Skycontrol news archive for october 2008

06/10/08: If it looks ‘Right’ it flies ‘Right’: Alphasim’s Hawker Hunter now available from Flight1: “Hawker Hunter - The E-type Jaguar of fighter aircraft!”

The Hawker Hunter is a record breaker, cold war warrior and it’s now legal for a PPL to fly one! The Hunter is perhaps the most impossibly beautiful aircraft ever assembled. No, not assembled - but sculpted as though from a single block of aircraft grade aluminium. Designed by Sir Sidney Camm, an engineer whose designs span biplane to jump jet, the Hunter is a remarkable machine. The Rolls Royce Avon will propel you at Mach 0.94 at sea level, and let you climb at no less than 10,500ft/min to ‘touch the face of God’ at 51,000ft. Hunters were the chosen mount of the famous Black Arrows, their livery one of many in this simulation. Their 22-plane formation loop, set a record which stands to this day.

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06/10/08: Sky Warrior UAS completes first successful automatic takeoffs and landings from ER/MP one system ground control station: First Successful Flight via SATCOM Also Achieved

AUSA ANNUAL EXPOSITION, WASHINGTON DC – 6 October 2008 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, along with its “Team Sky Warrior” partners AAI Corporation and L-3 Communication Systems-West, today announced the successful first-attempted automatic takeoffs and landings of a Sky Warrior® UAS controlled from the AAI-developed Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) One System® Ground Control Station (OSGCS). Three automatic landings were successfully executed at GA-ASI’s El Mirage Flight Operations Center in Adelanto, Calif., on August 29, followed by three successful automatic takeoffs on September 26. GA-ASI’s Sky Warrior aircraft was under full line-of-sight command and control through the L-3 Communication Systems-West Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL). Automatic takeoff and landing utilizing TCDL represents a significant technical advancement in ER/MP UAS Program development and an important step in the maturation of diverse technologies prior to fielding the system, which is expected in July 2009.

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06/10/08: Dassault Falcon announced the launch of ‘EASy Phase II’ at NBAA

(Orlando, Florida, October 5, 2008) – Dassault Falcon announced the launch of ‘EASy Phase II’, a host of enhancements to the award-winning flight deck that will include synthetic vision technology. The synthetic vision system is being developed in conjunction with Honeywell Aerospace and will be offered as an option in new aircraft and as a retrofit in all EASy (Enhanced Avionics System) models. ”When EASy was introduced, it was a revolutionary advancement in cockpit technology and a giant step forward for business aviation,” said John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. “And today EASy continues its development with the addition of synthetic vision that will move today’s most advanced flight deck further ahead into the future.”

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05/10/08: Avionics Innovations DMP-100 Cabin Briefer Selected By AgustaWestland For Use In Demanding Environments: DMP-100NVG System offers clear cabin communications in high-noise settings

Ramona, CA (October 6, 2008) — Avionics Innovations, Inc., has been selected by AgustaWestland to provide an innovative command communications solution involving its DMP-100NVG for use with AW101 and Super Lynx 300 helicopters in high-noise environments. Avionics Innovations’ DMP-100NVG, a night-vision compatible version of its popular DMP-100 cabin briefing system, plays back prerecorded versions of all necessary pilot commands, overcoming the problem of ambient noise on the flight deck overpowering the pilots’ microphones. A rugged unit that meets DO-160 environmental testing requirements and features EMI/RFI shielding to prevent interference with other aircraft systems, the DMP-100NVG is ideal for military applications.

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05/10/08: Avidyne MLX770 satellite datalink reciever gains Irridium certificatio: Iridium approval paves the way for activation of Avidyne’s worldwide datalink weather service.

NBAA, Orlando, FL, October 5, 2008 — Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated flight deck and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, announced today that its MLX770 Satellite Datalink Transceiver has received system certification by Iridium Satellite LLC. The approval gives Avidyne the authority to operate on the global Iridium satellite network, paving the way for the launch of Avidyne’s innovative worldwide datalink weather service. “We are pleased to welcome Avidyne to the growing family of value-added partners,” said Don Thoma, executive vice president of Iridium Satellite. Avidyne’s Datalink product leverages Iridium’s global connectivity and robust two-way low-latency data channels to develop innovative new products for the burgeoning aeronautical satcom market,”

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05/10/08: Avidyne partners with WSI for worldwide datalink weather: Avidyne’s new MLX770 delivers WSI’s industry-leading weather data via the global Iridium satellite network.

