Nok left up in the air about new planes. Domestic travel has become a flood casualty.

Nok Air executives are scratching their heads wondering how to use the airline's new Boeing 737 jets in the face of shrinking domestic air travel demand caused by Thailand's worst flooding in 69 years.

The budget airline last Saturday took delivery of the first of 12 leased Boeing 737-800 jets. The plane has since been parked at the Royal Thai Navy-managed U-Tapao Pattaya airport instead of being deployed quickly as planned.

The second 737-800 is due next Friday and the third on Nov 24, joining Nok Air's current fleet of 10 older B737-400s and two ATR 72 turboprops.

"We've yet to decide how to use these early B737-800s," chief executive Patee Sarasin told the Bangkok Post yesterday.

The carrier is facing a short-term capacity surplus due to the market downturn, while relocation of its base from the inundated Don Mueang airport to Suvarnabhumi airport has complicated the issue.

Nok Air earlier planned to have the first B737-800 in service by now on the Bangkok-Chang Mai route.

Specific dates for the nine other B737-800 have yet to be set, but deliveries will be from 2012-13.

The first batch of B737-800s will be used for expansion, while the later deliveries will replace the B737-400s, all of which are leased.

The replacements will markedly increase capacity, as the smaller B737-400s are configured with only 150 seats and have a relatively low utilisation rate, while the B737-800s have 189 seats and are more fuel-efficient.

The airline will gradually return its 10 B737-400s, four of which are leased from Thai Airways International, a 49% stakeholder in Nok Air, from mid-2012 to 2015.

Nok Air has been acquiring second-hand B737-800s as part of its fleet renewal to take advantage of lower maintenance costs, raise its average utilisation to more than 11 hours a day and increase seat capacity.

Nok Air is seeing contrasting passenger traffic flows, with flights leaving Bangkok at near capacity and incoming flights at only 40%.

"We're seeing more people fleeing the flooding in Bangkok than are coming in," said Mr Patee.

Like the authorities, Nok Air is in the dark as to when it can return to its home base at Don Mueang, because when the floodwaters will subside, the extent of damage to the airport and how long it will take to revive airport operations all remain unclear.

"But obviously, it's impossible to go back by Nov 10 like we originally anticipated," said Mr Patee.

"My best guesstimate now is the end of December."

Nok Air's operations at Suvarnabhumi this past week have not been smooth.

Its forced evacuation from Don Mueang has resulted in flight delays, changes in flight times and computer system problems.

"We've had a hard time addressing these issues, but we're getting back to pre-crisis service levels," said Mr Patee.

http://www.bangkokpost.com

Boeing Orders to Top Output Through 2013 on 737

Boeing Co. expects orders to exceed deliveries each year through 2013 after commitments for the new 737 MAX jet climbed past 600 in four months, the planemaker’s commercial-jet president said.

The company is boosting output of its current 737 by about a third through 2014, to 42 a month, as it tries to whittle down a seven-year backlog that is deterring customers. Boeing will “take a hard look” in late 2013 at whether to lift production even higher, Jim Albaugh said today at a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. conference in Boston.

Boeing decided in July to offer the 737 MAX, an upgrade with more fuel-efficient engines, to fend off a challenge from Airbus SAS’s A320neo and help capture half of a $2 trillion market in the next 20 years. Before today, Boeing’s most recent tally for 737 MAX commitments was 496.

John Hamilton, the 737 chief program engineer, said on a separate conference call that there may be “several hundred more commitments soon.” He said it would be up to airlines to decide when to sign the orders, as Boeing gets closer to finalizing the configuration and writing performance guarantees. Until then, they won’t appear in Boeing’s backlog.

Boeing has won 428 firm aircraft orders this year, after 110 cancellations, and has delivered 387 jets, according to its website. The 737 makes up the majority of both.

Fan Size

The company is working with CFM International, a partnership of General Electric Co. (GE) and Safran SA, to finish plans for a customized Leap engine after deciding that a 68-inch fan hits the “sweet spot” in terms of fuel burn, Albaugh said. The current 737 has a 61-inch fan.

A jet engine’s fan is a key to its fuel use: generally, the larger the fan, the more efficient the engine. A bigger fan saves fuel by increasing the amount of air passing by the core, or hot-section, of the engine and cooling it. Bigger engines also require more tweaks to the body of the plane, though.

Improvements to the 737 will be kept to a minimum, Albaugh and Hamilton said. The fundamental change is the new, heavier engines, which will require new struts for attachment to the aircraft as well as strengthening of parts of the wing and body. The larger power plants will be moved forward, so engineers may lengthen the nose landing gear by about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimeters), Hamilton said.

Jet Configuration

The company also plans to improve the pneumatic system, reshape the tail cone to make it more aerodynamic, tweak the winglets and add fly-by-wire spoilers that will make the airplane lighter and improve stopping.

Boeing plans to finish configuration plans in 2013, leading to a first flight in 2016 and delivery in 2017, though efforts are under way to accomplish those goals sooner, Hamilton said. Airbus’s A320neo is set to enter service in 2015.

Boeing also is looking at changes that may improve the efficiency of the current 737s prior to the MAX’s entry into service, Hamilton said.

Boeing “de-risked this decade” by deciding to build the 737 MAX instead of developing an all-new single-aisle jet as it had wanted to do, Albaugh said. The development money can now be spent on improving the twin-aisle 777 to better compete against Airbus’s A350-1000 and on stretched versions of the composite plastic 787, he said.

Supply Chain

The supply chain is in “pretty good shape” as the company boosts overall airplane production to records, and suppliers will get a new schedule for rate increases sometime this month, Albaugh said.

Boeing is also considering increasing the output rate of the 777, so that it can offer more delivery slots sooner, Albaugh said.

If the investment needed to do that turns out to be “tens of millions of dollars, then we’d probably do that without thinking very hard about it,” he said. Airlines have to make decisions based on what planes are available, not only which ones are best, he said.

The aircraft-financing capability of European banks amid the sovereign-debt crisis is a “watch item” for Boeing, and the company’s financing arm “may have to play a more strategic role in what we do” going forward, Albaugh said. Boeing Capital Corp. generally prefers to be a lender of last resort and only steps in if an airline can’t get financing elsewhere.

http://www.bloomberg.com

American International Group loses $4 billion on planes, weak markets

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American International Group is back in the red. Way in the red.

(Reuters) - Insurer American International Group lost more than $4 billion in the third quarter, as its aircraft leasing unit took an impairment charge on a portion of its fleet and the fair value of the company's one-third stake in Asian insurer AIA fell.

It was the 10th time in the last 15 quarters, dating to 2008, that AIG lost at least $1 billion.

