Micro UAV set for police trial 31 March
Police in Miami, Florida want to find out whether a small unmanned air vehicle able to hover and stare can help law enforcement in urban areas.
To that end, Miami-Dade Police Department plans a four- to six-month evaluation of Honeywell's ducted-fan Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). More, or see video link above
Video of the week
This turbine Enstrom helicopter gets a little feral in a swell, on a Greenpeace ship off Ireland. Watch for the deckhand who must have used up at least a couple of lives...
World’s fastest kit plane takes flight 30 March
What is probably the world’s quickest kit plane, the US-designed Lancair Evolution, has taken its first test flight after three-and-a-half years of development. Pilot Len Fox says the initial evaluation was successful.
The 750 horsepower 4-seater uses a Pratt & Whitney PT6 powerplant running jet A fuel.
It claims a cruise speed of 338kts and minimum stall of just 61kts.
The company is offering quick-build kits for US$250,000. See Lancair.com
Qantas adopts real-time aircraft health management
Qantas has adopted a new electronic monitoring system that sends data back to base in real time and helps to predict future faults and maintenance needs.
The Boeing set-up came from the Phantom Works and has been developed from a patented system developed by Dr Virginia Wheway, an analyst based at Williamstown, NSW.
It’s being used on the airline’s fleet of 747-400s.
Have your GA say
Airservices’ General Aviation survey is still online, so don’t be afraid to hop in and have your say. It’s offering prizes to participants. Link
Police arrest laser users
Police in Perth have made arrests after one of the service’s helicopters was targeted by lasers. More at the ABC
Seabird award
Seabird Aviation in Queensland is suitably chuffed to have won the inaugural Frost & Sullivan Award for the OEM Airframe of the Year – Asia Pacific, at a recent ceremony.
Peter Adams from Seabird said, “Seabird Aviation Australia is very honoured to be chosen as the first recipient of the OEM airframer of the year, this award recognises all our valued staff and the effort they have put in over the past years.”
Adams also mentioned that Seabird wishes to further expand its airframe manufacturing activities in the Asia–Pacific region. “The recognition this award provides will assist in achieving this objective – perhaps in the form of a strategic alliance with an existing organization in the region.” Seabird
Good times for Eclipse
Things are looking up for Eclipse Aviation of Albuquerque, USA, after a US$100 million injection of funds from Dutch firm ETIRC, which will see production moved to Russia in 2009.
Sales have lifted, with a fleet of 10 recently sold to an operator in India, and the gamble for a slice of the somewhat crowded very light jet market seems to be paying off for the Eclipse 500 which costs US$1.5million. Eclipse
Alpha deposits honoured
The makers of Boomerang and Liberty trainers have said they will honour deposits taken on the now defunct Alpha, which went into liquidation in January. However the offer is conditional on a prompt response.
Dean Wilson aviation in Kingaroy, Qld, said it would honour up to $10,000 put on an Alpha, via its Boomerang trainer.
Meanwhile Liberty, in Melbourne, Florida it will do similar, towards an XL2.
Alpha started up business in Hamilton, NZ, using Robin R2160 designs, and was taken over in 2006 by Australian firm Inventus.
However the company says it discovered major problems with component supply which meant it could not meet production deadlines required for continued funding.
Contacts: dwaviation.com.au; nigelhb@libertyaircraft.com
FTA goes rotary
Flight Training Adelaide has added rotary wing to its services. The college recently welcomed its first helicopter, a brand new Schweizer 300CBi, and, with the successful addition of helicopters to the existing Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), has commenced flying operations.
Meanwhile the company says it is soon to establish a new base in Maryborough, Queensland. FTA
Aircraft numbers on the up and up
From CASA: The number of aircraft registered in Australia is growing steadily. In 2007 there was a rise of four per cent in registered aircraft, which is the highest increase in the last ten years. A milestone was reached recently with the 13,000th aircraft being entered on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register. The aircraft was VH-NRW, a Eurocopter AS.350B2. The registration holder and registered operator is Pacific Crown Helicopters from Caloundra.
