FOB Mugu Rescue of 83-year-old man

Video by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark Barney

A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco Forward Operating Base Point Mugu crew medevaced an 83-year-old fisherman 70 miles off the coast of Los Angeles, December 8, 2018. The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted the fisherman and transferred him to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Australia's First F-35s Arrive Home To RAAF Williamtown Heralding New Era For The Australian Defence Force

Lockheed Martin Australia welcomes F-35 to its new home

RAAF BASE WILLIAMTOWN and NEWCASTLE, Australia, Dec. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Australia's first two locally-based F-35 fighter aircraft arrived on home soil today at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Williamtown, signalling the dawn of a new era for the nation's defence capabilities.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) designed and built Australia's fleet of F-35s and also serves as the global industry lead for F-35 sustainment.

The most advanced fighter jet ever built, the F-35 will be a catalyst for the transformation of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), utilising its sensors and low observability to operate with impunity in contested airspace and fuse a picture of the battlespace for other air, land and sea assets. Along with its advanced weapons capacity and superior range, the 5th Generation F-35 is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter in the world. 

"The arrival of the first F-35 aircraft to be permanently based in Australia is a historic occasion and we are proud of our role as the 5thGeneration design pioneer and F-35 original equipment manufacturer," said Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin Australia, Vince Di Pietro AM, CSC.

"We congratulate the RAAF, the ADF and all of our Australian industry partners who have worked to make this achievement a reality." 

Australia Plays Major Role in the F-35 Program

Australian suppliers play a significant role in the F-35 program with more than 50 Australian companies contributing to the global program of record of more than 3,000 aircraft. To date, the F-35 program has secured more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs created and generated more than $1.3 billion AUD in contracts for Australian industry. 

"Flown by Australian pilots, maintained by Australian maintenance personnel and containing many best-of-breed advanced components made right here in Australia, all Australians have every reason to be proud of this achievement," Di Pietro said.

"Australia plays a significant role in the program with a suite of local industrial technology and know-how behind the hundreds of F-35s flying today, as well as the thousands of F-35s that will be produced in the future."

Lockheed Martin is the industry lead for F-35 global sustainment and is working in partnership with the Australian Defence Force and local industry to provide sustainment support and realise the full potential of the F-35 as an integrated force multiplier for decades to come.

Australia's has committed to 72 F-35As, which will be flown by Australian pilots, and maintained by a joint team of Australian maintenance personnel and industry partners including Lockheed Martin Australia. Australiahas received 10 aircraft to date, the remainder of which are stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona where they are part of the international cooperative F-35 training operations.

F-35 Program Grows Global Impact

Ten nations are currently flying F-35s, and with today's arrival, Australia becomes the 7th nation with F-35 aircraft based locally on their home soil, joining the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Israel and Japan.

Additionally, with the formal stand-up of RAAF Williamtown, F-35s are now operating from 16 bases worldwide. More than 340 F-35s are operating today, more than 700 pilots and 6,500 maintainers have been trained and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 170,000 cumulative flight hours.

La Fuerza Aérea de Lituania renueva el contrato HCare Infinite para sus Dauphin

La flota, compuesta por tres AS365 N3+, alcanzó un promedio del 97% de disponibilidad en tres años.

Marignane, 10 de diciembre de 2018 - La Fuerza Aérea de Lituania (LAF) renovó su contrato de gestión de material HCare Infinite para sus tres helicópteros AS365 N3+ Dauphin 2 para búsqueda y rescate (SAR), después de alcanzar un promedio del 97% de disponibilidad de la flota durante un período de tres años.

Estos helicópteros entraron en servicio para misiones SAR en 2015, con una garantía total de tres años y el compromiso de Airbus de mantener al menos una tasa de disponibilidad de flota del 80%.

