Tuesday, February 24, 2015

AerCap CEO sees no looming glut in aircraft production

(Reuters) - The head of the world's largest aircraft leasing company, AerCap Holdings NV, said there was no sign of a looming glut of jetliners that could trigger a cyclical downturn in the sector.

AerCap is seeing consistent demand for the latest, fuel-saving jets and older workhorse planes, Aengus Kelly, chief executive officer, said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.

"That's an indication that the market remains strong," he said.

AerCap plans to make initial purchases of Boeing's 737 MAX, but won't necessarily buy them from Boeing unless the price is right, Kelly said.

"I’m sure we will buy MAX airplanes," he said. AerCap could buy the fuel-saving single-aisle planes from airlines in a sale-leaseback or through an acquisition, he said.

"Boeing knows that we’re a buyer of the airplane, but we have to agree terms. In the meantime we’ll pick up MAXs elsewhere.”

Concern about a glut of airliners has hung over aerospace investors for more than a year as Boeing Co (BA.N) and Airbus Group NV (AIR.PA) boost output to fill large order backlogs. In the last six months, low oil prices have raised concern that airlines will hold off buying new aircraft.

Kelly said that has not affected talks with airlines about their plans to bring into service fuel-saving planes such as the Boeing 737 MAX or 787, Airbus A320neo, A330neo or A350.

“We’re talking to airlines every week about their fleet plans. Where fuel has been for six months has never come up as a consideration in leasing new technology airplanes," he said.

On Monday Goldman Sachs analysts downgraded the aerospace sector to "neutral," and Boeing to "sell," citing concern that Airbus and Boeing are supplying more aircraft than the market can absorb.

Boeing shares fell 2.3 percent on Monday. Eight of 23 Boeing analysts tracked by Thomson Reuters already rated the company "hold," "neutral," "sector perform" or "underperform." The rest rate it "buy," "overweight," or "outperform."

Kelly, speaking a day after AerCap posted strong fourth quarter profits, said the sector outlook remains strong, and low oil prices are a "tax cut" for airlines and consumers that could spur travel demand.

“No airline is changing their behavior because of low fuel prices,” he said.

Source:  http://in.reuters.com

Patriot Profiles: ‘You have to understand the bigger picture on things’

Sgt. 1st Class Scott P. Campbell selects a radio to privately instruct a crew member during flight. 
Photo courtesy U.S. Army



The UH-60 Black Hawk entered the U.S. Army in 1979 as a tactical transport helicopter, and has since moved millions of troops. The UH-60 gained prominence in the Gulf War (in the Army’s largest air assault) and was immortalized in the battle for Mogadishu. Hundreds of missions depended on Sikorsky’s four-blade, twin-engine aircraft during the fight in Afghanistan and Iraq. The people who keep Black Hawks safe and ready to fly are not so well-known, but are revered by those they serve.

As a boy from Ontario, N.Y., Sgt. 1st Class Scott P. Campbell didn’t dream of working in an aircraft hangar or a machine shop on a base. He has since embraced becoming a Black Hawk helicopter mechanic, responsible to inspect, service, and repair UH-60 helicopters, a job vital to U.S. Army response. It all started when Campbell joined the National Guard during college and ended up “liking the military.” He switched to active duty in 1999.

Campbell’s first military operational specialty was in Germany, in the motor pool. “I worked on air conditioners, heaters and everything else. After that, I re-classed to become a 15 Tango (Black Hawk mechanic) and in 2002, went to Fort Drum” in New York. Assigned to 2nd Brigade, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, he entered a three-month “maintainer” course and also attended further professional development and leadership courses.

As a Black Hawk mechanic, Campbell said, “Crew members must have knowledge of all aspects of the aircraft. Some of the major systems of a Black Hawk include rotor systems, power plant (engines), drive train (transmission and gear boxes), hydraulics, pneumatics, avionics packages and special mission equipment like the hoist and medical interior on the Medevac aircraft.”

Not all of Campbell’s work is on the ground. He started flying in 2003, during the first of five deployments with 10th Mountain Division, serving as a flight crew member. “We flew almost 7,000 hours in a year period. We were all young and going into a new world of unknowns. The deployment set the stage for my maintenance knowledge and insight of aviation operations.”

“The closeness of the members of the unit to function as one,” was a memorable take on Campbell’s first time in combat.

His second deployment was to Afghanistan in 2006, where he performed full-spectrum aviation operations and worked closely with Special Forces to conduct raids and assaults in and around the notorious Helmand Province. “There were a few missions that got the adrenaline going.”

Deployment three saw a return to Iraq in 2008 — serving as platoon sergeant for the first time. “I learned how to effectively manage both helicopters and soldiers.”

