AirTran Airways CEO Bob Fornaro is the keynote speaker for the Wichita Aero Club’s monthly luncheon next week.
Fornaro joined AirTran in 1999. He’s held senior management positions at US Airways, Northwest Airlines and Trans World Airlines.
Fornaro will speak at the noon meeting on Tuesday, June 23 at the Wichita Airport Hilton. Tickets may be purchased online at www.wichitaaeroclub.org or by calling 641-5962.
The Air Force’s newest acquisition — military versions of the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 — flew its first combat sortie, according to Air Force magazine.
The aircraft, dubbed the MC-12W by the Air Force, is an intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance aircraft that provides support to ground troops. Its first mission took four hours and left from Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
It is equipped to collect intelligence signals and provide overhead live-streaming video in support of ground troops.
The Air Force is buying 37 of the aircraft, in what it calls the “Liberty Project.”
Bombardier Learjet tapped into Wichita State University’s Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel for low-speed testing of its new Learjet 85 mid-size business jet now under development.
The wind tunnel is operated by WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research.
The low-speed wind tunnel has a 7x10x12 foot test section capable of reaching speeds of up to 240 mph.
The Learjet 85 will carry eight passengers, have a high-speed cruise of Mach. 082 with a range of up to 3,000 nautical miles.
Germany and France have agreed in principle to finance Airbus‘ new A350XWB airliner and expect to make a final decision by the end of June, government ministers told Reuters.
German would provide $1.53 billion and France would contribute $1.4 billion, the report said.
Britain’s minister for business and defense, Lord Drayson, said he wasn’t prepared to disclose how much Britain could contribute, Reuters said. A Spanish counterpart was missing from a meeting during the Paris Air Show on Monday, according to the Gaea News. The three countries said they were looking forward to funding arrangements being finalized soon.
The widebody airliner is expected to compete with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
