ATC - Privatisering av lufttrafikktjenesten i USA ser ut til å bli skrinlagt - AIN

Shuster Signals End to ATC Privatization Battle

In a terse press release issued late yesterday, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) appeared to drop his once-strong push for privatization of the U.S. air traffic control (ATC) system. He admitted in the statement that the proposed reform of ATC in H.R.2997 “did not reach the obvious level of support needed to pass Congress,” and he will now work with his colleagues on a reauthorization bill “to provide long-term stability for the FAA.” “We had a golden opportunity to move beyond the status quo and accomplish positive, transformational change with this bill,” Shuster said. “Despite an unprecedented level of support for this legislation—from bipartisan lawmakers, industry, and conservative groups and labor groups alike—some of my own colleagues refused to support shrinking the federal government by 35,000 employees, cutting taxes, and stopping wasteful spending.” NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen sent a message to members last night: “From the statement, it appears that as a result of the outstanding work of NBAA's board, Associate Member Advisory Committee, Leadership Council, membership, and staff—as well as a chorus of opposition from a diverse, informed, and united coalition—the airlines' effort with regard to ATC privatization will not go forward as part of the FAA reauthorization process…Now, it is time to focus our full attention on a long-term FAA bill that ensures the U.S. has the world's best air transportation system for decades to come." Read Expanded Version

Vesle Skaugum ser etter nytt vertskap - LMS

 

Vesle Skaugum søker nå etter ny Bestyrer – Vertskap

Vesle Skaugum skal ansette en eller to personer som skal stå for den daglige driften av feriestedet. Stillingen omfatter drift av stedets kjøkken og servering, og det stilles derfor krav om at søkere har kokkeutdanning eller relevant praksis som kokk, fortrinnsvis fra storkjøkken. Videre omfatter stillingen ulike økonomiske og administrative oppgaver som kassefunksjon og innkjøp, samt drift av tekniske anlegg og ansvar for at feriestedet driftes i samsvar med gjeldene lover og forskrifter.

Vi søker deg/dere som har gode samarbeidsevner, har evne til å stå på i perioder med mange gjester, har god ordenssans, og som er utadvendt og serviceorientert.

Fast lønn etter avtale. Leilighet stilles til rådighet på feriestedet.

Stillingen er ledig fra 15 jul 2018, og det må påregnes noe tid for overlapping med dagens Vertskap i løpet av våren og sommeren forut for dette.

For ytterligere informasjon, ta kontakt med: Birger Atle Mjønes på 489 93 916 eller post@vesleskaugum.no. Vesle Skaugums hjemmeside er: www.vesleskaugum.no

Søknadsfrist: 11 mars 2018. Søknaden sendes enten på e-post til adressen over, eller pr post til Birger Atle Mjønes, Jegerstien 7, 1560 Larkollen.

Nytt fra Widerøe på Torp

Kinderegg på Torp – tre nyheter i én

Sommeren nærmer seg og de gledelige nyhetene står i kø. Reduserte avgifter resulterer i frekvensøkning til København. Vi lanserer sommerruter til Nord-Norge og varsler inntog av jetfly til Trondheim. Rene Kinderegg-stemningen på Sandefjord lufthavn i dag.

Det er ingen aprilspøk. 1. april senker København Lufthavn avgiftene flyselskapene betaler for å benytte flyplassen. For Widerøe med flere daglige rundturer mellom København og henholdsvis Kristiansand og Sandefjord vil avgiftene reduseres med opptil 35 prosent.

 

Reduksjonen i lufthavnavgiften gir Widerøe en gylden anledning til å øke kapasitet.

 

-   Det er meget hyggelig å kunne imøtekomme våre kunders ønske om hyppigere frekvens mellom Torp og Kastrup. Reduksjonen i avgiftene muliggjør at vi fra 13. august øker med én ekstra daglig rundtur . En direkte respons til næringslivet og våre gode kunder som lenge har vært tro til Widerøe, sier informasjonssjef i Widerøe Catharina Solli.

