Saturday 17 September 2016

4 dead, including 2 children, in China air show crash



Four people, including two children, have died in a plane crash during an air show in northern China's Hebei province.
State broadcaster CCTV showed video of a small plane falling in a twisting nosedive during an exhibition on Thursday in the provincial capital, Shijiazhuang. CCTV said the plane crashed in a cornfield.
The four dead were not immediately identified. CCTV said the dead included two children.
The broadcaster identified the plane as a Chinese-manufactured Xiaoying 500.

(culled from www.bignewsnetwork.com)

Cell phone battery ignites on Delta flight from Norfolk to Atlanta



A cell phone battery ignited and caught fire Friday on a plane heading from Norfolk to Atlanta.

According to the Virginian Pilot, Delta Airlines flight 2557 had just taken off when a cell phone battery that was not attached to a phone caught fire.

An airline captain reveals everything you ever wanted to know about turbulence



It's called the stick shaker – an 'attention-getter' for pilots to tell them that their aircraft is about to stall.
And it's a warning that one serving airline captain received as he flew over north Africa in a fully laden Boeing 747 a few years ago.
The cause, he says, was extreme turbulence, which had pushed the aircraft to below its minimum speed, despite the engines being on full power.
He's re-living the dramatic incident with MailOnline Travel in a chat about turbulence he is keen to have in a bid to help ease passengers' nerves about the phenomenon.

Nigerian FirstNation Airline Fails To Resume Flights



FirstNation Airline today failed to resume flight operations despite a corporate promise to do so.  Our correspondent confirmed that FirstNation Airways, which suspended flight operations about three weeks ago and promised to return yesterday, failed to resume flights.

Air Peace assures on quality flight services as NCAA renews certificate



CHAIRMAN/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema has assured that the airline will sustain its exceptional flight services. A statement issued by the Corporate Communications Manager of Air Peace, Mr. Chris Iwarah said Onyema gave the assurance shortly after the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) renewed the airline’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).

UN to establish aviation security training institutes in Nigeria



The United Nation has unveiled plans to set up two aviation security training schools in Nigeria as part of measures aimed at supporting the nation’s over-all counter-terrorism.

Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Raises Concern Over Rise in Air Accidents



The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has raised concern over the increased cases of aircraft accidents and said that they were looking into ways in which to reduce them.

Congo Airways to cut workforce



Congo Airways (CGA, Kinshasa N'Djili) has begun reducing its workforce barely a year after it first commenced operations. The Brazzaville-based Agence d'information d'Afrique centrale (ADIAC) news agency reports that so far, thirty employees have been sent on extended leave. 

American Airlines raises pay for regional pilots



Two of American Airlines’ regional airlines are increasing pay and bonuses for their pilots in an effort to step up recruitment as the industry grapples with a looming pilot shortage.

Singapore Airlines will not renew lease on its oldest A-380



European plane maker Airbus on Wednesday (Sept 14) suffered a fresh blow to its A-380 superjumbo programme after Singapore Airlines (SIA) said it would not renew the lease on its oldest A-380.

Digital Copilot Designed To Improve Single-pilot Safety



In a simulation laboratory at Mitre’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development in McLean, Va., researchers are testing digital copilot technology designed to help single pilots flying complex aircraft in busy airspace. The team’s goal is “to bring several of the safety benefits of Crew Resource Management to single-pilot operations,” according to Mitre. The research is done in Mitre’s Integrated Demonstration and Experimentation for Aeronautics (Idea) lab.

Aviation Mobile Apps Launches GPS Coordinate Converter - Easy, Fast Way to Convert Coordinates Between Standard Formats



Thanks to Aviation Mobile Apps, pilots now have a faster and simpler way to convert coordinates mid-flight, among other powerful functions. GPS Coordinate Converter (http://gpscoordinateconverter.com/) is so efficient and user friendly that it's easy to overlook its sophistication. Recreational and commercial pilots can download GPS Coordinate Converter today from the App Store.

