Engineering, Leasing & Finance
UA328: Initial NTSB findings show metal fatigue
Initial inspections of the Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engine that caught fire on flight UA328 on Saturday have found that Turbine Blade No11 sheared off at the root “likely caused by metal fatigue”. Turbine Blade 10 was also sheared mid-way along its length, probably after being hit by Blade 11. [read more]
Civil Aviation
Summer holiday bookings surge as PM outlines lockdown roadmap
The sales of summer holidays have surged in the last 24 hours according to the UK’s biggest tour operator thanks to Boris Johnson outlining the Coronaviurus lockdown exit strategy. TUI reported a 500% increase in holiday sales in the last 24 hours prompted by the plans to ease restrictions and [read more]
Engineering, Leasing & Finance
Aerospace engineering firm expands in Hampshire
Aerospace engineering firm RHH Franks has announced it has expanded its manufacturing facility in Hampshire, increasing its capacity by 25%. Funded by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, RHH was able to equip an additional 6,600 sq ft of unit space at its site in New Milton. RHH Franks’ has been [read more]
Civil Aviation
Pratt & Whitney powered 777s grounded
Boeing has recommended that any airline flying the Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 powered Boeing 777 should ground them pending an investigation into the United Airlines flight which suffered an uncontained engine failure on Saturday. United Airlines, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines all operate the type of [read more]
General Aviation
New general aviation radio station set to take flight
A brand new radio station aimed at General Aviation is set to take flight soon as Touchdown Radio prepares to launch. The London-based digital station will be broadcasting a mix of aviation news, weather updates, topical features, and music to aviation lovers and is licensed to broadcast in 46 countries [read more]
News
Airlines united in dance challenge video
In case you have been living under a rock you will have heard of the Jerusalema dance challenge that has been sweeping social media and several worldwide airlines have go in on the act. Austrian Airlines, Air Baltic, Air Madagascar, Eurowings and Viva Air are just some of the airlines [read more]
Air Safety
United Airlines 777 engine explodes showering debris
In the second incident of its kind today, the engine of a United Airlines Boeing 777 exploded with debris falling on houses below. The incident happened on United Airlines flight 328, a Pratt & Whitney powered Boeing 777, which had taken off from Denver en route to Honolulu. Video of [read more]
Air Safety
Injuries as 747 engine explodes over dutch town
Two people have been taken to hospital with minor injuries after an engine on a Boeing 747-400F failed sending shards of turbine blades to the ground. The incident involved a Longtail Aviation Boeing 747-400F which had just departed Maastricht Airport bound for New York. One engine suffered an uncontained engine [read more]
Air Safety
TUI carries out 737 Max air tests ahead of return to service
Tui Airways UK (BY/TOM) has begun carrying out air tests on its fleet of Boeing 737 Max8 aircraft ahead of their return to service ahead of the summer season. Tui’s has begun carrying out the necessary upgrades to the systems to meet the new airworthiness criteria with the first air [read more]
Air Travel
Civil Aviation
Lufthansa targets June for delayed Bristol to Frankfurt launch
Lufthansa is targeting late June for its second attempt launching flights between Bristol and Frankfurt. The German flag carrier had previously planned to launch the daily service in Summer 2020 but this was cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Lufthansa now aims to start the service on 28th June 2021. [read more]
Civil Aviation
Summer holiday bookings surge as PM outlines lockdown roadmap
The sales of summer holidays have surged in the last 24 hours according to the UK’s biggest tour operator thanks to Boris Johnson outlining the Coronaviurus lockdown exit strategy. TUI reported a 500% increase in holiday sales in the last 24 hours prompted by the plans to ease restrictions and [read more]
News
Red list hotel quarantine rules come into force
New quarantine rules for passengers arriving into the UK come into force today which means passengers arriving from red list countries will have to stay in specially arranged hotels for 10 days at their own expense. The new rules mean that anyone arriving from a red list country must book [read more]
Engineering & MRO
Air Safety
FAA orders thermal checks on PW4000 compressor fans
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD #2021-05-51) ordering US operators of Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engines to carry out thermal checks on compressor blades before allowing them to return to service. The directive comes after initial findings by the [read more]
Engineering, Leasing & Finance
UA328: Initial NTSB findings show metal fatigue
Initial inspections of the Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engine that caught fire on flight UA328 on Saturday have found that Turbine Blade No11 sheared off at the root “likely caused by metal fatigue”. Turbine Blade 10 was also sheared mid-way along its length, probably after being hit by Blade 11. [read more]