The numbers of multi-engine jets, turboprops above 5,700kg and helicopters all grew during the last year, as did the number of single engine aeroplanes up to 5,700kg. This reflects the strong growth in the airline sector and the higher value of the Australian dollar which makes imported aircraft more affordable. The Australian Civil Aircraft Register was established on 28 June 1921 and included 51 aircraft. VH registration marks were introduced in 1929. CASA
Dinner in Paris, breakfast in Gatton…
From the good folk at Gatton Airpark: Brekkie at the Park is on May 11, 2008 -- the annual breakfast fly-in is happening again at Australia's premier airpark, Gatton, Qld.
Hot breakfast and tea/coffee served from 0730. Anything that flies is welcome.
Details in ERSA or contact Martin 0419 368 696 or Mal 07 5462 1797 Airpark page
(Ed’s note: Got an event you want to promote? Drop us a line via this link.)
V-22 Osprey scores massive contract
Bell Boeing has properlly broken the production ice with its unique V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, signing a US$10.4 billion, 5-year, contract with the US military.
According to the maker: "This is a significant step in the V-22 program," said Dick Millman, Bell Helicopter president and CEO. "This five-year contract will allow us to plan much further out as we order long-lead materials, invest for capacity growth, increase our production rate, and deliver these unique aircraft on time to a war-fighting customer who really needs them."
The contract calls for 141 MV-22 aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps and 26 CV-22 aircraft for the Air Force Special Operations Command. To date, the Bell Boeing alliance has delivered a total of 100 V-22 aircraft to the U.S. military. The Marines currently have 12 MV-22s deployed in combat at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.
Stats for the machine, which can hover like a helicopter and transition to fly like a fixed-wing plane, include twin 6150hp powerplants with mated transmission so either engine can power the monster, and a carrying capacity that includes 24 combat-equipped troops or about 9000kg of cargo. Bell release
Tough times at Sport Aircraft Works
Sport Aircraft Works in the US – the American version of Czech Aircraft works -- has put out the following release to explain its side of the story regarding its recent corporate battles.
* In 2006 Czech Aircraft Works (CZAW) took on an investment partner for 49% of the outstanding stock for their production expansion and purchase of new facility. This investment came from Slavia Capital (SC), Slovakia based investment firm.
* After initial honeymoon SC decided that Chip Erwin’s (CZAW CEO) management was not to their liking and they promptly took over control of the factory. The personnel that they put in place had no aviation background and basically stripped the company of valued workers by firing the best ones.
* Now it’s clear that during 2007 the management took every opportunity to make the wrong decisions and run the company financially into the ground. Towards the end of 2007 SC decided the company needed additional funds and offered greater dilution at unfavorable terms to the existing shareholders. Chip Erwin (partial owner) together with the rest of the shareholders refused this offer and Chip took control over the factory again.
At the same time SC started a campaign to discourage CZAW vendors from selling equipment to them and spreading rumors of imminent bankruptcy. Although this campaign was detrimental to the company, Chip Erwin was able to continue growing the company out of the mess that was created.
* In the beginning of 2008 for the first 3 months Chip Erwin proved the company was viable by running the company on cash flow while paying substantial liabilities down at the same time. This demonstrates that the company is viable going forward and is not insolvent or needs bankruptcy protection.
* SC, through their collaboration with an [affiliated?] collection agency, petitioned the Czech courts for bankruptcy and/or restructuring on March 27, 2008. In our view this was another dirty tactic to make the shareholders capitulate in giving up full control of a viable company to minority shareholder (SC).
Cut-price flight to spice up space wars
California-based XCOR Aerospace has announced it will go into competition with Virgin Galactic to provide sub-orbital spaceflights by 2010.
The firm is offering shorter flights – about half an hour – at about half the price, US$100,000.
A major difference is the vehicle used. Instead of the Rutan-designed two-stage aircraft that carries several people, XCOR plans to launch a two-seater (pilot and passenger) called the Lynx which will do the trip as a single unit.
