Tag Archives: Mitsubishi Regional Jet

532 A Jet City Star

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:58:29 — 54.3MB)

Guest Isaac Alexander gives us a taste of aviation action in the Pacific Northwest. In the news: updates on the Boeing/Embraer deal, more WOW Air woes, Virgin Galactic test flight, MRJ engine final assembly in Japan, the Northrop Grumman Firebird MALE, an airline turnback to deliver a heart, and a pet fish. Plus David’s holiday story, Voyager spacecraft, and first flight comments.

Isaac Alexander, Jet City Star, in the Spruce Goose.

Isaac Alexander, Jet City Star, in the Hughes H-4 Hercules (the Spruce Goose) at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville Oregon.

Guest

Aviation geek Isaac Alexander is a freelance aviation writer who blogs, tweets, and posts as Jet City Star from the Pacific Northwest. In the past, Isaac was on the committee for the weekend-long Aviation Geek Fest held annually in the Greater Seattle area.

Isaac tells us about the aviation scene in the Pacific Northwest, including some of the aerospace companies based there, the senior roles held by women in area organizations, new scheduled service, must-visit museums and other attractions, recent aviation events, and some events coming up in 2019.

Follow Isaac on Twitter at @jetcitystar and see these sites to learn more:

Aviation News

Brazil court overturns injunction against Boeing-Embraer deal

Last week we reported that four congressmen with Brazil’s left-wing Workers Party won an injunction in Brazilian federal court preventing the Embraer/Boeing deal from going forward. Now a Brazilian federal appeals court has overturned the injunction.

Embraer and Boeing Approved the Terms of Strategic Aerospace Partnership, Seek Brazilian Government Approval

Both companies have come to an agreement: “The approved terms define the joint venture comprising the commercial aircraft and services operations of Embraer, in which Boeing will hold an 80 percent ownership stake and Embraer will hold the remaining 20 percent. The transaction remains subject to approval by the Government of Brazil, after which Embraer and Boeing intend to execute definitive transaction documents. The closing of the transaction will then be subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.”

Embraer Welcomes Brazil’s Filing of its First Written Submission Challenging Canada’s Subsidies to Bombardier

The dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization is examining subsidies received by Bombardier from the Governments of Canada and Quebec. The Brazilian Government (and Embraer) say the 19 subsidies violate Canada’s WTO obligations. More details about Brazil’s First Written Submission are available in the DS522 — FACT SHEET [PDF].

Enjoy your Holiday Laser-light Display-Responsibly

Each holiday season for the past several years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received reports from pilots who said they were distracted or temporarily blinded by residential laser-light displays.

Flying with WOW Air? You might need to rebook as airline sells off planes, lays off employees

Budget carrier WOW Air is taking measures to keep the company in business. They announced a cut back in the number of airplanes from 20 to 11, they plan to sell four Airbus A321s, and reportedly the airline laid off 111 employees.

Virgin Galactic gets set for SpaceShipTwo flights that aim for space — but how high?

Virgin Galactic has been flight-testing its VSS Unity rocket plane, carried by SpaceShipTwo.

Mitsubishi completes first assembly of GTF PW1200G engine for MRJ jet

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) is exclusively powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1200G engine. In Komaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines (MHIAEL) has completed their first final assembly of the engine for the MRJ flight test program. Pratt & Whitney’s Mirabel Aerospace Center in Canada will also assemble and test the engine.

MHI completes capital bail-out of MRJ

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) bailed out/restructured debt by Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (MAC).

Video from Farnborough 2018: MRJ’s delays are over, says Mitsubishi

More flying footage: The Elegant ANA Mitsubishi Regional Jet MRJ Flying at Farnborough UK

Northrop Grumman Plans To Upend Aerial Surveillance Market With Their Optionally Manned Firebird

Northrop Grumman is developing a Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft called the Firebird. It’s being developed for aerial surveillance missions and its history goes back to Northrop Grumman subsidiary Scaled Composites that built an optionally manned demonstrator which first flew in 2010.

