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

If You Want Adventure... How About Working As An FA On Air Force One?

Job Includes High-Level Security Clearance, Interesting Assignments

Senior Airman Amanda Fauci has what is undeniably an interesting job. The Wall Street Journal reports the 23-year-old has nearly the same security clearance as a Secret Service agent, and sometimes goes on weeks-long classified assignments.

Southwest Loves Higher Oil Prices... For Now

Hedges Continue To Fuel Low-Cost Carrier

What just last year looked to be a declining advantage for Southwest Airlines, is surging as quickly as the price of oil.

MN TFR: 11.30.07

NOTAM Number: FDC 7/5602 Issue Date: November 29, 2007 at 1515 UTC Type: Hazards

FAA's Sturgell Asks For 'International Call To Action' In Safety Speech

Implores International Safety Forum To Raise The Bar With SMS

Below is the complete, unedited text of a speech given Thursday morning by Acting FAA Administrator -- and current nominee to take the job full-time -- Robert Sturgell (right), before the 4th Annual FAA International Safety Forum now underway in Virginia.

Netherlands Police Agency Orders Six EC135s

Will Be Equipped With FLIR, And 'Picture In Picture'

Eurocopter tells ANN the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands signed a contract November 28 for six Eurocopter EC135 P2i light twin-engine helicopters for the Dutch Police, KLPD (Korps landelijke politiediensten). The aircraft are to be delivered between mid-2009 and the end of 2009, and will replace the BO105s presently in service with KLPD.

AD: Hawker Beechcraft

AD NUMBER: 2007-24-01 MANUFACTURER: Hawker Beechcraft Corporation SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-24-01 SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Hawker Beechcraft Model 400A series airplanes.

AD: Embraer

AD NUMBER: 2007-24-03 MANUFACTURER: Empresa SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-24-03 SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above.

Aerojet Develops Reaction Control Engine Technology For NASA

May Be Used On Future Lunar Lander

Aerojet recently completed developmental testing of an innovative cryogenic oxygen/methane Reaction Control Engine (RCE) critical to ongoing lunar lander architectural decision making.

China Eases Airspace Limits Ahead Of Olympics

Doubles Available Flight Levels For Commercial Planes

This week, China agreed to open up restricted airspace for civilian use ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

High Times For Airlines... But Big Risks Remain

IATA Chief Says Labor, Credit Problems Lurk

Airlines in the United States are counting down the days of 2007... looking forward to claiming this year as their first profitable one since 2000. But while the champagne may already be on ice, the head of the International Air Transport Association cautioned US carriers not to celebrate too much.

Aero-News Featured Aero-Casts For Thursday 11.29.07

More Security Scandals At O'Hare... With Investigative Reporter Dave Savini

ANN Daily Touch N Go: 11.29.07 (ANN's Short-Form Daily News Program) ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 11.29.07 (ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program) ANN Special Feature -- More Security Scandals At O'Hare: 11.29.07 (ANN Special Report, with CBS-2 Investigative Reporter Dave Savini.)

FAA Cites Weather As Cause For LaGuardia Delays... Even When Skies Are Clear

Agency Blames Runway Layout

At New York LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday morning, skies were reported sunny and clear, winds from the northwest at 11 to 14 miles per hour, and the forecast was for things to get even calmer.

AD: Boeing

AD NUMBER: 2007-24-08 MANUFACTURER: Boeing SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-24-08 SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Boeing Model 767 airplanes.

AD: SMA

AD NUMBER: 2007-24-06 MANUFACTURER: Societe de Motorisations Aeronautiques SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-24-06 SUMMARY: We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above.

AD: Rolls-Royce

AD NUMBER: 2007-24-05 MANUFACTURER: Rolls Royce SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-24-05 SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Rolls-Royce Corporation (RRC) AE 3007A and AE 3007C series turbofan engines.

AD: General Electric

AD NUMBER: 2007-24-07 MANUFACTURER: General Electric SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-24-07 SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for a GE CF6-80C2B1 turbofan engine, serial number (SN) 690203, with fan disk, part number (P/N) 1703M78P11, SN RPMDA662, installed.