“Lynx will be the greatest ride off earth,” said XCOR test pilot, former pilot astronaut and Space Shuttle commander, Colonel Rick Searfoss (former USAF). “The acceleration, the weightlessness, and the view will provide you with an experience that is out of this world. And the best part of it all is that you’ll ride right up front, like a co-pilot, instead of in back, like cargo.” XCOR
Grim turn-around for US airlines
CNN: In just three months, US airlines' fortunes have taken a serious turn for the worse: the industry now is expected to swing to a loss in 2008, following back-to-back years in the black, amid high fuel prices and a deteriorating economic outlook. Carriers are likely to burn through billions of dollars of cash this year, as revenue growth fails to keep pace with rising costs. More
Fighter pilot takes over Air Force 20March Air Vice-Marshal Mark Binskin (48) has taken over as chief of the Australian Air Force, after a shake up of the defence top positions.
His RAAF bio includes: Air Vice-Marshal Binskin's flying qualifications include Fighter Combat Instructor and Tactical Reconnaissance Pilot. Additionally, he has served as the RAAF F/A-18 Hornet Demonstration Pilot and in this position represented the RAAF throughout Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and New Zealand. He has over 3,500 hours in single-seat fighter aircraft. He was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his performance as a Fighter Combat Instructor and the RAAF F/A 18 Display Pilot. More
Airport, what airport? The Age: A KLM flight headed for Hyderabad in India's south skipped its destination and flew across India because the pilot was unaware the city had a brand-new airport, a report said today. KLM says it was not notified… More
Video of the week -- Tornado versus Veyron
Could Australia lose its Level 1 ICAO rating? 19 March
Crikey.com.au today says that Australia did not perform well on some aspects of its recent International Civil Aviation Organisation inspection and may be risking its Level 1 rating.
Of primary concern are the apparently growing gaps in air traffic control coverage due to a shortage of staff.
Loss of the rating could impact badly on airlines hoping to start up new routes, such as Virgin with its US ambitions.
Deficiencies in air safety in Australia have been uncovered in an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and must be fixed by the end of the year to avoid risking the loss of its Level 1 rating. Crikey
Airbus A380 starts service in Europe
Airbus: A380 commercial operations have expanded to Europe, with Singapore Airlines performing its first revenue flight to London's Heathrow Airport. Singapore Airlines has been operating regularly-scheduled service to Sydney using two A380s, and added the U.K. route after recently receiving its third aircraft from Airbus. More
Women to be recognised at AirVenture
From WAI: This year's EAA AirVenture will include a special initiative to promote the role that women have played in aviation and to encourage more women to become active in aviation. A host of activities, weeklong, will highlight women's role in aviation while inspiring other women to join the pilot ranks.
Dubbed WomenVenture, the partnership was announced by women in aviation (WAI) president Peggy Chabrian and EAA vice president Elissa Lines at Women in Aviation's annual conference this week in San Diego. The theme of WomenVenture is "elevate your life." More
FAA rules could hurt amateur-built Lancair owner Joe Bartels has expressed concern that proposed FAA (USA) changes to the rules for amateur-built aircraft could damage of an otherwise thriving industry.
"If the FAA succeeds in doing what they tell us they want to do, I think it would be very difficult for us to stay in business here in Central Oregon, or anywhere in the US," he told the Bend Weekly News. "While we are certainly in the business of developing and selling high performance aircraft, and staying in the forefront of aviation technology, a key aspect of our business is the ability to provide the customer with all of the parts necessary to build a plane. To now say that I can't provide a section of carbon fiber wing as part of a kit, would really affect the entire industry." More at Bend Weekly
Injection woes ground Lycoming 14 March
A few thousand GA aircraft are likely to be grounded in the short term after the announcement that fuel injection systems from Precision Automotive, fitted to Lycoming powerplants, among others, need to be checked for a loose hex nut. Failure can lead to power loss and the nut needs to be checked every 50 hours.
Lycoming says the issue affects equipment made or reconditioned after 22 August, 2006.