NBAA, ORLANDO, FL, October 5, 2008 –Avidyne Corporation, a leading provider of integrated flight deck and safety systems for general aviation aircraft, announced today that it is partnering with WSI Corporation to provide datalink weather to operators of aircraft worldwide. Utilizing Avidyne’s MLX770 two-way datalink transceiver and the Iridium® satellite constellation, Avidyne will provide WSI’s industry-leading weather data products including worldwide graphical METARs, textual METARs, TAFs, and Winds & Temps Aloft. Premium services will include WSI’s NOWRad® and SATRad® imagery as well as worldwide Lightning data.

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05/10/08: Winglet Technology Nearing Completion of Cessna Citation X Elliptical Winglet Flight Testing

Orlando, FL October 5, 2008 – Since program announcement at NBAA in September 2007, significant progress has been made towards completing FAA certification of Winglet Technology’s patented Elliptical Winglets on the Cessna Citation X. The modification kit and production winglets have been installed on Cessna’s test aircraft, and final flight testing is nearing completion. The wing full scale static test has been successfully completed, and the winglet static test is underway and expected to complete this month. Remaining electrical system and exterior lighting flight testing is also scheduled to be completed this month. Issuance of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificate for the Citation X Elliptical Winglet is planned for June 2009.

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03/10/08: Avianca takes delivery of its first Airbus A330-200

The Colombian flag carrier Avianca took delivery of its first Airbus A330-200 today. This A330 is the first of ten aircraft of this type to be delivered to the prestigious airline. This aircraft is part of an Avianca order for 57 Airbus aircraft, which was signed in May 2007, and includes 47 Airbus A320 Family aircraft and ten A330-200s. Avianca also ordered another three A320s via leasing companies. Avianca’s main shareholder, the Synergy Group, has furthermore purchased ten A350XWBs. The airline will operate the A330 on its intercontinental network to Europe, and on routes in the Americas. The aircraft will be able to accommodate 280 passengers in a spacious two-class configuration, and will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent772B engines.

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03/10/08: World’s Most Powerful Portable Halon-Alternative Fire Extinguisher On Display At NBAA

(Larkspur, CA) – H3R Aviation, Inc., makers of Halon and Halon-alternative portable fire extinguishers, has teamed with Aviall to promote Halon-alternative fire extinguishers at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention. Aviall, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services and one of the world’s largest providers of new aviation parts and related aftermarket operations. Aviall will display the H3R Aviation model 674 150 lb. wheeled Halotron 1® fire extinguisher at its stand (#1441) during NBAA, October 6-8, 2008 in Orlando, Fla. The 674 is the world’s most powerful Halon-alternative flight line fire extinguisher. Also at NBAA, Aviall and H3R Aviation will raffle off the 5.5 lb. portable Halotron 1® model B394TS. The B394TS is the only Halotron 1® clean agent fire extinguisher approved by FAA for use on-board aircraft.

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03/10/08: The Museum of Flight Installs New Architectural Landmark: Unique new aviation-inspired pedestrian bridge opens in October

SEATTLE, Oct. 2, 2008-The Museum of Flight’s visually-striking pedestrian bridge spanning East Marginal Way is near completion and is expected to be open to the public on Oct. 20, 2008. The T. Evans Wyckoff Memorial Bridge will connect the Museum’s main campus on the east side of East Marginal Way to its west campus, which includes the Library and Archives Building, Airpark and parking lots. It was designed to adapt to the Museum’s future west side development. The project began over three years ago, and from the beginning it was meant to not only enhance visitors’ safety and convenience while crossing a busy thoroughfare, but to delight them with an experience inspired by flight.