 

-   Vi ønsker å styrke København Lufthavn som nord europeisk trafikknutepunkt. Så det er virkelig en god nyhet at Widerøe responderer for våre rabatter ved å øke til tre daglige avganger. Det styrker forbindelsene mellom Norge og Danmark. Via København har Widerøes passasjerer mulighet til å fly videre til 174 destinasjoner over hele verden, hvorav 38 ruter til interkontinentale destinasjoner i eksempelvis Asia og USA, sier kommersiell direktør ved København Lufthavn Peter Krogsgaard.

Helikopter - Norsk selskap plasserer stor ordre på Kopter SH09

Kopter Wins $119M in Orders from SH09 Launch Customers

by Alexa Paprosky

 - February 27, 2018, 4:15 PM

Richard Simonsen of Norway’s Helitrans AS addresses the crowd at Kopter’s booth Tuesday on the Heli-Expo 2018 exhibit floor. Helitrans accounts for more than half of the 23 firm orders for Kopter’s forthcoming SH09.

Kopter amassed firm orders for 23 of its all-composite SH09 light single helicopters, and options for 11 more, on Tuesday at Heli-Expo 2018. At list prices, the deals with launch customers Paradise Helicopters, Helitrans of Norway, and Elling Halvorson as well as Safomar Aviation are worth $119 million, if all options are exercised. A mockup of the Helitrans SH09 is also on display at Kopter’s Heli-Expo booth (N4615).

Helitrans AS, one of the largest helicopter operators in Norway, signed a firm order for 12 SH09s, with options for six more. “The unobstructed cabin and modern ergonomics of the SH09 will profit both our crew and most importantly our clients, while enabling us to aim for new markets and helicopter activities. We are looking forward to benefitting from the high performance of the helicopter but also to benefit from its lower cost of operations brought by modern technology and the right philosophy,” said Helitrans manager Richard Simonsen.

The order from Helitrans "allows us to solidly increase our firm order book so as to ensure the production gear-up for the first two to three years,” according to Kopter CEO Andreas Löewenstein.

 

Droner - Airlift med nytt satsingsområde - Airlift

Utvider helikopterflåten med droner

Gasta Design

15 februar 2018

Aktuelt

Pål Anders Kårstad er prosjektleder for vår nye satsing på droneteknologi. FOTO: Emil Rasmussen 

– Vi sitter med en unik luftfartskompetanse, etter over 30 år i bransjen. Dette er en kompetanse droneutviklingen skriker etter.

Utvikling av droneteknologi har eksplodert. Dronene blir kraftigere og billigere, og nye bruksområder dukker opp. I Airlift har vi allerede flere kunder som etterspør droneflygninger, særlig innen kraft- og telebransjen. De har behov for jevnlige inspeksjoner av linjer og master, en jobb som utføres av helikoptre i dag.

– Her ville det i mange tilfeller vært smartere å benytte droner, forteller Pål Anders Kårstad.

Unik luftfartskompetanse

Kårstad er ansatt som prosjektleder for vår nye satsing på droneteknologi, en teknologi som vil endre hele helikopterbransjen. Vi ønsker å koble ny teknologi og eksisterende luftfartskompetanse.

– Det er både økonomisk og smart. Vi sitter med en unik kompetanse i Airlift, etter over 30 år i helikopterbransjen. Dette er en kompetanse droneutviklingen skriker etter, forteller Kårstad.

Neste år kommer et nytt EU-regelverk, med strengere krav til droneflygere. Dette vil øke sikkerheten i luftrommet og forebygge ulykker. I Norge eksisterer det allerede en forskrift for luftfartøy uten fører, men Luftfartstilsynet vil etter hvert kreve mer luftfartskompetanse for droneflygninger.

– Da har vi en unik posisjon. Vi har allerede godt innarbeidede rutiner og operasjonsmanualer, og med økt kompetanse på droneteknologi er vi godt rigget.

