Boeing plans mission-control centre to monitor its early 787s

Boeing plans a dedicated mission-control centre to monitor its early 787s in service by harnessing live data streamed from the aircraft.By harnessing live data from the 787's Airplane Health Management (AHM) system, Boeing aims to deliver 777-level dispatch reliability on its 787 fleet.Housed in the airframer's 40-88 building at its Everett, Washington campus, the 787 Operational Control Center (OCC) will be manned 24 hours a day with six to seven staff on each of the three daily shifts.The facility...

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SLS configuration finalised

After months of speculation, NASA has confirmed the final design of the Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy lift launch vehicle meant to launch NASA payloads into deep space by 2017. The first rockets will be capable of lifting 70 metric tonnes to low earth orbit (LEO), and later versions will be scaled up to 130t.The first stage of SLS, as many anticipated, will be powered by five Rocketdyne RD-25D/E rockets, also known as space shuttle main engines (SSME), assisted in the first minutes of flight...

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ATR opens pilot training centre in Paris

Turboprop manufacturer ATR has opened a new pilot training centre near Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.The facility is equipped with a Thales ATR 72-500 full flight simulator.ATR established the centre in partnership with Sim Aero Training, which will house the FFS and provide technical support.The manufacturer also has training centres in Toulouse, Bangkok and Toronto, and will soon open centres in Johannesburg and Bangalore.ATR chief executive Filippo Bagnato said the new Paris facility will "allow...

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China reveals 1 tonne helicopter - report

China has unveiled an one-tonne helicopter at a helicopter expo in China, according to an official media report. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) AC310 helicopter was revealed at the China Helicopter Exposition that is being run in the Chinese city of Tianjin, said a report by China's official news agency, Xinhua. Photographs that appeared on a Chinese website show a helicopter similar to the Schweizer 300C, itself an updated variant of the Hughes TH-55 Osage. Xinhua quoted Wang...

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Braking force affected ill-fated Yak-42's take-off run: MAK

Investigators probing the Yakovlev Yak-42 crash at Yaroslavl have revealed the presence of an apparent braking force on the aircraft during the take-off run, but have yet to understand its origin.The aircraft had entered runway 23 at taxiway 5 - about 300m (984ft) from the beginning of the strip - for the flight to Minsk on 7 September.Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) said the Yak-42 accelerated to around 89kt, in line with the engine power setting, but that the pitch did not increase...

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Hypoxia symptoms still pose mystery as F-22A returns to flight

Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors have been cleared to fly for the first time in four months, but the oxygen problem that grounded them remains a mystery to the US Air Force.It will be two months before F-22A pilots regain full operational capability of the fighters after the four-month hiatus, Gen Norton Schwartz, USAF chief of staff, said on 20 September.The USAF's wide-ranging safety investigation, which was prompted by the incidents that caused the grounding, could take even longer.Sixteen flight...

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AirAsia to launch loyalty programme

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia is taking the first steps towards starting its own loyalty programme.The airline has signed an agreement to start a joint venture with financial services firm Tune Money to launch a programme called "BIG", it said in a statement to the Malaysian stock exchange.Through this programme, it will issue loyalty points to AirAsia customers and third party merchants. These points can then be collected and used to redeem AirAsia flights, it added.The programme will encourage...

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VIDEO: BA kicks off heritage TV ad campaign with web debut

British Airways launched its TV advertising campaign today with the release of a slick 90 second featurette "Aviators" that draws from the airline’s nine decades of history. The advert is part of what CEO Keith Williams said was its biggest marketing campaign for a decade, and "backs the £5 billion being spent on customer products and services over the next five years". The retro-style television advert incorporates elements from the 90-year history of the airline and its predecessors. It includes...

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United Technologies to buy Goodrich for $18.4bn

United Technologies (UTC) has agreed to buy Goodrich for $18.4 billion, subject to regulatory approvals.UTC expects the combined company to have worldwide sales of approximately $66 billion, based on its projected 2011 results.The purchase would result in increased scale, financial strength and complementary products, strengthening the company's position in the aerospace and defence industry, said UTC in a statement. "Goodrich is a great business with a solid product portfolio and significant aftermarket...

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