Good day All
The first month of 2018 is all but done "time waits for no man", this year promises to be amazing, events in all aspects of general aviation are planned throughout the year. If you are planning an event please contact us at editor@flightlineweekly.co.za so it can be added to our events calendar
The first Air Navigation Rally (ANR) will taking place on Saturday 27 January at Kitty Hawk Airfield. Details on the SAPFA website www.sapfa.co.za. Please register on the website for this event. Arrivals to be from 7h30, breakfast will be available, there will be an 8 am briefing. 1st a/c off at around 09h30 for Round 1, and 1st a/c off around 11h30 for Round 2 (distance is 25 nm each). Scoring & prize giving at around 14h00. See you there.
Aviators Paradise will be hosting a Fly-Inn on Saturday 27 January, Aviators is located just North-West of the Hartebeespoort Dam Wall, Great food available at the Piper restaurant
Boeing’s 787-10 Dreamliner Cleared for Commercial Service by Federal Aviation Administration
The Boeing 787-10, the third and largest 787 variant, has gained US FAA certification, clearing the way for first delivery to Singapore Airlines during the first half of 2018.
“Other aviation regulatory agencies are expected to follow the FAA’s lead and certify the airplane before it enters service,” Boeing said in a statement.
An 18-ft. stretch of the 787-9, the 787-10 is designed to seat 330 passengers in typical a two-class configuration. It has 6,430 nautical miles (11,910 km) of range. Boeing noted that it “retains over 95% commonality” with the 787-9 while allowing for more passengers and cargo.
Certification comes after a flight test program that began March 31, 2017 in North Charleston, South Carolina, where Boeing’s 787-10 final assembly line is located. The certification campaign involved three flight test aircraft accumulating about 900 flight hours.
“Boeing’s flight test program team took the airplanes through a series of tests to confirm the airplane’s handling, systems and overall performance met internal requirements and certification standards to ensure safety of flight,” the manufacturer stated.
There are more than 170 orders for the 787-10 from nine customers, according to Boeing. Singapore Airlines has committed to 49 787-10s. North American launch customer United Airlines has 14 on order. Other 787-10 customers include Air France-KLM (seven on order), Air Lease Corp. (25), All Nippon Airways (three), British Airways (12), Etihad Airways (30), EVA Air (18) and GE Capital Aviation Services (10).
Gulfstream G500 Sets Off on World Tour
Speedy, ultra-long-range luxury jet nears certification.
In anticipation of certification, the Gulfstream G500 is taking off on a five-month tour to get introduced to potential customers around the world.
The ultra-long-range, high-speed luxury jet, the final of five test airplanes, recently took off from Dallas Love Field and will make stops in major cities such as Chicago, Melbourne, Beijing, Moscow and Milan.
“It’s an ideal time for customers to explore an aircraft that is already noted for its large, wide cabin, outstanding performance and industry-leading technology,” said Gulfstream’s president, Mark Burns. “It also gives us an opportunity to thoroughly test and examine the fully outfitted interior as we prepare for the G500’s service entry.”
Certification for the G500 is expected soon. The bizjet can carry eight passengers and their luggage up to 5,200 nm at Mach 0.85 or 4,400 nm at Mach 0.9. The top speed for the G500 is Mach 0.925 and the cabin can be configured to seat up to 19 passengers.
In flight, the G500’s advanced technologies allow pilots and passengers to get to their destination without the fatigue associated with high altitude flight. Whether the airplane is cruising at its maximum altitude of 51,000 feet or not, the cabin always remains below 4,850 feet, yet the cabin uses 100 percent fresh air, which is refreshed every two minutes, according to Gulfstream. The noise level in the cabin is also low enough to allow for normal conversation.
The G500 cockpit is powered by Gulfstream’s Symmetry Flight Deck, incorporating 10 touch screens as well as synthetic vision, an enhanced vision system and a head up display. The airplane is the first business jet controlled by active control sidesticks.
Emirates throws Airbus A380 a lifeline with jumbo order
Emirates Airlines struck a $16 billion deal to buy 36 Airbus A380 superjumbos just days after the European manufacturer said it would have to halt production without new orders.
The deal with Emirates will give Airbus "at least 10 years of visibility", the European manufacturer's CEO Tom Enders said in an interview recently.
The deal is "excellent news" and "a sign of confidence on the part of a company that has built its strategy on growth around the plane", Enders told France's Journal du Dimanche newspaper.
Emirates said it had placed firm orders for 20 of the Double-Decker aircraft with options for a further 16. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2020.
The airline is already the world's biggest customer for the A380 with 101 in its fleet and 41 more firm orders previously placed.
Airbus hopes that by continuing the programme for the next 10 years or even beyond, potential customers of the A380 will decide to order the aircraft, especially in China.
The group's decision in 2007 to pursue the A380, capable of packing in 853 seats, was diametrically opposed to rival Boeing's bet on the Dreamliner, marketed as a more efficient plane that could be used for both medium and long-distance flights.
European aerospace giant Airbus overtook arch-rival Boeing in terms of aircraft orders last year, but warned that it could cease making its A380 jet if it does not receive any more orders for the supersize plane...
But the economics of the four-engine A380 have proved daunting, with airlines having to operate every flight at full capacity in order to make a profit.
Airbus sales director John Leahy had said on Monday that the company would have to halt the A380 programme unless Emirates placed another order.
Enders, 59, told the Airbus board of directors last month that he would not seek reappointment as CEO when his current term ends in April.