Smart kobling mellom drone og helikopter

Det er særlig tre områder der etterspørselen for droner er stor: inspeksjon av kraftlinjer og telemaster, inspeksjon på oljeplattformer og dokumentasjon ved ras.

Skal man utføre en kontroll på en oljeplattform, kan droneflygning redusere nedetiden på plattformen. Dette er ekstremt kostnadsbesparende. Helikopteret flyr mannskap ut, mens dronen utfører selve kontrolljobben, forklarer Kårstad.

Et annet eksempel er ved ras. Dronen kan flys inn i området for å kartlegge skadene. Når helikopteret skal inn for å gjøre opprydningsjobben, er pilotene bedre forberedt.

– Det viser hvor smart drone- og helikoptertjenester kan kobles. Vi har ikke landet hvordan vi vil operere, da vi vil gjøre koblingen på en trygg og god måte. Men vi vet at vi skal utvide helikopterflåten vår med droner, sier Kårstad.

Dronesenter etableres på Fyn - UAS Vision

Danish Defence Establishes Development Centre at UAS Denmark

As part of a new defence agreement, the Danish Defence will establish cooperation with the UAS Denmark. With it, the development of Denmark’s drone competences across sectors will be strengthened benefiting both parties.

In 2014 the Danish Defence and Hans Christian Andersen Airport in Odense, Denmark, signed a Letter of Intent regarding cooperation with UAS Denmark. In the defence agreement announced on Sunday 28 January 2018, Denmark further strengthened the Defence commitment to the continued development of Denmark’s drone industry.

The news about The Danish Defence’s commitment to support drone development have been positively received by UAS Denmark’s Commercial Director, Michael Larsen. In May 2017, UAS Denmark at Hans Christian Andersen Airport launched a new widespread drone airspace for long-range drones (BVLOS = Beyond Visual Line of Sight), which comprises 867 square kilometres of drone testing airspace in a new strategic cooperation with SDU UAS Center, led by test center director Brad Beach. The cooperation with the test center at Hans Christian Andersen Airport will make a strong foundation for the national drone cluster, another key activity of UAS Denmark.

“We are looking forward to the cooperation with The Danish Defence. I am convinced that we will be able to pull on each of our strengths and together, we will create an even stronger foundation for the companies, which are connected to the Danish drone industry”, says Michael Larsen.

DANISH DEFENCE WILL TEST AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE

Concretely, the defence agreement states that The Danish Defence during the agreement period will establish a presence in the drone center, apply its capacities within testing to a relevant extent, ensure knowledge sharing and participate with a representative in the forthcoming Advisory Board for UAS Denmark’s Drone Center.

SDU’s UAS Center Director and UAS Denmark Test Center Manager, Brad Beach, sees additional potential for cooperation:

“In our facilities at Hans Christian Andersen Airport, we are installing a hi-tech composites and systems integration laboratories for research and support to a number of drone companies. We look forward to welcoming the Danish Defence as part of the rapidly growing drone cluster based at Hans Christian Andersen Airport”,.

OPTIMISM IN THE INDUSTRY

The drone community is encouraged the agreement will further advance the industry:se

“I am pleased to learn the Danish Defence has agreed to be part of and to strengthen the establishment of an internationally acknowledged drone center at Hans Christian Andersen Airport” Soeren Petersen, Vice President, Military Sales from Scandinavian Avionics states and goes on: “The Danish Defence’s involvement in a new test and development center will give Scandinavian Avionics greater opportunities for collaboration with the Danish Defence’s drone units about development and test of systems and components for drones, just as it presents an opportunity to cooperate within operations and maintenance, testing and certification of drones and drone equipment. It will also strengthen the industry that The Danish Defence will join UAS Denmark through knowledge sharing about the development of drones in NATO and other international fora”, Soeren Petersen from Scandinavian Avionics says.

