FAA Approves World’s First Light Jet

The FAA has given the world’s first very light jet (VLJ) certification to Eclipse Aviation’s Eclipse 500. The aircraft company made the announcement at this year’s EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh. Eclipse expects full type certification of the 500 by August 30th, after which it can begin fulfilling existing customer orders. The company anticipates delivering more than 50 of the new aircraft before the end of 2006.

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Boeing to Disconnect In-Flight Internet Users

Boeing Company has announced it will be phasing out Connexion by Boeing, a service that enables airlines to provide in-flight satellite-based Internet to passengers. Existing customers include Lufthansa, Air China, and Korean Air among others. The reason for the discontinuation is a lack of profitability. With the rising cost of fuel and other expenses, airlines have been reluctant to subscribe to the Connexion by Boeing service though it’s been available for six years. Another problem is that most airplanes are simply too old to accommodate the newer technology. Retrofitting older aircraft with on-board communications systems is expensive and not usually cost-effective. Installing the necessary wiring in new aircraft is cheaper, but most airlines can’t afford to invest in new airplanes now or anytime in the immediate future.

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Boeing Presents New EA-18G Growler Warbird – Airplanes

Boeing presented the first EA-18G Growler, the airborne electronic attack aircraft designed to replace the EA-6B Prowler. The EA-6B Prowler began service in 1971, and the U.S. military has used it extensively to jam hostile radar and communications systems. The EA-18G Growler has several advantages over the older EA-6B Prowler, not the least of which is its mission flexibility. The EA-18G can be launched from ground-based runways and aircraft carriers alike. The airplane is an offshoot of the F/A-18F Super Hornet, a two-seat war fighter. The EA-18G Growler has inherited the F/A-18F Super Hornet’s advanced communications system, weapons, and sensors. A Navy representative present at the presentation ceremony remarked that he believed the need for electronic warfare would only increase over time. The United States military is hoping that the EA-18G Growler will fulfill that need.

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Airlines Celebrate 60 Years of Transatlantic Flights to NYC

Air France and KLM are jointly celebrating their 60th anniversary of flight service from Europe to New York City. On May 21, 1946 KLM flew from Amsterdam to New York with 44 passengers. Air France left Paris on June 24 with the same number of passengers and destination. The transatlantic flights at that time were about 20 hours long. By comparison, today’s flights between New York and Paris take about seven hours.

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Airplane Contrails May Increase Global Warming

A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that contrails produced by airplanes may be increasing global warming. Contrails are the cloud-like white streaks planes often trail behind them. Contrails form when the air temperature is less than 40 degrees F/4 degrees C and the air is humid. Opinions are mixed, but some scientists believe that contrails trap heat in our atmosphere, much like real clouds do, thereby increasing the greenhouse effect.

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Forget the Avgas, Just Use 160 AA Batteries

In Tokyo, Japan, a piloted one-person aircraft successfully completed its inaugural flight powered by 160 household AA batteries. During the flight that lasted a total of 59 seconds, the glider-styled plane ascended 16 feet and flew a distance of more than 430 yards. The pilot, Tomohiro Kamiya, attends the Tokyo Institute of Technology, a school that has a history of building experimental piloted aircraft.

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Garmin Releases New Aviation GPS – Airplanes

One of the newest Aviation GPS units on the market today is the Garmin GPSMAP 496. For pilots who rent planes or just prefer portable GPS models, the 496 combines several attractive features including terrain alerting, a detailed color map, and satellite datalink weather, which is available with a subscription to XM WX Satellite Weather.

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No Guns in Cockpits on Airplanes

The Federal Flight Deck Officer program, in which flight crew members are authorized to have a gun in the cockpit, doesn’t seem to be catching on. I was never in favor of it in the first place. The thought of bullets hitting innocent people, causing depressurization with shots through the fuselage, not to mention the avionics equipment that keeps the plane aloft, scares me. A stun gun makes better sense.

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