"Airbus ha superado con creces la tasa de disponibilidad acordada en el contrato de soporte y servicio de HCare Infinite, logrando una disponibilidad casi perfecta de la flota del 97%", Teniente Coronel Antanas Matutis, comandante de la base aérea de Šiauliai. "Como resultado directo, nuestro equipo pudo garantizar un servicio continuo durante las 24 horas del día para las personas que necesitaron rescate en Lituania, que esperamos que continúe así a través de la renovación de este contrato".

"Los planes de soporte como HCare Infinite con los compromisos asumidos por Airbus contribuyen al objetivo de crear asociaciones de confianza a largo plazo con nuestros clientes", Matthieu Louvot, vicepresidente ejecutivo de soporte y servicios de Airbus Helicopters. "En este caso Lituania puede concentrar sus energías en realizar misiones de salvamento de manera eficaz, mientras Airbus se encarga del resto".

Lituania fue uno de los primeros clientes en elegir HCare Infinite, el nivel más completo de servicios de gestión de material de HCare de Airbus. Los términos requieren que Airbus Helicopters garantice la disponibilidad operativa de la flota Dauphin de LAF, incluido el soporte técnico y el suministro de repuestos, herramientas y consumibles.

A través del contrato LAF tiene acceso directo al inventario de piezas de Airbus Helicopters en Šiauliai (Lituania), así como al almacén de piezas por hora de Airbus, un almacén exclusivo de alta disponibilidad ubicado en Les Florides, Marignane (Francia). Además, un representante técnico se encuentra integrado en las instalaciones de LAF trabajando estrechamente con el Gerente de atención al cliente de Airbus en Marignane. El rendimiento de las aeronaves se mide diariamente.

La gama de servicios de gestión de material de HCare de Airbus Helicopters comienza con Easy (servicios de catálogo a petición) y Smart (opciones four by-the-hour), y se acumula progresivamente hasta Infinite (compromiso de disponibilidad total).

El contrato renovado de LAF es por un segundo trienio. Hoy, siete clientes con más de 100 máquinas integradas han optado por HCare Infinite. Sus helicópteros incluyen flotas de H135, H145, Dauphin y Super Puma para una amplia variedad de misiones: SAR, policiales y de seguridad, entrenamiento y militares.

Operan en Oriente Medio, Europa, América del Sur, y en la región de Asia Pacífico, incluida la Fuerza de Autodefensa Marítima de Japón, que firmó su acuerdo en 2016.

Coast Guard medevacs man near LA coast

MH-65 Dolphin ©USCG (archive)

SAN PEDRO, Calif. — The Coast Guard medevaced an 83-year-old man from a fishing vessel 70 nautical miles off the coast of Los Angeles Saturday. 

At approximately 9:00 a.m., the captain of a chartered fishing vessel requested assistance from the Coast Guard for an 83-year-old man aboard the vessel who was unresponsive with an irregular pulse.

After consulting with the flight surgeon, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center watchstanders dispatched a Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco Forward Operating Base Point Mugu MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to assist.

After arriving on scene, the helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer, hoisted the man into the helicopter and transported him to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance.

-USCG-

El Sikorsky Black Hawk preparado para otros 50 años de operación

S-70i Black Hawk ©Sikorsky

El pasado 6 de septiembre Sikorsky, una compañía de Lockheed Martin, celebró el 40º aniversario del helicóptero Black Hawk, una aeronave icónica perfectamente preparada para continuar realizando todo tipo de operaciones militares, policiales, de lucha contra incendios y misiones SAR alrededor del mundo durante décadas, a través de actualizaciones y mejoras tecnológicas continuas.

La primera unidad del Black Hawk fue entregada el 31 de octubre de 1978 al US Army.

El Black Hawk en cifras:

- En la actualidad más de 4.000 unidades de las diferentes variantes del modelo prestan servicio en todo el mundo, de los cuales aproximadamente 1.200 son H-60M.