The cooperation with The Danish Defence concerning drone technology even spills over to other technologies, where Denmark has strong competencies and now finds new synergies in the drone center in Odense, Denmark:

“We are far ahead in the field of radar technology in Denmark, and we experience great international demands for Weibel’s radar technology for drone monitoring and tests.” Peder R. Pedersen, CEO of Weibel Scientific says and goes on: ”Investments in the Danish drone test center is paramount if we want to win the race of being the first with new drone technology and drone surveillance technology. Just as important is it to develop Danish technology, which can protect Danish interests against hostile drones in close collaboration with the Danish Defence. Thus, I am pleased about The Danish Defence’s decision to collaborate with UAS Denmark”, Peder R. Pedersen, CEO, Weibel Scientific says.

F-5 er populær som agressor - AW&ST

TacAir Revives Jordan’s Tigers For ADAIR Contracts James Drew  A ballooning U.S. Air Force and Navy requirement for contractor-provided aggressor and close-air support aircraft for training is unlocking new opportunities for legacy combat aircraft fleets. Several companies—including Draken International, Tactical Air Support (TacAir), Textron Airborne Solutions (Airborne Tactical Advantage Co.) and Top Aces—have been scouring the globe for retired military aircraft that meet the services’ needs, with the most prized models being the Dassault Mirage F1, Lockheed Martin F-16 Viper and Northrop F-5 Tiger. High-performance supersonic fighters like these are typically reserved for national air forces, but after decades of service, they are becoming available to the highest bidder, which right now happens to be U.S. companies vying for potentially lucrative Air Force and Navy contracts. Slower-moving subsonic turbojets and turboprops are also being snapped up to drop dummy bombs and strafe targets during live joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) training. Fighter Pursuit Defense Department seeking contractor-supplied fighters for F-35 testing at China Lake, training in Europe Tactical Air Support considering Legion Pod, APG-83 Sabr for “upmarket” F-5 While there is plenty of demand from international customers for contractor air support, nothing comes close to the scale and scope of what the U.S. military says it requires. The services need contractor help with training, testing and tactics development to offset a declining pilot population, aging fighter force and sky-high flying costs. The Navy and Air Force have traditionally used their own aircraft for red air and close air support, but are increasingly turning to contractors to free up their own pilots and platforms for real combat operations. This demand will increase exponentially as the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps hold on to legacy fighters for longer and induct more Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs, which are far too expensive to fly in an aggressor role. For TacAir, the platform of choice is the F-5 Tiger II, one of the most popular supersonic lightweight fighters of the Cold War, operated mainly by U.S. allies and security partners. The military aviation training and advisory services company recently secured 21 F-5E/Fs from the Royal Jordanian Air Force. These aircraft arrived in Florida from the Middle East by air and sea last year. They will join TacAir’s existing F-5 fleet, which counts one early-model F-5B Freedom Fighter and four ex-Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair CF-5Ds. The F-5 is TacAir’s preferred platform for going after the Air Force and Navy’s adversary air services contracts, owing to its size, speed, maneuverability and relatively low operating, maintenance and logistics costs. These same traits made it one of the most successful fighter programs of the last century, with several hundred remaining in active service or standby inventory around the world.

Four of the 21 Jordanian F-5s were flown home in a Boeing 747 freighter, and the remaining 17 came to Florida by ship. After being rebuilt and painted by Northrop Grumman, the F-5s fly to TacAir’s flight operations center in Reno, Nevada. Credit: Northrop Grumman

Although the U.S. government’s contracting processes for adversary air services are taking far longer than many hoped, TacAir is paying out of pocket to get the aircraft back into a flyable condition. The company has hired Northrop Grumman, the original equipment manufacturer, to inspect, rebuild and paint the Jordanian F-5s so that the aircraft are ready to support training operations if, and when, the government calls. Some of TacAir’s F-5s remain boxed-up in storage, but an initial batch has already gone through Northrop’s workshop in St. Augustine, Florida, the same location where the company also produces the Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. TacAir CEO RC Thompson says the twin-engine F-5 fighters have plenty of service life left—if professionally refurbished and maintained. In fact, this is the first time Northrop has been hired by a commercial company rather than a government agency to reconstitute F-5s. There are other, third-party maintenance, repair and overhaul businesses that probably could do the work cheaper, but Thompson says nobody knows the F-5 better than Northrop. The F-5s were well-preserved, but their maintenance records were sketchy and foreign object damage had been discovered in some of the General Electric J85-21 engines. “We’re cracking every engine open now,” Thompson says. “It is very expensive, but it’s the right way to do business.”

