The EMBRAER 195 commercial airliner made its first flight,
Tuesday, at Embraer’s São José dos Campos
headquarters and successfully performed a range of flying quality
and system validation tests. The airplane took off at 11:58 am
(local time) and landed safely 1 hour and 56 minutes later.
The city of Chicago’s claim that Meigs Field was abandoned
and had to be cleaned up is an insulting, revisionist explanation
that warps the truth, says the Aircraft Owners and Pilots
Association. The claim is contained in a response from the
city’s attorneys to an FAA investigation into whether or not
Chicago improperly used $1.5 million in airport development funds
earmarked for O’Hare International Airport to pay for the
Meigs demolition.
Convention of conventions for everything air show gets
underway
What do you get when you take a convention hall full of type-A
personalities with HADD (Horizontal Attitude Deficit Disorder),
stuff them into one room, tell them to wear Hawaiian shirts so loud
they're more effective than the new GPS-enhanced ELT's, unveil four
open bars and start the music?
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Monday
awarded funding to three contractors for the first phase of the
Organic Air Vehicle – II (OAV-II) program to develop a
prototype ducted fan Class II unmanned aerial vehicle for the
Army’s Future Force Unit of Action.
Use Threats, Deadlines To Deal With Financially Troubled
Carriers
The money-lending industry is cracking down on the
passenger-flying industry and the result could be deadly for
airlines already in or headed for bankruptcy.
AOPA Chief: "There's More To Aviation Than The Airlines"
When aviation leaders from around the world get together, the
conversation naturally turns to talk of air traffic control,
airport access, regulation, and security. These issues affect every
pilot and every flight everywhere in the world — but too
often aviation officials think only of the airlines.
As the copilot of a Lion Air MD-82 (file photo of type, below)
was transferred from a hospital in Kasih Ibu to another in Jakarta,
Indonesia, the flight recorders have been transferred to the US for
analysis. And at least one Indonesian political party demanded an
immediate review of aviation safety standards and regulations.
EADS says it's achieved another major success in China with the
signing of an agreement for 23 single-aisle Airbus aircraft. The
signing took place in the presence of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder, who is currently visiting
the People’s Republic of China.
Flight To Newark Resumed After Search For Explosive Device
Turned Up Nothing
A Lufthansa 747-400 headed from Frankfurt to Newark made an
unscheduled stop in Ireland over the weekend after the airline got
a call saying there was a "suspect device" on board.
Marines Osprey Training Squadron 'Aims High' With Air Force
Beneath Its Wings
In a re-activation ceremony held inside the joint Marine
Tiltrotor Test and Evaluation Squadron-22 and Marine Medium
Tiltrotor Training Squadron-204 hangar Dec. 2, Air Force Detachment
1, 58th Operations Group, was reborn.
Debra A. Lemke has been promoted to the position of department
director of governmental affairs for the Lee County Port Authority.
She directs funding strategies, governmental coordination and
grant-related issues for Southwest Florida International Airport
and Page Field General Aviation Airport in Fort Myers.
Highly Realistic, Full Mission Training Simulation System
At the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education
Conference (I/ITSEC) Tuesday, Silicon Graphics said Link Simulation
and Training, a division of L-3 Communications, has purchased six
SGI Onyx high-performance graphics supercomputers to power a
state-of-the-art training system for the Canadian Air Force’s
CF-18 Advanced Distributed Combat Training System (ADCTS)
program.
Raytheon Company has received a $158 million contract for
continued production of AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air
missiles and support materials. The contract includes 443
all-up-round AIM-9X tactical missiles, 153 AIM-9X training missiles
and support equipment. The award was made by the US Naval Air
Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.
Boeing has selected Goodrich Corporation and Honeywell to
provide exterior lighting for the 7E7 Dreamliner. In addition,
Matsushita Avionics Systems Corporation, of Japan, has won the
cabin services system contract, its first, for the all-new
airliner.
"This is yet another insult. Our 400,000 members know this
airport wasn't abandoned. Meigs Field was willfully destroyed by
elected officials using public monies that were intended for
airport construction, not destruction. We're analyzing the city's
brief to determine if there is an appropriate legal response from
AOPA. But it's clear that the city is once again engaging in
revisionist history and justification."
Source: AOPA President Phil Boyer reacting to a
brief to the FAA filed by the city of Chicago. The 40-page document
says Chicago indeed used airport funds for both Midway and O'Hare
to complete the demolition of Meigs field that Mayor Richard Daley
started under cover of darkness because the ripped up strip had
been "abandoned."
Last year, ANN had the sorry task of reporting the death of
Texas Air Aces/Aviation Safety Training Boss Don Wylie in a T-34
crash. Yesterday, one of Don's compatriots was lost... in a T-34.
The Beechcraft T-34 went down some time Tuesday morning near
Lake Conroe, some 55 miles North of Houston. One witness reports
seeing a wing separate from the aircraft prior to impact. The main
impact area was located about a quarter mile from the remains of
the separated wing and both occupants, including AST's Richard
Gillenwaters.
Cites Incident At Teterboro, Says He's In Dutch With FAA
Movie star Morgan Freeman's flying dreams have been dealt a
severe blow - he has been grounded by the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) for breaking altitude rules.