US Airways today dedicates the first of its special ‘throwback’ aircraft. Painted in the style of Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) aircraft but with US Airways appearing on the fuselage, the ‘throwback’ plane is complete with the famous smile painted on the front of the aircraft. Current US Airways employees, formerly with PSA, and hundreds of retired PSA employees, some even dressed in the airline’s unique and memorable uniforms of the past which included hot pants and go-go boots, will join with US Airways management to officially dedicate the aircraft at San Diego International Airport, the former home of PSA.

Read more »

Students are invited to submit their ideas for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) suitable for exploring Mars – the best designs will win a place at the Euroavia Design Workshop to be held at the Erasmus User Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, between 16 July and 5 August 2006. All European aerospace students with a minimum of two years study can participate in the contest. Students are required to submit a paper (of between three to ten pages) on the topic of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Mars.

Read more »

After its five-month, 400-million-kilometre journey inside our Solar System following its lift-off on 9 November 2005, ESA’s Venus Express spacecraft will finally arrive on 11 April at its destination: planet Venus. Venus Express mission controllers at the ESA Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, are making intensive preparations for orbit insertion.

Read more »

Longueuil, Quebec, March 31, 2006 - Launched in June 1999 and originally designed for a three-year mission, NASA’s Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer astronomy satellite is back in full operation. The FUSE satellite is working again thanks to a team of scientists and engineers at the operations centre in Johns Hopkins University who reprogrammed its onboard […]

Read more »

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is please to announce the delivery of the first Grand helicopter to Brazil. The customer, Cosan SA., will use the Grand to shuttle passengers between its plants and distilleries. The aircraft is configured with a six passenger VIP interior.

Read more »

Three AgustaWestland A109 Power helicopters have entered service today with the Royal Air Force 32 (The Royal) Squadron at RAF Northolt to the west of London. The aircraft will be used for military and government communications flying.

Read more »

Augsburg/Bremen, 31 March 2006. With a perfect on time-delivery, EADS Military Air Systems (MAS) handed over the first rear fuselage section shells to Airbus Bremen on 31 March 2006 at Lechfeld/Augsburg. Once again, EADS Military Air Systems has proved that its reputation as a reliable partner in all important European aircraft programmes is well-founded.

Read more »

31 March 2006, marks the start of a new era for the RAF as the first operational Typhoon squadron, No. 3(Fighter) Squadron, forms at RAF Cottesmore, just a day before the Royal Air Force marks its 88th Anniversary. The formation of 3(F) Sqn marks the beginning of the transition of the Royal Air Force to a more agile, capable, flexible and adaptable expeditionary force, better equipped to meet the demands that are likely to be placed on it in the future.

Read more »

MONTREAL, 31 March 2006 – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have agreed to share safety-related information from their respective audit programmes to better identify potential safety risks and prevent aircraft accidents.

Read more »

Evektor America has announced their new SportStar Sales Center, Light Sport Aviation, LLC, in Beloit, Wisconsin. Light Sport Aviation offers sales and support to Evektor SportStar customers in the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, and Missouri, from their base in south-central Wisconsin. In addition to Evektor sales and support in the Midwest, Light Sport Aviation, LLC sponsors repairman courses and Sport Pilot ground school at their Beloit facility.

Read more »

Stephen Lickman, President and CEO of Flight Level Corp. announce the release of Version 8.x of our latest software for Parts 121, 135 and 91. The newest interface follows the protocol of Microsoft’s Office 11 with many new enhancements to speed the process of data input and the retrieval of totals with a single mouse click. There is an open dataset of 17,000 world airports and over 400 aircraft models included.

Read more »

March 31, 2006 CANSO, the global association of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), is delighted to announce that the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Air Traffic Organization, the US Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), has decided to become a Full Member of CANSO.

Read more »

Air China Cargo has chosen the Unisys Logistics Management System (LMS) to manage its air cargo operations. Under a five-year agreement, Unisys will also be providing hosting and integration services and will be working closely with Air China Cargo on the customization of services for the Chinese domestic marketplace, as well as the implementation and cut-over expected in March 2007.