The deal to acquire Amman’s Tiger fleet took about 18 months from initial notification to closing in late-2016. TacAir also needed approval from the U.S. State Department to bring them back into the country. Credit: James Drew/AW&ST

He says hiring Northrop was the “conservative approach,” but it is “money well-spent” to ensure every aircraft is properly inspected and restored to a flightworthy condition. The same workshop supports the Navy’s fleet of 43 F-5N/Fs, which were adopted in 2003 for the same purpose: simulated air-to-air combat training. During a tour of the facility, Northrop F-5 Program Manager Tighe Parmenter said it is unusual for Northrop to be working on F-5s for a commercial company, but this has proven to be a worthwhile venture. The final step in the rebuilding process is for Northrop to paint them in desert or arctic battledress, but with the TacAir logo on the tail rather than the typical Soviet red star featured on U.S. military aggressor aircraft. TacAir has its own aircraft workshop located at the same airport as Northrop’s facility, but the company’s main base of operation is in Reno, Nevada. The aircraft operate under experimental FAA airworthiness certificates and once ready, fly from St. Augustine to Reno via nearby Jacksonville International Airport to join the rest of the fleet.  An initial package of 12 aircraft have all been reassembled and refurbished and are now going through radar and systems upgrades. TacAir is improving the Tiger’s original Emerson APQ-153 and APQ-159 radars to “better than” the F-16’s APG-66. TacAir expects to have those first dozen F-5s ready by October if it secures the Air Force’s Nellis AFB Phase 2 contract. At least four more will undergo major modification in that time if TacAir also wins the Navy’s fourth-generation fighter jet services contract.

The Royal Jordanian Air Force F-5s are being inspected and rebuilt in the same hangar that supports the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ large F-5N aggressor fleet. Credit: U.S. Marine Corps

Thompson says TacAir is following the Southwest Airlines business model: Pick one aircraft type and stick with it to curb operating, maintenance and logistics costs. “Piecemealing fleets is more difficult. It will be the downfall of other companies,” he says. That said, TacAir has not ruled out adopting another aircraft, perhaps the F1, for “high and fast” aggressor missions. The company will adjust depending on government requirements. “We didn’t just stumble upon the F-5,” he says. “The airplane is incredibly cost-efficient to run and through miniaturization of components, there is tremendous upside potential. “There’s also been an unimpressive mishap rate in the industry, mostly because of engine or component failures, or a bird going down the intake. That is why we felt we needed two engines instead of one. It’s risk mitigation.” The company has been exploring several capability upgrades that would bring the F-5 into the 21st century and make it more “F-20 Tigershark-like.” TacAir has been looking into everything from cockpit upgrades to infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensors, helmet-mounted cueing systems and radars. The firm has been talking with Lockheed Martin about potentially adopting the Legion Pod IRST, and perhaps Northrop Grumman’s APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar, which would require structural modifications to move the firewall back and extend the nose. The company is even considering new engines, conformal fuel tanks and a larger wing. “The beauty of the F-5 is we can go upmarket or downmarket,” Thompson says. “We can supply any level of the capability that’s needed.”  Pentagon Luring Commercial ‘Red Air’ Firms with Major Contract Opportunities The Defense Department has announced at least six major contract opportunities that have enticed industry: 1. The Navy’s Fourth-Generation Fighter Jet Services program would provide contractor-owned aircraft with the approximate range, airspeed, signature and radar capabilities of an F-16 or Boeing F/A-18 Hornet to fly against Navy and Marine Corps combat pilots. 2. The Air Force’s Combat Air Forces Adversary Air (CAF ADAIR) program would provide threatlike aggressors for pilot combat readiness training at up to 12 training bases in the U.S. 3. The 99th Contracting Sqdn.’s Nellis AFB, Nevada, Adversary Air Phase 2 contract would provide red air support for the local Air Force Warfare Center and 57th Adversary Tactics Group. This would be a follow-on to the Phase 1 contract with Draken International that has been extended through Sept. 30. 4. U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa has a requirement for commercially supplied aggressors for pilot combat readiness training in Germany (Spangdahlem Air Base), Italy (Aviano Air Base) and the UK (Royal Air Force Lakenheath). The 764th Specialized Contracting Sqdn. is responsible for that contract. 5. The Naval Air Warfare Center’s weapons division at China Lake, California, has expressed interest in commercially operated aircraft to fly against the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for software development and testing. The period of performance could run through September 2023. 6. There are multiple contract opportunities to support JTAC training, and most do not require sophisticated or high-speed aircraft. Air Force Special Operations Command wants contractor close air support to train JTACs at nine Army bases, including Forts Bliss, Riley, Hood, Carson, Campbell, Drum, Bragg, Stewart and Polk in, respectively, New Mexico, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Kentucky, New York, California Georgia and Louisiana. The list of acceptable aircraft includes (but is not limited to) the Alpha jet, A-4, L-39, L-59, BAC-167, MB-339, L-159E, AT-6, A-29 Super Tucano, Short Tucano, IAR-823 Brasov, SIAI-Marchetti SF260 and OV-10 Bronco.