In Afghanistan 2010 (deployment four), he managed maintenance work flow for the Black Hawk and two more helicopters — the Apache and Chinook, totaling 42 helicopters at the peak of deployment. “It was a great honor,” to know he had contributed to his battalion receiving the “Army Aviation Association Maintenance Award.”

As for his fifth and current call to Liberia, “I was standing on people’s desks trying to make sure I was going to go,” said Campbell. “We’ve been in combat for so long that I wanted to do something different, and wanted to feel like we’re helping these people … and see the dividends.”

“Being flexible” is the most intense challenge for Campbell this time, “The mission is very unique in how it was organized, how it developed and how it came up … Being adaptable to the changes is crucial and it can also be frustrating, but you have to understand the bigger picture on things.”

Campbell is Medevac platoon sergeant, a non-commissioned officer in charge of his first Medevac unit. “For a Sergeant First Class to be in the Medevac is a relatively new thing.”

He oversees the maintenance on four Medevac helicopters and makes sure his soldiers have what they need to perform their mission efficiently. Conducting training and evaluations is also on his list, with other duties.

“We’ve been flying some USAID personnel (including) Centers for Disease Control engineers out to the Ebola treatment centers and other locations.” Labs have been set up and they’ve flown technicians out, along with taking food and water to soldiers out in remote sites. “We’re basically expediting the transportation of people around the country.

“We’ve also done a few troop Medevacs. Somebody got fuel in their eye,” said Campbell, and another “was a possible appendicitis.” According to Campbell, the Army’s mission statement before troops left said that “we’re not going to be transporting Ebola virus disease patients.”

Since arriving in November 2014, Campbell described flying around in a Third World country — seeing how some people live. “We land in some places, shut down and they (the Liberians) will gather around. Everybody, despite their conditions, is happy. They’re happy that we are here.”

Campbell is logging cool stories to tell his 9-year-old son, Aidan, while working in assault, Medevac and VIPS flight companies, having escorted U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel around. In down time, he sometimes runs marathons and has recently raised $2,000 for Men’s Health Awareness and is working on a college degree.

Home based at Fort Bliss, Texas, where he manages maintenance for 15 helicopters, he’ll pass on his gains to junior soldiers. He hopes “that everyone knows not just the ‘what to do,’ but the ‘why we do it,’ whether it be in the air flying, or on the ground performing maintenance.”

He’s realized that after 16 years of service, “I’m good at fixing an aircraft and taking care of people.”

Sgt. 1st Class Scott Campbell has logged roughly 1,400 flight hours in the nine years he’s been flying. He’s won various Army awards, including two Bronze Stars. Mitigating mechanical mishap is crucial for a UH-60 Black Hawk crew trying to move troops, stay safe from enemy combatants, and complete successful missions.

“Pilots like to fly with me, because I can quickly identify and resolve any issue with the aircraft,” said Campbell. “I have yet to drop a mission due to maintenance and plan on keeping that record going.”

Story and photos:  http://www.delmartimes.net

Beechcraft A60 Duke, N7420D, H I M LLC: Incident occurred February 24, 2015 at Mineta San Jose International Airport (KSJC), San Jose, California

Regis#: N7420D
Aircraft Make: BEECH
Aircraft Model: 60
Event Type: Incident
Highest Injury: None
Damage: Minor
City: SAN JOSE
State: California
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)

Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office:  FAA San Jose FSDO-15

AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, GEAR COLLAPSED, SAN JOSE, CA

http://registry.faa.gov/N7420D

San Jose: After landing-gear snag forces emergency landing, attorney-pilot makes client meeting on time

SAN JOSE -- An attorney flying his twin-engine plane from Southern California to Mineta San Jose International Airport for a client meeting was forced into an emergency landing after a landing-gear malfunctioned Tuesday morning, but he was still apparently able to make his appointment.

It helped that the meeting was in a nearby private office on the airport grounds.

Pilot Lloyd Copenbarger, his brother Paul -- with whom he heads a law firm -- and a senior paralegal departed from Chino in the Beechcraft Duke aircraft were about to touch down in San Jose when around 10:30 a.m., Copenbarger heard a loud pop after he deployed the landing gear. The green light indicating a successful activation also remained dimmed, according to firm spokesman Chris Carroll.

After several failed attempts to get the right gear to extend, he radioed for emergency support so that the grounds crews could prepare for an impromptu landing.

Copenbarger "at that point had no choice but to bring the plane down to land, keeping on the left landing gear as long as he could until finally having to level off," Carroll said.

The plane skidded on its belly on runway 30L and came to rest with its right wing touching down on a grassy berm. SJFD spokesman Capt. Christopher Salcido said fire crews, based at the airport stabilized the airplane to allow for the safe exit of the three occupants, and no injuries were reported.

The 11,000-foot runway where the plane landed was reopened just after 1:30 p.m. Barnes said runway 30R remained operational and there were no flight disruptions.

