Formålet med bloggen er å bidra til informasjon om luftfart av alle slag. Også litt om ubåter og forsvarsspørsmål. Nyheter vil du finne her også, en del på engelsk som er det mest brukte luftfartsspråket. Har du selv noe som bør komme ut, så send meg en mail til per.gram@hesbynett.no
Denne saken har dukket opp igjen 10 år etter Kåre Thorgersens død. Den er sakset fra bladet til Den Norske Legeforening, Tidsskriftet. Kåre var en vågal, dedikert og filantropisk innstilt lege som gikk opp nye veier. Hvilke veier kan du lese om i denne interessante artikkelen basert på et intervju. (Red.)
SAS får skryt av spesielt invitert reporter på åpningsturen fra Atlanta til CPH. (Red.)
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When two international
airlines and the world’s busiest airport work together, big things can happen.
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FedEx retires 22 Boeing
757F and nine MD-11F amid flat revenue and deferred services.
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With the arrival of the
Airbus A321XLR, Iberia will retire its A319 and A321ceo fleets.
Som du muligens husker var det i skarp konkurranse med A330 Voyager at Boeing ble valgt. Det har de siden hatt grunn til å angre på. Det har vært trouble av forskjellig slag med KC-46. Noe av det er beskrevet under. (Red.)
‘A Chunk Taken Out of His Spine’: F-16, KC-46 in Refueling Incident
over Europe
June 28, 2024 | By Chris Gordon
A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter and a KC-46 Pegasus tanker
were involved in an aerial refueling incident off the coast of the Netherlands
on June 27, service officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The incident was first noticed by a user
on the social media site X, formerly known as
Twitter, who posted audio from the aircraft radio and air traffic control. Air
& Space Forces Magazine has confirmed the recording is authentic.
A KC-46, callsign “Kanza 91” was refueling an F-16
with a “Warhawk” callsign when problems erupted. Someone on the radio frequency
says an F-16, “Warhawk 3,” has aerial refueling “door damage” and “a chunk
taken out of his spine due to a too close breakaway incident” between the
fighter and the tanker. The person later indicates the damage to the spine of
the aircraft is aft of the aerial refueling door. An Airman aboard Kanza 91
then says their aircraft was “damaged and unable to refuel” and asked another
aircraft to see if there were cables flying from the back of the aircraft. The
response was not recorded.
The aircraft involved were an F-16 was assigned to
the 52nd
Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and a
KC-46A from the 931st
Air Refueling Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit based at McConnell Air
Force Base, Kan., that is forward deployed to Europe, a spokesperson for the
52nd Fighter Wing told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
“The incident is currently under investigation.
Pilots and aircrew returned safely,” the spokesperson said.
The Air Force did not address questions regarding
possible damage to either the KC-46 or the F-16.
The 480th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the
Warhawks, is the only fighter unit stationed at Spangdahlem. Open-source flight
tracking data reviewed by Air & Space Forces Magazine
shows that the KC-46 also took off and landed at Spangdahlem, which often acts
as spillover base for airlift and tanker aircraft.
Flight tracking data shows the KC-46 circled near
Spangdahlem at roughly 8,000 feet for just short of an hour before landing
around four hours after it took off. The aircraft were flying over the
Netherlands to participate in an exercise with the Dutch Air Force.
“The aircraft incident did not affect Exercise
Turbo Weasel, an incredible training opportunity between the United States and
Dutch Air Forces, which occurred during the week of 24-28 June,” the 52nd
Fighter Wing spokesperson said.
The KC-46, made by Boeing, has been plagued
by problems with its refueling system. The Air Force and
Boeing are currently working to resolve multiple Category I
deficiencies, including a “stiff” boom and the Remote Vision
System (RVS), a setup of cameras and monitors the boom operator uses to connect
the tanker to the refueling aircraft. The system washes out or blacks out
in certain conditions, such as in direct sunlight. The RVS system can also
cause issues with boom operator’s depth perception, which creates the risk of
the boom operator accidentally hitting the aircraft the KC-46 is refueling.
However, the cause of the incident on June 27 is
unclear.
Universal Hydrogen, the pioneering hydrogen-powered aviation company, has burned through the $100 million it raised from investors and gone bust.
Royal
Canadian Air Force to Conduct a “Parade in the Sky”
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will mark its centenary this Canada
Day, with the largest flypast conducted in 20 years over the National Capital
Region.
The flypast, being called a “parade in the sky,” will take place on
Canada Day at 1 p.m. and will include a variety of RCAF aircraft.
