The Kansas Chapter of The Ninety-Nines is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the international organization of women pilots.
The local chapter is hosting a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2 at Hangar One on the second floor.
The Ninety-Nines was founded in 1929 and named for the group’s first 99 charter members. Its first president was aviatrix Amelia Earhart.
The Machinists union say suggestions by Boeing that its decision to build a new 787 assembly line in South Carolina are based on concerns about future strikes by the union are false.
“Corporate decisions like this are years in the making, and this one is no different,” Machinists international president Tom Buffenbarger said in a statement. “Until the last minute, executives feign indecision in an effort to dodge responsibility and to squeeze the last drops of goodwill out of a community that is losing a part of its legacy, and more important, its employment base.”
According to the Seattle P-I, the union offered Boeing a 10-year, no strike-deal and was willing to discuss a longer-term agreement to get Boeing to commit to putting the second line in Everett, Wash.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford immediately issued a statement yesterday following Boeing’s decision to put a second 787 assembly line in his state. Sanford hailed the move as the biggest economic development effort in South Carolina’s history.
I wonder whether the coup will help save Sanford’s political career.
Talk of his impeachment began last summer after it came to light that he had secretly spent five-days in Argentina with his girlfriend. When he returned, he admitted to a year-long extramarital affair.
I wonder whether the Boeing win will temper the impeachment sentiment.
WICHITA: Spirit AeroSystems officially opened its aerospace manufacturing and design facility in Malaysia today.
Eventually, the facility is expected to employ more than 450 people in assembly, manufacturing, engineering, commercial and support roles.
The 242,000 square-foot plant will initially produce composite subassemblies for Airbus single-aisle aircraft. It also will perform design engineering developing assemblies for the Airbus A350 XWB.
The Malaysian prime minister is to officiate at an opening ceremony for the facility today. The project has received support from the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.
Cessna Aircraft plans to help the City of Greensburg with environmental issues as the city works to rebuild itself as one of the first “green” cities.
Greensburg Mayor Bob Dixson and Cessna chairman and CEO Jack Pelton are signing a memo of understanding this afternoon, the company said. Cessna and the city will work together on developing and starting energy management programs, adopting clean and efficient sustainable resources and reducing the overall environmental impact.
The two will create a list of areas to explore and will then mobilize employees to provide expertise for a variety of projects, including green airport development and coordination of aviation activities in the Greensburg community with general aviation industry associations, the company said.
Greensburg was decimated by a deadly tornado on May 4, 2007.
Greensburg has become a living laboratory for research on sustainable design and community development, Dixson said in a statement. Teaming with Cessna shows the commitment Kansas people and businesses have to work together to better the environment.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will participate in certain aspects of the effort that pertain to general aviation.
The first production Cessna 162 
SkyCatcher has arrived from Shenyang, China, and is now at the Cessna factory.
There, the plane is being reassembled and modified to incorporate design changes to the tail. The changes were the result of flight testing, specifically from the spin-testing tests following the crash of two test aircraft.
The second SkyCatcher will be shipped to Yingling Aviation in Wichita for reassembly. The first 10 aircraft will need to be modified before they’re delivered to customers. Then, the changes will have been made into the production line in China.
ORLANDO — 
Mike Casey is a happy man. Mike just won a Big Dog motorcyle at the Greater Wichita Economic Develop Coalition’s booth this afternoon. He had a one-in-47,000 chance of winning. Mike works for the FAA in Fort Worth.
Although attendance was down, things were still busy at the static display Wednesday.
It’s official. Crowds are thinner at this year’s NBAA in Orlando. Organizers report that 21,807 people registered for the convention yesterday, the show’s opening day. That’s down 22 percent from record attendance of 29,350 a year ago.
The figures aren’t surprising, however, given how hard the industry has been hit by the economic crisis.
Still, said NBAA’s Patrick Dunne, “It’s going well; we’re having a strong show.”
Tuesday’s crowds on the exhibit floor seem down from past years as well. As one show veteran put it earlier this morning, ”You could roll a bowling ball through there and not hit anyone.”
Attendance has since picked up, and the exhibit floor is much busier right now.
Beautiful but windy weather Tuesday helped attendance out at the static display yesterday.
“Hawker Beechcraft’s static display was well attended,” said company spokeswoman Nicole Alexander. ”I’m very pleased with opening day attendance.”
And Embraer officials report that crowds were long to get inside the Phenom 100 at the static display yesterday.
I’m heading out there this afternoon.
Wichita-native Clay Lacy, a veteran pilot who has conducted over 2,500 air-to-air photo flights for hundreds of commercials, television and feature films, including “Top Gun”, will be honored next year by the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
Lacy began flying at the age of 12 and had logged 1,500 flight hours by the age of 19 when he went to work flying for United Airlines. He retired from United after 40 years. He also started the first executive jet charter service west of Mississippi, operating out of Van Nuys Airport in California. Lacy is veteran air race pilot and holds numerous world-flying records.
He will receive the award in July.
Some empty exhibit space at NBAA. Last year, the exhibit hall was full. This year, fewer vendors are displaying their products at the show. Still, the convention has about 1,000 exhibitors.
ORLANDO — Some Wichita exhibitors say traffic was down somewhat today at this year’s NBAA. But there were fewer tire kickers.
The ones here really want to talk, said Larry Franke, president of Avcon Industries in Newton.
In fact, three or four “really good contacts” came by Avcon’s exhibit today, Franke said.
Business is down in the general aviation business overall. So it’s natural that traffic would be down at the show, said Charles Skelton of Wichita’s Aircraft Interior Products.
“We’re looking at cautious optimism,” said Skelton, standing by carpets and other products for aircraft interiors.
