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Week ending February 8, 1998
+++ Iberia orders up to 76 Airbus aircraft +++ US EA-6B hits cable car in Italy +++ Fairchild Dornier celebrates 328JET premiere +++ Balloon record for Breitling Orbiter II +++ German air travel to lead to capacity constraints +++ De Havilland Dash 8Q-400 flies +++ USA and Japan reach aviation agreement +++ Beluga transports X-33 cryogenic tank +++ Northwest & KLM are "Airline of the year" +++ Successful first launch of an Ariane rocket in 1998 +++ Shuttle Endeavour returns after successful mission +++ News in Brief +++
Iberia orders up to 76 Airbus aircraft
Mega-Order für Airbus von Iberia
Iberia announced its intention to acquire up to 76 Airbus Industrie single-aisle family aircraft following the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding for 50 firm aircraft and 26 options. The deal, which involves up to nine A319s, 36 A320s and 31 A321s, is the largest single transaction ever concluded with a European carrier by Airbus Industrie. Iberia, an Airbus Industrie customer since 1978, currently operates a fleet of 22 A320s, six ultra-long range A340s -- with another two to be received this spring -- and eight widebody, twin-engine A300s. Xavier de Irala, Iberia's president, said the airline's decision to select Airbus Industrie's single-aisle aircraft family followed an extensive technical and financial evaluation, and is part of the airline's comprehensive fleet standardization program -- which will be centered around the A320 family for its short to medium range network.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
US EA-6B hits cable car in Italy
20 Tote bei Flugunfall in Cavalese
On February 3, a U.S. Marine Corps Grumman EA-6B Prowler hit and cut a cable car line in Cavalese, northern Italy, causing a cable car to crash into the hillside with all the 20 people aboard killed. The accident provoked an outcry of public anger over alleged reckless flying by US forces stationed in Italy to monitor events in Bosnia. The Communist Refoundation party renewed its call to close the Aviano base. Meanwhile, other lawmakers demanded an end to U.S. military flights over inhabited areas, and punishment for the pilot.The EA-6B was stationed at Aviano and was on a low-level training sortie when the accident occured. It landed back at its base, which is about 100 kilometers east of the scene of the accident, the pilot reported that he had simply felt a "big bump."
U.S. President Bill Clinton, in a phone call to prime minister Prodi, expressed his condolences for the victims of the crash. Clinton reportedly assured Prodi that both U.S. and Italian officials will be fully involved in the investigation.
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Fairchild Dornier celebrates 328JET premiere
Fairchild Dornier feiert Premiere des 328JET
Two weeks after its successful first flight (on 20 January, 1998), the Fairchild Dornier 328JET was presented to the public for the first time on February 4, 1998. Approximately 800 guests, including representatives from the German government, the state of Bavaria and the suppliers, along with nearly 1500 employees celebrated the premiere of the twin-engine jet derivative of the 328 turboprop regional aircraft at the company's Oberpfaffenhofen site.In his speech, Dr. Norbert Lammert, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Ministry of Transport, expressed his excitement about the "company's new start", saying that the new jet not only demonstrates the technological potential in Germany but also shows what can be achieved if "we want what we are really capable of".
According to Fairchild Dornier, the 328JET, in its first three test flights, has shown that it not only meets the calculated performance specifications but, performs even better than projected in many of them. Prototype number one will be joined for the flight tests by a second 328JET in April, and two more jets later in the year. JAA certification is scheduled for February of 1999, with the FAA certification following one month later.
The 328JET will be offered in two versions, as a regional jet-airliner and as a corporate aircraft. According to Fairchild Dornier, the company has an order log of 35 jets, including two jets for which Innsbruck, Austria based Tyrolean Jet Service just signed the contracts and one aircraft for which Munich, Germany based MTM Aviation recently signed a letter of intent.
