Archive for state of the industry
Cessna tries to rise above recession – CNN.com
Posted by: | CommentsWichita, Kansas (CNN) — A few years ago, Cessna, one of the most renowned names in aviation, was selling hundreds of multimillion-dollar airplanes annually. Then the recession hit.
The company lost half of its orders and half of its jobs — 6,000 jobs in Wichita alone.
“I think now every day we wake up, we feel we have to go out and earn our right to be that number-one manufacturer in general aviation,” said Cessna CEO Jack Pelton.
As a result, Cessna has re-examined its manufacturing methods on the aircraft production line. They've stepped up customer service and they say they're looking for new ideas, new savings and new efficiencies.
timesofmalta.com – Mtarfa school sets its aim high
Posted by: | Comments
Mtarfa school sets its aim high
Kurt Bugeja Coster
Some students do drama or woodwork classes for their extracurricular activities but the Boys' Secondary School in Mtarfa is hoping to raise the bar offering 15 of its students a taste of what it takes to fly a plane.
The boys, aged between 12 and 16 years, will be taught aeronautics, meteorology, navigation and will get to fly in a two-seater plane, even though they will not be able to take the controls themselves.
The Aero Club, as it is known, is the brainchild of the Mtarfa school and Diamond Flight Training.
Zachary Tanti, 15, is one of the students who applied to join the club because he was already an avid aviation enthusiast, visiting the Malta Air Show every year and collecting models of fighter planes.
When he finishes secondary school, he plans to take up aircraft maintenance.
A colleague of his, 14-year-old Jean Claude Zahra, wants to become a chef and explained that while he was not into aeronautics he still decided to take part in the Aero Club because the activity was different and would be an interesting experience.
Aviation experts predict biofuel-powered flights within 10 years – USATODAY.com
Posted by: | CommentsAviation experts predict biofuel-powered flights within 10 years
By Arthur Max, Associated Press Writer
AMSTERDAM — Within a decade, passenger planes will be flying on jet fuel largely made from plants — flax, marsh grass, even food waste — as airlines seek to break away from the volatile oil market and do their part to fight climate change, aviation experts said Wednesday.
Though biofuels are still in the experimental stage, the projected shift has stoked concern among environmentalists that the possible insatiable appetite of airlines for plant oil will hasten the destruction of tropical forests and the conversion of cropland from food to fuel.
Dependency on agrofuels “will lead to faster deforestation and climate change and spells disaster for indigenous peoples, other forest-dependent communities and small farmers,” said a statement from the Global Forest Coalition, an alliance of environmental groups.
But aviation experts told a global biofuels conference the industry is focusing on fuels that cause minimal environmental destruction.
A Swiss-based organization, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels, has drawn up standards for certifying the entire chain of production. “Not all biofuels are created equal,” said Victoria Junquera.
via Aviation experts predict biofuel-powered flights within 10 years – USATODAY.com.
Jeff Schweitzer: Airplanes Don’t Kill People, People Do
Posted by: | CommentsAt the very moment crazed kamikaze pilot Joseph Stack plowed his airplane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas, propaganda machinery in suspended animation instantly sprang back to life to lament the danger of small airplanes. Hysterical comparisons to 9/11 were immediately bandied about by pundits and politicians. With knowing glances exchanged between talking heads, a cry went out that personal airplanes were dangerous, don't you know. Like Schwarzenegger's cyborg in The Terminator, nothing can kill this beast of misinformation and misunderstanding. But I nevertheless intend to act the role of John Connor and fight the machine.
via Jeff Schweitzer: Airplanes Don’t Kill People, People Do.
