7/27/09

Celebrating The 100th Anniversary Of The Flight Of Louis Blériot Across The English Channel




The New York Times and MSNBC report on the re-creation of the flight of Louis Blériot across the English Channel from France to Dover, England.

To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the flight, pilots re-enacted the crossing across the 22 mile channel. One pilot made the trip in a replica of the Blériot plane.

Photo Credit: Monash Univerity

Blériot plane was a far cry from the sturdy metal aircraft of today. According the the New York Times story, the plane was made from wood, wire and canvas, and had wheel axles no thicker than a broomstick.

Source: The New York Times, MSNBC, Monash University
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7/20/09

Aircraft Gathering For EAA AirVenture 2009 Unmatched Anywhere Else


AirVenture.org features information on the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, called “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” happening on July 27-August 2 at Wittman Regional Airport.

Photo Credit: EAA

According to the AirVenture.org site, this year’s unmatched collection of aircraft includes the cutting edge of technology (Virgin Galactic’s VMS Mothership “Eve” space carrier vehicle - pictured below) to the enormous (Airbus A380) to the historic (1909 Wright B Flyer replica) and everything in between.

Photo Credit: Virgin Galactic

“People who participate in air shows and aviation events around the world tell us the same thing – there is no place else that matches Oshkosh’s collection of aircraft that gather on these grounds each year,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. “From the hundreds of homebuilt aircraft and magnificent vintage restorations on the grounds, to current military technology and the latest the aviation industry has to offer, EAA AirVenture is the place where it all comes together to discover and explore.”

More than 2,500 showplanes, including hundreds of warbirds, arrive at Oshkosh each year. In many cases, the owners, builders and pilots of these unique aircraft participate in the nearly 1,000 forums, presentations and workshops that take place during AirVenture week. Attendees can ask questions and learn more at these forums, which are included in all AirVenture admissions.

Source: EAA AirVenture
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7/17/09

Cessna Will Begin Delivering The SkyCatcher Later This Year


Photo Credit: Cessna

Kansas.com reports that Cessna Aircraft will begin delivering the Cessna SkyCatcher to customers by the end of the year.

According to Kansas.com, Cessna hase confirmed that the SkyCatcher will test-fly a model from the production line sometime this year, with some deliveries later on.

In a previous statement about the Skycatcher, Cessna President and CEO Jack J. Pelton said :The need for a modern, cost-effective two-seat trainer aircraft has never been greater, and we believe we are well positioned to meet that need. The SkyCatcher program is an important part of our strategy."

Source: Kansas.com and Cessna
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Sikorsky Global Helicopters Delivers S-300C Helicopter To UND Aerospace


Sikorsky Global Helicopters, recently delivered an S-300C helicopter to UND Aerospace at the University of North Dakota.

Photo Credit: Sikorsky
The university has operated Sikorsky helicopters in its training program since 1983. The new helicopter becomes the seventh Sikorsky helicopter in operation in UND’s fleet. UND has three more S-300C helicopters on order this year.“We operate the S-300C model in our training program because it is a good training platform,” said Don Dubuque, fleet manager and director of extension programs at UND Aerospace. “It is also a very dependable and safe aircraft.”

Ken Polovitz, assistant dean of student services at UND Aerospace, said the university’s helicopter program is growing. “We currently have more than 800 students enrolled in fixed wing and helicopter training at UND, and more and more of them are becoming interested in the helicopter industry as a career track,” Polovitz said.

Source: Sikorsky Helicopter
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7/6/09

Gulfstream GV and GIV Families Achieve Flight-Hour Milestones


Two families of Gulfstream business jets — the Gulfstream GV and Gulfstream GIV — recently achieved flight-hour milestones.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

The 412 aircraft in the GV family, which comprises the ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550, G500 and GV, have surpassed 1.1 million flight hours since the first GV entered service on June 30, 1997. The fleet leader accounted for 13,107 of those hours.

The GIV family, consisting of 669 G450, G350, G400, G300, GIV and GIV-SP aircraft, has achieved nearly 3.5 million flight hours since the first GIV entered service on June 8, 1987. The fleet leader accounted for 18,403 of those hours.

Photo Credit: Gulfstream

“The milestones are very gratifying to all of us here at Gulfstream,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, Programs, Engineering and Test, Gulfstream. “They reflect the safety, performance and reliability of these aircraft.”

The in-service G550/G500 fleet has a 12-month dispatch reliability rate of 99.88 percent. In addition, the G550 has close to 40 city-pair speed records. The most notable is a 14.5-hour, 7,301-nautical-mile nonstop flight from Seoul, South Korea, to Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 3, 2003. That record was set less than two weeks after the aircraft entered service.

Source: Gulfstream
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