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03/10/08: SECOM Takes Delivery Of Its AW109 Power Helicopter

AgustaWestland and Kaigai Aviotech Corporation are pleased to announce that SECOM, the largest security company in Japan, has taken delivery of its corporate-configured AW109 Power helicopter. The official ceremony has been performed at Japan Aerospace 2008 today. This helicopter was received by Kaigai Aviotech Corporation early summer to undergo final customization and the AW109 Power has now achieved operational readiness to carry out transport duties for SECOM’s staff and supplies for BCP (Business Continuity Plan in case of disasters such as earthquake, etc.).

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03/10/08: UI Helicopters Establishes AgustaWestland Service Centre In The Republic Of Korea

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that KBHC, soon to be renamed UI Helicopters, a subsidiary of AgustaWestland exclusive official distributor UII - United Industries International, has been appointed AgustaWestland Service Centre in the Republic of Korea. The Service Centre will be located at Yesang, just outside of Seoul, and will be operational by the end of 2008. As the sole Authorized Service Centre in the Republic of Korea for AgustaWestland, the primary responsibility of UI Helicopters will be to provide maintenance and repair services as well as maintaining a spare parts inventory for the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. Through UI Helicopters, AgustaWestland will be able to offer its growing number of customers in the Republic of Korea a greater level of service.

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02/10/08: Boeing Consolidates Aviation Training Organizations Under the Alteon Name

SEATTLE, Oct. 02, 2008 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today it is combining Alteon, a wholly owned subsidiary, and existing training groups within Boeing Commercial Airplanes to form a new, unified training organization. The new training organization retains the Alteon name as a business unit within Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. “The combined expertise of our Commercial Airplanes and Alteon teams will better serve our customers’ training needs by providing them with a more comprehensive suite of aviation training and flight services,” said Lou Mancini, vice president and general manager of Commercial Aviation Services. “This is yet another way that Boeing is helping to ensure our airline customers operate more efficiently.”

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01/10/08: Kanematsu Corporation Orders 16 AgustaWestland Helicopters

AgustaWestland is pleased to announce that Kanematsu Corporation, AgustaWestland’s representative in Japan, has signed a contract for 16 helicopters comprising 14 AW109 Power light twin helicopters and two AgustaWestland Grand twin engine helicopters for delivery through 2011. The contract was signed at a ceremony held today at the Japan Aerospace 2008 Exhibition in Yokohama. AgustaWestland has achieved growing success in Japan’s law enforcement market recently and through the partnership with Kanematsu Corporation, AgustaWestland is rapidly becoming the leader in this important market. When combined with an order placed earlier in 2008 for five AW109 Power helicopters, the total number of orders placed by Kanematsu this year totals 21.

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01/10/08: Embry-Riddle and research partners to demo weather advisory info integration: New Tools Key to Better Air Traffic Control, Reducing Delays and Fuel Consumption

Daytona Beach, Fla., Oct. 1, 2008 – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University today announced it will demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) its progress in developing air traffic control tools capable of reducing weather-related flight delays, reducing aircraft fuel consumption, and improving the efficiency of flight operations. Along with research partners Lockheed Martin, Computer Sciences Corp., Boeing, ENSCO, and Mosaic ATM, the demonstration will show how current and forecasted weather information can be successfully integrated into the FAA’s traffic management and en route automation systems, located in FAA centers and major airports around the country.

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01/10/08: Capital Cargo Pilots Recognize Struggle Fellow ATI Pilots Have with Management

TOLEDO, OH – Captain CJ Johnson, chairman of the Capital Cargo unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), which is one of the labor groups within Air Transport Service Group, Inc. (ATSG) released the following statement of support for crewmembers of Air Transport International (ATI). ATI crewmembers, represented by Local 747 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, recently approved a petition to ballot the ATI crewmembers for strike authorization. “With first hand knowledge and understanding of the difficult and painfully slow negotiations that the ATI crewmembers are confronting with their management, the crewmembers and leaders of the Capital Cargo Master Executive Council acknowledge and recognize the challenges facing our brothers and sisters at ATI. We champion the ATI crewmembers’ efforts and fight to receive a fair contract. Our support of solidarity is offered to them to resolve their labor issues in an expeditious manner. The crewmembers of Capital Cargo will not allow whipsawing our groups against each other as a method for management to build barriers between our crews.”

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