Shares fell 3.2 percent in after-hours trading after the company announced its financial results, then rebounded a bit after AIG said it would launch a $1 billion share buyback.

AIG's core insurance businesses were profitable on an operating basis, and its mortgage insurance unit both raised prices and gained market share amid difficulties in that industry.

But those results were not enough to overcome the charges, which were partially driven by declining equity and debt markets during the quarter.

AIG reported a loss of $4.11 billion, or $2.16 per share, compared with a year-earlier loss of $2.52 billion, or $18.53 per share. In the year-earlier period AIG took a number of charges on asset sales; it also had a smaller share count.

On an operating basis AIG lost $3.04 billion, or $1.60 per share.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S had on average expected a loss of 63 cents per share in the quarter, though the range of estimates was wide, from a loss of 22 cents to a loss of 99 cents.

IMPAIRED PLANES, SHARES

AIG said that ILFC, its plane leasing business, took a $1.5 billion impairment on 95 planes as customers' appetites shifted toward newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft.

Last February, Chief Executive Bob Benmosche said he did not expect any further large charges for the business this year, after it took roughly $1 billion in write-downs in the last six months of 2010.

AIG said it lost $2.3 billion on the declining fair value of its stake in AIA during the third quarter. AIG took AIA public late last year in Hong Kong. It recently became eligible to start selling AIA shares after the IPO lockup expired.

AIG has also filed to take ILFC public.

Proceeds from the sale of AIA shares and from any ILFC IPO are already earmarked to pay back some of the U.S. Treasury's remaining $50 billion interest in the company.

The government rescued AIG from the brink of bankruptcy in September 2008, at a price tag that exceeded $182 billion. The Treasury still owns a 77 percent stake in what was once the world's largest insurance company.

In the third quarter, AIG also had substantial catastrophe losses totaling $574 million, mostly because of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Beyond the charges, though, AIG said its insurance units had posted nearly $900 million in pretax operating income.

Property insurer Chartis saw net premiums written rise nearly 1 percent, though the gain was attributable to foreign exchange benefits. Pricing improved in its U.S. commercial business, echoing similar results from other insurers as the market rebounded.

SunAmerica's life insurance sales rose 14 percent, while assets under management also rose.

http://www.reuters.com

Pretoria, South Africa: Mercenaries piloted President Jacob Zuma's plane

Pretoria - The secretary of defence and chief of the air force have both submitted their resignations because of problems with hired aircraft and mercenary pilots for VIPs.

Mpumi Mpofu, who was appointed defence secretary less than two years ago, resigned with immediate effect two weeks ago.

Ndivhuwo Mabaya, spokesperson for Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, confirmed on Thursday that the air force chief, Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano, has also resigned, but Mabaya said the minister has not yet accepted the resignation as she feels he has to calm down following the stressful and frustrating situation.

Mabaya explained that the frustration stemmed from knowing that money has been allocated to buy proper planes to fly the president and his deputy, but that there is often a delay in the state procurement process.

For Gagiano, the last straw was two weeks ago when Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe had to take a commercial flight to Scandinavia after technical problems grounded the chartered flight booked for his delegation.

A second chartered plane was sent.

Apart from this issue, Sisulu was livid when she found out that charter pilots, who flew President Jacob Zuma to the UN General Assembly in New York in September this year, had served jail sentences for their involvement in the failed Simon Mann coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea in 2004.

Mabaya said the reasons for Mpofu's resignation were confidential, but confirmed that Sisulu is very frustrated with the delay in buying two new planes to fly VIPs.

The contract for the planes was initially awarded to a company owned by a Nigerian group. This company recently sued the air force for delaying the contract.

No plans have yet been finalised for the two planes.

The presidential plane, Inkwazi, has been grounded for two months for servicing. This is what led to the president being flown by mercenary pilots working for a US charter company.

Two years ago Motlanthe was on a chartered plane that had to make an emergency landing in the dark on an airfield in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a technical problem.

http://www.news24.com

Kenya: Medical Ministry Has No Air Ambulance

THE ministry of medical services does not have a single operational air ambulance in the country, parliament heard yesterday. Assistant medical services minister Kambi Kazungu shocked MPs in admitting that the only air ambulance his ministry had was redeployed to the ministry of internal security for use by police because of "logistical problems."

Kazungu informed the house that the helicopter had been donated to the government by the Germany government. He said the helicopter has since been grounded at Wilson Helicopter and Sh20 million has been allocated to "overhaul" it.

MPs led by Naivasha's John Mututho and William Kabogo, the latter who claimed to have experience in aviation industry, insisted on knowing why a serious government with a trillion budget lacked a single air ambulance. "Mr. Speaker, anybody can be injured in this country and require air evacuation, including the speaker himself and God forbid. With a massive trillion budget, how can this government not have a single air ambulance?" Mututho asked.

Kazungu's answer that this was due to budgetary constraints did not satisfy MPs who insisted that the government was discriminating against the poor. The assistant minister had listed the number of air ambulances in the country all which are owned by private individuals.

Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale said there are 37 helicopters in the Kenya Army and demanded that some of the helicopters be converted for civilian use and equipped with ambulance facilities. He said the rich people in the government can afford the private air ambulances but not the poor.

http://allafrica.com

China to develop aviation support system in Antarctica

Chinese expedition teams in Antarctica will soon have better logistical support as the country plans to build an aviation support and emergency response system for its scientific research activities in this area, Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday.

"The first step in building such a system is to buy an aircraft that has a range of 3,000 kilometers and can fly in Antarctica," Li Yuansheng, head of China's exploration team told Xinhua before they left Tianjin for a 160-day trip to the South Pole region.

An earlier report in China Aviation News confirmed that the Basler BT-67 is China's choice. This type of plane is retrofitted from Douglas DC-3 airframe and has been used by many countries in Antarctic expeditions such as the United States and South Africa.

Onboard the Xuelong (Snow Dragon) icebreaker that carries the Chinese expedition team is a Russian-made Ka-32 helicopter that can lift equipment. The ship can also carry a home-made Z-9 copter to take aerial photos and conduct surveillance.

Li said an aviation support system can transport personnel and facilities faster so as to save more time. It is also an indication of the country's ability to better carry out polar scientific research, Xinhua reported.


http://www.chinadaily.com.cn

Protesting Air India pilots meet Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, assure full cooperation

NEW DELHI: Adopting a conciliatory approach, protesting Air India pilots, owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG), today met Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi and assured "full cooperation" for smooth operations of the airline.

After the meeting here, the pilots' representatives said, "IPG has assured the hon'ble minister full cooperation for the smooth operations of Air India and Air India Express."