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Balloon record for Breitling Orbiter II
Orbiter II zehn Tage in der Luft
On February 7, the Breitling Orbiter II balloon landed around 100 km north of Rangun in Birma. Since taking-off at Chateau d'Oex (Switzerland) last Wednesday, it was thus ten days in the air, breaking the record of the Rutan Voyager of 1996. Distance covered was 8000 km. This achievement may be a consolation for the team under Bertrand Piccard, which attempted to circumnavigate the globe in balloon for the first time. This aim was thwarted by the refusal of an overflight permission by the Chinese.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
German air travel to lead to capacity constraints
Engpäße auf deutschen Flughäfen befürchtet
In a joint study, the DLR (German aerospace research institute) and the DFS (German ATC services company) predict that the number of air journeys in Germany will increse form 48 milion a year today to 75 million in 2010 and 85 million in 2015, translating to a rise of around two million a year. This means that the 112 million passengers counted on German airports will rise to 180 million in 2010, leading to serious questions over capacity constraints. Frankfurt and Düsseldorf are operating already at the limits imposed by their runway systems, and Munich, Stuttgart and Hamburg will do so in time. This is true even if currently planned investments are taken into account. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
De Havilland Dash 8Q-400 flies
Erstflug der gestreckten Dash 8
Bombardier Aerospace reports the first flight of its new top-of the line regional turboprop. The Dash 8Q-400 made its maiden flight on January 31. Wally Warner, chief engineering test pilot at de Havilland, and engineering test pilot Barry Hubbard were in the air for three hours, during which the aircraft reached a speed of 370 km/h and an altitude of 2285 metres. "The most complimentary thing I can say is that it flies as well as, or better than, existing Dash 8 aircraft. Everything went as planned", commented Warner. After several more flights from Downsview (Montreal), the aircraft will be ferried to the flight test centre in Wichita, Kansas. Around 1500 flight hours will be needed to certification in 1999. Currently Bombardier has 85 orders and options for the latest Dash 8.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
USA and Japan reach aviation agreement
Luftfahrtabkommen zwischen Japan und USA vereinbart
The United States and Japan on February 2 reached an aviation agreement that provides substantial, immediate benefits for the airlines of both countries while setting the stage for further liberalization in the future, Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater announced. The accord, reached after 11 days of talks in Washington, represents a critical step in liberalization of aviation service in the Asian-Pacific Region. Secretary Slater said: "The billions of dollars in economic benefits of this agreement will be seen in more convenient service to more cities and the expansion of local economies benefitting from increased trade, investment and tourism." U.S. carriers will enjoy additional revenue of just over $4 billion over four years due in part to an increase in U.S.-carrier market share. In addition, U.S. exports of aviation services will enjoy a net increase of almost $4 billion over the four-year period. The agreement will remove all restrictions on the U.S.-Japan services of the so-called "incumbent" carriers -- currently United Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Federal Express -- who will be able to operate from any U.S. gateway point to any point in Japan. These carriers also will be able to fly beyond Japan to third countries without limitation on the number of flights.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Beluga transports X-33 cryogenic tank
A300-600ST in den USA im Einsatz
The largest commercial charter flight ever commissioned in the United States is scheduled to depart New Orleans for Palmdale, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The flight, carrying a liquid oxygen tank built by Lockheed Martin Michoud Space Systems for the X-33/VentureStar Reusable Launch Vehicle, was arranged by Emery Worldwide's Emery Expedite! charter service. It will be the first U.S. charter for the Airbus A300-600ST Beluga cargo aircraft. Emery will move the dual-lobed aluminum oxygen fuel tank, which is more than 12 feet high, 20 feet wide and 27 feet long. Emery Expedite! recommended use of the Airbus Beluga, because it offered better clearances for the tanks and the pallet, along with a better loading system, than any other available cargo aircraft of that size. They also proposed flying directly into Palmdale, reducing delivery time and lowering transportation costs.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Northwest & KLM are "Airline of the year"
Auszeichnung für KLM und Northwest