- El Ejército norteamericano es el mayor operador de helicópteros Black Hawk, con 2.135 H-60. Y ya ha alcanzado con ellos los más de 10 millones de horas de vuelo. Durante estos 40 años de servicio, sus tripulaciones han utilizado al Black Hawk en innumerables zonas de conflicto y desastres naturales para transporte y extracción de tropas, salvar vidas en misiones SAR y MEDEVAC, proporcionar todo tipo de logística, tanto militar como suministros médicos y de emergencia, operaciones LCI y patrullas fronterizas.

- Sikorsky está comprometida, tanto con el Ejército norteamericano como con los demás operadores mundiales del H-60, en continuar apoyando el proyecto e incluso ampliarlo para cubrir todas las necesidades operativas proporcionando un sólido futuro al también ya mítico helicóptero.

El futuro del Black Hawk

Sikorsky Armed Black Hawk ©Sikorsky

Sikorsky continúa fabricando el H-60M para el Ejército estadounidense, que se espera que siga operando la plataforma en principio hasta el 2070. La compañía permanece realizando modificaciones al Black Hawk para cumplir con los máximos estándares para sus clientes en los diferentes tipos de misión, produciendo diferentes variantes del H-60 y proporcionando todas ellas un resultado excepcional.

El MH-60R Seahawk es la variante naval más actual basada en el UH-60 en activo. Este helicóptero está desplegado por la US Navy así como por diferentes clientes militares en operaciones a lo largo de todo el mundo. Sus misiones principales son la guerra antisubmarina y de superficie, entre sus capacidades para misiones secundarias incluyen SAR y CSAR, apoyo al fuego de superficie naval, apoyo logístico, comunicaciones, transporte de personal y MEDEVAC.

Además la USAF opera actualmente el helicóptero de rescate en combate HH-60G Pavehawk. En febrero de este año Sikorsky comenzó el proceso de ensamblaje final del primer HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) para reemplazar esta variante. El modelo "Whiskey" se espera que realice su primer vuelo dentro de este mes de diciembre y antes de finalizar el año, se trata de una actualización del UH-60M (una versión mejorada del anterior UH-60L).

Sikorsky continúa aportando nuevas capacidades de misión para el Black Hawk, como un completo sistema de extinción de incendios con tanque ventral que se puede adaptar de forma sencilla a las flotas del S-70i existentes, un sofisticado sistema de armas para los modelos S-70i™ y S-70M que permite a los pilotos la posibilidad de atacar objetivos estáticos o móviles con gran precisión utilizando armamento de tiro frontal, cohetes y misiles de aire-tierra guiados por láser.

Sikorsky también está desarrollando una capacidad opcional que utiliza su tecnología MATRIX™ a través de la cual, con la inteligencia y autonomía del moderno sistema, podrá llevar a cabo misiones con dos pilotos, uno o incluso ninguno a bordo.

Esta nueva tecnología se ha aplicado ya en el helicóptero comercial S-76® de la compañía, denominado Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA). El fabricante también espera realizar el primer vuelo del Black Hawk con MATRIX™ dentro de lo que queda de este 2018.

HH-60W CRH (Combat Rescue Helicopter) ©Sikorsky

Sikorsky Armed Black Hawk ©Sikorsky

Fijian shiprider joins Coast Guard aircrew on patrol

Fijian navy Sub-Lt. Opeti Enesi looks out from an Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules over the Fijian Islands, Dec. 8, 2018. The Hercules aircrew was providing support for a Fijian navy patrol boat during law enforcement operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew West/Released)

SUVA, Fiji — A Fijian navy shiprider flew with an Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew on patrol over the Fijian Islands, Saturday. 

“What we were tasked to do is to make sure we can conduct interoperable missions with our Fijian partners,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. Edward Ahlstrand, the pilot of the Hercules. “We took aboard a Fijian officer, who is a shiprider, to conduct law enforcement here in the Fijian EEZ [exclusive economic zone]. We met up and provided overhead cover for one of their enforcement patrol boats, established communications with them and were able to show we can work together.” 

Earlier in the week, Fijian navy Sub-Lt. Opeti Enesi, a navigation officer, was welcomed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) as the first Fijian shiprider to board a Coast Guard asset. Enesi was also the shiprider on the Hercules. 