They said Ravi assured the delegation that "all issues raised by the IPG will be viewed in a fair and unbiased manner."

The IPG, which represents about 200 pilots belonging to the pre-merger Air India, has been protesting alleged discrimination in career progression by the AI management vis -a-vis their counterparts from the erstwhile Indian Airlines.

Following their protest and a threat to quit, Air India decided to defer a training programme for pilots to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliners by a month and recalled the first batch of pilots which had left for Singapore and Gatwick in the UK for training. The first Dreamliner is scheduled to be inducted in Air India by late December or early January.

The IPG contention was, however, challenged by the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) which termed it as "unreasonable" and contrary to the agreement reached between the two unions and the management in early October. ICPA represents about 1,400 pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines.

The IPG has so far held two rounds of talks with the management, one each in Delhi and Mumbai, demanding that a comprehensive training plan should be drawn up for all pilots of the national carrier. 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Ireland: Airport study a bid to sweeten very bitter pill

Cork Airport lumbered with crippling €113m debt for  unwanted passenger terminal that DAA foisted on it

LAST week Transport Minister Leo Varadkar announced he was setting up yet another study to determine the commercial future of Ireland’s major airports – Dublin, Cork and Shannon.

For Leesiders, the writing is in the sky. Many believe the task for the authors of the study, the quaintly-named Booz and Company, is to sweeten a very bitter privatisation pill that the Real Capital will be forced to swallow. Cork Airport, a commercial basket case, will be sold to the highest bidder – assuming there are bidders.

The Booz Company report comes in the wake of Colm McCarthy’ Review Group on State Assets. McCarthy favoured the sale of Cork, Shannon and Dublin airports. The current situation is that the Dublin Airport Authority, (DAA), owns the three airports and has financial and legal responsibility for them, although Shannon and Cork have a limited degree of autonomy.

As well, there is the Cassells Report into Cork Airport, which did not advocate privatisation. Instead it proposed the sale of the airport’s development land and business park in order to generate income.

Problems for Cork

In all, the omens do not look good. Last year, Cork’s operating losses were ten million euros. Irish Aviation Authority figures show commercial traffic fell by 11.8%, and, to top it all, the airport is lumbered with a crippling €113m debt for an unwanted passenger terminal that the DAA foisted on it.

When in government, Fianna Fail swore blindly that Cork would get debt free independence from the DAA. Sadly the political promise had absolutely no substance and was little more than a gigantic porkie that Corkonians foolishly swallowed.

Meanwhile, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) appears to have little confidence in the future for Cork Airport. For instance, last September, the DAA told Varadkar that the separation of the three airports would not be financially viable and complained that it was ‘expending valuable management time and incurring costs in servicing the authorities at Cork and Shannon airports’.

It takes the line (which is also Varadkar’s) that to continue with the current situation of having three airports operating under DAA control is not tenable because of the losses Cork and Shannon are sustaining.

Up to now, profits from Dublin Airport and Aer Rianta International covered the losses – but, according to Varadkar, that is going to stop. Pronto.

All options open

The minister recently told RTE radio that his preference was a separation of Cork and Shannon airports from Dublin. Ominously he did not rule out the privatisation option. ‘There are going to have to be big changes at both airports because we cannot continue to have them losing the money they are losing now,’ he growled.

The Shannon Airport Authority has already submitted to the DAA a proposal that the airport should be leased to a private company for a period of 15 to 35 years. Cork hasn’t gone down that path, yet.

Indeed, it seems Leesiders are horrified at the prospect of a sell-off. The airport’s reaction to the announcement that the Booz Company was about to investigate all aspects of its activities was limited to a cryptic statement that read: ‘A spokesman for DAA at Cork Airport said the company would engage fully with the Department’s consultants.’

Privately, the Cork Airport Authority is in favour of the three airports operating as subsidiaries of a CIE-style holding company. However, whatever recommendations the Booz people make to Varadkar, the coalition message is clear – there will be no State aid for Cork Airport and, without State aid, the future is grim.

Interestingly, the Fine Gael-Labour Programme for Government does not mention the privatisation of airports, confining itself to a bland statement about the Government ‘working with the Aviation Regulator to cut airport charges in order to increase routes and passenger numbers’.

Bottom of the barrel

For many private enterprise hawks within Fine Gael and Labour, there is no doubt that the sale of Cork Airport is on the cards. In view of the fact that the Coalition has to meet a €2 billion target set by its German and French masters, flogging the place as part of the off-loading of State assets is an attractive proposition.

But, Kenny and the boyos will have to be careful about the way they hand over State-owned businesses to the private sector. The trade unions will oppose the sale of Cork Airport on the grounds that the measure is predicated on bottom-of-the-barrel terms of employment.

Unease will also manifest itself within old Labour, while Sinn Fein will have a field day denouncing the government. Even Micheál Martin, the leader of a party that did so much to damage Cork Airport with false promises, declared he was opposed to a sale.

But, then, it’s difficult to take seriously comments by Fianna Fáil in relation to the airport. In a recent one-paragraph statement, Cork TD, Michael McGrath said that privatisation would focus on profits and would not be ‘a wider view on the airport’s benefits to the region’s economy and tourism.’ And that was it. No analysis, no argument, just a throwaway remark.

Behind the scenes

Of course, the intriguing question is whether Ryanair is twisting Varadkar’s arm. The company has always argued that Cork and Shannon should be sold on the open market, claiming that while the performance of Dublin Airport is poor, the traffic decline in Cork and Shannon has been frightening. Ryanair says Cork suffered a 33% drop in passengers this year.

Ryanair also alleges that the DAA deliberately hides monthly traffic figures at Cork Airport in the hope that no one will notice the collapse that has taken place under what it terms ‘DAA mismanagement.’

For all its guff, Ryanair cannot be considered a friend to Cork Airport. It has its own agenda for wanting the place privatised, namely that the airport would be at the mercy of the low cost airline, with O’Leary playing off Cork against Shannon.

Ryanair already dangled the carrot of new flights into Cork on condition the company got access to the abandoned passenger terminal instead of having to use the new terminal. It is a proposal that Cork Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy enthusiastically supports.

However, Ryanair’s recent decision to abolish its daily flight to Dublin just ahead of the airport’s 50th anniversary hoopla really stuck in the Cork lads’ craw, while the thought of Michael O’Leary playing a major role in the future of the airport –or even owning it – sends shivers up their spines!

Original article:   http://www.southernstar.ie

Myrtle Beach: County hopes new industrial park will diversify job market.

The acronym ITAP stands for International Technology and Aerospace Park, but for Horry County officials, the industrial park represents a diversified job market. The park is on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and county leaders say they are close to securing two companies to take up residence there.