We now know where Seattle’s airborne heart was headed after Southwest flight was turned around

Someone forgot to unload a human heart from a Southwest Airlines in Seattle. During a subsequent flight of that plane, the error was discovered and the plane was forced to return to Seattle.

Student heartbroken, humiliated after being forced to give up pet fish prior to Southwest flight

“Cassie,” the student’s beloved pet betta fish, was refused boarding on a Southwest flight, despite being allowable according to the TSA website, and previous travel on the airline.

Holiday Story

David Vanderhoof tells us a Christmas story filled with historical figures.

Mentioned

Drone shatters passenger jet’s nosecone & radar during landing (PHOTOS) and the Tweet with photos.

JPL Voyager Mission Status page.

The Flight Claims of Gustave Whitehead

Instagram photo of DC-3 by @mikeymcbryan.

Daks Over Normandy

D-Day Squadron

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne.

525 Back in the Saddle

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:41 — 54.1MB)

A new airline from the founder of Jetblue, a proposed change to flight training regulations for experimental light-sport aircraft, the devastation to Tyndall AFB as a result of hurricane Michael, Bombardier’s lawsuit against Mitsubishi, a helicopter passenger saves the day when the pilot passes out, and the Lion Air fatal accident. Also, interviews from the Great Pacific Airshow at Huntington Beach, California and the EAA Chapter 141 Stick ‘n Rudda Fall Fly-In and Poker Run.

Aviation News

JetBlue Founder Reveals Details on His New Tech-Focused International Airline

JetBlue founder David Neeleman’s new airline should start flying in 2021 and probably won’t be named Moxy, Brazil’s Azul will feed traffic to the new airline, it will fly hundreds of routes, including from the U.S. to Europe and South America. Neeleman will be using the A220-300 for long range and lower maintenance and operating costs. Customer interaction will be through an app.

New Experimental Aircraft Flight Training Policy Proposed

Under a letter of deviation authority (LODA) the FAA proposed a change that would allow flight training in experimental light sport aircraft (E-LSA) to be conducted for compensation or hire.

We Finally Know How Many F-22s Were Left Behind At Tyndall AFB During Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael made a direct hit on Tyndall Air Force Base, home to 55 F-22 Raptors. Some made it out, some did not. Also damaged were QF-16 target drones and contractor Mu-2s.

Mitsubishi jet faces another delay with Bombardier lawsuit

A lawsuit filed by Bombardier alleges that Mitsubishi Aircraft received trade secrets from former Bombardier employees. The employees, now with Mitsubishi Aircraft, worked on the C Series jet. According to the lawsuit, the employees allegedly sent C-Series data to their personal e-mail accounts. Mitsubishi Aircraft stated that the allegations are “without merit.”

Passenger Grabs Controls After Pilot Collapses

During a sightseeing flight in Hawaii, a newly engaged couple found their pilot had slumped over. As the Robinson R-44 began a dive, the man sitting in the back yelled to his fiancé to “pull up!” She did, which arrested the fall enough that they survived.

Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 Crashes in Java Sea

An airplane operated by The Indonesian low-cost airline Lion Air crashed into the sea 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta. All passengers and crew onboard are missing and presumed dead. Flightradar24 showed the 737 reached an altitude of about 5,500ft before a rapid descent.

Interviews

Great Pacific Airshow

At the Great Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California (October 19-21, 2018) contributing editor-at-large, Brian Coleman spoke with representatives of airshow sponsors FedEx and the Lyon Air Museum. He also caught up with aviation attorney and former guest of the show Ray Johnson, as well as some very enthusiastic fans of aviation and the Thunderbirds.

Mark Foster, president of Lyon Air Museum, a sponsor of The Great Pacific Airshow.
Tina Rogers from FedEx
Aviation attorney Ray Johnson, and guest from #434
Jessica and Van

Great Pacific Airshow. Credit: EventBright.

EAA Chapter 141 Stick ‘n Rudda Fall Fly-In and Poker Run

Our Main(e) Man Micah gives us a report from the EAA Chapter 141 Stick ‘n Rudda Fall Fly-In and Poker Run.