The bilateral shiprider agreement, signed Nov. 12 by Michael Goldman, Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Suva and Fiji’s Minister of Defense Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, allows Fijian officials to board United States’ assets and conduct law enforcement from them in Fiji’s territorial waters. The agreement allows both nations to pursue common causes such as fisheries protection. 

Fisheries are an important renewable source of food and income to many Pacific nations and it is in both Fiji and the United State’s interests to protect those resources from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The agreement allows both nations to cooperate toward common goals and regional stability. 

“I think the air ride today in the C-130 was really awesome.” said Enesi. “I had a good experience. Just asking the crew about the asset itself, its low cost as they mentioned, there’s a lot of endurance and it can travel a great distance. It’s really helpful in terms of search and rescue. It’s easy to call the C-130 before deploying our patrol boats.”

While the Hercules was on patrol some of the Munro’s crew were at the Lami Town beach park participating in a beach clean up project. They cleaned up the beach and got to know the community.

“It was awesome getting to talk to the people,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Carli Carnes, an electrician’s mate on the Munro. “I love interacting with the community here. It was a blast.” 

Their fellow shipmates on the Munro gave tours to the public and media. The Munro is one of the Coast Guard’s new National Security Cutters and it is the first time one has been in this region of the Pacific. This is the Munro’s first operational patrol. 

Prior to arriving in Fiji the Munro visited the Solomon Islands and held a rededication ceremony at a memorial to their cutter’s namesake, Signalman 1st Class Douglas Munro. Munro gave his life during the Battle of Guadalcanal and is the Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor recipient.

-USCG-

BELL’S SHANNON MASSEY APPOINTED TO TEXAS GOVERNOR’S AEROSPACE AND AVIATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Shannon is a leader in her community and partners with local educators to ensure a skilled labor pipeline is developed to support future demand needs.

07 December 2018

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Shannon Massey, Bell’s vice president of Assembly Operations, to the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee. The committee assists in the state’s economic development efforts to recruit and retain aerospace and aviation jobs and investments in Texas.

“We appreciate Governor Abbott’s recognition of Shannon’s merits, leadership – at Bell and in her broader community – and the unique perspective she will bring to the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee,” stated Robert Hastings, Bell’s executive vice president of Strategic Communications and Chief of Staff. “Texas has been home to Bell’s global headquarters since 1951, and we are proud Shannon will have a voice in keeping our industry strong across the state for years to come.”

Massey oversees Bell’s aircraft assembly in Amarillo, TX and Ozark, AL which includes safety, quality, cost, and delivery performance to military and commercial customers. Shannon is a leader in her community and partners with local educators to ensure a skilled labor pipeline is developed to support future demand needs.

She also serves as board member to the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Amarillo and Canyon and co-chairs the West Texas A&M University Path to 125 intellectual resources committee. Additionally, Massey is a member of the Society of Women Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Helicopter Society, American Chemical Society, and American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Massey received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from Texas Christian University. 

“I see firsthand how aerospace manufacturing drives prosperity across state and local economies,” said Massey. “I am honored to receive Governor Abbott’s appointment and look forward to serving and promoting solutions to develop critical skills and grow our industry’s presence in Texas.” 

Bell employs more than 4,000 employees across its Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie and Amarillo facilities and yields an estimated $4.6 billion annual economic impact.

Shannon’s appointment was announced earlier today  and will continue through August 2021.

Avolon confirma su encargo de 100 aviones de la familia A320neo

Avolon, la compañía de leasing aéreo con sede en Dublín (Irlanda), ha confirmado su pedido de 75 A320neo y de 25 A321neo. El acuerdo constituye el mayor pedido individual de aviones Airbus cursado por Avolon hasta ahora.

Además, con este acuedo el número total de pedidos a Airbus cursado por Avolon se eleva a 284 (240 aviones de pasillo único y 44 de cabina ancha), entre ellos el A321neo, el A330neo y el A350 XWB.

