Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China have opened a facility that will turn waste cooking oil, commonly referred to as “gutter oil” in China, into sustainable aviation biofuel. The companies estimate that 500 million gal. of this biofuel could be made annually in China. Biofuel produced by the China-U.S. Aviation Biofuel Pilot Project is expected to meet international specifications approved in 2011 for jet fuel made from plant oils and animal fats. This type of biofuel has been used for more than 1,600 commercial flights.
FAA will stop enforcing requirements that U.S. carriers have at least one pilot under age 60 on international flights. The rules, put in place in 2007 when the pilot retirement age was raised to 65, matched those of the International Civil Aviation Organization. In March, ICAO voted to drop the requirement, allowing any two qualified pilots to be paired.
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall talks with Senior Pentagon Editor Amy Butler about challenges keeping existing programs on track while looking to the future.
The U.K. Airports Commission says each of the bidders underestimated project costs, which is particularly important for the two proposals at Heathrow, where per-passenger charges are among the highest for major international airports in the U.K. and Europe.
A wireless sensor technology can detect damage, measure fuel levels and even potentially redirect lightning strikes to safe areas on an aircraft's exterior.
The future of A&D is looking good judging by the accomplishments and drive of the young innovators—the lifeblood of the next generation—in this Aviation Week-Raytheon feature.
The FAA estimates that just 10% of general aviation aircraft and only 3% of the major air carrier aircraft will be ADS-B compliant by year-end. That means 200,000 light planes, business turboprops and jets and airliners have yet to equip.
Some industry pundits say Pentagon changes will try to force more buy-in from industry on research and development and more competition between companies, among other elements, as the government tries to stretch scarcer dollars.
Virgin America reiterated in an updated prospectus filed this month with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it will focus much of its attention in the near future on five airports—Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York LaGuardia, Washington National and Dallas Love Field—but it is not clear that this strategy will pay immediate dividends.
Pierre-Olivier Bandet (see photo) has become executive vice president-public affairs for Air France. He remains vice president of the chairman’s office.
Customer deferrals, trade sanctions and a deteriorating economic outlook have forced Rolls to accelerate a planned restructuring, which will mainly affect its U.K. civil aero-engine workforce, even though many of the issues are afflicting the company’s Land & Sea division, which produces nuclear energy and power systems.
Orbital Sciences remained mum on a replacement engine for its ISS cargo carrier last week, but Russian news outlets have identified the new kerosene-fueled RD-193 developed by NPO Energomash as the chosen one.
Dec. 8-10—Middle East Business Aviation. Dubai. See www.meba.aero Feb. 1-3—Routes Americas. Denver. See www.routesonline.com/events/172/ routes-americas-2015 Feb. 3-6—National Business Aviation Association Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference. San Jose, California. See www.nbaa.org/events/sdc/2015
Nov. 19-20—A&D Programs, Litchfield Park, Arizona. Jan. 13-14—MRO Latin America, Buenos Aires. Feb. 2-3—MRO Middle East, Dubai. March 5—Laureate Awards, Washington. April 14-16—MRO Americas, Miami.
A pair of Lockheed Martin F-35Cs have successfully completed their first series of arrested landings and catapult takeoffs from the carrier USS Nimitz this month, marking the start of the developmental test program for the U.S. Navy’s first stealthy piloted aircraft.
Recent developments in the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter program have convinced some analysts that the nearly $400 billion multirole stealth jet has seen its worst days. For instance, a key credit-rating analyst covering the Western aerospace and defense industry says the eighth low-rate initial production contract for the F-35 signals definitive long-term viability of the program after years of doubts.
The so-called Third Offset, a new Pentagon strategy for pursuing and developing military technologies to overcome the likes of China and Russia, could accordingly provide a blueprint for industry to focus on and make business moves such as acquisitions, divestitures and research spending. Advance technologies highlighted by defense officials in recent years include hypersonic weapons; unmanned; cyber; long-range strike; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; “big data,” and “cloud” computing.