Just off Farrow Parkway you can see the beginnings of the entrance into the new park. This infrastructure brings the project one step closer to attracting businesses.

"This just adds a little different dimension when you can actually drive out onto the site.and show it from the road," said Brad Lofton, President of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation. The MBREDC is assisting the county in bringing businesses to the park.

"Historically because of our sole focus on tourism, people just think of us as a playground. They don't think of us as a place to do business truly we are a great place to do business," said Horry County Council Chairman Tom Rice. "We are great at tourism. We're not good at it we're great at it, but we really need to diversify into some higher paying more stable jobs.

ITAP is 450 acres of undeveloped land that sits adjacent to the runway for Myrtle Beach International Airport. Because of its location, targeting the aviation industry is the main focus of the MBREDC.

"200 of those acres we're earmarking or identifying aviation companies that need to be near a runway that either fly in aircraft, do maintenance and repair on aircraft or perhaps do aircraft manufacturing," added Lofton.

Rice explained building a non-tourism based workforce is a marathon not a sprint.

"These things don't happen overnight. You don't talk a 500 employee company into moving on a whim there's a lot of groundwork that has to be done," said Rice. "We already had two reading on one lease out there and we're close to another so it's already having success."

Rice won't go into detail about the companies that may set up shop, but we are told the jobs will be on the higher end of the pay scale.

"One of these companies is 40 something dollar an hour which is four or five times the average wage for Horry County and both of these companies are very good paying, " said Lofton.

Lofton added Horry Georgetown Technical College will begin offering an aviation certification to train the people for the jobs that are coming

Once Horry County approves the businesses, the hiring process could begin in 60 to 90 days.

http://www.carolinalive.com

Apache Block III is delivered to Army

Amid fanfare and after Apache tribal blessing, the most lethal and technologically sophisticated attack helicopter in the world was delivered to the Army by its Mesa manufacturer.

Named after the Native American tribe, the AH-64D Longbow Apache Block III is geared to meet next-generation battlefield challenges with high-tech gear such as sensors that allow pilots to guide unmanned aircraft to their targets, Army officials said Wednesday.

"Our enemy is ruthless," said Maj. Gen. Anthony Crutchfield, commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, Ala. "They are determined. They are adaptive ... and we must be adaptive and innovative."

Crutchfield was among 500 Army officers and enlisted personnel, Boeing employees and international customers, and public officials that celebrated the delivery of the first five Block III Apaches during Wednesday morning ceremonies at the Boeing Co. plant where the aircraft is made.

Though the festive event portrayed the helicopter's devastating power, White Mountain Apache Tribal Chairman Ronnie Lupe concentrated on its lifesaving ability as he blessed the helicopters in a spiritual ceremony.

Holding eagle feathers as white smoke from a nearby smoldering pot of sage dissipated in heavy wind gusts, Lupe and two other tribal members approached one of the helicopters, touching it with the feathers during the early morning ritual on an asphalt flight line.

"That prayer was to the creator for the warrior in hopes that the warrior would return," said Crutchfield, who is of Native American heritage.

Jerry Gloshay, Lupe's executive assistant, said the tribal leader views the aircraft as a "living bird that is sort of like the Apache warrior."

"He wants to have a blessing, not in the light of the helicopter being on the attack mode, but rather how it is going to protect the family's well-being in the future," he said.

Gloshay said Lupe, a Korean War veteran who served with the U.S. Marine Corps' 1st Division, blessed the original "A" model of the Apache helicopter when it was built in 1984.

The war, which began in 1950, gave birth to the Marines' first helicopter unit specifically formed for combat.

Public officials attending the ceremony talked of a different type of blessing from the continued production of the rotorcraft at the Boeing Co. plant in northeast Mesa.

"I like to say that Mesa is the epicenter of Boeing rotorcraft," Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said. "Apaches bring 4,500-plus employees to this site. ...We look forward to another 30 years of growth, accomplishment and pride."

The helicopters are being built under a $247 million deal with the Department of Defense.

The first phase of production eventually will lead to the manufacture of 690 of the Block III aircraft for the Army, which could extend production for nearly a decade or more, according to Boeing officials.

The Army plans to acquire the helicopters between now and 2026 at a production rate of roughly two battalions per year, according to the Army. Of this amount, 643 will be re-manufactured aircraft and 56 will be new.

Since the first Apache, called the A model, was delivered, more than 1,700 various models of the rotorcraft have been manufactured for the Army and nations that are not considered threats to the U.S.

Boeing in Mesa produces the AH-64D Apache Longbow. The Apache main assembly line is capable of producing 12 aircraft per month.

The site also produces an A160T Hummingbird unmanned rotorcraft and the AH-6i and H-6U helicopters.

The site's Strategic Manufacturing Center produces electrical assemblies and composite parts for a range of Boeing products.

In 2011, Boeing relocated the headquarters of its Unmanned Airborne Systems division to Mesa.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com

Estonian Air’s brand-new aircraft leaves passengers stranded

A suspicion of a technical fault in Bombardier, the newest aircraft of Estonian Air, left many passengers stranded in Tallinn.

Instead of departing at 13:50 to Stockholm, the airline replaced the aircraft with a Boeing and passengers were able to take off an hour later.

Estonian Air’s press spokesperson explained that the aircraft had a problem in the wing mechanism.

According to one passenger, a similar incident happened with mi two weeks ago when a flight out of Stockholm was delayed for two hours. At that time passengers were told that the problem was faulty fuel gauge.

Depressed, suicidal flyer bites airhostess & causes panic midair

AHMEDABAD: "I will kill myself and the all people onboard!" Panic seized the Jet Airways Mumbai-Ahmedbad noon flight passengers on Tuesday as a man threatened to break the window of the aircraft and open the door at the height of several thousand feet. Later identified as 30-year-old Hardik Trivedi, the frenzied man attacked an airhostess before being overpowered by the fellow passengers.

Before Trivedi actually attempted to open the door, he created a ruckus and bit an airhostess, who was trying to calm him down.

He started running in the aisle of the aircraft like a man possessed, threatening to kill all.

Scared but fellow passengers overpowered Trivedi and bashed him into submission even before the cabin crew could initiate measures to bring the situation under control. In the fisticuff with the passengers, Trivedi tore his passport in a lame attempt to protect his identity.

On his way back from Muscat, Trivedi later said that he was angry as he was duped and had lost his job there. On the request of the cabin crew, a doctor, who happened to be on the same flight, injected Trivedi with tranquilizers to calm him down.

"He seems to be suffering from severe depression," the doctor who treated him in flight told the TOI correspondent who was also onboard. The cabin crew had to alert the medical and police staff for assistance before landing.