Flyer One i vindtunnel - Hvor gode var egentlig Wright Bros. i sine kalkyler? - RAS

Research paper published in the Journal of Aeronautical History by John Ackroyd FRAeS on Aerodynamics as the Basis of Aviation: How Well Did It Do?

The paper describes the role of aerodynamics in the enhancement of aeroplane performance. To illustrate this, drag and lift-to-drag data are reviewed, covering the first half-century of powered, controllable flight. The survey begins with the Wright Flyer and the biplanes subsequently developed. This is followed by the monoplane’s ascendancy, the new ideas in aerodynamics here leading to significant drag reduction and increased speed. For this phase, data provided by the Royal Aircraft Establishment, which appear to be not widely known, are discussed in some detail, together with the Establishment’s development of drag assessment methods. The survey then turns to the emerging jet age, ending with the early British swept-wing aircraft, forerunners of the Swift and Hunter. The influence of Reynolds number emerges in the survey but the transonic drag rise due to compressibility is not covered. It is hoped that this survey of aerodynamic drag reduction will be of interest to students new to the subject and also to those wishing to learn more of the development of aeronautical science.

John Ackroyd FRAeS 

·         Aerodynamics

·         Papers

Aerodynamics as the Basis of Aviation - How Well Did It Do.pdf

SAS-resultatet godt mottatt i markedet - Check-In

SAS-aktien på himmelflugt

Af: Ole Kirchert Christensen i Økonomi 27. februar 2018  Print

Investorerne tog godt imod SAS-regnskabet, og det fik aktien til at stige med næsten ni procent, hvilket øgede børsværdien med over en halv milliard kroner.

Tirsdag var en god dag på kontoret for koncernledelsen i SAS. Præsentationen af regnskabet for første kvartal af 2017/18 fik nemlig øget aktiernes børsværdi med 520 millioner kroner , således at den samlede børsværdi af det skandinaviske flyselskab i dag er på vej mod 6,4 milliarder kroner.

Kursstigningen på 8,92 procent kom som følge af et flot resultat, hvor underskuddet – i det traditionelt svage kvartal – blev mere end halveret fra 697 millioner svenske kroner i første kvartal 2016/17 til 273 millioner kroner i det netop afsluttede kvartal.

Kvartalsregnskabet blev positivt modtaget af aktieanalysechef Jacob Pedersen fra Sydbank, der mener, at SAS demonstrerer styrke gennem det forbedrede resultat.