USAF Once Again Orders F-15s Grounded

452 Planes Must Be Inspected

Well, that didn't last long. One week after the US Air Force lifted its grounding of the oldest F-15 Eagle fighters in its fleet, on Wednesday the jets were grounded once again -- due to what officials termed "possible fleet-wide airworthiness problems."

Cirrus Announces 2008 Model SR20

New SR20s Will Ship In January

It's been a heckuva decade for the Cirrus folks... as 2008 already marks the 10th anniversary of the certification of the remarkable plane that changed the general aviation industry. To celebrate its historic SR20, Cirrus tells ANN that they are ready to unveil their 2008 SR20-Generation Three. Brand new from nose to tail, SR20 is available to order with deliveries to begin in early January.

AMR Plans To Sell Off American Eagle

Anyone Wanna Buy A Regional Airline?

In a move met with strong approval on Wall Street, on Wednesday AMR Corp. -- parent of American Airlines -- announced it plans to sell off regional carrier American Eagle.

TSA To Take Over Aviation Worker Screening

Increased Oversight Part Of The Deal

Over one million workers in the aviation industry -- including pilots, technicians, and flight attendants -- will soon have to answer background questions posed by the Transportation Security Administration.

Big Airbus Deal Included A350 XWB Work For Chinese Aviation Industry

Planemaker Signs MOU To Allocate Five Percent Of Airframe To China

The large Chinese airliner deal announced Monday by Airbus included a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to formalize Airbus' commitment to allocate five per cent of the A350 XWB air frame to the Chinese aviation industry, according to the European planemaker.

Boeing, ST Aerospace Complete Door Cutting On First 767-300 Converted Freighter

Aircraft Due For Redelivery In June 2008

On Wednesday, Boeing and Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (ST Aerospace) announced that ST Aerospace's subsidiary, ST Aviation Services Company (SASCO), has completed the door cutting for the first 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). The aircraft was inducted on October 18 this year from All Nippon Airways (ANA), Boeing's launch customer for this program.

Guardian Mobility Earns STC For Skytrax 3X Caravan Installation

GPS Tracking System Approved For Cessna 208, 208B

Guardian Mobility has been granted STC (A37CE) installation approval of the Skytrax 3X GPS tracking system for Cessna 208 and 208B aircraft, ensuring Transport Canada compliance under FAR 23, 1982 (AMT 23-28).

Embraer Recognizes Its Best Suppliers For 2007

ESC Theme Was "Maturity" In Operations

Embraer awarded its "Suppliers of the Year", in nine categories, during ceremonies held on Tuesday, November 27. The event occurred in conjunction with the Embraer Partners & Suppliers Conference (ESC 2007), November 26 and 27 in Atibaia, São Paulo.

Careers In Aviation Announces Donation From FTSI

$125,000 Endowment To Help Students Pursue Industry Jobs

Careers in Aviation told ANN this week Flight Training Services International (FTSI) recently made a very generous $125,000 donation to the organization. This money was set up as an endowment to assist students with their dreams of working in the aerospace industry.

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (11.29.07)

Aero-Linx!

Rougham Airfield is situated a couple of miles east of Bury St Edmunds, UK and was home to the USAAF 322nd and 94th Bomb Groups during the Second World War.

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (11.29.07): Cone of Silence

Aero-Terms!

A location directly above the antenna of a four courses, low-frequency radio range in which the signals from the antennas cancel and no signal is received. The cone of silence can be identified by the signal building up in volume just before it disappears.

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.29.07)

"...possible fleet-wide airworthiness problems."

Source: The reason given for Wednesday's grounding of 452 F-15 Eagle fighters by the US Air Force. The USAF says the ongoing investigation into what brought down a Missouri ANG Eagle on November 2 has revealed a potential problem through the F-15 fleet. Investigators are concerned with longerons -- or metal rails -- that hold the F-15 fuselage together. Those parts were flagged by investigators early on, as officials ordered the entire fleet of F-15s inspected for possible airframe fatigue damage. The grounding comes one week after the USAF cleared F-15s to resume normal operations, following an initial grounding in the wake of the November 2 accident.