From airport, Trivedi was taken to Apollo Hospital for brief treatment. As requested by the crew, police were present at the Ahmedabad airport when the aircraft landed here, however it was decided not to file an FIR as Trivedi was obviously suffering from a severe mental set-back, officials said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ocean City Municipal Airport (26N), New Jersey: Aviation Advisory Board ... City Seeks Volunteers to Serve on Boards and Commissions.

The city must fill several vacancies on the Zoning Board, Library Board, Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and other groups.

Ocean City is seeking citizens to serve on seven different boards and commissions.

Descriptions of the volunteer positions follow. Anyone interested in serving must complete a Citizen Leadership Form and submit it to City Clerk Linda MacIntyre by email at lmacintyre@ocnj.us or by mail at: City Clerk, 861 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, NJ  08226. Deadline is Monday, Nov. 28.

Call 609-525-9328 for more information.

Aviation Advisory Board

Purpose: The board serves in an advisory capacity to the City Council and Administration in regard to the operation of the Ocean City Municipal Airport.

Vacancies: Two 3-year terms ending 12/31/2014

Meetings: On an as-needed basis

Read more:    http://oceancity.patch.com

Three dead in chopper crash in northern Ontario

KAPUSKASING, Ont. - Three people are dead after a helicopter crashed in northern Ontario on Wednesday.

The dead included the pilot from North Bay, Ont., as well as passengers from Kapuskasing and Val Rita, Ont.

The crash happened about 25 km southeast of Kapuskasing.

The Bell 206L helicopter was owned by Sunrise Helicopters Inc., based out of North Bay.

The three fatalities resulting were reported by a search and rescue team member from nearby Timmins.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it has has deployed a team to the site.

Transportation Safety Board of Canada deploys team to investigate an Bell 206L crash near Kapuskasing, Ontario

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has deployed a team to the site of an air accident involving a Bell 206L, owned by Sunrise Helicopters Inc., that crashed 15 miles south of Kapuskasing, ON. The TSB will be assessing the occurrence and will provide more details later.

Republic Airlines pilots union considers strike

INDIANAPOLIS - When you fly out of Indianapolis, you're likely flying on a Republic Airlines plane even though you'll see the Frontier Airlines or US Airways logo painted on the side of the plane. Now an issue with Republic Airlines could affect those flights.

The Republic Airlines pilots union has taken a strike authorization vote, and turnout has been extraordinary. They have concerns about safety, training and salaries.

Some 2,200 pilots across the United States fly connecting flights to regional cities like Indianapolis. Republic Airlines pilots have been flying without a contract since 2007, which means they haven't had a pay raise since then.

Republic Airlines union captain Patrick Gannon says the pilots want the company to turn a profit, but they want to keep flight crews and passengers safe in the process.

"We're not trying to break the bank. We understand the company needs to be successful in order for us to be successful. We also understand the economy right now and a lot of people are out of jobs. We don't take for granted the fact that we have jobs. We're very thankful to have jobs. But that doesn't mean we should be walked all over and we should just say, 'Okay, we have a job, so you can pay us poverty wages,'" said Gannon.

"We have pilots who can actually make more on unemployment than they can flying you around the country," he added.

In an interview earlier this year, Gannon said five-year first officers make $30,000 a year.

The strike authorization will continue until Nov. 22. It would give the union the power to issue a strike. A national mediator will then step in for a 30-day cooling-off period. If during that time the company won't come to the table, a strike could happen as soon as December.

http://www.wthr.com

Drugs, braking: Pilot error, banned drug blamed for crash that killed Russian hockey team. Yakovlev 42, YAK Service. RA-42434. Yaroslavl-Tunoshna Airport, Russia. Accident occurred September 7, 2011.

MOSCOW — Russian air experts on Wednesday blamed pilot error and barbiturate use for the September crash that killed Russia's Lokomotiv hockey team — including Canadian coach Brad McCrimmon and several ex-NHLers.

As the plane took off from the central Russian city of Yaroslavl two months ago, one of the pilots accidentally pressed down the brakes, the Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) said in a report published on its website.

"The direct cause of the crash of the Yak-42 plane . . . were the mistaken actions of the crew in pressing the brake pedals," said MAK, an expert body that investigates air disasters in former Soviet republics.

"The braking could have been carried out by the commander who was carrying out active piloting, or the second pilot," chairman of the technical commission of MAK, Alexei Morozov, said in a televised presentation.

The Russian-made Yak-42 crashed on Sept. 7 shortly after takeoff, killing 44 people, including players and support staff from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team, prompting an international outpouring of grief.

Among those who died were Pavol Demitra, who played for Vancouver and Ottawa; Karel Rachunek, who played for Ottawa, New Jersey and the New York Rangers; Karlis Skrastins, who played for Dallas; Ruslan Salei, who played for Detroit; Josef Vasicek, who played for the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders; Alexander Vasyunov, who played for New Jersey; and Alexander Karpovtsev, who was the team's assistant coach.

Saskatchewan native McCrimmon had just taken the head coaching job with Yaroslavl this spring. He played in the NHL from 1979 until 1997 with Boston, Philadelphia, Hartford, Detroit and Phoenix, and was a member of the 1989 Stanley Cup-winning team in Calgary.

Players were from Russia, Germany, Latvia, Belarus, Slovakia, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

One player, Russian Alexander Galimov, survived the crash, but died days later in hospital from horrific burns.

The report was the latest in a series to blame air crashes on human error rather than aging Soviet-designed aircraft.

It said the pilots could have committed the error of putting their feet on the brake pedals during takeoff because they were more used to flying another plane with that foot position.

The aircraft, built in 1993 and operated by the small Yak-Servis airline, overran the airstrip, wheeled for a further 450 metres (about 1,500 feet) before finally taking off.

The aircrew could have aborted the takeoff and stopped safely within the runway, the report said.

After reaching a height of only five to six metres, the plane crashed, falling partly into a river, and burst into flames.

The post-mortem also found that the second pilot had taken phenobarbital, a barbiturate medication banned for use by pilots that would have slowed down his reactions, the committee said.

"In the body of the second pilot was discovered phenobarbital, a medication that slows down the central nervous system and is banned for use by pilots," Morozov said.

In addition the second pilot had been diagnosed with nerve problems in his arms and legs that meant he would have difficulty in sensing how his feet were placed, Morozov said, adding that the condition should have barred him from flying.

The report slammed the airline for failing to ensure flight safety or to monitor its staff.

The crash prompted Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev to order his government to shut down unreliable airlines and raise penalties for air safety violations.

MAK earlier found that a plane crashed on a highway in northwestern Russia in June while attempting to land because of poor judgment by the crew, including a navigator with alcohol in his blood.