Copenbarger's plans also evaded disruption: Carroll said thanks to the work of airport personnel, Copenbarger and his paralegal "went straight into appointments that were scheduled."

Original article can be found at: http://www.contracostatimes.com



SAN JOSE (CBS SF) — One runway was closed at Mineta San Jose International AirportTuesday morning after a small twin-engine airplane’s landing gear collapsed, according to airport officials.

All three people on board were uninjured, according to airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes.

Barnes said the incident was reported around 10:30 a.m., when the pilot expressed concerns about the landing gear to air traffic controllers after hearing a loud pop while deploying the gear. When the planelanded a few minutes later, the landing gear collapsed.

“We still have the aircraft on the runway along with our firefighters,” Barnes said. “The (Federal Aviation Administration) is still on scene as part of the investigative process.”
The runway will remain closed until the FAA authorizes airport personnel to tow the plane, after which the runway can be inspected.

A parallel runway remains open, and Barnes said Tuesday morning’s incident has had no impact on the airport’s flight operations.

Further information about the nature of the flight was not available this morning, but Barnes identified it as a twin-engine Beechcraft Duke general aviation aircraft that was scheduled to land.

Original article can be found at:  http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com





SAN JOSE (BCN) - One runway is closed at Mineta San Jose International Airport Tuesday morning after a small twin-engine airplane's landing gear collapsed, according to airport officials.

All three people on board were uninjured, according to airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes.

Barnes said the incident was reported around 10:30 a.m., when the pilot expressed concerns about the landing gear to air traffic controllers.

When the plane landed a few minutes later, the landing gear collapsed.

"We still have the aircraft on the runway along with our firefighters," Barnes said. "The (Federal Aviation Administration) is still on scene as part of the investigative process."

The runway will remain closed until the FAA authorizes airport personnel to tow the plane, after which the runway can be inspected.

A parallel runway remains open, and Barnes said Tuesday morning's incident has had no impact on the airport's flight operations.

Further information about the nature of the flight was not available, but Barnes identified it as a twin-engine Beechcraft Duke general aviation aircraft that was scheduled to land.

Original article can be found at: http://wn.ktvu.com

Chopper 4 Captures Dramatic Chase as Armed Robbery Suspect Leads Feds Across Verrazano Bridge: Source



A law enforcement source says a man being sought in an armed robbery was taken into custody after a police chase that started in New Jersey and ended on the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano Bridge when the fleeing vehicle crashed, capping off a dramatic sequence of events Tuesday captured exclusively by Chopper 4.


The law enforcement source tells NBC 4 New York the U.S. Marshals' Regional New York/New Jersey Task Force had been looking for the man in connection with the robbery, the details of which weren't immediately clear.

They found him in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and he fled in what appeared to be a blue car. The man was believed to be dangerous, the source said, and U.S. Marshals gave pursuit.

The high-speed pursuit led from the Middlesex County town over the Outerbridge Crossing into Staten Island, then continued over the Verrazano Bridge and into Brooklyn. Chopper 4 showed nearly half a dozen vehicles, many with sirens blaring, zipping across the span and on residential streets before the runaway vehicle crashed on the Brooklyn side shortly after 2 p.m.

The runaway car wove to either side of the road as it tried to evade the police cars and managed to separate from the cruisers for a moment on the Brooklyn side of the span before police caught up. A police car hit the speeding getaway car from behind and the getaway vehicle corrected course and kept moving.

Chopper 4 showed the getaway car and the law enforcement vehicles speed past other cars in the Bath Beach neighborhood, including ones stopped at a traffic light, before they crashed.

Resident Danny Castillo was inside his home when he heard the chase-ending crash that wrecked his red van parked outside. 

"I hear 'boom, boom, boom,' he hit three cars here. I see cops and helicopters everywhere," he told NBC 4 New York. "They ran out and chase some guy." 

"It was unbelievable, I've never seen anything like that happen, over here, especially," said Castillo.

A person in a red shirt was seen getting out of the passenger side of the vehicle and trying to run after the crash. The driver of the runaway car momentarily appeared to try to flee again, but the banged-up car couldn't go far. 

MTA Bridges & Tunnels officers surrounded the vehicle and took the driver into custody on 14th Avenue, the agency said. The person in the red shirt was also apprehended. It wasn't clear which person was the one being sought in the armed robbery investigation.

Charges are pending against both. The NYPD said two people were in custody at the 68th Precinct station in Bay Ridge and were expected to be moved to the 121st Precinct station on Staten Island. 

The MTA said it was asked to close the Verrazano but didn't get a chance before the chase spilled onto the span. At least one Port Authority officer was injured during the chase; the extent of the injuries was not clear but authorities said they were not considered life-threatening. 

Story and video:  http://www.nbcnewyork.com