Boeing’s problem with fastener’s on its new 787 Dreamliner was caused by an engineering error in Everett, Wash., the Seattle Times reports. Mechanics are now replacing thousands of of fasteners in the aircraft. It could mean replacing up to 8,000 fasteners on the first dozen planes in varying stages of completion.
It’s unclear how much the delay will add to the 787 program.
The Civil Air Patrol is celebrating its 67th anniversary Dec. 1. The all-volunteer, nonprofit group performs a multitude of missions in communities around the country.
It responds day or night when a plane is overdue and an emergency locator transmitter goes off. Its volunteers perform 90 percent of the inland search and rescue missions in the continental U.S. CAP provides disaster relief during hurricanes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes and countless other emergencies. It also performs homeland security and counterdrug measures when asked.
It also takes part in aerospace education and mentors young people through its cadet program.
The Civil Air was formed on Dec. 1, 1941, less than a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The group has 57,000 members across the country.
was formed on Dec. 1, 1941.
A top Pentagon official chastised Northrop Grumman Corp. over an advertisement it ran in the Washington Post resuming its attack on Boeing, the Wall Street Journal said.
Northrop Grumman ran a full-page ad Nov. 19 saying that Northrop’s first 68 Airbus A330-based planes cost $3 billion less to make than the same number of modified Boeing 767s.
The ad resumes the sniping in national and Washington-area newspapers as the two companies competed for a $40 billion aerial refueling tanker contract from the U.S. Air Force. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates postponed the competition until after the new administration takes office.
John Young, undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics confronted Northrop on the ad. “I called the company and said, ‘I don’t appreciate this and I don’t think it’s necessary.’”
Some notable names with ties to the aviation industry are being considered for high-level positions in Obama’s administration, according to Aero-News.
At the top of the list is reportedly former FAA administrator Jane Garvey, who oversaw the agency during Sept. 11 crisis. Garvey resigned from Bombardier’s board of directors last week and was named to Obama’s transition team, the report said.
Another name rumored to be a strong candidate for FAA administrator is Duane Woerth, former president of Air Line Pilots Association and pilot at Northwest Airlines.
According to a report in Reuters, EADS still wants to sell some of its factories in Germany and France. Read more about it here…
Fashion designer Ralph Lauren ponied up $4.18 million for a two-year tax bill related to operating his $50 million Gulfstream V business jet, according to the New York Post . He reportedly is fighting to get his money back.
Financially troubled Eclipse Aviation said it’s received European certification of its Eclipse 500 very light jet. It’s also received Federal Aviation Administration for the plane’s Avio avionics suite.
The approvals demonstrate the Eclipse 500 “continues to meet regulatory and safety requirements around the world,” the company said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Eclipse scrambled to find financing to meets it payroll.
If you could be an airplane, what kind would you be? That’s what my friend, Bonnie Bing, and I asked ourselves after seeing the fabulous footage of a variety of aircraft flown by and filmed by Clay Lacy, who shared his adventures at WSU last night.
Bonnie said she’d like to be a fast and sleek Learjet. Some days, I’d like to be Air Force One and hear all the inside, secret “scoop”. Today, however, we agreed that we’re both feeling more like my dad’s slow (but cute!) Piper Tri-Pacer.
Let me hear from you. If you could be an airplane, what would you be?
Native Wichitan Clay Lacy was in town last night to speak at Wichita State University. Lacy began flying at age 12. He flew for United Airlines for almost 41 years. He’s also set 29 speed records, flown 300 types of airplanes and has more than 55,000 flight hours under his belt. Along the way, Lacy was manager of Learjet sales for the western states before starting his own charter and FBO business in California. He may best be known for his work providing film footage for about 3,000 projects — including Top Gun and Armegeddon. He helped develop the camera system used in a specially modified Learjet. In a video he showed at the event, Lacy said, “Lucky Me.”
Actually, it was “lucky me.” Gracious hosts Bonnie Bing and her husband Dick Honeyman hosted a dinner for Lacy after the event, and I was lucky enough to be invited and seated next to Lacy.
At dinner, we asked him about some of the famous people he’s met along the way. He told the story of having dinner one night at Danny Kaye’s house with several other guests. After dinner they retired to a comfortable room for converstation. And Kaye mentioned all the professionals that were in the room. But, he said, there was one person he considered the most professional – Lacy. When asked why, Kaye said, “Well, when you ask a pilot why he got into flying, he never says ‘because my mother wanted me to.’”
Boeing’s engineering union is in the midst of negotiations on a new contract in Wichita. The timing may be for good considering the news that Boeing will cut 800 jobs in Wichita next year. The union — the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace — is “moving quickly on aspects of the contract that will directly affect layoffs,” it said.
SPEEA Midwest director Bob Brewer said the negotiations will be used to “try to do what we can … to mitigate the circumstances we’re dealt with and alleviate as much pain and discomfort (for employees) as we can.”
Talks continue this week.