It also said that the errors of the Polish crew were the main reason that Polish President Lech Kaczynski's jet crashed in Russia last year, killing all onboard, a view only partially supported by Warsaw.

http://www.vancouversun.com

City says plans to buy land around Midway are for safety, not expansion. Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW), Illinois.

Six years ago a Southwest Airlines flight overran a runway at Midway and went into traffic, killing a six-year-old boy. If the city and the property owners can't agree on a price for their properties, the Emanuel administration will buy the properties for a price determined under eminent domain.

City Council's Aviation Committee approved an ordinance yesterday allowing the city to buy property around Midway Airport to establish a "runway protection zone" around the World's Busiest Square Mile.

The properties slated for purchase by the city are available for view here. 

The City has negotiated with the property owners before, during the privatization discussions for Midway that never happened. Deputy Aviation Commissioner Erin O’Donnell, who's in charge of Midway, said FAA regulations have changed since Midway's 1927 opening that require "airports to acquire properties located within the runway protection zone.”

Four parcels surrounding Midway Airport — including a breakfast hangout for police officers and a drug store that’s been a neighborhood fixture for decades — would be demolished to make way for enhanced “runway protection zones,” under an acquisition authorized Tuesday by a City Council committee.

Nearly six years after a Southwest Airlines jet overran a snowy runway into traffic, killing a six-year-old boy, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration got the go-ahead to acquire the properties to make the landlocked Southwest Side airport a little safer.

The four properties include: Central Drugs, 5600 W. 63rd St. with a single-room-occupancy building above; Continental Sales Co., 6323-53 S. Cicero; a neighborhood restaurant and bar at 5544 W. 55th ; and a Mobil station at 5448 W. 55th Street.

They will be demolished to make way for either “airport use” or green space. If the Emanuel administration and property owners cannot agree on a negotiated price, the city will use “eminent domain proceedings” to condemn the properties.

Negotiations with the four property owners were initiated, but never consummated prior to the $2.5 billion Midway privatization deal that collapsed for lack of financing.

City officials insist they are not acquiring the land for expansion of the neighborhood airport, but rather for safety.

Erin O’Donnell, the deputy aviation commissioner in charge of Midway, described the mixed-used drug store building as an “obstruction to the runway.”

“Its acquisition is quite critical — not only for runway protection zones, but also to improve the navigation approach path for aircraft to that runway,” she said.

Noting that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has changed “navigational procedures” since Midway opened in 1927, she said, “They encourage airports to acquire properties located within the runway protection zone.”

Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), whose ward includes Midway, called demolition of Central Drugs in particular a “safety concern.”

“It wasn’t too long ago [when] an airplane slipped off the runway. I can only imagine if that were to happen again and hit this building — what potentially could happen,” Quinn said, whose ward includes Midway.

“This is a great opportunity to take advantage of this [federal] money and make this a safer corner.”

Aviation Committee Chairman Mike Zalewski (23rd) noted that the greasy spoon is a cop hang-out.

“Are we gonna have grief counseling for the Police Department? They’re not gonna have anywhere to have breakfast,” Zalewski joked.

As a kid growing up on the Southwest Side, O’Donnell acknowledged that, “I bought my nickel candies from Central Drugs.” Although the building is architecturally distinctive, it is not a designated landmark, she said.

State legislation that authorized the failed Midway privatization deal would have prohibited a private operator from extending runways beyond the airport’s current boundaries, possibly leading to the demolition of homes and businesses.

Midway neighbors have been edgy about expansion since the fatal Southwest Airlines crash.

Bonds retired by Midway revenues will bankroll acquisition of the four parcels. Federal funding could reimburse the city for up to 75 percent of those costs, officials said.

http://www.suntimes.com

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMDW

Garmin profit falls 46% on weak N. America sales

Garmin Ltd.'s  third-quarter profit fell 46% on persistent weakness in North America sales, though its aviation and fitness businesses continued to show strength.

The company raised its guidance for the year, to adjusted earnings of $2.30 to $2.40 a share on revenue of $2.6 billion. Its August view was $2 to $2.15 a share with revenue of $2.5 billion to $2.6 billion.

Garmin, which makes personal navigation devices, and its Dutch rival TomTom NV (TOM2.AE) face increasing competition as smartphones offer more sophisticated global-positioning-system and mapping applications. Garmin is the market leader in the U.S., while TomTom is the biggest player in Europe.

Last week, TomTom launched a cost-cutting plan after its third-quarter sales fell on waning demand for its devices. Still, it posted a better-than-expected income gain thanks to lower debt financing costs.

For the quarter ended Sept. 24, Garmin reported a profit of $150.4 million, or 77 cents a share, down from $279.6 million, or $1.43 a share, a year earlier. Excluding currency impacts and other items, earnings rose to 71 cents from 70 cents.

Revenue decreased 3.7% to $667 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters most recently forecast income of 50 cents a share on revenue of $618 million.

Gross margin widened to 51.6% from 49.7%.

The automotive and mobile segment, Garmin's largest by revenue, reported 13% lower sales. The aviation segment saw sales increase 18%. The outdoor business saw sales improve 5% as fitness sales increased 29%.

Revenue was down 15% in North America, its biggest geographic market. Sales were up 19% in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region, and down 10% in Asia Pacific.

Shares closed Tuesday at $34.19 and were inactive premarket. The stock is up 10% year to date.

http://www.marketwatch.com

Pilot makes emergency landing after suffering heart attack

A 65-year-old man suffered a heart attack while piloting an experimental aircraft in northwest suburban McHenry County on Tuesday, but made an emergency landing in a farm field and was hospitalized in critical condition after emergency responders resuscitated him.

At about 5:33 p.m. Tuesday, members of the McHenry County Sheriff’s office and Hebron Alden Greenwood Fire Protection District responded to the 7000 block of Miller Road, southeast of Hebron in McHenry County, for an airplane pilot having a heart attack.

Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Laufer and a retired paramedic administered CPR to the victim, Steven R. Nusbaum, and police brought an external defibrillator to assist. Two shocks were administered to Nusbaum, who was taken to Centegra Northern Illinois Medical Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.

Nusbaum had been flying an experimental aircraft and made an emergency landing in a field, police said. The plane sustained no apparent damage. The pilot’s son, Chance A. Nusbaum, had been monitoring his father’s flight and saw the plane land in the field, police said. He arrived first on the scene and found his father lying back in the seat on the plane.

The FAA was notified of the incident.