Engineering, Leasing & Finance
Aerospace engineering firm expands in Hampshire
Aerospace engineering firm RHH Franks has announced it has expanded its manufacturing facility in Hampshire, increasing its capacity by 25%. Funded by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, RHH was able to equip an additional 6,600 sq ft of unit space at its site in New Milton. RHH Franks’ has been [read more]
Military Aviation
Military
RAF Sentinel: last operational flight takes place
After 14 years of service, a Royal Air Force Sentinel R1 aircraft has carried out the last operational flight of the aircraft type. The Sentinel R1 from RAF Waddington, part of V (Army Cooperation) Squadron, was one of five aircraft commissioned through engineering firm Raytheon to provide an Airborne Stand-off [read more]
Military
General Atomics to demonstrate Maritime Drone Capability in UK
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) is set to spend this summer demonstrating the maritime capability of its MQ-9B Sea Guardian Remote Piloted Aircraft (RPA) to the UK and other NATO allies. The company will bring one of its MQ-9B Sea Guardians to RAF Waddington this summer in order to conduct [read more]
Military
Ex-RAF Lossiemouth Commander to head UK Space Command
Air Commodore Paul Godfrey OBE has been announced as the inaugural commander of the newly formed UK Space Command. [read more]
General Aviation
General Aviation
New general aviation radio station set to take flight
A brand new radio station aimed at General Aviation is set to take flight soon as Touchdown Radio prepares to launch. The London-based digital station will be broadcasting a mix of aviation news, weather updates, topical features, and music to aviation lovers and is licensed to broadcast in 46 countries [read more]
Air Safety
Benchmarking group aims to improve GA aerodrome safety
The newly formed General Aviation Safety Benchmarking Group (GA-SBG) has been set up with the goal of improving airfield safety for General Aviation users by making it easier to collate and share data across the UK. Founded by Harry Harrad, Safety and Compliance Manager at London Oxford Airport and Ben [read more]
Business Aviation
Gloucestershire Airport appoints new managing director
Gloucestershire Airport Ltd, which owns and operates Gloucestershire Airport (GLO/EGBJ), has appointed Karen Taylor as its new Managing Director. The airport is a key Business and General Aviation airport which is used for executive travel as well as pilot training and is vital to the local economy. Ms Taylor was [read more]
Air Sports
Air Safety
AAIB sending team to Cumbria glider crash
The Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) is sending a team to the site of a glider accident in Cumbria. The aircraft crashed yesterday (7th August) near Kirkland Cumbria and is understood to have suffered substantial damage. The pilot is believed to have been the sole occupant.
Air Sports
Darth Vader to return to Bristol Balloon Fiesta
The organisers of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta have announced that they have raised enough money to bring the infamous Darth Vader balloon back to Bristol. The Star Wars based special shape was built by Bristol-based Cameron Balloons under a project with the codename “Head One” and unveiled in 2007. [read more]
Air Safety
Alauda Airspeeder debut ends in crash at Goodwood
The Alauda Airspeeder 4 electric flying racing car was due to make its debut at Goodwood’s festival of speed last weekend but a test flight last Thursday ended in a crash. As we reported last week, the AAIB said it was sending a team to the site of an Unmanned Aerial [read more]
Air Safety
Air Safety
FAA orders thermal checks on PW4000 compressor fans
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency airworthiness directive (AD #2021-05-51) ordering US operators of Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engines to carry out thermal checks on compressor blades before allowing them to return to service. The directive comes after initial findings by the [read more]
Air Safety
United Airlines 777 engine explodes showering debris
In the second incident of its kind today, the engine of a United Airlines Boeing 777 exploded with debris falling on houses below. The incident happened on United Airlines flight 328, a Pratt & Whitney powered Boeing 777, which had taken off from Denver en route to Honolulu. Video of [read more]
Air Safety
Injuries as 747 engine explodes over dutch town
Two people have been taken to hospital with minor injuries after an engine on a Boeing 747-400F failed sending shards of turbine blades to the ground. The incident involved a Longtail Aviation Boeing 747-400F which had just departed Maastricht Airport bound for New York. One engine suffered an uncontained engine [read more]
Space
Military
Ex-RAF Lossiemouth Commander to head UK Space Command
Air Commodore Paul Godfrey OBE has been announced as the inaugural commander of the newly formed UK Space Command. [read more]
Features
Interview: Thales Alenia Space Team