The issue came to light after 18 failures in aircraft flown in the US. Lycoming bulletin
Manslaughter for unlicensed R22 fix
Two men have been found guilty of manslaughter after the death of a Murchison helicopter pilot in 2005. More at Stuff.co.nz
Unpaid bribes caused Singapore alarm 9 March The Age: An Australian aboard a plane intercepted by fighter jets in Singapore says the dramatic incident was the result of lies told by someone in Thailand angry at being denied a bribe. More
New cartel woes for Qantas News.com.au: Qantas Airways could soon be facing cargo cartel charges in Australia as the competition watchdog prepares to launch action against the airline and several other international carriers. More
Collision warning inventor dies NY Times: George B Litchford Sr, a prolific aviation inventor who had a vital role in the development of the collision warning system now used on every airliner in the United States, died on 28 Feb in Albany. He was 89 and had lived most of his life in Northport, NY. More
Aviation goes green Chicago Tribune: Disappearing coral reefs and melting polar ice caps may not concern every industry, but aviation is going green from ticketing to takeoff by modernizing equipment, reducing fuel consumption and exploring new technologies. More
Idea wins Collier
Usually a plane or a person wins the USA’s most presitgous annual aviation award, the Collier Trophy, but this year it was an idea -- Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). More at the National Aeronautic Association
Big orders for Eurocopter
Media release: Eurocopter encountered a tremendous success at the world’s most important Helicopter Exhibition, Heli-Expo 2008 in Houston, for its brand-new EC175, after it lifted the veil off its new 7 ton class helicopter on the first day of the Show. Eurocopter signed intentions to buy with 13 different customers during the 3 days of Heli-Expo for a total of 111 units, confirming the huge demand for such a helicopter. Eurocopter also reached outstanding bookings for the rest of its range with 120 orders, marking its continued success in extremely active North American and international markets.
Video of the week -- did they screw up? 5 March
This Lufthansa wing strike happened in appalling conditions at Hamburg and the airline PR machine very successfully (and with lightning speed) assured everyone the pilots were heroes for recovering a very ugly incident. There's no doubt the recovery was good, but should they have aborted much earlier? We suspect so. Data on the Professional Pilots Rumour Network website suggests they were flying into conditions over the stated allowable speeds for the aircraft type and watching the vid says there was not anything that resembled a stabilised approach. A case of get-home-itis?
China & India to lead Asian growth 20 February
International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said it expects Asia's economic giants China and India to lead the growth in Asia's aviation industry despite a gloomy picture in world aviation.
"Asia's aviation industry can fare better," said IATA chief Giovanni Bisignani, speaking to delegates at an aviation conference at the Singapore Airshow. "While the whole region is full of promise, there are some very big challenges ahead." More at IATA
Tata spreads its wings
The Economic Times, India: After circling around the aviation business for almost a decade, the Tata group, which pioneered aviation in India, took the plunge on Tuesday.
Editor’s note: Tata is also a major automotive manufacturer. More
Bangkok battery club “less serious”
The ATSB has delivered a preliminary report on the Qantas flight which suffered major power failure on approach to Bangkok last month. The media release claims: “An ATSB preliminary factual report into an electrical system failure involving a Boeing 747-400 near Bangkok on 7 January 2008 indicates that the event was less serious than first reported.”
However the report confirms three of four generators were gone and most systems were severely compromised. We’d hate to see what would move the organization to be less reassuring… Report, with link to media release
Was advice ignored?
ABC: A preliminary report into a light plane crash which killed a 75-year-old pilot in the New South Wales Hunter Valley late last year has found that safety advice from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) was ignored. More; ATSB prelim report
US & Korea sign pact The Korea Times: South Korea and the US signed a comprehensive pact on aviation safety in Singapore on Tuesday, allowing Korean aviation product makers to freely export their goods to America, officials here said. More
Supersonic UAV
Unmanned aircraft have come a long way since the humble radio-controlled model. Composite Engineering Inc in Sacramento, USA, has just completed a successful test flight of an upgraded BQM-167X which can now go supersonic. Earlier version could make mach 0.91 and reach 9g in a manouvre.