Northwest and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines were named co-winners of the Airline of the Year Award for 1997 by Air Transport World Magazine. The recognition marks only the second time in nearly 25 years that the editors of ATW have selected two winners for the prestigious award. In announcing the award, the magazine highlighted the success of the global alliance that Northwest and KLM launched in 1993. The publication described the alliance as allowing travelers to make "seamless connections" across a route network that encompasses more than 400 destinations in 80 countries. "Simply stated, Northwest and KLM have transformed the very structure of the airline industry through their successful alliance," said ATW Editor-in-Chief J.A. Donoghue. ATW's recipient of its Airline of the Year Award in 1996 was Continental Airlines, Northwest's new U.S. alliance partner. In addition, Mesaba Airlines was named ATW's Regional Airline of the Year for 1997. Mesaba is a Northwest Airlink partner airline.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Successful first launch of an Ariane rocket in 1998
Erster Start einer Ariane im Jahr 1998 erfolgreich
An Ariane rocket successfully launched two telecommunications satellites (Brasilsat B3 and Inmarsat 3f5) into orbit during the night from February 4 to 5, 1998 (11:29 GMT on 4 February). Flight 105, an Ariane 44LP with two solid and two liquid strap-on boosters, is the 75th Ariane 4 launcher out of the 116 ordered to date from the European space industry. The provisional parameters at third stage injection into geostationary transfer orbit were: perigee: 199,3 km (+/- 3km) for a target of 199,7 km; apogee: 36010 km (+/- 150 km) for a target of 36022 km); inclination 7,02 degrees (+/- 0,06-o) for a target of 7,00 degrees.Brasilsat B3 was designed and built for the Brazilian company Embratel by El Segundo, California based Hughes Space and Communications. The satellited weighed 1760 kg at launch and is equipped with 28 C-Band transponders and one X-Band transponder. Once positioned at 65 degrees West over the Atlantic Ocean, it is to ensure continuity of telecommunication services that Embratel provides for the Brazil and the South American region. It is the fifth satellite that Arianespace launched for Embratel.
Inmarsat 3F5 was built by East Windsor, New Jersey based Lockheed Martin Telecommunications and is the sixth Inmarsat satellite to be launched by Arianespace. It will provide mobile communications services above and on both sides of the Atlantic. It will offer a 150-channel capacity in the 30GHz band.
The next launch, Flight 106, is scheduled for February 27. An Ariane 42P launch vehicle will be used to place Eutelsat's Hot Bird 4 satelliteinto orbit.
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Shuttle Endeavour returns after successful mission
Space Shuttle Endeavour beendet erfolgreich Mission
On January 31, 1998, in the late afternoon, Space Shuttle Endeavour landed safely at the Kennedy Space Cente, successfully completing a nine-day mission. Aboard Endeavour was astronaut David Wolf who returned to Earth after 128 days in space, 119 of which he spent on board the Russian Mir station. One of mission STS-89's objectives was the replacement of Wolf with Andy Thomas. An initial problem concerning Thomas' space suit, which wouldn't fit at the first try in the low gravity of space, was finally resolved by doing some alteration. allowing the American to start his four-month research mission as the final American astronaut to stay at the 12-year old station.At the same day that Endeavour left Mir, a Soyuz TM-27 spacecraft docked successfully with the station, following a two-day trip to the Mir since launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. On board the Soyuz craft were Mir 25 Commander Talgat Musabayev, Flight Engineer Nikolai Budarin and French researcher Leopold Eyharts. The new crew will now conduct a three-week handover with the Mir 24 Commander Anatoly Solovyev and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov. Solovyev, Vinogradov and Eyharts will return to Earth on February 19.
Endeavour's return to Earth also completed three scientific experiments of the German Research Center (DLR) which had been on board for the flight. Along with two fully-automated material scientific experimental units, the C.E.B.A.S. mini-module (Closed Equilibrated Biological Aquatic System) was the focus of the German scientists who contributed to the STS-89 mission. C.E.B.A.S. is a miniatur aquarium. It is filled with 9 liters of water and contains 200 fish babies. Water plants, snails, and bacteria generate oxygen for the enclosed system. STS-89 was the first mission that allowed to study a miniature ecological system in space. C.E.B.A.S. will is scheduled for a second flight into space on 2 April as part of the Neurolab mission on board the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-90).