Dómhnal Slattery, CEO de Avolon, ha comentado: “Nuestro pedido de 100 aviones de la familia A320neo se apoya en la posición de liderazgo que ocupamos en la industria y refleja nuestra ambición de convertirnos en el líder mundial del sector. Continuamos percibiendo una fuerte demanda de aviones de la familia A320 por parte de nuestros clientes en todo el mundo, lo que concuerda con nuestro propio estudio del mercado y previsión de flotas a nivel mundial. Este pedido reafirma nuestra creencia en las buenas perspectivas del mercado a medio plazo y de fuerte crecimiento para nuestro negocio”.

“Este pedido pone de relieve el interés del mercado sobre la eficiencia, fiabilidad y atractivo para los pasajeros que ofrece nuestra familia A320neo”, ha manifestado Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer de Airbus. En este sentido, ha añadido: “La familia de aviones A320 es una apuesta de futuro segura para inversores y aerolíneas. El reciente éxito de Avolon es testimonio de la dedicación de su alta dirección a nuestro sector. Su compromiso con Airbus refleja su profundo conocimiento del mercado. Personalmente confío en poder ampliar esta relación de cara al futuro”.

El nuevo pedido de 100 aviones, sumado a las 22 unidades de pasillo único y cuatro de cabina ancha ya entregadas, eleva la cartera de pedidos de aviones Airbus de Avolon a 258 unidades, la más abultada de cualquier compañía de leasing.

Con la cabina de pasillo único más ancha del mercado, la eficiente familia A320neo incorpora las tecnologías más avanzadas, incluidos motores de nueva generación y Sharklets. Los mismos proporcionan en conjunto una reducción en consumo de combustible y emisiones de CO2 superior al 15 por ciento desde el primer momento, y del 20 por ciento para el año 2020, además de una disminución del ruido del 50 por ciento. Con más de 6.200 pedidos recibidos de más de 100 clientes, la familia A320neo capta alrededor del 60 por ciento del mercado.

Nota: Las cifras de Avolon incluyen los pedidos de HONG KONG AVIATION CAPITAL y “CIT LEASING”

Avolon firms up order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft

Dublin, Ireland-headquartered aircraft lessor Avolon has firmed up an order for 75 A320neos and 25 A321neos. The agreement is the single largest order for Airbus aircraft ever placed by Avolon.

The agreement takes Avolon’s cumulative orders with Airbus to 284 aircraft (240 single-aisles and 44 widebody aircraft) including the A321neo, the A330neo and the A350 XWB.

Dómhnal Slattery, Avolon CEO, commented: “Our order for 100 A320neo family aircraft builds on our leading industry position and reflects our ambition to become the global leader in the sector. We continue to see robust demand from our customers for the A320neo family globally. This is consistent with our own market research and global fleet forecast. This order affirms our belief in the medium-term market outlook and the strong growth prospects for our business.”

“This order underscores the market appetite for the efficiency, reliability and passenger appeal of our A320neo Family,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “The A320 Family of aircraft is a future-proof asset for investors and airlines alike. Avolon’s recent success is a testimony to its leadership’s dedication to our industry. Its commitment to Airbus reflects its profound market insights. I personally look forward to further extending this relationship as we go forward.”

The new order for 100 aircraft, together with the 22 single-aisles and four wide-bodies already delivered, increases Avolon’s Airbus backlog to 258, the largest of any lessor.

Featuring the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky, the efficient A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines and Sharklets, which together deliver more than 15 percent fuel and CO2 savings from day one and 20 percent by 2020 as well as 50 percent noise reduction. With more than 6,200 orders received from over 100 customers, the A320neo Family has captured some 60 percent of the market.

Coast Guard rescues 3 mariners beset by weather 30 miles west of Oceanside

A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew rescues a 25-year-old- man suffering from dehydration and an 80-year-old man suffering from a head injury and complications from diabetes from a disabled sailing vessel beset by weather approximately 30 miles west of Oceanside, California, Dec. 6, 2018. A 54-year-old man remained with the vessel which was towed by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter halibut to Avalon Harbor. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Fireman Taylor Bacon and Coast Guard Sector San Diego/released).

