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April 10, 2007

NTSB Issues Safety Recommendations For Air Traffic Controllers

Calls On FAA, Union To Monitor & Combat Fatigue

The subject of proper rest practices for air traffic controllers was thrust into the public consciousness in the wake of the takeoff crash of Comair Flight 5191 last August, when it came to light only one controller was on duty in the tower at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, KY... and that the lone controller had worked a full shift prior to the accident shift, with only two hours of sleep in between.

Longbows Will Be Assembled In Mesa, AZ

This week, Boeing and the US Army signed a $276.4 million contact for 18 new AH-64D Apache Longbow multi-role combat helicopters. The contract raises to 45 the number of new-build Apache Longbows on order with the US Army.

A310, 767 Experience Problems Inflight; No One Injured

Two Air India flights made emergency landings on Tuesday, closing the airport for more than seven hours and severely delaying passengers.

Just A Little After Dawn, In Fact

NASA tells ANN the Dawn spacecraft arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, FL at 0900 EDT Tuesday morning. Dawn, NASA's mission into the heart of the asteroid belt, is at the facility for final processing and launch operations. Dawn's launch period opens June 30.

AMFA Official Talks About The Outsourced Maintenance Controversy

ANN Daily Touch N Go: 04.10.07 (ANN's Short-Form Daily News Program) ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 04.10.07 (ANN's Long-Form Daily News Program) ANN Special Feature -- The Controversy Surrounding Outsourced Aircraft Maintenance: 04.10.07 (ANN Special Feature, with Joseph Prisco, President of Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Local 9.)

Passes Wintery Tests, And Then Some

Aero-News learned Tuesday the Federal Aviation Administration has certified the Sikorsky S-76C++ helicopter for operation in falling and blowing snow.

Viking Air Limited Launches DHC-6 Production Program

The Twin Otter Lives!

Aero-News has learned Viking Air Limited -- which last year announced it was considering re-starting production of the 19-passenger DHC-6 Twin Otter -- has confirmed the program will proceed.

Also Notes Accomplishments In Push Towards Full Production

It's two steps forward, one step back for Eclipse Aviation. As the company continues to make progress in ramping up towards full production, and finalizing performance modifications to the aircraft, Eclipse also acknowledged a new problem with the aircraft's pitot and angle-of-attack probe system.

Roskosmos Will Handle Flights In Absence Of Shuttles, CEV

NASA announced this week the space agency has signed a five-year, $719 million International Space Station crew and cargo contract with Russia's Federal Space Agency (FSA).

200th BRS Save!!!

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 04.10.07 1800 EDT: Aero-News has received confirmation the Monday CAPS deployment by the pilot of a Cirrus SR22 near the Arizona/New Mexico border, was the 200th recorded save by a Ballistic Recovery System (BRS) parachute. BRS, of St. Paul, MN supplies the CAPS parachute system to Cirrus.

Pilot Lost In Sunday Night Mishap

A female survivor managed to walk away from the wreckage of a downed plane that left the pilot dead Sunday night near Round Lake, in northeastern California.

NOTAM Number: FDC 7/7599 Issue Date: April 10, 2007 at 1235 UTC Location: Gainesville, Florida near GATORS VORTAC (GNV) Beginning Date and Time: April 13, 2007 at 1800 UTC Ending Date and Time: April 15, 2007 at 2030 UTC Reason for NOTAM: High performance aerial demonstrations for the Heart of Florida Airshow Type: Airshow Replaced NOTAM(s): N/A Pilots May Contact: Jacksonville (JAX) Air Traffic Control Tower, 904-741-0767

AD: General Electric

AD NUMBER: 2007-08-01 MANUFACTURER: General Electric SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-08-01 SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for General Electric Company(GE) CT7-5A2, -5A3, -7A, -7A1, -9B, -9B1, and -9B2, -9C, -9C3, -9D, and -9D2 turboprop engines, with certain part number (P/N) and serial number stage 2 turbine aft cooling plates installed.

AD NUMBER: 2007-07-15 MANUFACTURER: Airbus SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2007-07-15 SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Airbus Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, C4-605R Variant F, and F4-600R (collectively called A300-600) series airplanes; and Model A310 series airplanes.

ANN Daily Aero-Briefing: 04.10.07

That red Bell 407 at the North Pole isn't Santa's.
One of SpaceShip One's most unique features receives a patent.
And Expedition 15 reaches the International Space Station.

ANN Daily Touch-And-Go: 04.10.07

That red Bell 407 at the North Pole isn't Santa's.
One of SpaceShip One's most unique features receives a patent.
And Expedition 15 reaches the International Space Station.

ANN Special Feature: Joseph Prisco, AMFA Local #9 - 04.10.07

ANN's Paul Plack talks with Joseph Prisco, President of Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Local 9, about the airline maintenance outsourcing controversy.

FMI:

More AERO-Casts

Burt Rutan Assigned Rights To Winged Spacecraft Reentry System

The 'Shuttlecock' Is Now Patented

It was one of the first true breakthroughs seen in the young commercial spaceflight industry... and as of last month, it's now patented.

Expedition 15 Soyuz Docks With ISS

Earlier Crew Will Return To Earth April 20

It's been a picture-perfect mission so far... and at 1510 EDT Monday afternoon, Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and cosmonaut Oleg Kotov of the 15th International Space Station crew docked their Soyuz TMA-10 capsule with the International Space Station, to begin a six-month stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Says Modernization, User Fees Are Separate Issues

Speaking last week at a US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen reiterated the general aviation industry's long-standing commitment to aviation system modernization... while drawing a clear line separating that issue, and the FAA's call for broad user fees to fund its proposed "NextGen" air traffic control system.

Replaces EA-6B Prowler Fleet At Washington Base

The latest airborne electronic attack aircraft deployed by the US Navy, the EA-18G "Growler," made its first appearance in the Pacific Northwest at Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island (NASWI) on April 9.

Carrier Says Seasoned Pilots Beneficial To Company

AirTran Airways announced it is throwing its support behind the FAA's plan to change the mandatory retirement age of commercial airline pilots from 60 to 65.

Helps Crews Locate, Navigate Dark Landing Zones

Aero-News has learned TriState Care Flight -- a medical helicopter flight service serving Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado -- had added night vision goggles to its life saving arsenal.

SADL Aims To Eliminate Aerial Friendly Fire Mishaps

Aero-News has learned the A-10 Prime Team, led by Lockheed Martin, has successfully delivered the full-function Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL) capability to the US Air Force for developmental flight testing.

DPMO Identifies Ten Missing WWII Airmen

B-24 Went Down After Bombing Run

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Monday the remains of 10 US servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Crews Spend Four Hours Hunting Rodent

It wasn't the mouse that roared, per se... but it was a mouse that delayed a Vietnam Airlines flight to Tokyo for more than four hours this weekend.

Turkish Airport Second Largest In Country

Three companies have announced their intent to bid for Turkey's second largest airport, in a deal that is estimated to be worth up to $2.7 billion. The bids, due Thursday, are to manage Antalya Airport's two international terminals and also expand and run the domestic terminal.

Aero-Linx!

Learn about the proud history of airmail at this site, a part of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.

Aero-Terms!

Regardless of the frequency of a source of electromagnetic waves, they are subject to the Doppler effect. The effect was discovered by the Austrian mathematician and physicist Christian Doppler (1803-1853).

"People need to understand that aviation system modernization must be a national priority, but user fees are a separate and unrelated issue."

Source: Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, speaking last week before an aviation seminar held by the US Chamber of Commerce.