The World of Aviation

EADS North America has conducted the first flight of its second of three AAS-72X demonstrators at its Grand Prairie facility in Texas. The machine, a derivative of the EC145, is being prepared for the US Army’s Armed Aerial Scout program, and is equipped with a mission equipment package integrated by Lockheed Martin, EADS NA’s partner

The ATSB has launched an investigation into a breakdown of separation incident between a Qantas 767-300 and what is reported to be a Virgin Blue 737-700 near Melbourne on December 5. “The two aircraft were tracking on the same route when separation reduced to 1.9nm horizontally and 300ft vertically,” the ATSB website reads. “Separation standards

A Tasair Piper Navajo carrying Tasmanian Primary Industries Minister Byran Green has made a wheels up landing on King Island. “It took a long time to stop,” Minister Green told the Tasmanian Mercury. “There was a big bang and the two propellers stopped very suddenly. There was a bit of slewing around and then it

Strategic Airlines will cease operating flights for Solomon Airlines from March, with the Solomon Islands airline instead announcing plans to operate its own dry leased Airbus A320 “The new lease has been arranged through a major capital management consortium and will be effective from the end of the current ACMI lease with Strategic between 24th

Airbus has begun fabricating the first carbon fibre rear fuselage barrel for the A350 XWB at its Illescas, Spain, plant. The barrel, known as section 19, measures 5.5m in length and is 56sq m in area. Unlike the majority of the A350 XWB’s fuselage, which will be made from long carbon fibre panels, Airbus says

The RAAF’s first squadron of F/A-18F Super Hornets, or Rhinos, has been declared operational after successfully completing its airworthiness boards late last month. The Amberley based 1SQN, led by WGCDR Glen Braz, achieved the IOC milestone at a ceremony at Amberley on December 8, and is now combat ready if required for operations. Parent unit