The defibrillator was one of five donated to the sheriff’s office by the Sara Kathleen Schacht Memorial Foundation. Fire District Capt. Thomas Linneman said that in such instances, “early CPR and early defibrillation are key to the chain of survival.”

http://www.suntimes.com

Boeing's luxury offices in the sky

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The 747-8 Intercontinental is the latest, longest and about the most expensive corporate jet in the world
• The new "MAX" engine can offer fuel-savings of up to 16 percent over competitors, Boeing says
• Boeing is tight-lipped about who, exactly, is buying these "flying castles"

(CNNGo.com) -- Donald Trump seems to have hit hard times. The unfortunate fellow has been forced to buy a second-hand 757 from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for a paltry $100 million -- though he did then coat every metal surface in gold.

But had he been feeling really extravagant, he could have thrown the kids' inheritance at a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) with a new MAX engine -- the latest technological jump from the company that recently unveiled the 747-8, their largest offering to-date and the longest commercial jet in the world.

Boeing Business Jets -- the division dedicated to pimping out their commercial airliners and selling them to embarrassingly rich people -- has taken this beast under its wing.

The 747-8 Intercontinental is the latest, longest and about the most expensive corporate jet in the world -- a shiny new, "green" (empty) 747-8 will set you back $300 million, but with a VIP fit-out the figure is closer to $500 million.

But what else is there out there for those with a few hundred million to splash?

Read more and photos:  http://www.cnn.com

Air India aborts training schedule for Dreamliners pilots

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: With Air India deferring a training programme for pilots to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliners by a month, division between its pilots came to fore with those belonging to erstwhile Indian Airlines opposing the contention of their AI counterparts.

While the erstwhile AI pilots owing allegiance to the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) demanded that all Boeing planes be flown by them, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) said this was "unreasonable" and contrary to the agreement reached between the two unions and the management last month.

As talks progressed between IPG leaders and Air India management in Mumbai, the erstwhile AI pilots said a comprehensive plan and a road map should be drawn up for such training programmes for all pilots of the national carrier.

But "until this road map is drawn up - we propose that the management maintain status quo; that is, pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines fly the airplanes ordered by erstwhile Indian Airlines, and pilots of erstwhile Air India fly the aircraft ordered by erstwhile Air India."

On the other hand, the ICPA shot off a letter to AI CMD Rohit Nandan saying, "We are deeply disturbed over IPG decision to oppose ICPA pilots flying the B787 Dreamliners after an understanding was signed between ICPA, IPG, and management on this October 8."

The IPG represents around 200 pilots of the pre-merger Air India, while the ICPA, that went on a flash strike in April-May this year, represents around 1,400 pilots of the erstwhile Indian Airlines.

The ICPA letter came after a division bench of the Bombay High Court, hearing a petition filed by IPG, was informed by that the airline had decided to defer the B 787 training programme by a month. The matter would now come up for hearing on November 14.

Air India management also recalled the first batch of pilots who had left for Singapore and Gatwick for the training programme which was to have begun tomorrow.

Air India officials, however, said a Boeing 787 simulator would be installed in Mumbai by January end next year after which the airline would be able to launch in-house training for the Dreamliner pilots.

Duration of training would be about a week-and-a-half for pilots trained to fly a wide-body Boeing 747 or 777, while those who have been operating the Airbus type would require about three weeks, they said.

The protesting pilots, owing allegiance to the IPG which represents the cockpit crew of the erstwhile AI, have charged the management with adopting discriminatory attitude in the training schedule against them vis-a-vis their erstwhile Indian Airlines counterparts.

They have been contending that the experience of Indian Airlines pilots was less than theirs on Boeing wide-bodied planes and the management should not adopt a policy to have equal number of pilots from both the erstwhile carriers for the 787 training. Only AI pilots should be assigned duty on these new advanced aircraft, according to IPG.

The IPG petition sought a stay on the schedule issued by AI on October 20 for the proposed slots for training of pilots for the Dreamliners, which would be inducted in its fleet over the next few months.

IPG counsel Jamshed Mistry contended that such a policy, which requires assigning flight duty on a Boeing 787 aircraft to one pilot each from Air India and erstwhile Indian Airlines, is "arbitrary" and "contrary to the agreements".

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

FirstNation Airways begins flights operation

Ikeja – The FirstNation Airline on Tuesday announced that it would commence its Lagos-Abuja- Lagos operation on Wednesday.

The commencement of flight followed the receipt of its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

In a statement, the airline’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Pelu Awofesan, said the airline would extend its operations to Port Harcourt and Kano as from Dec. 1.

Awofesan added that the airline would operate a fleet of modern Airbus A320 passenger aircraft.

According to the statement, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, commended the management of FirstNation for its dedication and courage throughout the certification process.

It quoted Demuren as saying that the airline was among the first new airlines to pass through the NCAA’s certification after Nigeria attained the United States of America Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Category 1 status.

“The Civil Aviation Regulatory Regime in Nigeria has progressively improved over time and is now acknowledged as one of the most demanding AOC application processes internationally.

“It is, therefore, challenging for any airline without a strong capital base, competence, technical knowledge and management depth to complete the certification process under the current Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig CARs),’’ he was quoted as saying.

He added that the authority had embarked on a thorough re-certification of all airlines holding Nigeria’s AOC; while already established airlines would transit to the new process over time.

FirstNation applied for the AOC on April 5, 2010, and the processing took about 18 months, including extensive flight proofing across Europe and Nigeria.

http://www.vanguardngr.com

Marine pilot charged with indecent exposure. (North Carolina)

JACKSONVILLE — A Marine Osprey pilot stationed aboard New River air station was charged with indecent exposure after allegedly performing a lewd act in front of a woman at a Jacksonville gas station.

Maj. Danny Cohlmeyer, 37, of Edgecombe Court, was arrested Sunday evening by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office after a woman reported she had been pumping gas at Friendly Mart on U.S. 17 when a man, naked from the waist down, stepped out of his maroon pickup while performing a lewd act, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

According to reports, the man made a point of making eye contact with the woman as he performed the act. When she told him she was calling law enforcement, he allegedly pulled up his clothing and drove off. The women had taken down his license plate number, and sheriff’s deputies later arrested Cohlmeyer without incident at his Jacksonville home and charged him with misdemeanor indecent exposure.

According to Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown, the woman’s 14-year-old daughter was with her at the time of the incident, but the girl was reclined in her seat and did not see Cohlmeyer.

Cohlmeyer, an MV-22 Osprey pilot and assistant operations officer for squadron VMM-263 aboard New River, was promoted to major in July.

Cohlmeyer is the latest in a series of high-ranking local Marine officers to be charged with a civilian crime. Last year, Cherry Point air station commander Col. Douglas Denn was convicted of DWI and 24th Marine Expeditionary Unite commander Col. Robert Petit was convicted of misdemeanor larceny.