The new gadget, like its predecessors, is primarily designed as a target drone, which by any measure makes it sophisticated bait… Composite Engineering
Adam Aircraft goes down
Business Journal, USA: After failing to secure additional funding to stay in business, Adam Aircraft filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado on 15 Feb, according to court documents. More
Boom amid the gloom
Adam may be out for the count, but Agusta Westland’s facility in Philadelphia, USA, has something to celebrate.
The company has added an assembly line for its AW-139 twin-turbine helicopter, which requires 150 new workers. Local news report
Record times for Robinson
Robinson Helicopter in the US has broken its own production record set in 2005, with 823 machines produced in 2007 – 644 four-seat R44s and 159 two-seat R22s.
The company is expecting to begin selling its first jet-powered model, the five-seat R66 in 2010. Robinson link
More Sikorsky in China
China Southern Airlines Company's Zhuhai Helicopter Branch has contracted for additional Sikorsky helicopters to support offshore oil projects in the South China Sea and Bohai Bay in China.
Zhuhai is the oldest operator of Sikorsky helicopters in China (since 1984) and has purchased two S-76C helicopters and an S-92A.
Heli champs in NZ
North Shore Helicopter Training in New Zealand will soon be hosting another helicopter championships on 23 February.
The company says: After an enormously successful event held in March 2007, we are delighted to announce the date for the 2008 competition which is going to be bigger, far more challenging and heaps more fun!!
We are also delighted that the competition has been recognised by the sports governing body the FAI CIG, as a category 2 event, which truely puts it in on the world stage. More
Seasprites increasingly in danger
As we reported last year, the new Federal Government looks likely to ditch the troubled Seasprite helicopter project, on which several hundred million dollars have already spent.
This looks increasingly likely, with the new Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, announcing a review of all defence contracts.
"What I see horrifies me, I've inherited an absolute nightmare," he said recently during an ABC interview.
The Seasprite project is six years overdue, with the fleet still grounded because of software issues.
Video of the week
Open skies promise cheaper fares The Australian: Fares to the US are expected to fall after Washington and Canberra yesterday signed a long-awaited deal that makes it easier to break open Qantas and United Airlines's near duopoly on flights across the Pacific.
The landmark "open skies" agreement, signed yesterday, will give Australian and US airlines unlimited access to each other's markets. It removes government interference on flights between the two countries and paves the way for extra competition, including Virgin Blue's new carrier, V.Australia, which plans to begin a full schedule of 10 weekly services later this year. More
Australia to Europe in 5 hours
British aerospace engineers earlier this month unveiled a new toy dubbed the LAPCAT A2, which they claim could reach Europe in 5 hours and have a 20,000km (10,800nm) range.
The proposal is the 143m-long aircraft would seat 300 people and reach speeds of up to 6400km/h, or five times the speed of sound, using liquid hydrogen as fuel.
Developed by Reaction Engines in Oxfordshire, with the backing of the European Space Agency, the craft could be in the air within 25 years. See this link
More instructors needed 13 February
Uni of SA: Australian aviation education providers need to increase pilot instructor numbers by at least 15 per cent over the next five years to avoid serious pilot shortages in the future. More
Heavy Metal flies Boeing 6 February
Heavy Metal Band Iron Maiden has been flying itself around the world in a custom-painted 757, with singer Bruce Dickinson at the controls.
The group has undertaken a whirlwind 80,000km tour in 49 days and decided its own jet was the way to go, which has also turned out to be a good promotional tool.
Called Ed Force One, it has its own plane-spotting pages at the Iron Maiden website.
Airservices in crisis 5 February
Airservices Australia, which supplies air traffic control services nationwide, is clearly in crisis. Both Perth radar and Launceston tower have suffered frequent closures due to lack of staff over recent months.