Boeing Pulls Wraps Off New Jet for Air Force's T-X Competition



After three years of secrecy, Boeing Defense rolled out a new single-engine, twin-tail, high-wing training jet during a rousing ceremony at its St. Louis headquarters on September 13. The manufacturer and partner Saab have nearly completed two of the jets to compete for the U.S. Air Force’s T-X advanced training jet competition.

Boeing Says China To Become First Trillion-dollar Market



Boeing projects a demand for 6,810 new airliners in China over the next 20 years, making it the first trillion-dollar aviation market by the airframer’s reckoning. Boeing released its annual China Current Market Outlook (CMO) on Tuesday in Beijing, estimating the total value of the new airplanes at $1.025 trillion.

Tuesday 13 September 2016

Hillary Clinton's plane: 5 things to know



Hillary Clinton is getting plenty of use out of her new jet.

The Democratic presidential hopeful and Chappaqua resident held a press conference Thursday morning on the tarmac at Westchester County Airport, right before taking off for Charlotte and a voter registration drive and rally.

Zuma’s R500m backup Boeing is on its way



The air force plans to spend about R500-million on an 18-month lease of a second luxury jet for President Jacob Zuma that aviation experts say he doesn’t need.

Aviation regulators discourage use of Galaxy Note 7 phone in flight due to explosion hazard



Aviation regulators in several countries and airlines are advising against turning on or charging Samsung’s Note 7 smartphones during flights because their lithium batteries can catch fire and explode.

Saturday 10 September 2016

FAA warns against using Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on planes



The Federal Aviation Administration is warning travelers to avoid turning on or charging Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones while flying because of concerns about the devices catching fire.

Wednesday 7 September 2016

Probe Finds Crashed Emirates Airliner Tried to Abort Landing



A preliminary report released Tuesday into last month's Emirates airliner crash landing in Dubai found that the pilot attempted to take off again after briefly touching down, and that the plane ultimately hit the runway as its landing gear was still retracting.

Cross River state in Nigeria set to float airline



Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade on Monday said that the state government is to float an airline, to be called “Cally Air,” a plan which is said to be part of its tourism investment drive.
Ayade made this known in Calabar yesterday while playing host to a consortium of Indian investors.

Suspected MH370 missing plane debris 'found washed up on the coast of Mozambique'



Three pieces of the missing aircraft have allegedly been found on the shore including a panel that appears to be in colours of Malaysian Airlines

Airbus Wins $6.5 Billion Orders From Vietnamese Carriers



Airbus Group SE won about $6.5 billion of orders from carriers in Vietnam, a nation that’s likely to rank among the top 10 fastest-growing aviation markets in the next two decades.

Tuesday 6 September 2016

FirstNation Airline to resume operations September 15



Local carrier, FirstNation Airways, will return to business on September 15, an official said on Monday.
Rasheed Yusuf, FirstNation’s Head of Corporate Affairs, said the airline suspended operations last week to carry out routine maintenance on its fleet in line with safety standards and regulations.

Sunday 4 September 2016

Looming pilot shortage has FAA considering lower flight-time requirements



Amid increasing demand for air travel and a looming pilot shortage, the Federal Aviation Administration is considering a proposal to reduce the amount of cockpit experience required for commercial co-pilots, spurring concerns about aviation safety.

Friday 2 September 2016

Another Nigerian airline, First Nation, suspends operations



A day after Aero Contractors announced the suspension of operations and placed staff on indefinitely leave, another national airline, First Nation, has closed business.

THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) NOW OFFERS LICENSE TO OPERATE DRONES FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES



Businesses with the use of drones aren't legal in the United States but the government now makes an exception if you get your drone license under the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) new rules.

US commercial flights take off for Cuba



When JetBlue Flight 387 touched down Wednesday in Cuba, it was the first direct commercial flight between the US and the island in over a half-century.