Capt. Daniel Nilsson, a former aide to a Camp Lejeune three-star general, awaits a November court date for six counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor alleging that he possessed child pornography.

http://www.newbernsj.com

Brazil police smash into plane to stop suspects escape. PF bate com carro em avião e impede fuga de suspeitos; veja

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvyZQoGjSo&feature=colike

Watch raw video: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

 .

Federal police in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil employ bold tactics to stop a light plane from taking off, smashing their car into the wing at high speed.

In a scene belonging more to an action movie than real life, officers filmed the moment they crashed into the plane to prevent it taking off from a rural airstrip in the northeastern region of Sao Paulo.

The aircraft appeared ready for take off as the police car sped towards it with the driver shouting to his armed colleague in the passenger seat, "I hit the wing, I hit the wing. Do not shoot, no."

Dramatically colliding with the left wing, the car then ploughed into the plane before police stormed out of the vehicle to confront the suspects on-board.

Local authorities later confirmed that the aircraft, specially fitted for smuggling goods and often used for drugs, was carrying thousands of pounds worth of computers and surveillance technology, as well as a bicycle.

Five suspects were arrested in the high octane finale to what had been a month long police investigation involving 30 men, according to local police officer Edson Geraldo de Souza.

Counting the cost of the arrests, Mr de Souza said the windscreen of the police vehicle had been damaged and would cost around 700 Brazilian Reals (£250) to fix, a sum that the "benefit" of downing the plane well outweighed he said.

PF bate com carro em avião e impede fuga de suspeitos; veja

Para impedir a fuga de suspeitos de transportar carga ilegal para o Brasil, policiais federais de Ribeirão Preto (314 km de São Paulo) atiraram um carro da corporação contra o avião que era usado pelo grupo. Com a ação, os agentes da PF--que filmaram o momento da abordagem-- conseguiram impedir a decolagem do avião.

A operação terminou com a prisão de cinco suspeitos --incluindo o piloto do avião-- e apreensão de uma carga estimada em R$ 200 mil em notebooks, equipamentos de vigilância eletrônica e uma bicicleta.

Os produtos, que foram colocados numa camionete, vinham provavelmente do Paraguai e seriam comercializados na região de Ribeirão Preto, segundo a PF.

Conforme as imagens da ação, no momento em que a aeronave começa a levantar voo em uma estrada rural entre as cidades de Pontal e Orlândia, no interior de São Paulo, o carro da PF começa a aproximação.

"Vou bater na asa, vou bater na asa. Não atira, não", grita o policial.

O veículo da PF atinge a asa esquerda do avião, que roda na estrada e para. Armados, os policiais descem do carro e anunciam a prisão.

Parte da mercadoria ainda estava na aeronave, mas alguns produtos já tinham sido colocados pelos suspeitos em uma camionete, que levaria a carga para ser vendida em lojas da região, de acordo com o delegado Edson Geraldo de Souza.

Dez policiais trabalharam na operação que, de acordo com Souza, foi antecedida de 30 dias de investigações.

A PF não divulgou informações dos suspeitos. Eles devem ser indiciados sob suspeita de contrabando.

O avião era "preparado" para o transporte de cargas, segundo o delegado, já que todos os bancos tinham sido retirados para facilitar a acomodação das peças.

Segundo a polícia, uma aeronave clandestina como a apreendida nesta terça-feira é comercializada por valores entre R$ 300 mil e R$ 500 mil.

"Além do preço, é importante retirar um avião desses de circulação para que não seja mais utilizado para contrabando ou mesmo para o tráfico de drogas", disse o delegado.

Questionado sobre os estragos causados no carro da polícia, Souza afirmou que "o benefício" de apreender o avião compensa o dano --as imagens serão usadas em processo interno para justificar o prejuízo.

Segundo o delegado, apenas o para-brisa do veículo foi danificado e o reparo deve ficar em aproximadamente R$ 400. 

http://www1.folha.uol.com.br

Early-morning search fails to find any trace of microlight pilot reported lost in North Sea

A Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth was involved in Tuesday's search.

As darkness fell on Tuesday night, so too did hopes of survival for the flyer after a full-scale emergency response failed to find any trace of him or the machine which reportedly plummeted into the North Sea hours earlier.

Montrose lifeboat and the coastguard resumed the search at first light this morning, but again found no trace.

A businessman gave a dramatic account of seeing the microlight rapidly lose height just a few hundred yards from shore, then disappear without trace in the short time it took him to alert the emergency services.

David Pullar's 999 call from Usan Salmon Fisheries, around two miles south of the Angus town, sparked a major turnout involving the coastguard, Montrose RNLI and the police, as well as a search and rescue helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth.

The alert was raised around 3.40pm when Mr Pullar saw the light aircraft heading north along the Angus coast.

''It was around 300 yards off the coast and was losing height rapidly,'' he said. ''It was probably around 100 feet in the air when I saw it. It didn't go down like a stone — it seemed to be a controlled descent, but very rapid.

''He just seemed to hit the water and then disappeared very quickly. I phoned the coastguard very quickly but by the time I did that there was no sight of him.''

Mr Pullar said conditions at the time were good on what was a cold but bright Angus afternoon, but there was a swell on the sea. He estimated the point of impact just north east of Long Craig, a rocky outcrop close to the fishery firm's base.

From his own extensive knowledge of the area, Mr Pullar believes the microlight would have come down in around 30-40 feet of water.

''There's no buoyancy in these things so I would think he may have gone down fairly quickly,'' he said. ''There is a microlight that flies about quite regularly, and quite often two together.''

The Montrose lifeboat Moonbeam and the station's inshore lifeboat were scrambled to the scene. They were also joined by two of Usan Fisheries' own lobster boats, piloted by Mr Pullar's grandsons, and they remained part of the search effort until it was called off shortly after 6pm. Montrose and Arbroath coastguard teams were also closely involved in the operation, including an extensive search of the shore.

Coastguard sector officer Russell Moir said the Lossiemouth helicopter had arrived on scene around 4.30pm and searched an area of around two miles by six miles.

''The search was called off when it became dark and conditions can become dangerous,'' Mr Moir said.

It was reported that a small oil slick had been found where the microlight was said to have gone down but that was not officially confirmed.

A Forth Coastguard spokesman said a decision would be taken early today on whether to resume the search.

''Nothing was found and the search was called off after darkness fell,'' he said. ''The situation will be reassessed in the morning. Inquiries are continuing but there have been no reports of any microlights or anyone missing and nothing untoward found.

''We have had airfields checked and the RAF have made their own inquiries and nothing has been reported.''

http://www.thecourier.co.uk