The organisation says it is short-staffed to the tune of around 90 people and will take a year to get back up to speed. However staff say the deficit is more like 130 people and the prospects of making it up are looking grim with international demand for air traffic controllers remaining very strong. Airservices
Plus…
Airservices has, ironically enough, also been the recipient of an international award for its work. Link
Garuda pilot faces manslaughter charges
Reuters: The pilot of a Garuda Indonesia aircraft that crashed at Yogyakarta airport killing 21 people last year has been arrested by police on charges that include manslaughter. More
Video of the week
Qantas reputation looking shabby
What appears to be increasingly shabby maintenance, plus a string of close shaves and minor breakdowns, are seriously tarnishing the reputation of Qantas – to the point where some commentators are speculating that it’s only a matter of time before the company suffers a serious incident.
For example, Ben Sandilands at Crikey yesterday wrote: “In the latest Qantas maintenance outrage an ageing Rolls-Royce powered 767 has been flown between Melbourne and Sydney with nine pressurisation leaks instead of the three permitted under the Minimum Equipment List or MEL system which allows faulty jets to remain in revenue service under some circumstances.
“Whether or not it was three leaks or nine leaks is beside the point. Why would any airline allow a jet with a single cabin pressure leak to fly anywhere without being fixed? Where is CASA in all of this? Qantas used to have a dictum that it never adhered to the legal and minimum standards but its own much higher standards?
“Yet following the Bangkok incident on 7 January in which a Boeing 747-400 operating as QF2 lost its main electrical distribution system and had to land using a back up battery system, the airline admitted this was caused by a leak in a galley which was subsequently found in at least six other 747s and has now been found among its CityFlyer 767s.
“The ATSB is investigating the serious QF2 incident. But as yet there is no sign of a comprehensive inquiry into the inability of the airline to maintain drainage and electrical systems fleet wide, and no investigation as to why it allowed poisonous nitrogen gas to be pumped into emergency oxygen supply systems in Melbourne last November.”
He also speculates that Channel Seven is currently working on a story which the airline will not enjoy, apparently alleging the company is flying sub-standard aircraft. Crikey
Virgin Galactic launches mothership
Virgin Galactic has unveiled the final design for its suborbital flyer, which uses a twin hull aircraft to launch the single-hull spacecraft located at the centre of the wing.
The company reports: The construction of the White Knight Two (WK2) mothership, or carrier aircraft, is now very close to completion at Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA and is expected to begin flight testing in the summer of 2008. It is the world’s largest, all carbon composite aircraft; it has a unique high altitude lift capacity, capable of launching SpaceShipTwo and its eight astronauts into sub-orbital space flight.
The WK2 mothership is powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engines which are amongst the most powerful, economic and efficient engines available. The WK2 mothership has also been designed to be capable of lifting other payload and launching it into space.
Whilst the two vehicles comprising the space launch system have been under construction, Virgin Galactic’s cadre of future astronauts has continued to grow strongly to well in excess of 200 individuals with around 85,000 registrations of interest to fly. Astronaut orientation for spaceflight is progressing well and already 80 of SpaceShipTwo’s first passengers have been through medical assessment and centrifuge training at the NASTAR facility in Philadelphia.
Commenting on the unveiling, Burt Rutan, CEO of Scaled Composites, said: “Virgin Galactic produced a demanding output specification for the world’s first private human and payload space launch system. This required us to produce a safe but flexible design capable of multiple applications in new market sectors. I am confident that these vehicles, now in an advanced stage of construction, will achieve just that.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, added: “The designs of both the mothership and the new spaceship are absolutely beautiful and surpass any expectations for the future of commercial spaceflight that we had when first registering the name Virgin Galactic in 1999. Burt and his team have done a fantastic job and I am also delighted with the wonderful vision that Foster and Partners, working with URS, have shown in the final designs for Spaceport America in New Mexico.
“Finally, we are all very excited about the prospect of being able to develop a bio-fuel solution for the space launch system and we are looking forward to working with Pratt and Whitney and Virgin Fuels to trial an appropriate bio mix for the PW308A engines that will be powering our new carrier aircraft.”
One side-effect of the Rutan designed concept is there is now speculation that suborbital flight could, some time in the future, become more widely used by airlines as a way of cutting transit times between continents. Virgin Galactic
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Air Vice-Marshal Mark Binskin (48) has taken over as chief of the Australian Air Force, after a shake up of the defence top positions.
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