Others May Live." When lives are on the line, Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers (AIRRs) are exceptionally adept at answering the call. These brave men and women embody the courage of America’s Navy – readily going into harm’s way to complete their rescue missions in some of the most extreme environments imaginable.

"If surface habitats were short-term, that doesn't mean we should be glum about prospects for life on Mars, but it says something about what type of environment we might want to look in... The most stable Mars habitats over long durations appear to have been in the subsurface. On Earth, underground geothermal environments have active ecosystems." Source: Bethany Ehlmann, assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology and scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, lead author of a study that suggests that if life ever existed on Mars, the longest lasting habitats were most likely below the Red Planet's surface.