Aircraft News - North America.

For more aircraft news, data, fleets and analysis, please go to: http://www.airguideonline.com/professional.htm Sep 11, 2006

Air Canada Jazz 

Jammed cockpit door frustrates Canadian pilot. As baffled passengers looked on, a pilot for Air Canada's Jazz subsidiary was forced to bang on his cockpit door for 10 minutes last weekend to gain admittance to the cockpit. The cockpit door had jammed when he left to use the washroom. Sep 4, 2006

Boeing

Boeing 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter took to the skies for the first time at 10:38 a.m. today, initiating the flight test program that will culminate in U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. The two-hour, four-minute flight was the first of 250 expected flight test hours for the unique freighter, a specially modified 747-400 that will transport major composite structures of the all-new 787 Dreamliner. The enormous jet -- with its enlarged upper fuselage that can accommodate three times the cargo by volume of a standard 747-400 freighter -- gracefully took off under rainy skies from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (formerly Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport). Boeing flight test pilots, Capts. Joe MacDonald and Randy Wyatt, took the airplane north, and then flew roughly 150 miles south following along the east side of the island before heading north again. Sep 9, 2006

Boeing

Boeing's Carson: 787 presents company's biggest challenge. The new head of Boeing's Commercial Airplanes unit expects his biggest test next year when the company launches the 787. Boeing this week named Scott Carson to lead the business after Alan Mulally left the company for the top post at Ford. Boeing also named James Jamieson to the new position of chief operating officer after Mulally's departure. Sep 7, 2006

Boeing

Boeing named James Jamieson, 58, to the new position of COO at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He currently serves as senior VP-engineering, operations and technology at the parent company. He is a 30-year Boeing veteran with a broad background in commercial aircraft manufacturing, including serving as senior VP-airplane programs for BCA. In describing their roles, McNerney said that Carson "is firmly in charge of the business" and "will have the sales, marketing, corporate functions, business development," while Jamieson, who reports to Carson, "will have the airplane programs, manufacturing and engineering." Sep 6, 2006

Boeing

Boeing yesterday named Scott Carson president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes effective immediately, succeeding Alan Mulally, who left the company after 37 years to take over the top spot at troubled Ford Motor Co. Carson, 60, is a 34-year veteran of Boeing and served most recently as VP-sales for BCA, where he is credited with reinvigorating the company's flagging sales effort, leading to record aircraft orders last year. He also served as CFO of BCA. During a conference call, Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney called Carson "a natural choice to lead the Commercial Airplanes team." He said Carson will continue to head the sales organization until he names a successor. Carson added that he will move "as quickly as he can" to appoint a new sales chief. Sep 6, 2006

Boeing

Boeing yesterday operated the first 737-900ER test flight, taking off from Renton and flying for 45 min. over Washington and Oregon before landing at Boeing Field in Seattle, marking the start of a five-month test program aimed at securing FAA and EASA certification by early 2007 followed by delivery to launch customer Lion Air. The manufacturer has firm orders from five customers for 80 737-900ERs, designed to carry up to 215 passengers and fly up to 3,200 nm. Sep 6, 2006

Boeing

Scott Carson to lead Boeing Commercial Airplanes as Mulally departs for Ford. Mulally led the development of the 777 and was named president of BCA in 1998. He added the CEO title in 2001. "I expect this to be a very smooth transition," McNerney told reporters. He added, "We wish Alan [Mulally] nothing but the best." Sep 6, 2006

Boeing, Ford Motor

Boeing's former chief of the commercial aircraft division has popped up at another US giant with the announcement that Alan Mulally will become chief executive at Ford. Mulally, who battled Airbus for years, will work alongside Bill Ford, the great-grandson of the founder of the car maker. The former Boeing man said his product knowledge gleaned from the aircraft designer would hold him in good stead for this new role. Sep 10, 2006

Bombardier

Small, regional jets usually safe, experts say: Crash of a Comair commuter flight was the first fatal crash involving a small regional jet in the nation's history. The 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-100, which is made by Bombardier, is "a very, very safe airplane, and Comair is a sharp operator," said Denver-based airline consultant Michael Boyd. The jet underwent routine maintenance as late as the previous day before the accident, said airline President Don Bornhorst. Sep 4, 2006

Bombardier, Frontier Airlines

Frontier orders 10 turboprops from Bombardier. Frontier Airlines plans to launch a subsidiary airline to fly 10 74-seat DHC-8-Q400 turboprop planes. The airline has placed an order, which includes 10 options, for the planes with Bombardier. Sep 7, 2006

Frontier Airlines

Turboprops will feed Denver hub, Frontier CEO says. Frontier Airlines Chief Executive Jeff Potter says the airline's new Bombardier DHC-8-Q400 turboprops will feed its Denver hub. The airline will serve up to 18 destinations with the planes. Sep 8, 2006

Rockwell Collins

Rockwell Collins signed a three-year contract to provide repair and overhaul support for Mexicana Airlines at its Dallas and Atlanta service centers. Sep 4, 2006

US Airways

Jet with tire failure lands safely. A small fire broke out in the landing gear of a US Airways jet as it landed Thursday in Miami, but nobody was hurt. The fire started when one of two tires that had blown out began to burn, officials said. More than 100 passengers and crew members escaped safely using the aircraft's inflatable slides. Sep 4, 2006