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
On February 2 at around 7 pm a Bell UH-1D of an army aviation unit at Faßberg crashed in the Oerreler wood near Munster. Pilot and co-pilot were killed while a third soldier on board sustained injuries, but could be rescued. According to preliminary information, the Huey was conducting a night-flying exercise in concert with three other helicopters when contact was lost. It was snowing in the region at the time of the accident, but a military spekesman said it is too early to draw any conlusions.+++
Becker Flugfunkwerk at Baden Airpark has won a tender with the Air Force from New Zealand for the delivery of Personal Locator Beacons. The volume is 500 units, first deliveries will be in mid 1998. Becker will also deliver tower consoles, voice communication and VHF communication systems for twelve Indonesian airports, as supplier to main contractor Dasa. This contract is worht 2,5 million DM.
+++
The Lufthansa Lan Technical Training Chile S.A. has opened at Santiago de Chile. According to Lufthansa Technical Training, which owns 50 per cent of the venture (the rest belonging to local carrier LanChile), this is the most modern facility for the education of aircraft mechanics in South America. It will make sure that latest maintenance methods are transferred to the workforce in an expanding market.
+++
Augsburg Airways, a member of the "Team Lufthansa" feeder services, will offer one-way tickets of 89 DM on the Augsburg-Frankfurt route, thus beating even rail prices. The offer is limited to March 1 and needs a three-day advance purchase.
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To commemorate the German-French treaty of 1963, an Air France Concorde will visit Stuttgart airport on May 1. On the flight from an to Paris, it will make a supersonic diversion over the Atlantic ocean for those who like to experience a Mach 2 flight.
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Dr. Herbert Culman, former president of Lufthansa, has died at the Age of 76. Culman startet his carreer at the carrier in 1953, become only the 24th employee of the newly formed company. A lawyer by profession, he was in the management team of the company from 1964 and took the helm in 1972 for a ten year period.
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A joint venture company to be established by GKN Westland Helicopters and Boeing has been selected to provide the Training Service of the British Army's WAH-64 Apache attack helicopter. The contract, subject to satisfactory negotiations, will be for a thirty-year period, with options to cancel at twenty years, and will generate some 650 million pounds in revenue (incl. VAT), at today's prices. Dedicated facilities will be established at Middle Wallop, Dishforth, Wattisham and Arborfield.
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According to Lockheed Martin, the F-16 continued to improve its safety record during 1997, ending the calendar year wiht an annual mishap rete of 2.7 losses per 100000 flight hours in US Air Force service. The services F-16 cumulative loss rate since it first started flying the Fighting Falcon now stand at 4.2 lossed per 100000 flight hours.
+++
The department of civil protection of the Government of Italy has signed a contract for two Canadair CL-415 amphibious aircraft and an option for four additional waterbombers. Deliveries are scheduled for spring 1998. With this order, the Italian CL-415 fleet increases to eight. Total Cl-415 orderbook stands at 29.
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The most powerful engine in commercial aviation made its first test flight Wednesday, February 4 aboard a Boeing 777-300 from Paine Field in Everett, WA. The flight was the first in a series of missions that will lead to certification of the 98,000 pound thrust PW4098 on the 777. The engine/airplane combination will enter service in the fall of this year. The flight lasted three hours and 45 minutes and included a full 98,000 pound thrust take-off. The crew also performed two inflight starts and successfully completed various stability tests to clear the aircraft for full-crew engineering test flights. The PW4098 is the latest model of the 112-inch fan PW4000 series.
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February 1, 1998
January 25, 1998
January 18, 1998
January 11, 1998
December 21, 1997
December 14, 1997
December 7, 1997
November 30, 1997
November 23, 1997
November 16, 1997
November 9, 1997
November 2, 1997
October 26, 1997
October 19, 1997
October 12, 1997
October 5, 1997
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Last updated February 7, 1998
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