“SAS har igennem de seneste mange år nedbrudt værdi på grund af ringe indtjeningsevne. Selskabets nyvundne indtjeningskraft betyder dog rent faktisk, at SAS skaber værdi i øjeblikket,” bemærker Jacob Pedersen.

Øget konkurrence og stigende brændstofpriser
Træerne vokser dog ikke ind i himlen. SAS har nemlig kurs mod stigende brændstofudgifter, der rammer selskabet i de tidlige sommermåneder.

“Netop de stigende brændstofpriser giver mere modvind i de kommende kvartaler, “lyder det fra Sydbank-analytikeren.

Det bliver dog ikke alene brændstofpriserne, der kan genere SAS i løbet af 2018. Det er stadig meget kapacitet i det nordiske marked, og SAS fremhæver Norwegian, Ryanair og Wizz Air som de tre selskaber, der er gået forrest med at øge kapaciteten i markedet.

“Vi forventer, at priskonkurrencen tiltager lidt igen hen over de kommende kvartaler som følge af en højere kapacitetsvækst. Det gunstige økonomiske klima i Europa i øjeblikket taler dog for et højt rejsebehov for erhvervslivet og en høj rejselyst hos forbrugerne. Det vil efter vores vurdering fastholde et konkurrencemiljø, der trods alt er mindre intenst end vanligt i Europa,” understreger Jacob Pedersen.

Scandinavian Airlines Ireland - Airbus A320-200neo i Shannon Airport (foto: corrydave)

SAS: Stor besparelse på ikke-skandinavisk produktion

Af: Andreas Krog i Arbejdsmarked 28. februar 2018

SAS kan banke enhedsomkostningerne gevaldigt ned ved at lade irsk datterselskab flyve fra base i London Heathrow-lufthavnen med britisk-ansat personale.

Dambusters - 617 Squadron - Re-lansering av gammel film - 17. mai i London folkens? - Twitter

Fiona Ferguson‏ @Fiona_Ferguson  26. feb.

Fantastic morning @RoyalAlbertHall launching #Dambusters75.
Join us on 17 May for a special gala screening. http://www.
rafbf.org/event/dam-busters-dan-snow …

Snappin' Turtle, STUDIOCANAL, RAF Benevolent Fund og 3 andre

Offentlig kjøp av flyruter i Sør-Norge - Rapport - Regjeringen

Forslag til offentleg kjøp av regionale flyruter i Sør-Noreg

Rapport | Dato: 27.02.2018

På oppdrag frå Samferdselsdepartementet har Møreforsking Molde AS i samarbeid med Transportøkonomisk institutt gjennomført ei utgreiing av det offentlege kjøpet av regionale ruteflygingar i Sør-Noreg frå 1. april 2020.

Les rapporten her (pdf).

SAS med bedre resultat enn fryktet - Check-In

SAS-koncernchef Rickard Gustafson i selskabets nye A320neo. (Foto: Morten Lund Tiirikainen)

Lavere SAS-underskud end ventet

Af: Ole Kirchert Christensen i Økonomi 27. februar 2018 Senest opdateret: 27. februar 2018 kl. 11:52  Print

SAS kom ud af første kvartal i finansåret 2017/18 med et underskud før skat på 273 millioner svenske kroner mod 697 millioner i samme periode året før.

Chefanalytiker Jacob Pedersen fra Sydbank, der følger SAS-aktien tæt, havde før offentliggørelse af dagens kvartalsregnskab fra SAS forudsagt et minus før skat på 653 millioner svenske kroner. Men så galt gik det ikke.

Stratolaunch oppdatering - Curt Lewis video

Stratolaunch conducts high-speed taxi tests on giant carrier aircraft

Last weekend, Stratolaunch Systems performed high-speed taxi tests of the world's largest aircraft by wingspan. The tests represent continued progress towards the maiden flight of the plane. The Stratolaunch carrier aircraft will serve as a mobile launch platform for rockets including Orbital ATK's Pegasus XL.

Stratolaunch was founded in 2011 by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, with the goal of increasing access to Low Earth Orbit. The system uses an aircraft to launch rockets instead of the traditional launch pad.

