An Airnorth Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia crashed shortly after taking off from Darwin Airport on March 22, killing the two pilots. The aircraft, VH-ANB MSN 116, took off on a training flight shortly after 10am, before it was seen crashing into bush near RAAF Darwin. Pilots Shane Whitbread and Greg Seymon were they only occupants of
Robert White, the first pilot to exceed Mach 4, Mach 5 and Mach 6, and still the fastest pilot to ever fly a powered aircraft, has died at his home in Orlando, Florida, aged 82. In 1961, White, then a USAF test pilot, took the Rockwell X-15 rocket plane beyond the milestone speeds in the
Boeing has completed ground effect and flutter testing on the 787, moving it closer to achieving Type Inspection Authorisation. “We tested at a variety of altitudes, speeds and fuel loads on ZA001,” explained Boeing’s vice president of sales and marketing Randy TInseth in a blog post. “During the testing, we saw altitudes above 43,000ft, dive
Boeing will bring forward planned production rate increases for the 777 and 747-8 as a result of higher demand and the recovering aircraft market. The adjustments to rates will see 777 output rise from five to seven units per month from mid 2011, six months ahead of schedule. Output on the 747-8 will rise to
The Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) signed an FMS – Foreign Military Sale – contract with the US Army Security Assistance Command to procure seven new build Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters, two simulators and spares during a ceremony at the Australian Embassy in Washington on March 19. Defence Minister John Faulkner approved the purchase of the
Airbus expects that the Middle East will require between five and 10 large corporate jets a year, cementing its place as the largest geographic market in the world for airliner based corporate jets. The airframer says that there are currently around 200 aircraft operated by private VIP customers and government agencies in the Middle East,