“It will involve aircraft representing current RCAF fleets and
capabilities as well as historic and future RCAF fleets. Aircraft will range in
size from small training aircraft like the CT-156 Harvard II, to large
transport aircraft like the CC-177 Globemaster and CC-330 Husky. Smaller jet
aircraft like the CT-114Tutor that is flown by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds,
as well as CF-18s,” stated a Department of National Defence Public Service
Announcement.
The flypast should take around twenty minutes.
Incident: Southwest B737 at Portland on Jun 25th 2024, took off
from closed occupied runway
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7861J performing flight WN-4805 from Portland,ME to Baltimore,MD (USA), departed Portland's runway 29 at 05:43L (09:43Z) when both runway and tower were still closed (to be opened by 05:45L/09:45Z). The aircraft continued to Baltimore for a landing without further incident.
Airport Operations can be heard on tower frequency opening the runway about two minutes after Southwest's departure and asking tower whether they could get hold of the Southwest Airplane that had just taken off over them while they were doing a runway inspection. Tower responded they never talked to them, they weren't yet open.
According
to NOTAMs only Portland's runway 18/36 would have been available at that time
(Tuesday, Jun 25th 2024, 09:43Z).
Tilsyn fant ni avvik. SAS tyner de ansatte,
mener pilot-topp
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 90%
Elendig
arbeidsmiljø og lange dager for de ansatte. Luftfartstilsynet ber SAS ta
«betydelige grep» i fersk rapport.
·
Eric B. Utheim
Publisert: 28.06.2024 16:20 | Oppdatert:
28.06.2024 16:56
– Vi mener SAS er på ytre grense av regelverket på alle punkter. Summen
av det blir uforsvarlig, sier Roger Klokset i Norske SAS-flygeres forening
(NSF).
SAS krangler med sine egne ansatte. I et ferskt brev
beskylder de sine norske piloter for å ha sabotert ruter, og
med vilje fremprovosert kanselleringer.
Dette avviser fagforeningene NSF og SNF på det sterkeste. De mener kanselleringene skyldes at SAS har
satt i gang flere flyvninger enn de har folk til.
I en fersk rapport fra Luftfartstilsynet fra mars i år, avdekkes en
rekke avvik fra gjeldende lover og regler.
Lange arbeidstider og varsler fra ansatte som ikke etterfølges av
ledelsen, er blant poengene som blir trukket frem i tilsynet.
Tilsynet ber om grep
Totalt ni avvik er funnet, alle kategorisert som nivå 2. Det er hakket før driftsstans vurderes.
Blant annet har Luftfartstilsynet funnet at SAS:
I sin oppsummering konkluderer tilsynet med at «virksomheten har en del
å gå på når det kommer til systematisk HMS-arbeid», og at det er behov for å ta
«betydelige grep» for å komme i samsvar med gjeldende regler.
I en e-post til Aftenposten svarer pressetalsmann i SAS, Joachim
Sponheim, at flyselskapet jobber for å lukke eventuelle avvik.
– Vernetjenesten involveres i arbeidet, og vi har en god dialog med
tilsynet om forholdene.
The European Commission has greenlighted a €1.3 billion restructuring aid package for Scandinavian Airlines System AB (SAS), proposed by Denmark and Sweden. This measure aims to restore SAS’s long-term viability and limit market competition distortions.
The Commission evaluated the aid under its R&R Guidelines and determined the following:
The Commission concluded that the aid from Denmark and Sweden complies with EU State aid rules, ensuring SAS’s return to viability without ongoing state support while limiting competition distortions.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for competition policy, stated: “The restructuring aid to SAS approved today will ensure air connectivity to and from Scandinavia to benefit European citizens. SAS’s restructuring plan will secure its long-term viability, and to limit public support distortions, SAS will reduce its presence in air transport activities through fleet reduction, limited ground handling, maintenance business, and slot releases.”
The decision will be available under case numbers SA.110687 and SA.110688 on the Commission’s competition website following resolution of confidentiality issues.
..... som er tatt med en IPhone gjennom en kikkertlinse nær Bardu. Det er ikke første gang dette fenomenet er observert av vedkommende og han antar at det er en ballong fra Es-range ved Kiruna som er på vei vestover. Den er mye større enn en vanlig værballong. Blås opp bildet og du ser at det henger en "payload" under den hvite prikken.
Godt observert! Vet du hva det er, og formålet?
Som du sikkert har fått med deg så er S-60 Blackhawk en kandidat i konkurransen om det nye helikopteret til Hæren og Spesialstyrkene. Sea Hawk varianten er alt valgt av Norge som vårt fregatt- og kystvakthelikopter. (Red.)