Read more »

Kingfisher Airlines, India’s fastest growing airline today took delivery of its first ATR 72-500 aircraft. This aircraft is the first to be delivered following the signature of a contract for twenty new ATR 72-500s unveiled in November 2005. The initial order was subsequently increased in February 2006 when Kingfisher Airlines exercised options for 15 additional ATR 72-500. To date, Kingfisher Airlines has ordered 35 new ATR 72-500 and has 20 more options.

Read more »

Bombardier announced today that the first Bombardier Challenger 850 corporate shuttle has entered service with Suncor Energy Inc., a pioneer in the development of Western Canada’s vast oil sands resources. One of the top private employers in the province of Alberta, with more than 3,500 employees, Suncor Energy will operate a high efficiency shuttle service for its personnel and contractors six days a week. The new 50-passenger Challenger 850 aircraft will shuttle passengers between Suncor’s Calgary headquarters and Fort McMurray in northern Alberta. The Challenger 850 aircraft will complete each flight leg – a total distance of over 350 nautical miles (648 km) – in approximately one hour.

Read more »

Eurocopter’s order book for the EC 135 topped 500 units at the end of 2005, with 87 aircraft sold in 2005 alone. Fifty percent of them were for the USA. It is the company’s top seller and the best-selling light twin-engined helicopter worldwide. To stay ahead of the competition, Eurocopter has certified an increased take-off weight of 2,910 kg (from formerly 2,835 kg). LBA/EASA certification was granted on February 21, 2006. Deliveries will start as of late September 2006. For customers operating the new variant, which is designated EC 135 T2i or P2i respectively, the benefits are evident: More payload, more performance, more range.

Read more »

The EC145, which excels in terms of cabin space and versatility, has firmly established itself as a rugged, reliable workhorse in the law enforcement and EMS markets worldwide. Orders presently stand at 95 aircraft, and more than 75 have already entered service. In 2005, new orders for a total of 20 EC145s were booked, predominantly in the American and European EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and law enforcement markets. The annual production rate will be increased from presently 19 per year to 25 in 2006.

Read more »

April 1 marks the start of a new travel era as the Swiss TravelClub becomes Miles & More, the new SWISS frequent flyer programme. The large majority of Swiss TravelClub members have already signed up to transfer to Miles & More, which is Europe’s leading frequent flyer programme.

Read more »

Swiss WorldCargo and Lufthansa Cargo Charter signed a marketing and sales cooperation agreement on March 30, 2006 enabling Swiss WorldCargo to also sell charter capacity all over the world. Lufthansa Cargo Charter now also relies on the sales force of Swiss WorldCargo.

Read more »

Five spacecraft from two ESA missions unexpectedly found themselves engulfed by waves of electrical and magnetic energy as they travelled through Earth’s night-time shadow on 5 August 2004. The data collected by the spacecraft are giving scientists an important clue to the effects of ’space weather’ on Earth’s magnetic field.

Read more »

Katherine Cortés Orti, aged twenty, became the first female helicopter mechanic in Chile after she successfully passed her theoretical exams (Wednesday, 22 March) and practical exams (Thursday, 23 March) organized by Chile’s National Aeronautics Directorate (DGAC).

Read more »

Denver, Colo., March 29, 2006 — Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has been awarded a preliminary design and concept study start-up contract by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) aeroshell system. Lockheed Martin and NASA will soon enter negotiations to finalize the value of the contract.

Read more »

The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Joint Strike Fighter completed “leak-free” fuel-system checkout testing achieving another major success milestone on the fighter program. Engineers and technicians have concluded, on schedule, an extensive fuel-system checkout on the first Joint Strike Fighter and are making final preparations for a series of structural tests on the aircraft planned to begin today.

Read more »

“Our winners represent the very finest examples of committed service to a noble cause,” said Marine Sgt. Maj. D. Scott Frye, NORAD Senior Enlisted Advisor. These annual awards recognize the command’s top performers in each category.

Read more »

The daunting task of building the world’s only full-size replica of the glider that is reputed to have shortened the Second World War by as much as a month, is nearing completion in a hangar tucked away on an operational RAF station. A Horsa glider – built in their thousands though none survived the War – is the centre piece of the Assault Glider Project taking shape at RAF Shawbury. Now trustees have come together at the RAF Club in London to launch a nationwide appeal to raise money to complete the Horsa, its wartime US Waco glider compatriot, and a Dakota tug aircraft. The trust also aims to use funds to secure a permanent home.

Read more »