On the same day Boeing published its latest quarterly financial results the President and CEO Dave Calhoun wrote to staff to say that the company’s focus remains on safety and quality despite posting a $355 million loss.  Against the backdrop of the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door plug blowout accident, a reduced aircraft production output, disgruntled airlines and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) laser-focused on every move Boeing makes, no one was expecting any miracles among the results.   However, the first quarter perhaps did not turn out quite as bad as some experts ..read more

A proposed bill in the state of California could soon prohibit third-party operators like CLEAR from giving members line-skipping privileges at airports across the state. Sponsored by Senator Josh Newman, Senate Bill 1372 (SB 1372) is the first of its kind in the United States, and would require third-party vendors like CLEAR to get their own dedicated security lane or lose the ability to operate in California airports. Currently, CLEAR members pay $189 a year for the privilege of moving to the head of the security screening line at airports. According to Newman, the use of expedited screening ..read more

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a rule that requires charter airlines, commuter airlines, air tour operators, and some aircraft manufacturers to implement a Safety Management Syste m (SMS).  According to the FAA, an SMS provides an organization-wide approach to identifying safety hazards, assessing and managing safety risk, and assuring the effectiveness of safety risk controls.  The FAA’s final ruling states that, historically, the approach to aviation safety was based on the reactive analysis of past accidents and the introduction of corrective actions to preve ..read more

Anzac Day 2024 is to be commemorated in Australia with flypasts in every state and territory. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has announced all flying displays, location, times and aircraft type in every Australian state / territory. Full details areas follows: Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Location: Australian War Memorial Treloar Crescent, Campbell ACT Time: 09:40 Aircraft: E-7A Wedgetail Aircraft Queensland Location: Sid Loder Park, Tel-el-Kebir Street QLD Time: 07:25 Aircraft: EA-18G Growler Aircraft Location: Beachmere War Memorial Time: 07:35 Aircraft: EA-18G Growler Aircraft ..read more

Gulfstream has confirmed that the first two brand-new ultra-long-range G700 private jet aircraft have already been delivered to customers.   News of the first deliveries comes just weeks after the Gulfstream G700 private jet was granted type certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).   Gulfstream also confirmed on April 23, 2024, that the two new jets have now entered service.   “Beginning G700 customer deliveries less than one month after achieving Federal Aviation Administration type certification marks an incredible milestone in Gulfstream’s hi ..read more

Ukraine hopes to start the joint production of Patriot air defense systems, as affirmed by the Ukrainian Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova.   The collaboration, reportedly discussed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visits to the US in September and December 2023, aims to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities by accelerating its acquisition of Patriot systems.  “Air defense is the number one priority; we need both additional systems and interceptor missiles for all the systems we have,” Markarova said in an interview with European Pravda, commenting on t ..read more

Thai Airways has officially bid a fond farewell to the Boeing 747 ‘Queen of the Skies’ at a special ceremony in Thailand.   Perhaps prompted by the retirement of Air India’s last four Boeing 747-400s on April 22, 2024, Thai Airways gathered staff and rolled out a fancy carpet to pay homage to the original superjumbo jet.   On April 23, 2024, Thai Airways posted a photo at the retirement ceremony with tables and chairs gathered around the engineless Boeing 747-400 inside a hangar.   Farewell, Thai Airways Boeing 747-400. pic.twitter.com/dm52ZbHis6 — YOSHIRJNK (@YO ..read more

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) conducted a successful live-fire gun pod testing using its Mojave Unmanned Aircraft System or UAS on April 13, 2024, at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground.   In collaboration with Dillon Aero, GA-ASI equipped the Mojave UAS with two DAP-6 Gun Pod Systems. These pods mounted under the wings contain an M134 “Minigun” rotary machine gun with a 3,000-round magazine capacity. Over seven passes across two flights, the Mojave fired about 10,000 rounds of ammunition, destroying a variety of targets.   “Seeing our Mojave perform this live-f ..read more

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