The number of off-world projects currently in development is staggering.Earlier this month China’s Chang-E 5 landed on the moon to collect up to 2kg of regolith samples and return them to Earth. This is a short mission – Get up, Get rocks, Get home – but even this takes years [read more]
News
European Space Agency – Airbus Contract for Crucial Build
Last month we witnessed significant progress in humanity’s latest space venture. As far as off-world international co-operation goes, this is the largest team exercise for more than 20 years. The inter-continental collaboration which constructed and now operates ISS is now eclipsed by a new task: Put feet back on the [read more]
Wales
Cardiff Airport News
Your Pictures: The last flight of a British Airways Boeing 747
British Airways Boeing 747-400 G-BYGC left Cardiff Airport today for the short flight to St Athan marking the end of the Boeing 747 in service with British Airways. The aircraft will now be preserved at St Athan by eCube Solutions and is due to be opened to the public in [read more]
News
Wales Air Ambulance is now a 24h service
The Wales Air Ambulance Charity (WAAC) will now operate their helicopters around the clock thanks for a new double-pilot crew operation which started on the 1st December 2020. Having two pilots on crew means that the Air Ambulance can reach anywhere in Wales during the night from its bases at [read more]
Cardiff Airport News
Wizz Air to launch budget base at Cardiff Airport
Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air is set to launch a permanent base at Cardiff Airport (CWL/EGGF) creating around 40 jobs in March 2021. The airline will offer nine routes to destinations including Alicante, Faro and Tenerife as well as seasonal routes to Corfu and Palma. Sharm El Sheikh and Lanzarote [read more]
Scotland
Civil Aviation
Engine fault forces Loganair’s North Sea flight to turn around
An Aberdeen to Shetland flight was forced to return to Aberdeen International Airport following a potential engine fault Thursday morning. The 06.50 am Loganair flight LM901 (18 February), was travelling to Shetland’s Sumburgh Airport when the crew received an alert of a fault with the right-hand engine. Following the alert, [read more]
Air Safety
Man dies in Scottish gyrocopter crash
Police Scotland has confirmed that the pilot of a gyrocopter has died after his aircraft went down near Avoch at 12:55pm. The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. He was the sole occupant of the gyrocopter. A spokesperson from the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has [read more]
News
Loganair calls for APD pause as it announces S21 plans
Scotland’s airline, Loganair (LM/LOG) has called on the UK Government to introduce a program for aviation similar to the “Eat out to Help Out” scheme which will see Air Passenger Duty (APD) paused in a bid to get people flying again. Dubbed “Tax off for Take off”, Loganair says that [read more]
Northern Ireland
News
Manchester to Belfast City route takes off
The new Manchester (MAN/EGCC) to Belfast City Airport (BHD/EGAC) t route has got underway today when the first of four daily return services took off The Aer Lingus Regional service is operated by Stobart Air using an ATR72-600. Julian Carr, Aviation Director at Manchester Airport, said: “It’s great to see [read more]
Civil Aviation
Loganair increases Belfast City routes
Loganair (LM/LOG) is re-establishing the Belfast City to Glasgow Airport route. The service, which starts on 4th September, will operate twice-daily Monday to Friday and a single flight on a Saturday using an Embraer EMB145 Regional Jet. The routes from Belfast City to Aberdeen and Inverness are due to restart [read more]
Air Safety
Aer Lingus under fire over packed flights
Irish carrier Aer Lingus (EI/EIN) has come under fire after images appeared on social media showing a packed flight from London to Belfast. The images posted on twitter by BBC NI journalist Kelly Bonner show a packed flight with most of the seats taken in breach of social distancing guidelines. [read more]
Channel Islands
Channel Islands
Aurigny to stay grounded until September
Guernsey-based airline Aurigny (GR/AUR) has confirmed its flights will remain grounded until the end of August. The airline says that the disruption to flights is as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and that its grounding until the end of summer is in line with the Coronavirus Exit Strategy produced [read more]
Airshow News
BEA Airbus A319 to fly at Jersey airshow
British Airways has announced that its baby retro jet, the BEA Airbus A319, will fly at the Jersey Airshow this September. The specially painted Airbus A319 G-EUPJ has been painted in the British European Airways (BEA) livery as part of the airlines 100 year anniversary, BA100. BEA was was one [read more]
Air Safety
AAIB says Emiliano Sala was exposed to potentially fatal CO levels
A special bulletin by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has said that the Cardiff City Footballer Emiliano Sala was exposed to potentially fatal levels of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in the final moments before his plane crashed just north of Guernsey. The toxicology results show that Sala had a carboxyhaemoglobin [read more]