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard rescued 3 mariners beset by weather approximately 30 miles west of Oceanside, Thursday.

Mariners aboard the 35-foot sailing vessel, Julia B Lewis, contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego's Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders at approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday reporting that the boat was disabled with three people aboard, two of which were seasick and another with a head injury.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Halibut arrived on scene to assist at approximately 8:15 p.m.

Halibut’s crew attempted to launch their small boat crew to attempt an at-sea passenger transfer though they were unsuccessful due to weather conditions and sea state.

The crew remained on scene overnight to attempt to tow the vessel to a safe harbor once the weather permitted.

At approximately 7:45 a.m. Thursday, the vessel’s crew reported that an 80-year-old man suffering from a head injury was also exhibiting symptoms of complications from diabetes and a 25-year-old man was exhibiting symptoms of dehydration.

A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched to assist at approximately 8:15 a.m.

Once on scene, the Jayhawk crew lowered a rescue swimmer to provide care and assist the patients before hoisting them into the helicopter.

The crew returned with the two patients to Sector San Diego shortly before noon where awaiting emergency medical services personnel took over care of the patients and transferred them to Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego.

Both were reported to be in stable condition.

The remaining mariner, a 54-year-old man, remained with the sailing vessel.

Halibut’s crew is scheduled to tow the vessel to Avalon Harbor.

-USCG-

Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley Returns to Port after Bearing Sea Patrol

JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley returned to homeport in Kodiak, Alaska, Thursday, following a 66-day multi-mission patrol.

The Alex Haley spent the last two months patrolling the Bering Sea and the Aleutian chain. The crew conducted boarding evolutions on the Alaskan crabbing and fishing fleet, and responded to four separate search and rescue cases. 

During the Alex Haley’s patrol they conducted 25 fisheries boarding evolutions ensuring the safety of the crews, vessels, and the protection of the Bering Sea living-marine resources.

“Following a transfer season that saw a large crew turnover, this patrol provided quality training and operational opportunities across a broad spectrum of Coast Guard missions,” said Cmdr. Jon Kreischer, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley. “We are returning from a highly productive winter season Bering Sea patrol, and I am pleased with the favorable search and rescue case outcomes because they will brighten the holiday season for those families involved.”

The Alex Haley is a 282-foot Medium Endurance Cutter with 100 personnel assigned aboard it. The cutter steamed more than 8,735 miles throughout the last two months, traveling as far west as Adak along the Aleutian chain and as far north as St. Lawrence Island. The crew’s time underway was in support of those who make their livelihood on the Bering Sea. The return to their homeport of Kodiak, Alaska, provides the cutter’s crew to be with their families and friends for the holiday season.

-USCG-

Airbus lista para lanzar el programa de formación de pilotos cadetes, codesarrollado con ENAC

Airbus y la Escuela Nacional de Aviación Civil francesa, ENAC, han obtenido la certificación de la EASA para un programa de desarrollo conjunto dedicado a la formación inicial de pilotos cadetes (Pilot Cadet Training Programme). El mismo será utilizado por una red mundial de escuelas de vuelo asociadas, empezando por el primer cliente, la Escuela de Aviación México (EAM) de Ciudad de México, a principios de 2019.

Ahora, pilotos cadetes de todo el mundo podrán beneficiarse de un programa completo e integrado para la obtención de una licencia de piloto de aerolínea (Airline Transport Pilot Licence – ATPL). Además, esta iniciativa está basada en los exigentes estándares de Airbus en materia de seguridad y fiabilidad, así como en su amplia experiencia en la formación de pilotos.

