Planenews Aviation News Portal

Iraq Eyes Lockheed F-16 Fighter Aircraft Purchase.

WASHINGTON (Reuters): The Iraqi government has asked for information about buying 36 F-16 fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Corp, the U.S. Defense Department said on Friday. The request, received Aug. 27, is being reviewed "in the normal course of business" as part of the U.S. government-to-government arms sale process, said Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman. Full Story.

At Least 3 Killed in Coast Guard Helicopter Crash.

HONOLULU (AP): An official says at least three U.S. Coast Guard crewmembers were killed when their helicopter crashed in waters about five miles south of Honolulu, and another crewmember is missing. Spokesman Lt. John Titchen says the search continues Friday for the remaining crewmember. He says the Coast Guard release the names or ranks of the dead crewmembers for another day.

FAA Investigating 11 Air Carriers on Safety Issues.

WASHINGTON (AP): Federal aviation officials say they are investigating 17 cases in which 11 air carriers did not comply with safety directives. An inquiry earlier this year found seven instances in which four carriers had not complied with directives issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. Full Story.

777 Crash Inquiry Urges Changes.

Aviation authorities in the US and Europe are to order airlines flying Rolls-Royce-powered 777s to change operating procedures after a British Airways jet crash at London Heathrow airport in January. The seven-month probe by air accident investigators has shown that the fuel flow to both engines on the BA 777-200ER was restricted. Full Story.

Edwards F-22 Raptor Refuels Using Synthetic Fuel.

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE: The F-22 Combined Test Force reached another milestone as an Edwards F-22 Raptor performed aerial refueling using a synthetic fuel. It is the first time an Air Force aircraft refueled mid-air using an alternative jet engine fuel. Full Story.

Cirrus Design Eliminates 102 Positions.

Cirrus Design, seeking greater efficiencies across the board, has eliminated 102 positions at its Duluth, Minn., and Grand Forks, N.D., locations, including 25 positions where employees had made routine resignations. Chief Operating Officer Brent Wouters said "efficiencies" is his new company-wide mantra. "I think we’d gotten a little bit complacent and added positions that weren’t needed," Wouters said. Full Story.

NASA Changes 2008 Shuttle Target Launch Dates, Schedules TCDT.

HOUSTON: NASA has adjusted the target launch dates for the two remaining space shuttle missions in 2008. Shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is targeted for Oct. 10, while Endeavour’s STS-126 supply mission to the International Space Station has moved to Nov. 12.

Researchers Look to Bury Current Air Traffic Control Network.

The current air traffic control system is scary enough without involving probability, statistics, optimization modeling, economics and game theory. But that’s the kind of system researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Texas are looking at. Full Story.

TSA Calls on GA Pilots to Stop Unauthorized Aircraft Use.

From terrorist networks to joyriding teenagers, the prevention of unauthorized aircraft use is an issue at the forefront of concern for the Department of Homeland Security. This week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has released specific recommendations for GA pilots and fixed-base operators. Full Story.

Seven Killed in Gulf Helicopter Crash.

DUBAI (AFP): Seven people including a Briton and an American were killed when their heliopter crashed in the Gulf en route to an offshore oil platform, civil aviation authorities in Dubai said on Thursday. The Bell 212 came down on Wednesday about 50 nautical miles from Dubai, killing all seven crew and passengers on board, a United Arab Emirates civil aviation authority statement said. Full Story.