Two
U.S. Army T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE) Arrive At Sikorsky For Black
Hawk® Integration Efforts
Fundamental to Black Hawk modernization, the new GE Aerospace engine
will boost aircraft performance and range
Representatives from the
U.S. Army, GE Aerospace and Lockheed Martin gathered to mark the next step in
ITE integration on June 27 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
WEST PALM
BEACH, Fla., June 27, 2024 – Two of the
U.S. Army’s T901 Improved Turbine Engines (ITE) arrived at Sikorsky, a Lockheed
Martin company (NYSE: LMT), signaling a new phase of Black Hawk® helicopter modernization
efforts. The T901 engine, which is manufactured by GE Aerospace, will increase
the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter’s performance, including lift capability and
range, providing Army commanders more options for planning and executing
missions.
The T901 engine will increase the Black Hawk’s power by 50%, while also improving fuel efficiency and is a critical component of the roadmap to a modernized Black Hawk – a key part of Lockheed Martin’s 21st Century Security® vision.
“Increased
performance and range offered by the T901 are high-value capabilities the Army
is able to implement on the Black Hawk in a cost-effective way that will not
require expensive re-engineering,” said Hamid Salim, vice president of Army and
Air Force Systems at Sikorsky. “The ITEP and other enhancement efforts ensure
the Black Hawk remains in operation well into the 2070s, securing its position
as the Army’s foundational tactical air assault and utility aircraft of
choice.”
What’s Next
Sikorsky is positioned to conduct a multi-aircraft test program to
support the Army’s ITEP acquisition milestone schedule.
The Army’s Utility Helicopters Project Office (UHPO), Aviation Turbine
Engines Project Office (ATE PO), and Sikorsky have completed several key
program milestones to prepare for this integration, including:
“We view this as an extension of the work we’ve completed on ITE with
our Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototype and are even better
positioned for a timely and simplified integration of the engine into the
H-60M, due to data and insights we’ve retrieved from successful ITE tests
completed to date,” said Salim.
Sikorsky received, installed, and successfully conducted engine
light-off of the T901 engine in the FARA prototype aircraft. The ongoing FARA
test program is specifically designed to collect data relevant to the Black
Hawk engine integration to support risk reduction for the Black Hawk flight
test program.
A Modernized Black Hawk
Sikorsky H-60M modernization efforts continue to be primarily focused
on ITE, as well as Modular Open Systems Approach/digital backbone and Launched
Effects. Digital innovations, such as a new sustainment digital twin, improve
safety and mission readiness while reducing costly downtime and unscheduled
maintenance.
For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/blackhawk.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and
advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st
Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies
to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at LockheedMartin.com.
Norwegian has announced new direct flights from Evenes to London Gatwick and Milan Bergamo, and from Stockholm Arlanda to Skellefteå, starting in late 2024.
These routes will enhance travel options and support regional growth, with Evenes gaining access to popular European destinations and Skellefteå benefiting from improved business connectivity.
Norwegian’s expansion reflects its commitment to providing extensive travel options, now offering 340 routes to over 120 destinations. Tickets are available on Norwegian’s website and through travel agencies.
På tide å tenke kystforsvar også. Mobile enheter med NSM krever liten bemanning og er særdeles effektive . (Red.)
Forsvarsmateriell har i dag inngått kontrakt med Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace om kjøp av luftvern av typen NASAMS for inntil 4,8 milliarder kroner. Forsvarsminister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) sier denne avtalen sikrer rask leveranse til Forsvaret, og bidrar til å øke produksjonskapasiteten i forsvarsindustrien. Anskaffelsen skal styrke Norges forsvar mot luftangrep og erstatte materiell som er donert til Ukraina. Avtalen inneholder også en mulighet for kjøp av mer luftvern til fast pris.
Jeg har dessverre ingen grunn til å tro at dette er fake news. Det er heller ikke naturlig å anta at ståa er bedre hos oss. (Red.)
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Edited by Greg Hadley with Chris Gordon, Unshin Lee Harpley and John
A. Tirpak |
 The Air Force's F-35As are only mission capable about half thetime, the service said. Here, Airmen with the 388th Munitions Squadron and 4th Fighter Generation Squadron conduct a cold integrated combat turn on an F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 4th Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Feb. 6, 2024. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jonathan R. Sifuentes |
Air Force Confirms Its F-35As
Were Mission Capable About Half the Time in 2023
By John A. Tirpak
The F-35A mission capable rate for fiscal 2023 was
51.9 percent, or just over half the time, the Air Force reported. Officials
attributed parts availability as the culprit, but the fighter’s MC rate has
been declining since it peaked in 2020, and the Air Force will be spending more
per tail to fly the jet. The service also said MC rates don’t tell the whole
readiness story.