El objetivo del programa de formación de pilotos cadetes de Airbus es dotarlos con las capacidades y aptitudes necesarias para que cada uno de ellos llegue a ser un “piloto listo para operar”, y está enfocado en el desarrollo crucial de sus competencias técnicas y de comportamiento. El programa no sólo refleja el compromiso de Airbus de actuar en pro de la operación segura de sus aviones, sino que también sirve de apoyo a las aerolíneas clientes; ya que contribuirá a garantizar la disponibilidad a largo plazo de pilotos cualificados. De esta manera ayudará a satisfacer la creciente demanda prevista de más de 500.000 pilotos a lo largo de los próximos 20 años.

El programa estará abierto a jóvenes mayores de 18 años que hayan completado sus estudios secundarios. Los candidatos tendrán que superar unos exámenes de preselección, online y presenciales, antes de poder iniciar la formación que comprenderá 750 horas lectivas en tierra y 200 horas de formación en vuelo.

Airbus ofrece cursos de formación desde su constitución hace 50 años y siempre ha adoptado un enfoque amplio e innovador, a través de su concepto exclusivo de comunalidad de la cabina de pilotos y la incorporación constante de las últimas tecnologías y conceptos didácticos.

Asimismo ha triplicado en los últimos años sus centros de formación en todo el mundo. Con una extensa y creciente red global, Airbus ha creado un paquete completo de formación en vuelo para que sus clientes puedan beneficiarse de una experiencia formativa más cercana a sus sedes y asegurar que el mayor número de candidatos con las competencias suficientes lleguen al cockpit.

Ornge receives highest possible standing from Accreditation Canada

December, 5, 2018

(Mississauga, Ontario) – Ornge, Ontario's provider of air ambulance and related services, announces today that it has successfully received Accreditation with Exemplary Standing, the highest possible ranking, under Accreditation Canada's Qmentum program. The decision followed its first on-site survey in October 2018 as part of an ongoing Accreditation process.
 
"Accreditation with Exemplary Standing is an extraordinary accomplishment," says Dr. Andrew McCallum, President and CEO of Ornge. "Ornge prides itself on being a learning organization. Our accreditation result demonstrates Ornge's continued commitment to providing Ontario's patients with high quality transport and access to health services."

As part of the Accreditation process, external surveyors from Accreditation Canada visited Ornge's Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Toronto and London bases, Operations Control Centre and Mississauga headquarters to assess Ornge against national standards. The standards focused on topics that included governance, leadership, infection prevention and control, medication management and a number of clinical services.

Healthcare accreditation is a quality improvement process which helps organizations identify what they do well and where they need to focus their improvement efforts.  Ornge was evaluated against national standards and will use the results to improve the quality and safety of its services.

"Receiving Accreditation with Exemplary Standard is only the beginning," says Dr. Homer Tien, Chief Medical Officer at Ornge. "We participated in the accreditation process because we believe that quality and safety matter to our patients and their families. We are committed to identifying new opportunities and areas of improvement for Ornge to continue to provide high quality and safe air ambulance services and for Ontario's patients."

BELL DELIVERS FIRST LAW ENFORCEMENT-CONFIGURED BELL 505 JRX

The first law enforcement-configured Bell 505 Jet Ranger X to the Sacramento Police Department.

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced the delivery of the first law enforcement-configured Bell 505 Jet Ranger X to the Sacramento Police Department.

“The Bell 505 delivers best-in-class visibility, and the aircraft’s advanced avionics and cost of operations make it the choice aircraft for law enforcement operations. Bell is proud to support the Sacramento Police Department and provide reliable aircraft for the important mission of global law enforcement agencies.”