Credit

Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.

436 Flying Magazine’s Stephen Pope

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:53 — 46.7MB)

We talk with Stephen Pope, the Editor-in-Chief of Flying magazine. In the news, we look at a United Airlines computer problem, tracking passengers moving through the airport, the search for MH 370 concludes, ADS-B capable satellites, the latest Mitsubishi MRJ delay, B-2 bombers fly a 30-hour mission, testing tiltrotors, a possible lead in the 1971 hijacking by D.B. Cooper, and a tribute to Gene Cernan.

Guest

Flying magazine's Editor in Chief Stephen Pope

Stephen Pope, Editor in Chief, Flying magazine

Stephen Pope is Editor-in-Chief of Flying magazine. We talk about Light Sport Aircraft, third class medical reform, and flying with the Garmin G1000 NXi. Steve also explains how Flying is changing its look, content, website, and e-news product to compete with digital aviation news outlets. We also get some good suggestions for those who might consider aviation journalism as a career choice, either full-time or freelance.

Steve is an award-winning aviation journalist and commercial pilot with multi-engine, instrument, and seaplane ratings. He has been writing for aviation magazines for more than 20 years on a wide range of flying topics.

Steve learned to fly at age 15 in a Piper Cub at Trinca Airport, a small grass strip in northern New Jersey. He worked as a line boy at the 60th Street Heliport in New York City and for First Aviation at Teterboro Airport. After soloing at 16, earning his private pilot’s license at 17, and gaining his instrument rating a year later, Steve enrolled at the University of Maryland as a journalism major, where he received his degree and completed an editorial internship with AOPA Pilot magazine.

After graduating, Stephen joined the editorial staff of Aviation International News, a business aviation trade magazine. During his 15 years with AIN he moved up the ranks to become Senior Editor directing avionics and technology coverage, Editor-in-Chief of Convention Publications and, in his last role with the company, Editor-in-Chief of Business Jet Traveler magazine. He joined the staff of Flying in 2010.

Steve has won seven Aerospace Journalist of the Year awards, including being named overall Aerospace Journalist of the Year in 2007. He has also won three NBAA Gold Wing Journalism Awards and has written for Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications.

Aviation News

United Airlines resumes flights after temporary ground order

A computer problem with Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) temporarily grounded all domestic United Airlines mainline flights.

Cool or Creepy? Houston Airports now Tracking Phone Signals to Provide Checkpoint Data

Houston airports are now monitoring Bluetooth signals from travelers’ phones. This lets the airport track checkpoint wait times in real-time. In a news release, Houston airport spokesperson Bill Begley said, “The tracking is anonymous and uses a variety of filters to ensure both anonymity and accuracy, and then uses that data to provide an average time for travelers passing through the checkpoints.”

Search Ends For Malaysian Flight 370

In an MH370 Joint Communique, the Australian Government announced that the search for MH370 has been suspended. “The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness,” the joint statement read. “We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future the aircraft will be located.”

Aireon Launch Begins New Era for Satellite-Based Aircraft Surveillance

The recent successful SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch put the first 10 Iridium Next satellites into low-Earth orbit. Each satellite carries an ADS-B receiver to be part of Aireon’s global ADS-B-based aircraft-tracking system, operational by the second quarter of 2018.

Mitsubishi delays MRJ deliveries by two years

In its January 23 press release, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced “that MHI and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation will adjust the first delivery of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) from mid-2018 to mid-2020. The change is due to revisions of certain systems and electrical configurations on the aircraft to meet the latest requirements for certification.” See MRJ’s Latest Development Status and the Advancing the MRJ project PDF.

The Aviation Minute

Rob Mark takes a look at the Aireon launch and aircraft tracking.

Contributor Recording

Our Main(e) Man Micah brings us God Bless You Gene Cernan.

Credit

Intro music courtesy Brother Love from his Album Of The Year CD. Outtro by Bruno Misonne from The Sound of Flaps.