Air-launch comes with a few key advantages. For example, the launch vehicle has to fly through significantly less atmosphere. Also, weather delays are not as common, as the rocket is released from an altitude above most weather systems.

Initially, Stratolaunch planned to work with SpaceX to develop a launch vehicle. The goal was to build a four or five engine variant of the Falcon rocket designed for air-launch. However, work between the companies ended in 2012, after SpaceX determined that too many modifications were required.

As a result, Orbital Sciences (now Orbital ATK) was selected to replace SpaceX. Unlike SpaceX, Orbital already had a proven air-launch vehicle in the Pegasus - a rocket with 29 successful launches in a row.


Orbital ATK's Stargazer carrier aircraft releases a Pegasus XL rocket carrying NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System. Image by NASA.
While Orbital ATK prepares to begin operations with Stratolaunch, the fate is unclear for launches from Orbital's Stargazer aircraft - the current carrier for Pegasus. There is only one Stargazer based launch remaining on the Pegasus manifest - the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission for NASA. Therefore, it is possible that all Pegasus missions will transition to Stratolaunch after ICON launches in 2018.

Stratolaunch will carry the Pegasus from a carbon fiber aircraft designed by Scaled Composites - the same company that built WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) for Virgin Galactic. Like WK2, the Stratolaunch plane features a dual fuselage design.

While both fuselages on the carrier have windows, the three-person crew will fly in the right fuselage. The left fuselage is not human rated and thus will only house electronics.

The plane is propelled by six jet engines which have been salvaged from two 747s. Additional components from the 747s were also utilized, including landing gear, windows, avionics, and actuators.


The Stratolaunch aircraft features three 747 jet engines on each side. Photo by Stratolaunch.
The wingspan of the carrier aircraft is a world record breaking 385 feet (117 meters) - long enough for the Wright brothers to complete their historic flight three times. Additionally, it also makes the carrier wider than the Saturn V rocket is tall.

In addition to the massive wingspan, Stratolaunch has a carrying capacity of 549,290 pounds (249,153 kilograms) and a 1,000 nautical mile mission radius. These metrics will enable up to three Pegasus rockets to be launched in a single flight. They also create the potential for larger launch vehicles to be launched from the aircraft, as the plane is not exclusively designed for Pegasus.

A Stratolaunch visualization of their aircraft carrying three Pegasus rockets.
In May 2017, the Stratolaunch plane rolled out of its hangar at the Mojave Air and Space Port for the first time to begin fuel tests.

In the fall, Stratolaunch moved into stationary engine tests. These were incremental, with the engine's power gradually increasing over time.

Around the same period, Stratolaunch also announced that it had conducted "prerequisite testing of the electrical, pneumatic, and fire detection systems."

Finally, in December Stratolaunch capped off the year with a successful low-speed taxi test. During the taxi, the vehicle reached a top speed of 28 miles per hour (45 kilometers per hour) as it headed down the runway.

Following the test, Aircraft Program Manager George Brugg stated, "This was another exciting milestone for our team and the program. Our crew was able to demonstrate ground directional control with nose gear steering, and our brake systems were exercised successfully on the runway. Our first low-speed taxi test is a very important step toward first flight."

Last weekend, Sratolaunch kicked off 2018 with two days of additional taxi tests. Most notably, the tests included reaching the maximum taxi speed of 40 knots (46 miles per hour). According to Allen, these tests allowed the team to "verify control responses."



After that, the path remains unclear. Stratolaunch likes to keep a low-profile in terms of scheduling. However, as of last year 2019 was the target for the first launch.

During commercial operations, the aircraft will be capable of performing approximately one mission per week. Stratolaunch will primarily fly out of its base at the Mojave Air and Space Port. However, other airports can be utilized, as long as they can handle the large wingspan.

Initially, Stratolaunch will carry one launch vehicle at a time. Flights with multiple rockets will occur once operations ramp up. Release will occur at approximately 35,000 feet (10,668 meters).