Jay Ortiz, Senior Vice President, the AmericasBell outfitted the Sacramento Police Department’s Bell 505 with several law enforcement provisions, including high skid gear and forward/aft hard points for mounting equipment. The aircraft also features additional equipment including a 15” monitor with moving map system, loudhailer, MX-10 EO/IR Sensor and Trakka Beam Searchlight.“The Bell 505 will be invaluable in critical calls for service when minutes matter and will allow us to best protect the citizens of Sacramento,” said Sergeant Randy Van Dusen of the Sacramento Police Department’s Air Operations Team. “The ergonomic seats allow the pilot and tactical flight officer to fly for hours comfortably, and the large windows allow for greater visibility that makes searching for suspects and missing persons easier.”With a speed of 125 knots (232 km/h) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (680 kg), the Bell 505 is designed to be safe and easy to fly while providing significant value to the operator. The customer-driven design of the aircraft places safety, performance and affordability at the forefront, blending proven systems with advanced technology and a sleek, modern design.

Northrop Grumman’s Antares Team Demonstrates New Capability to Load Cargo Just Before Launch

By Trina Patterson

Launch operations at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility have taken on a higher tempo - of agility, innovation and speed - as the Antares team prepares the rocket to take on a new capability. Soon a specialized removable nose cone called a “pop-top” and a mobile payload processing facility will provide direct access to the company’s Cygnus spacecraft for cargo loading just 24 hours before launch.

Operators maneuver the mobile payload processing facility over the front of the Antares fairing and seal the opening to provide a clean-room environment. The Antares fairing pop-top is then removed, providing access to Cygnus for loading cargo just 24 hours before launch.

Antares and Cygnus support the company’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA, regularly delivering critical cargo, science experiments and supplies to astronauts on board the International Space Station. This new late load capability is an important feature for time-sensitive scientific experiments and cargo. The first use of Antares’ late load capability will be demonstrated with Northrop Grumman’s eleventh CRS mission (NG-11) planned for April 2019.

In preparation for NG-11, the combined Antares/Cygnus/Virginia Space team is performing a pathfinder, or dry run, of late load operations. A mock first and second stage used to simulate the rocket stack are currently mated with a demonstration Cygnus and the newly designed NG-11 fairing with the pop-top at the forward end.

The program’s current timeline for final cargo load is four days before launch, with Antares rolling out to the pad two days prior to launch. For late load operations, Antares will roll to the pad four days before launch and mate all connections needed for launch except for the liquid oxygen loading line. The team will then raise Antares to its vertical launch position and perform a full combined systems test to verify all systems are working properly.

Once all the pre-launch testing is complete, operators will lower Antares to a horizontal position, maneuver the mobile payload processing facility over the front of the fairing, and seal the opening to provide a clean-room environment. The team will then put platforms in place, remove the pop-top from the nose cone, open the Cygnus hatch, and load the final time-sensitive cargo. After completing the cargo load, operators will close the hatch, remove the mobile payload processing facility, raise Antares to vertical again, and make all final ground connections in preparation for launch.

“We are really excited about Antares’ updated capability for space station resupply, which could also provide late access to satellite payloads,” said Kurt Eberly, vice president, Antares program, Northrop Grumman. “I’m proud of how the engineering and operations team developed such an innovative system and then worked to turn their vision into reality. The successful pathfinder gives us full confidence heading into NG-11.”

Eberly said the combined team really came together to make this pathfinder event possible. Along with the pop-top feature, this is the first fairing that was built in-house at Northrop Grumman’s large composites manufacturing facility in Iuka, Mississippi. Virginia Space, the operator of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s Pad-0A where Antares launches take place, has been an important partner in preparing for the late load operations by making necessary pad modifications and supplying manpower for the pathfinder operation.

Antares also launched the tenth cargo resupply mission for Cygnus on Nov. 17. Today, the NG-10 Cygnus remains at the International Space Station, with departure expected early next year. The S.S. John Young Cygnus berthed with the station on Nov. 19, delivering approximately 7,400 pounds of cargo to the crew on board. Since the company’s first CRS mission in 2014, Northrop Grumman has delivered 51,466 pounds of cargo to the orbiting laboratory (approximately the weight of 60 grand pianos). With several more Cygnus missions on the books, that’s 51,466 pounds and counting.

Click here for more information on November’s NG-10 mission, and stay tuned to our social media accounts for updates on the upcoming NG-11 mission.