Squadron Leader Hugh Francis, a senior tutor at Massey’s School of Aviation, received a silver meritorious service award at a recent Royal Aeronautical Society dinner. The navigation specialist has been honoured for his long and dedicated service to the industry, and is due to retire at the end of the year. His 18 years at Massey followed a 33-year career in ...

Dunedin-based tracking company TracPlus Global has announced that it has secured a number a significant international contracts recently. Following on from the company’s success in being selected by the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) as the exclusive integration provider for airborne fire fighting in Australia, TracPlus Global has secured significant tracking and integration contracts in North America, as well as ...

The recent uninterrupted two-week flight by QinetiQ’s Zephyr solar-powered UAV has the company bidding for three world records. QinetiQ has filed with the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) for ratification of a laundry list of achievements for its high-altitude long endurance (HALE) Unmanned Air System (UAS). The records being claimed include: the absolute duration record for a UAV—at 336 hrs, 22 minutes; ...

Pacific Blue has announced that it is to exit its New Zealand domestic operations as part of a wider review of its network. Pacific Blue’s New Zealand domestic network currently includes Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown and Auckland, with 106 flights a week, including twice daily services from Christchurch to Wellington and Christchurch to Auckland. The airline will also boost trans-Tasman services ...

Last month, following extensive consultation with the airline industry and a review of capacity management on the existing runway, Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) announced that it would further delay the construction of a planned second runway.

Earthworks for the second runway commenced in late 2007 but construction was suspended in August 2009 because of falling air travel demand ...

The FAA has issued an airworthiness directive that will require operators of Boeing 757, 767 and 777 aircraft to either inspect or replace some windows in their aircraft’s cockpits. The directive is intended to prevent smoke, fire or cracking of the windows caused by faulty electrical connections.

Eleven fires have been reported during the past 20 years, the most ...

Boeing has released its 2010 Current Market Outlook (CMO), which predicts a need for as many as 30,900 new commercial aeroplanes—valued at US$3.6 trillion—over the next 20 years as the world economy recovers, and the demand for new and replacement aircraft encourages growth.

Boeing says its CMO reflects improving—although still unstable—conditions facing the industry.

Randy Tinseth, the vice president ...

Last month, Boeing unveiled its latest UAV, the Phantom Eye. Boeing says the hydrogen-powered aircraft can remain airborne for up to four days, at altitudes of up to 65,000 feet. Darryl Davis, the president of Boeing Phantom Works, says the Phantom Eye’s capabilities offer “game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers.”

The demonstrator ...

On 29 June, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) released its report to the Transport Minister in relation to its most recent audit of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)—the fourth such audit of the CAA’s certification and surveillance functions for civil aviation operators. The latest audit was carried out to determine whether the CAA had addressed the 10 ...

First GEnx-powered 787 Flies

June was an eventful month for Boeing’s 787 programme. On 16 June, the first 787 fitted with General Electric (GE) GEnx engines (ZA005, the fifth test aircraft) flew for the first time, making a 3-hour 45-minute flight.

The pilots for the flight, Captains Mike Bryan and Mike Carriker, said the aircraft handled exactly as ...